"Assessment for Learning is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there.
Ten research-based principles of Assessment for Learning (AFL) to guide classroom practice:
1. AFL should be part of effective planning of teaching and learning
2. AFL should focus on how students learn
3. AFL should be recognized as central to classroom practice
4. AFL should be regarded as a key professional skill for teachers
5. AFL should be sensitive and constructive because any assessment has an emotional impact
6. AFL should take account of the importance of (and foster) learner motivation
7. AFL should promote commitment to learning goals and a shared understanding of the criteria by which they are assessed
8. AFL develops learners’ capacity for self-assessment so that they can become reflective and self-managing
9. AFL should recognize the full range of achievements of all learners
10. Learners should receive constructive guidance about how to improve"
The principle I related to the most is to focus on how students learn. As a parent of three children, where each child learned differently, it became my mission as an educator to investigate different ways to encourage the learning process.
A portfolio assessment helps in the process of monitoring a students’ mastery of a subject. Portfolios can enhance the assessment process by revealing a range of skills and understandings of a subject. It supports instructional goals, reflects change and growth over a period of time, encourages reflection, and provide for continuity in education from one year to the next.
I can use a portfolio for a variety of specific purposes, including:
Self-directed learning.
Showcasing what I have learned.
Demonstrating progress toward identified outcomes.
Offering an opportunity for peer-supported growth.
