Homeschooling for "Genuine Understanding"

As a former classroom teacher and a current homeschooling mom of four, assessment strategies are always on the forefront of my mind.  For me, I tend to take the road less travelled by searching for ways to measure understanding that does not revolve around traditional assessment, which I feel falls short of achieving this aim. To coin a phrase from Howard Gardner, I want to know if our children are reaching a level of "genuine understanding".  In other words, I want to see if they have moved beyond basic mastery of the material towards a deeper, richer level of understanding.

Our current educational system is centered around mastery rather than the acquisition of true knowledge.  You do not have to look very far to see this.  Most classroom teachers are bound by the chains of standardized testing. Coverage of the material becomes the focus rather than providing students adequate opportunity to digest and process concepts being presented.  A score on a test becomes the definitive mark of achievement.  I know many teachers who have had glimpses into what is possible when students are allowed the opportunity to create, explore, and synthesize ideas.  Teachers, parents, and I daresay, students are amazed at what can be accomplished when the focus shifts from mastery towards true understanding.

When we first began homeschooling, I found myself struggling with the ideas of assessment.  I gave timed-tests, chapter tests, and many other types of tests because that is what had occurred previously in school.  As a matter of fact, our then second-grader, directly associated her daily mood with how well she performed on a given test.  It did not take long to realize the err of my ways and go back to my roots.  I slowly began to realize, that in homeschooling, our children had the opportunity to break the chains that bind and spread their wings.  

We have now been homeschooling for two and one-half years.  As I think through our school days, I find that our children have moved towards an atmosphere of learning for understanding.  We take a more organic approach versus a rigid, test-driven curriculum.  Assessment is often done through formal discussions, projects, and portfolios.  Technology is integrated throughout our day and serves as a tool to enhance our learning environment.  I really try to provide opportunities for them to build on prior knowledge, wrestle with ideas, and to discover various ways to apply the material being presented.  It is my goal for their learning to be like a lattice structure where ideas are interconnected and their knowledge base strengthened through engaging experiences.

I know there are many skeptics to the idea of a "no test" environment.  Just for the record, our children are standardized tested every year because it is required by our Department of Education.  They tend to excel and surpass the norm.   While paper-and-pencil tests may be for some, we are happy taking a different path.  I love that our fourth-grader, after reading Beowulf, can recognize that Harry Potter and Percy Jackson are both examples of modern-day epic tales.  I love that I currently have sugar crystals growing in a tea pitcher in our kitchen.  I love that our children are creating digital portfolios of their poetry and plan to find some way to publish their final work.  It makes me smile that while they excel at video games, they can also animate original art work.  Finally, I love that biographical sketches of historical figures can be done through an interactive, digital report versus the standard five-paragraph paper.

I feel we are all life-long learners on a quest to reaching that coveted level of "genuine understanding." It is a process, I feel, that is eternal.  For me, I am committed to seeking out new ways to teach and assess understanding.  Along the way, I am committed to provide an atmosphere that fosters creativity and helps our children on their journey.