Every single time I say anything about “creative assessments,” I see teachers’ eyes start to glaze over. When I try to shake them back into reality, the excuses start.
“I don’t have time to grade a million projects.”
“I don’t have any idea how to grade that.”
“These kids don’t know how to be creative.”
They’re all valid points. But if kids don’t know how to be creative, how are they going to learn unless you give them the opportunity? And what if I told you that you shouldn’t be grading creativity anyway?
Let me make it easy for you. Content mastery and creativity are two separate components. Decide what you need to see in order to be assured that the student has learned what you need them to learn. That’s your content mastery.
Once you’ve isolated that objective, all you have to do is let the student show you their understanding the way they want to. Can they take a picture of something to prove they understand? Can they record an audio description of a process or skill? Can they make a video demonstrating their knowledge? Can the concept be illustrated with a drawing?
I know, I know.
“Kristie, how am I supposed to grade thirty different versions of a project?”
That’s where you can lean on your learning management system. Any software or app that can handle multiple file formats make it quick an easy for a student to upload their version of content mastery. Couple that with a rubric aimed SOLELY at the objective (resist the urge to grade the delivery model!), and you’ll be on your way to promoting creative voice and choice while still maintaining course objectives.
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