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Abstract - Rachel B.
Howard Gardner brought up an interesting, and almost controversial point in regards to assessment, “I believe that we should get away altogether from tests and look instead at more naturalistic sources of information about how people around the world develop skills important to their own life.” This chapter was based upon that quote, for the most part, because it described that teachers should follow the use of MI theory, integrating the multiple intelligences into your classroom, with assessments that are done with more real life application. If you’re asking the students to participate in all eight intelligences, then you can’t require them to show what they’ve learned through standardized tests, which focus narrowly on verbal and/or logical domains. [|MI assessments], such as work samples, photography, student journals, student-kept chart and student interviews, allow students to succeed far greater than that in which standardized tests are used. When there is more than one right answer, students have a greater chance of showing what they’ve learned and this leads to better teaching, which then turns around again to better students. This chapter gave a lot of good examples, through charts, on the difference between standardized testing and authentic testing. Reading through these charts you will notice some wonderful things such as instead of standardiszed testing, “creating stress that negatively affects the child’s performance, authentic testing, “provides interesting, active, lively, and exciting experiences.” Having read these charts, in addition to [|other sources] that teachers will find helpful because they give ideas on how to do assessments regarding each intelligence, it is clear that using a new, more real life applicable, types of assessments should be used in the classroom.

Synthesis - Rachel B.
The majority of the class agreed that to be a successful educator you need to follow your MI theory based lessons and teaching with similar assessments, those in which allow for an individualized, according to intelligence, real life applicable assessment. A lot of the reflections indicated that they enjoyed most of the ideas in regards to the varieties of assessment experience, except for video-taping. There were several students that weren’t comfortable with idea, for one reason or another, but when it came to the other ideas they had positive things to say. In addition to the majority of reflections expressing that they enjoyed the ideas for MI assessments, they also really enjoyed, and found useful, the worksheet on page 95, which was a Student Sign-Up Sheet, allowing students to choose which type of assessment they would like to do

Rachel B.
This chapter brought up some good points of view in regards to assessing students’ unique ways. It makes sense when you read it to yourself and think about the fact, “observing students solving problems or fashioning products in real-life contexts provides the best range of subjects taught in school.” There were an immense amount of examples. I particularly liked the idea of videotapes; it would make most sense maybe with younger age children, those in which are changing all the time and dramatically sometimes. I also liked the idea of student journals and student-kept charts. With a student journal students would “keep an ongoing journal of their experiences in school, including writing diary entries, diagrams, doodles, and drawings.” While with student-kept charts “students can keep their own records of academic progress on charts and graphs (e.g., number of books read, progress toward an educational objective). Overall I found in this chapter a great list of types of assessments that I could possibly integrate into my classroom.

Jen T.
Although we’ve been over the different types of assessment, and their pros and cons, I think this chapter showed many useful examples of how to use proper assessment. There are still a few I don’t quite agree with though. While I understand the reasoning behind videotaping students while they’re presenting projects, reports etc., I don’t believe it’s necessary to put the child through the potential anxiety of knowing that twice a year they will be videotaped, and that videotape will be placed in their permanent file. I have seen first hand how using assessments that appeal to the multiple intelligences really do work. My mentor teacher regularly includes questions that relate his students’ lives and they also do quite a bit of sketching.

Rachel F.
When using the MI theory in a classroom, many teachers don’t consider the effect it could have on assessment as well. The MI theory supports the expulsion of typical pencil and paper testing where only linguistic and logical skills are covered. By including more authentic real life assessments, students will learn more and will do much better in your class. Before creating assessments based on the MI theory, it’s important to observe your students. After observing them, you could document what you’ve seen in many ways such as in a journal, by taking student samples, by taking pictures, and student interviews. This will give you a much better idea of what intelligences come out the most in your classroom. MI assessments are still fairly new but many projects are underway such as Project Spectrum which is done with preschoolers. Many activities are given to the students that emphasize different intelligences. Not only do MI assessments allow students to succeed far more but they also allow for more than just one right answer. During a course, students should gather material for a portfolio so they can always see their progress overtime. Portfolios can follow the students all through school and will always encourage them to keep learning.

