In our first assessment class this week we had the pleasure of complete a 'quick write'.

The idea of a quick write is that we are to start writing and we cannot stop until the allotted time is up. It is meant to get the creative juices flowing and allow ideas to come out freely. A quick write is beneficial in the classroom because it allows students to organize and express their thoughts on paper before having them raise their hand to answer in class discussions.

Our quick write from class this week was self reflective. We were answering the following question:

What are your beliefs and understandings about assessment? 

The first thing that I wrote was that I believe assessment is a useful tool in providing feedback for parents, students, and teachers. Parents are able to track progress as well as strengths and weaknesses. Students are able to see what they know and where they need to go. Lastly teachers can use assessment to determine what has been working and what hasn't been working in the classroom in order to alter future lesson plans if necessary.

I also wrote down that assessment should not focus solely on the achievement of letter or numerical grades. It should also focus on the discovery of student strengths and weaknesses. Assessment can help determine what learning styles work well for which students and what methods will help them succeed. By focusing on strengths and gaps, assessment can be encouraging instead of discouraging or scary.

Lastly, I wrote that there are three types of assessment: assessment of learning (AoL), assessment for learning (AfL), and assessment as learning (AaL).