Assessing and Evaluating Students' Learning

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The section “Different Notions of Learning Literature” of this weeks reading posed a really valuable question; what is the meaning of learning literature? The section highlights two main frames of mind surrounding the question. First, there is the “knowing that” mindset. Teachers with this idea of learning literature want their students to be able to recall factual aspects of the story. They might turn to worksheets or quizzes that ask students to find the correct answer. The other frame of mind mentioned is the “knowing how” mindset. This idea values students’ ability to apply knowledge to reading. Teachers with this mindset value their students’ reflection and opinions of the literature more. I find both of these ideas to hold great value and have an important role in the classroom. If I were to plan out a year of my teaching that, by some miracle, went exactly as I planned, I would spend a significant amount of time on both of these ideas. I think that it is important for students to be able to identify facts and physical features of literature. I do, however, find more value in students learning how to use critical thinking skills to reflect on a piece of literature. In my opinion, it is far less likely that individuals will use information like the name of the main character of a book they read in high school throughout their adult lives. I do believe that critical thinking skills gained from analyzing and discussing literature can be adapted to benefit individuals in several different categories.

For me, the most memorable and effective lessons from my high school English classes were the group conversations, papers, and projects. The information I was tested on in English classes left my brain as quickly as it was forced in there.

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