A teacher's implementation of authentic assessment in an elementary science classroom

This study describes an elementary school teacher's implementation of authentic assessment strategies in her science classes. After completing a graduate elementary science methods course, this teacher decided to make changes that would align her assessment strategies with her hands-on approach to teaching science. She experimented with a variety of assessment strategies and was successful in the use of science logs, performance assessment, creative drama, scrapbooks, and interviews, while rejecting the use of portfolios. Factors that contributed to the successful implementation included administrative support, close contact with parents, collaboration with university faculty, teacher's ownership, and the teacher's flexibility to try a variety of strategies. The teacher's perception of assessment shifted toward an integrated model wherein instruction and assessment occur simultaneously. Her typical reaction after assessing her students changed from disappointment in how they performed on a test to surprise at how much they knew. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Muscle Fiber Type Composition and Knee Extension Isometric Strength Fatigue Patterns in Power- and Endurance-Trained Males

Abstract

Muscle fiber type composition in the vastus lateralis and knee extension isometric strength fatigue patterns were assessed in eight endurance-trained and eight power-trained males. Two different 25-trial isometric contraction exercise regimens were administered: a 10-second contraction, 5-second intertrial rest condition designed to induce a fast rate of fatigue and a 10-second contraction, 20-second intertrial rest condition designed to induce a slower rate of fatigue. The power group fatigued almost four times faster than the endurance group in the 10:5 exercise condition. In the 10:20 exercise condition, the endurance group showed no fatigue pattern while the power group had a significant strength decrement of 32%. In both exercise conditions, the power group exhibited more complex fatigue patterns in terms of statistically significant trend components. Maximum isometric strength correlated positively with slow twitch (ST) percent number in power (r = .80) and endurance (r = .48) groups, but negatively with linear trend coefficients in endurance (r = -.62) and power (r = -.80) groups. Maximum isometric strength also correlated higher with fatigue curve trend coefficients than did muscle fiber type composition. Thus, a faster rate of fatigue was associated with higher maximum isometric strength and with higher ST percent number and area. Since maximum isometric strength correlated with body weight (r = .86 for groups combined), both maximum isometric strength and muscle mass appear to be more important determinants of knee extension isometric strength fatigue patterns than muscle fiber type composition.