Specify Your Learning Target

 To be able to choose which assessment method best suits the designed lesson, I should specify the learning target to be assessed as a first step. Let’s say that I assigned “Best Friends” as a speaking topic where my 3rd graders have to prepare it and present it orally in front of the class. Thus, the target to be assessed is “performance skills” which in turn best matches with the “performance assessment” method. Here the students will carry out the specified activity, and I will observe and evaluate his performance. Therefore, I will watch the student’s performance and judge its results according to a set of criteria previously specified by me. To clarify, I will set a table for grading the speaking/oral domain. To start with, 3 points will be given for the content and 3 points for the organization. Other 3 points will be given for using appropriate language. Also, 3 points will be given for originality and the other 3 for delivery. In total, there will be 15 points given for the speaking activity. When the student presents his speaking, I will be able to go through the table and find out all the criteria that should be available in his presentation. Then, I will count 1 by 1 and give him a point for everything he adhered to. In this case, I would be looking towards the process (oral presentation) and product (grade). I can either score him by putting for example 10 out of 15, or I say he is in the 10th percentile in his classroom. These criteria will help me to provide students with descriptive informative feedback that will reflect positively on students and help them improve. Here my students will be engaged in the learning process through interaction because I am listening to them as a participant in the class. I am pleased to say that by matching the assessment method with the target to be assessed, I designed a quality classroom assessment.