An Experiment in Using Portfolios in the Middle School Classroom
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Standard classroom tests tend to showcase what students know at that point in time and do not usually reflect real-life mathematics. They are not always accurate indicators of what students understand and how they understand it. I wanted to use an assessment tool that would allow students a better opportunity to exhibit mathematical growth in understanding and attitude over time. This tool should also give students the chance to show that they could communicate in a mathematical context, exhibit problem-solving techniques, and make mathematical connections to other subject areas. From these ideas and my review of the research on assessment, I decided to use portfolios as an assessment tool in one of my eighth-grade prealgebra classes.
Footnotes
Vicki L. Maxwell is interested in engaging students in problem solving and using authentic assessment to reveal what her students understand about mathematics.
Marshall B. Lassak is an advocate for innovative and appropriate uses of technology in the mathematics classroom.
