Did he say we have a test everyday???

Can you imagine the reaction of your class if you told them that they'd be required to complete a "test" everyday? There would be rioting in the lunch room, sit-ins in the principals office and an overall poor attitude towards me and my class. Hold on a second. Before we go Norma Rae and walk a picket line, let me explain. I'm not talking about true/false or multiple choice tests or even tests that are based on essay questions. Even I wouldn't want to give that many tests.  I'm referring to an alternative assessment method: the blog. The use of a classroom blog, especially in a unit that takes several classes to cover, can take the place of the traditional assessment methods. In a previous blog, I had proposed that students use the class blog to record their thoughts and feelings from the perspective of the key players in the unit, such as George Washington.  Students could interact through the blog using it to express their opinions and learn the opinions of their classmates. Through careful monitoring of the blog, I can determine the learning of each individual student and adjust the lessons accordingly something not possible if I had used the traditional assessment methods. Often times teachers don't know or identify the areas of opportunity in a lesson until after the test is complete and its essentially too late. This affords me the opportunity to identify the areas of opportunity within the lesson. The students involvement in the blog is crucial if it is to be used as an assessment method as well. By gauging their level of learning through the blog, I'm testing them without them even realizing it. Their answers and the responses they give to their classmates responses are an excellent indicator of their overall learning and understanding of the subject matter. In a way they're testing themselves, so there's no excuses or complaints about the "test" since they themselves are providing the material on which they're being tested.