Please Introduce Yourself

[Scott Habeeb]

Welcome to The Assessment Network. Take a moment to let the other members know a little about you. Just reply to this Forum discussion with information about your role, your interest in Assessment FOR Learning, Standards Based Learning, or assessment in general, etc. Nothing is too short and nothing is too long.

[Scott Habeeb]

I am an assistant principal for curriculum and instruction at Salem High School in Salem, VA. One of my jobs here is to lead our school's staff development efforts. Our division began focusing on AFL last year. As I began working with the topic I began to realize more than ever just how important it is that educators properly assess. AFL is a great tool for increasing learning, and I look forward to sharing with other educators on this site.

[Curtis Hicks]

I am the Director of Secondary Instruction for Salem City Public Schools. My primary responsibilities are to work with the Superintendent, Directors, and Administrators to develop and implement the goals and objectives of the school division with an emphasis on the middle and high school levels. Over the past year our division has embarked on a study of Assessment for Learning to improve student achievement. During that time, we have worked to develop an understanding of AFL and support the implementation of AFL in our schools. In the coming year, we hope to expand on our use of AFL and explore its impact on grading.

[Mark Pennington]

What a great idea! Not assessment for a sterile matrix. Not assessment for accountability. Not even assessment for teaching. Assessment FOR learning-absolutely my credo. I am a seventh grade English-language arts teacher, reading specialist, educational author, avid backpacker, blues harp musician, and dad of three boys. I live in the beautiful Gold Country of California. My interests are diagnostic and formative assessments in the reading/ELA fields and differentiated instruction. I'll start things off with a link to my whole class diagnostic assessments: ELA/Reading Diagnostic Assessments. Feel free to pass on to colleagues who share our commitment to the value of informative assessments.

[Scott Habeeb]

Thank, Mark, for joining. I've added a link to your site on a new resource block on the main page. I'd love it if you'd share some your expertise or experiences in the blog section occasionally.

[Kristin Orndorff]

I am a school psychologist in Salem. I am eager to learn more about AFL and how it can help all students experience success in school.

[Jeanny Gilpin]

Hello, everyone! I am a 6th grade mathematics teacher at Andrew Lewis Middle School. This is such a terrific idea! As I learn and grow as a teacher it would be so helpful to have so many standing by with great ideas. I look forward to it.

[Melanie E Smith]

I am an elementary reading specialist involved in school improvement initiatives. I have taught at the elementary level for 11 years in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. I am all about authenticity... real kids learning to read and write in real ways. I hold reading workshop, writing workshop, word study, and comprehension strategy instruction dear to my heart. My favorite book is Mosaic of Thought. Some of my mentors (although they may not know it!) include Ellin Keene, Debbie Miller, Nancy Atwell, Donald Graves, and Ralph Fletcher. Many of my philosophies conflict with standardized testing, but totally align with AFL. :) I am interested in helping teachers see the value of using assessment (PALS data, running records, spelling inventories) to plan for their literacy instruction, along with descriptive feedback that guides students toward success in reading, writing, and spelling. In my free time I do LOTS of reading for a variety of purposes, ride with my husband on our motorcycle (we have ridden to/in all 50 states!), and go running or cook up a storm in my kitchen when I want to relax!

[Allison Moore]

After 10 years in the communications industry, I became certified to teach English and Journalism. I was fortunate enough to begin my teaching career at Salem High School last year where I taught English 10 and Newspaper Production. I also advise the student newspaper, The Oracle. Being a new teacher, I highly valued the emphasis on Assessment For Learning last year and all of the best practices that were shared. I look forward to learning more ways to teach students effectively through the AFL model and especially treasure those that relate well to English--like rubrics for essays and review games (Jeopardy, Bingo, etc.) for reviewing novel content, etc. I really want to focus on teaching good writing skills this year, as well, so AFL should come in handy when going through the different stages of writing and providing feedback to achieve a good quality final product.

[Mary Norris]

I am a physics teacher at Salem High School in Salem, VA. I first heard the term "formative assessment" three years ago as part of an Ohio State study. When I learned what the term meant, I realized that it is something that most teachers incorporate into their lessons naturally over time. AFL is a great opportunity to incorporate this idea in more deliberate and thoughtful ways. This year marked my 24th year in the classroom and as a "highly experienced" teacher I recognize the importance of continued growth and development in my practice. I am excited to be a part of the AFL forum.

[Tomi Nave]

I am now the assistant principal at G. W. Carver Elementary after serving as a classroom teacher in grades 3-6 in Roanoke County and Salem for 27 years. As a new administrator, it was enjoyable being able to share my experiences and perspective as a classroom instructor with teachers as we developed an understanding of Assessment For Learning. As the school year progressed, it was exciting to watch the AFL concept evolve as teachers began to realize that AFL was a developmental process where we are now rethinking about how we teach and effectively assess our students. I look forward to this upcoming school year as we utilize talented individuals and resources such as this forum that will provide the support, reflective ideas, and effective assessment strategies that will successfully transition us to the next phase in the Assessment For Learning process.

[Forest I. Jones]

Hi everybody! I am the assistant principal for curriculum and instruction at Andrew Lewis Middle School in Salem, VA. Our staff at ALMS is very excited about AFL and did some great things in the classroom last year. Collaboration was a big part of it with many of our teachers sharing within departments, grade levels and across the different curriculums. We look forward to more progress in the 09-10 school year with AFL as we continue to prepare every child for the global economy and at the same time making sure we are engaging students with critical thinking/inquiry on a regular basis. These are the skills needed in a high tech economy regardless if someone is working in the IT industry or in charge of a woodworking company. I look forward to seeing the collaboration on this website.

[Beth Swain]

I am the mathematics coordinating teacher for Salem City Schools and I teach 3 math classes (algebra and geometry) at our middle school. I work with the K-12 teachers in our system who teach math. When we first starting looking at and learning about AFL, I thought aren't most teachers already doing that? However, as I learned more I realized that some of the things we think are AFL are really after the fact - so not AFL at all. I did a lot of reading on the subject, had some great discussions with teachers and adminstrators, and started changing some of what I did in the classroom. AFL is a valuable tool when used appropiately and I am excited to see more of our teachers moving in that direction.