To answer this question, one must first have an understanding of Bloom's Taxonomy and the criteria it includes.
Bloom's Taxonomy:
A framework for teachers to use, focusing on a higher level of thinking for their students. This taxonomy has six levels to access all areas of processing and student growth. These areas include:
- Knowledge
- Comprehension
- Application
- Analysis
- Synthesis
- Evaluation
With my dancers this year we have had one unit test so far. In preparation for creating the test, I used this format to decide what would best reflect what I wanted my dancers to know. As a new teacher at the high school level, this was my first written test I have given as the lead teacher. Before this, I taught Kindergarten and First grade, so tests were all oral and performance based. This time, I could focus on student comprehension, application, and evaluation.
Our Unit 1 Movement 101 assessment was a 50 point test consisting of vocabulary, and an understanding of elements, principles, and criteria relating to basic dance movement, choreography, audience appeal and feedback. All of the questions except for one were essay based or writing in the definition. Looking back at the test structure, I wish I would have given my ELL students a different test option. A multiple choice or fill in the blank option would have been a better way to go versus just translating the text into their native language. ELL or not it was very clear who had studied.
On this next go round, I will continue to use Bloom's levels as a way to format my assessments, but I learned I need to give a little more variety in the overall organization of the test.