Geoff
This chapter discusses exactly what the chapter title says: MI and Assessment. The chapter has one important basic premise: that if we are to tailor instruction to the multiple intelligences, it makes no sense for us to turn around and assess student knowledge and progress solely using the traditional, linguistic-based paper and pencil test. Therefore, it is important that we differentiate both instruction and assessment, which means providing multiple outlets for students to demonstrate their mastery on a subject, or their need for further instruction and assistance. The chapter provides great charts on ways students can exhibit knowledge through each of the eight intelligences, as well as a comprehensive, if not complicated, MI context and assessment chart. The one thing that will impact my classroom and me the most throughout this chapter, however, is the student assessment sign-up sheet on page 95. I think it is a great idea for students to be able to create their own assessment (within reasonable guidelines from the teacher, of course). In addition to allowing the teacher to differentiate assessment, I think that students’ creating their own assessment provides some evidence from the start of their understanding and knowledge. It also allows more student input into the class, and I think it teaches initiative, leadership, and responsibility, three very important “life skills” to the students as well. While I certainly would not have students create their own assessment for every single unit, I think it would be inappropriate to do so at least part of the time (for instance, if students were to create their own research project on something they wanted to study further).




FIAE did a great job of giving us examples of assessments and now MI is telling us how to pick ones that are appropriate when we teach using MI. It makes sense. If we’re going to teach using MI then we need to assess students using MI. You can’t teach students with apples but assess them with standards for oranges. If you teach using apples you need to assess using apples. I love that the chapter kept with the idea of giving students choices. My favorite part was definitely the sign-up sheet on pg 95! No one knows what works better for a student then the student. Letting them have a say in their work and assessment may help them get excited about what they’re doing and hopefully help them learn more. Also the chapter talked about pieces you can use to assess student’s understanding like journals, photos (if the student is ok with), essays, and other various samples of work. The chapter mentioned that video taping student’s presentations could also be used as a form of assessment as well. I’m not so sure that this is a good idea. It’s one thing if a student makes a video for a project because they choose too. It’s fine when students choose to be in a video however telling them you’re going to tape their presentation is a different story. A lot of kids are already nervous enough about getting up and doing a presentation. Adding the stress of being video taped and having that go into their portfolio, personal file, etc may affect the presentation they give making this form of assessment unreliable.

Courtney
Chapter 10, //Mi and Assessment,// provided information on how to include assessment using the eight intelligences. Throughout the other chapter the book was focusing on and pushing for an education where students are learning through their eight intelligences and focusing on the intelligences they are best at. So now it only makes sense to incorporate assessment that allows students to express their knowledge on a topic through the eight intelligences. Standardized tests limit students to simply writing, and filling in the blanks and bubbles. Incorporating MI into assessments would allow students to be assessed through options and their different intelligences, they could make a video or sing a song to express their knowledge. It would be crazy to teach kids how to learn based on the eight intelligences and then never assess them in that way. Some teachers need to get out of that old way of teaching where tests and assessments are always related to a pencil and paper.

Karin
This chapter focuses on the assessment aspect of developing intelligence in an MI classroom. I learned that assessment in this type of classroom should emphasize the skills the students have learned rather than where on the scale they have achieved. In this way, students are encouraged by their accomplishments, rather than discouraged by what’s left to achieve. This will impact my classroom because it is an important tool to implement; I believe that this method of designing specific assessment will greatly improve student performance. Designing assessment (and ultimately curriculum as well) will never be the same in my (future) classroom again.

