Assessment

First week back at school for teachers and another week at the office for the 'advisory team'. This week David and I did some training on assessment. This took a long time to prepare and to decide on what the borough message should be on this issue.

Initially it may seem like not the most stimulatinmg of topics. However, when you begin to really get down to what makes a level one and what distinguishs it from a level two etc, then you begin to arm yourself with a vocabulary. You can then scrurtinise work and lessons and begin to consider are these kids making progress? Equally it helps with planning and writing schemes of work.

You wont be surprised to learn that the web contans over 8000 references to assessemnt and ICT (based on a Google serach). There are some helpful tools out there and some less than helpful items. Mostly there are grids and ticklists, with some of these just focussing on ICT techniques not necessarily looking at the processes. If you read the level descriptors , you will find that it is the processes that are assessed and not techniques. You wont find a level descriptor that says:

"Children should be able to use the backspace key by year 2"

or

"Should be able to search google for Diwali pictures"

I have produced a helpful guidance booklet on assessment and this is availabel to anyone that wants it. (Just email me) Though as a guide it is just this is what you have to do and this is what some people are doing. I think schools need to come up with theri own workable system.

There are a number of website that i have found helpful and i have listed these below:

Web Links
http://www.ncaction.org.uk/
National Curriculum in Action is Pupils' work online including commentaries.
http://www.ict.oxon-lea.gov.uk/learning.html
This is an easy to navigate site containing an online portfolio of pupils work.
http://www.lgfl.net/lgfl/leas/islington/accounts/subjects/ict/primaryhomepage/assessment/
A large printable portfolio of levelled work with annotations .
http://www.smartafl.com/
A tool for creating E portfolios as SWF files- gaining popularity

If any of you have found anything that works and that you recomend, then please let me know.