In a deep self-evaluation, which I made just after reading the material, I came to the uncomfortable conclusion that many of us as teachers and even more as foreign language teachers, when it comes to assess students, we are still too close or stick to one of the most effective but at the same time old fashioned methods, the examination or test.
I realized that tests are not the only way to assess the performance of my students, and I also noted that the majority of my students learning process cannot be set just by a grade. As proposed by Brown the alternatives in assessment, could be a magnicifent tool to be implemented at the classroom. He proposed the usage of portfolios, journals, interviews, conferences, self-assessment, and peer assessment in order to guarantee an accurate approach to correct feedback aplication and therefore an excellent learning process.
I also reached the conclusion that, by the implementation of these techniques in our classrooms, we ensure a continous assessment process, ie, students are constantly being evaluated, on a dialy daily basis. which I think is by far the most accurate way to assess because students will have more opportunities to receive feedback and thus more opportunities to do better.
Finally, I would like to say that in our country, with our poor educational conditions and overcrowded classrooms, it is goddamned difficult even to think about applying these methods. But I am trully sure that with a lot of effort from our part, vocation and love for education, these techniques or alternative assessment will no longer be a dream but a beautiful reality being applied in every single Colombian classroom.
