Fourth PETA Reflection (Putri Tiara Ismawaty)

            In the fourth meeting of PETA course, I learned about Effective Assessment. The class was different because on the last week I got guest lecturer from Madania School, her name is Ibu Warih. We were divided into some groups that consisted of four members in each groups. Besides, each member of the groups had their own duty such as leader, speaker, recorder, and logistic. At the time, I was the recorder for my group and my duty was writing the materials or wrote the other important things that were intended by the course.

            In my note, I wrote kinds of assessment and what assessment is. In my mind before I learned about assessment, I though assessment was about score for determined understanding of the students. However, according to my understanding that I got from handout and discussion with my group, assessment is an instrument to measure the students’ understanding about the materials that have given by the teacher through test, observation, etc. Ibu Warih also explained that assessment cannot be measured such snapshot in photography, but such in photo album. It is because, not all of the students have stable condition when the teacher assesses them. For example, when their emotion is not good but they have to present the report, it makes the result of the assessment will be not good.

            Based on that condition, there are characteristics of assessment that can be differentiated into two categories. They are formative and summative assessment. In my understanding, formative assessment is kind of assessment that involves feedback, observation, and journaling by teacher to students. It is because, in formative assessment teacher and students have to provide immediate feedback about the learning process. Meanwhile, in summative assessment the students are assessed at the end of the period such as final examination or semester examination. In addition, summative assessment can be called as the real assessment. It is because, this assessment determines whether the students have learned or no during the lesson. Based on those kinds explanation, I can conclude that there is difference between summative and formative assessment. The difference is located in the time of the assessment that is during the lesson for formative and at the end of the lesson for summative assessment.

            Actually, I am still confused to determine whether Mid-Term involves in summative or formative assessment. That because, Mid-term is held in the middle of semester. If mid-term involves in summative assessment, I think the time is not appropriate, because summative assessment is held at the end of the period. Meanwhile, if mid-term involves in formative assessment, Mid-Term also can be determined about understanding of the students in half period. However, in the last meeting I more realize that effective teacher should be effective assess to the students.

            For me, assessment is not only about score but also about students’ understanding. It is wasting if the students get high score, but their understanding is low. Through summative and formative assessment I think understanding and score of the student can be covered. I hope in the next meeting I can more understand about effective assessment because it is important for me as candidate of educator. Besides, I can get the answer of my confusion about Mid-Term. I am happy after learned with Ibu Warih. It is because, she also gave me new knowledge about the deals in the class with used cup and marker as a cudgel be sides taught me about effective assessment.I think I can use it when I teach in the next time.