Assessment
I believe assessment should be a supportive tool for growth, not a form of punishment. It’s about measuring how close a learner comes to meeting a goal—not how far they fall short. I use clear, purpose-driven assessments and transparent rubrics to guide learners in understanding expectations, reflecting on progress, and feeling empowered to improve. When learners see assessment as part of the learning journey, they engage more meaningfully and take ownership of their growth.
Assessment also informs my work as a designer and educator. If patterns of struggle emerge, I see it as an opportunity to revisit my approach. In this way, assessment becomes a feedback loop that benefits both the learner and the instructor. My goal is to create an environment where assessment builds confidence, encourages reflection, and supports continuous improvement for everyone involved.
Rubrics are, for me, the easiest way to assess for comprehension. Factual knowledge can be easily attained through digital tools, but the ability to apply that knowledge is what defines learner success. I design rubrics with the goal in mind: what do I want the learner to be able to do or know by the end of my lesson or unit? Then, using backwards design, my lessons engage learners to achieve that goal in way way that works for both me and them.
These three rubrics are based on the three types of writing outlined in the Common Core State Standards and are aligned to the concepts detailed therein. Each evaluative section provides an individualized assessment of ability. No learner is “locked in” to a column, but through using this tool I am able to highlight areas of strength as well as areas of improvement.
Knowing my rubrics well allows me and my learners the freedom of autonomous evaluation. It doesn’t matter what task I ask them to do, as long as the product they’re producing aligns with the goal at the end of the lesson, they can show me that they have mastered the skill in any way they choose. For two of my units, I allow my students to choose how they want to show me they achieved the goal. In this way, students are not only taking ownership of their own learning, they are taking ownership of their own assessment as well.
Rubrics
The Power of Choice…
The first iteration of this was simply an assignment sheet. They already had the rubrics and graphic organizers in their possession, so this was mostly for reference.
This revamp allowed students to “jump” to the assignment slide they wanted to pursue and each slide had the required documents linked directly to it, so they could work asynchronously if they chose.
