Readings - Week 10 - Authentic Assessment

Yet another term that I have not heard; authentic assessment. Although I am familiar with the concept, I never knew what it was called. And once again, I totally agree with it! As a new teacher, I sometimes wonder if the 50 multiple choice question test I just gave my students really is a reliable indicator of what they have learned. My overall guess now, especially after reading Authentic Assessment Overview, is a big fat NO!!!! I most like the fact that it shows students learn how to apply their skills to authentic tasks and projects. I also like what the author said about authentic assessment, that it does not encourage rote learning and passive test-taking but instead, it focuses on students' analytical skills; ability to integrate what they learn; creativity; ability to work collaboratively; and written and oral expression skills. Isn't that what is really important anyway?