Lessons in community building and cultural understanding are important aspects of a 21st-century education. Through such lessons, students gain the keys to societal understanding as they gain knowledge about their cultural and historical contexts, and use that understanding as a setting for exploration of deeper values, emotional experiences, and…

Discusses teachers' use of portfolios by teachers for instruction. Describes ways to use them effectively: integrating portfolio assessment into the instructional day, making decisions about its content as the teacher works with the child, and holding portfolio conferences frequently. Reviews research on the contribution of portfolios to teachers'…

The overall goal of assessment is to collect information regarding a targeted program or performance. Specifically, assessment involves the identification, clarification, and application of defensible criteria to ascertain a target object's value, quality, utility, effectiveness, or significance in relation to those criteria. Through such…

Draws on a portfolio assessment project to identify challenges of making transition from literacy tests to literacy portfolios. Explains rationale for portfolios, then uses "Kim," a fictional composite, to relate possible difficulties, including having to meet the mandate without the knowledge base, mismatch between teacher beliefs and…

Discusses how teachers can use the process of deciding what students should put in their assessment portfolio to help students develop reasonable goals and criteria for their work, and make critical self-reflection a positive process. Describes young children's understanding of evaluation processes and provides suggestions for helping children…

Examined the use of reflective portfolios in preschool. Found that: with practice, preschool children provided meaningful, reflective responses when questioned about their portfolios; decision making in the classroom encouraged reflective thought; valued artifacts represented new learning, hard work, and independence; sharing artifacts with other…

Describes how parents became involved in the portfolio student assessment process at a suburban elementary school, focusing on strategies found to be effective in promoting parent collaboration. Presents information on strategies such as giving information on the process to parents through meetings and a weekly principal newsletter and having…

Multiage classrooms are an increasingly popular way to restructure schools. To be successful, multiage classrooms must shift their focus from teaching curriculum to teaching children. Strategies recommended for making multiage teaching successful include a process approach to learning, facilitation by the teacher, an integrated curriculum,…

Examines the role of portfolios as an alternative method of mathematics assessment in the primary grades. Defines math portfolios and their use, and proposes ideas on how to evaluate progress in classification, numbers, and spatial relationships. Suggests that use of portfolios focuses on problem solving and reasoning, and places responsibility on…

Notes that alternative assessment techniques provide more comprehensive and authentic information about the learner than do traditional assessment techniques. Describes a variety of alternative assessment techniques (portfolios, journals, observations, self-assessment, classroom communication, surveys, and interviews) and illustrates how to use…

Answers parents' most common questions about alternative assessment. Discusses: why there is a need for change in the way students are evaluated; what alternative assessment is; how parents can recognize the components of an alternative assessment; when alternative assessment occurs; and how alternative assessment contributes to children's…

Summarizes documents and journal articles from the ERIC database discussing topics related to parent-teacher conferences at the elementary and middle levels, including alternative activities such as student-led conferences. (Author)

Describes the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in Finnish early childhood environments from three perspectives. Examines Finnish national policies on the use of ICT; indicates the prevailing state of ICT use, according to results of international and national surveys; and presents some innovative practices involving the use…