Alternative Assessment

First, I would just like to say that Huerta-Macías seems to present a bias towards alterative assessment because her daughter failed a multiple choice test. I agree with her in that alterative assessment is important, but because her child did not kow what "none of the above meant" doesn't mean the test is necessarily problematic. Had she raised concerns of reliability and validity, her argument would have been a little more convincing.

"Alternative assessment is different that actually testing in that it actually asks students to show what they can do." (339) Up until now, we have focused mainly on assessment in terms of a pen and paper test, and those different types of forms. I think many a time, both teachers and students forgot that there are alternatives to a test and just automatically go to that.

Different types of assessment include: observations (formal and informal), journals, portfolios, interviews, questionnaires, and conferences. It's important that the teacher decides how they will use the alternative assessment, what they are going to use it for, and why they are doing this type of assessment.

Of course, there are always going to be issues with alternative assessment. Parents could become upset because their children are not being given a pen and paper test because they may not recognize these alternative forms of assessment. Students could also become more anxious by this different form of testing or less anxious because they are not aware that they are being tested. Personally, I think alternative assessment has more benefits than repercussions.