Stephanie L.
This chapter of MI provided us with a lot of useful ways of assessing students based on their individual levels of multiple intelligences. Figure 10.4 on pages 96 and 97 was especially helpful. It gives a very detailed chart with examples of assessment that will reach any combination of intelligences. This seems like a very useful resource to have as a teacher and I am very tempted to go photocopy it right now so I will be able to reference it in the future. I did a very similar project in one of my high school French classes. My teacher made a chart organized by multiple intelligences and then gave us quite a few possibilities to choose from to do for our project. This is a great way to implement autonomy for the students and allows them to try their hardest on the products that they choose to create. The main idea that I took out of this chapter is the importance of choice to the students. When they are the one making the decisions, it might feel like less of a chore to them and they might actually get excited about it.



Tracey Hollingsworth
Chapter 10 - MI and Assessment  Multiple Intelligence is not only a way of teaching and learning, it is also a way of assessing students. While standardized assessment shows in a narrowly defined way what a student learned in a year, MI has a more authentic approach that probes students' understanding in context instead of artificial settings. By using the MI approach to assessment, teachers are comparing students' current performance to their past performance in order to track their progress. To track progress, teachers use observation and documentation (reference Figure 10.5) such as journals, work samples, audio/video recordings, and photos that can be combined into a MI portfolio. A student's portfolio will contain materials from all eight intelligences. By documenting their learning process, their portfolio will be able to show the "Five C's of Portfolio Development" including celebration, cognition, communication, cooperation and competency.

Jen P.
. This chapter gives some awesome examples of how to “document student performance,” (page 89). The examples given ranged so that all intelligences were or could be assessed in a way that best fitted the student. They could also be used to encourage students to engage other intelligences and to practice so that each student can learn via each or any of the intelligences. In particular, I like the idea of video cassettes, though nowadays, I suppose we would be more likely to use CDs. Also, the charts involved in this chapter are easy to follow, making those of us who are visual learners less confused. I personally got some great ideas from page 94, which included different ways to assess “Factors Associated with the South Losing the Civil War,” since the lesson I am currently planning is about the Civil War in America. I already intend on addressing spatial intelligence by having my students draw maps!

Sara
This chapter discusses assessments and multiple intelligences. Observation is key to appropriate assessment. Teachers need to be attentive and aware of how the students are acting and working in the classroom. By observing teachers will more easily pick up on students’ multiple intelligences. Having examples of the students’ work is important to assessing the multiple intelligences. I really like the idea of keeping a file for each student with work samples, observation and other information needed of assessment. One must assess in context. Help the students by allowing them to learn information in the way best suited for their multiple intelligences and have the assessment in that form as well. I really like the multiple intelligence assessment approach. It allows students to blossom within their intelligences and it is easily tailored for each intelligence.

John
I regret that I am not nearly as liberal-minded as this chapter would like me to be, but there is still a great deal about the assessment styles that are addressed in this chapter that I find useful and more efficient than standardized testing. For instance, the assessment sign-up sheet on 95 is wonderful, because a student who knows exactly which way they like to learn best will have no problem filling out how they want you to end up assessing them. The main problem that I have with this method is that undoubtedly more students will try and choose the easiest method of assessment than students who are auditory or kinesthetic learners. When I say the easiest method of assessment, I really mean the method which may most easily be taken with the least amount of effort or actual application of knowledge as possible. Such methods might include: "choreograph a dance", "create a discography based on the topic" or "record interviews". Of course, I am sure that bringing these assessments to the level of something like a paper or a statistical chart requires a fair amount of creativity. Needless to say, while tradititonal methods of assessment (including deadlines and number grades) should not be used in excess, they still work fine. Likewise, just as the examples of "authentic assessment" open up new possibilities for realizing students' comprehension, so they must also have their limits.

Jordan
This chapter describes ways to assess students and how to make the assessment process work along with the students and the multiple intelligences. I really liked the examples of different assessments that were work samples, student journals, student kept charts, student interviews, and the use of portfolios. What struck me the most in this chapter though, was the idea of giving students many options as to how they want to be assessed. I think that is a really good idea that will be very helpful to students, especially if they know the material but are not good test takers. A choice of assessment will let them show what they have learned in a way that is best for them. I think using the student sign up sheet on page 95 would be a great tool to use for students to see what possible options are and think about how they would like to be assessed.