Week Three Discussion Two

Assessments and grading link continuously, especially in my content area (ASL). Even if the grade is a "mental" one (meaning, observations, mental notes, etc.) or a participation grade, assessments are done all the time in ASL, both formally and informally. It is really the only way to accurately assess if our students are understanding and appropriately using the target language and culture. And because learning this foreign language can be a fast-moving process, assessments (and grading assessments) are a crucial part to ensuring our lesson and teaching plans are best following the needs of our students.
As for how assessments and grading link, they work hand-in-hand. Assessments determine how we grade our students and the grades our students earn determine how we assess our students in the future. This is really where authentic assessments come in. If we don't utilize authentic assessments to assess our students, then our grading is not authentic - it cannot portray an accurate account of how well our students are learning. If our grading is not authentic, then any future assessments cannot be either because they are then inappropriately focused. That is why it is important to utilize authentic assessments as often as possible, even though it requires more effort and planning on our parts. For our kids, it's worth it.