FIAE chapter 4

In chapter 4 of Fair Isn’t Always Equal talks about the creation and usage of self-assessments, rubrics, and portfolios. As a student I love rubrics. I need to be told the expectations of a project and report. I like the structure around a rubric and I find that I do better if I know exactly what expected of me. For my students I aim to be open to project ideas but giving rubrics to students may ease some anxiety students have about creating projects. I liked how the author showed examples of the different forms of rubrics that can be used.
In two of my science classes teachers made students create something very similar to a portfolio. It was an interactive notebook that notes, labs, and general observations about the class. This was beneficial to the student because it would force even unorganized students to begin to be organized. It would also keep all the information needed in one easy place for students to access. The author talks about sending portfolios to parents but I do not think it would be appropriate to send portfolios home to parents when they are in high school because it may add more anxiety to the student.
Self-assessment is a non-graded reflection of what a student knows. Giving students a low pressure activity that helps them to reflect upon what they know and what they made need to learn a little more about. Self-assessment may create intrinsic motivation within the student because it promotes confidence in the student.


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