 |
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|||
 |
 |
|
||
 |
|
|||
 |
|
|||
You
are here: Sidebar: An Assessment Book Born in London
We asked Dr. Ellen Weber to share the story of how she came to write Student Assessment that Works and she shared this story with us:
In April 1997, a group of secondary teachers and university professors in London, England, challenged me write an assessment text. In fact that is the first time I ever considered such a ludicrous idea. Preposterous. I had always imagined assessment books were written more to help people sleep at the end of a busy day than to engage and interest readers in their own brains.
In London, we discussed exciting new teaching and learning ideas after each talk. Interestingly, educators lamented again and again how few practical resources exist for performance-based or authentic assessments at upper education levels. Even though my London talks began with suggestions for creating partnerships and unleashing multiple intelligences in secondary and higher education, it seemed everybody wanted to hear more about how to assess the new learning tasks I proposed. And I had to admit that I was not really sure how brain-based assessments would work.
The London invitation originally came from ideas in my 1997 book, Roundtable Learning: Building Understanding Through Enhanced MI Strategies. After my visit and discussions with educators there I was left with a vivid mental sketch of a readable assessment book. I wanted to support busy educators in learning how to assess practically and in intelligence-fair ways. I wanted to paint strokes of delight across assessment the way enjoyment inspirits learning in successful classrooms. So, in spite of initial misgivings about writing anything on assessment, much less another book, I left London determined to support busy teachers with practical assessment strategies materials compiled in one volume. I decided each chapter must open with a true story central to my own life relevant to practical assessments, and invite the reader to try to risk-taking for success.
What was I letting myself in for, I wondered between flights home from England? Perhaps I had been simply caught up in the moment with challenging thinkers, I mused. After all, I had never before wanted to write a paragraph about assessment, much less a book! So why suddenly did I find such personal excitement over this book idea? I think I garnered encouragement by an enthusiastic response to my MITA model from two previous books. So, drawing courage from teachers' willingness to use and enjoy these ideas, I felt willing to try now to include assessment. Maybe this is the same courage students draw from excellent assessments which truly chart their progress toward high goals and highlight how gifted they all are in unique ways.
From the start, though, I wanted my book to lay out the nuts and bolts of good assessment, like a carpenter lays out materials and tools to build a fine bookshelf. In the end I felt that my book must be readable -- or at least palatable -- to ordinary folks like myself. It must inspire those who care passionately about learning and teaching, but have felt disillusioned with some tests and quizzes. It must also encourage teachers-in-training to try brain-based ideas in their classes and to inspire others to partner with them in the adventure. Finally, I decided my assessment book should create excitement for every reader about personal gifts and abilities. It should help each of us to celebrate unique talents in ourselves and in one another.
A tall order for one book, I agree. In fact, I might return to London one day to see if I got it right. Until then though, I enjoy the satisfaction of taking another personal risk to give assessment reform my best shot. And who knows? My next audience might push me to write about how to tie fishing lures in Venice! On the other hand, I may simply stay home for awhile and check out the book's reviews from colleagues and students, and e-mail feedback from teachers in the classroom, planners and administrators who are using the book. That way, I'll know what to build on in future and what to leave out if I write another.
Ellen Weber April, 1999
Copyright © 1999 New Horizons for Learning
http://www.newhorizons.org
E-mail: info@newhorizons.orgFor permission to redistribute, please go to:
New Horizons for Learning Copyright and Permission Information