7th e-reflection of PETA

Assessment: An Indicator of Successful Learning

Picture

The class was started with a very nice activity, drawing. Ms. Ine wanted to know our feeling by asking to draw such picture that showed our news, instead of asking straightaway. After that, from the picture we had made, we allowed to share with the other. To me, it was a good strategy to start a class, to get students’ attention.  I wish, one day I can create nice activities like what SSE lectures have done since I came to this campus.

Anyway, the true material that I will reflect to myself in this e-reflection is about assessment. In recent weeks, I learned assessment in PETA and LTM (Language Teaching Methodologies). After knowing the definition and how it should be applied in a classroom, I had started to realize if it is very important for me as a teacher candidate. In fact, assessment is not like what I had experienced in my previous study. Now, I feel how poor I was as a student! For my teachers in my previous study, I am sorry to say, I feel as your “victim”, now. However like that, I do not want to be arrogant because of knowing what assessment is, still, all of you are my hero.  

Well, for students, the purpose of assessment is clearly defined. They are assessed because they want to know, how good they are at particular subject or topic. But, for a teacher, maybe it seems like useless activity. Personally, I think that maybe because of this reason so many teachers who still do an assessment improperly to his/ her students. For now my concern is the teachers’ job(s) do not end when they leave the class. We should help our students to achieve what should they achieved in class. As the auxiliary tool, assessment offer a help for us to know how success our students. In other word, I want to say, assessment is not just useful for students but the teacher, too.

When I become a teacher later, I do not want to repeat what had been done by my teachers. It was “hurt” my friends and my self-esteem. So, what am I going to do later is prepare my assessment well. In my preparation to conduct an assessment, I should make it valid. It is mean the topic will be tested should match with topic that the students learned. The objective is the students are wished can give their best in assessment/ test. Not only valid, the assessment also must be effective. From the last meeting in PETA class, I got an inspiration if the key of assessment effectiveness is a feedback. So, the students will get feedback(s) from the teacher to advise them. From the feedback itself, the teachers are helped when they want to help the students personally. As the conclusion, when I want to make a good assessment, I have to include the validity and the effectiveness aspect in it.

That’s all my e-reflection for the 9^th PETA class meeting about assessment. Hopefully, I can win “this challenge” when I teach my students later.