Assess this!
With the mad rush to cram all kinds of information into our students’ heads before MAP testing, I thought it might be important to think of some other, less threatening ways to assess our students’ learning.
Emmet Rosenfeld wrote a blog post on formative assessment. Like its summative step-brother, it can tell a teacher where a student is in his/her development. However, formative assessment can do so much more and can be a vital part of a student-centered classroom.
Rosenfeld identifies some key characteristics of formative assessment that make its value quite clear…
1. It’s ongoing. Kids don’t always know it’s happening; and teachers aren’t always trying to distill it to a number.
2. It’s dialogic. Evaluation is characterized by dialogue; standards are often negotiated, rather than handed down. The discussion about value is as important as the assigning of value; and even that is a task frequently done by self- and peer-assessment.
3. There is a feedback loop. The teacher often assumes a coaching role. Low-risk practice leads to perfect.
4. It’s metacognitive. Self-reflection is cultivated so that a learner can understand how he learned, not just what was learned. Every student becomes their own teacher.
For more on formative assessment, read Rosenfeld’s blog, Eduholic.
We-Blog, You Blog
Ruth did a nice job presenting classroom communication Wednesday night. However, it was too bad that Edublogs did not want to cooperate. I just wanted to supplement a few of the issues and key points brought up in Ruth’s session.
Blogging is something near and dear to my heart as some of you have gathered. I am an avid blogger and have had some success with this tool in the classroom. In researching a conference presentation I’ve found many, many examples of blogs that support good learning. The interactive and literacy possibilities are unlimited. I don’t want our struggles Wednesday night to discourage us from using blogs as a classroom tool.
The safety issue can’t be stressed enough. All this means is make sure you’re able to monitor what your students post, whether that be posts or comments. Also, having kids post in anonymity is essential. Using initials, first names only, or screen names are easy ways to accomplish this.
Some teachers expressed that they would like to see some other blogs that have been successfully used in classrooms. Like I mentioned before, I have found several examples while researching for my conference presentation that could better demonstrate the effectiveness of the blog. Check this link which is a list of classroom blogs that demonstrate various approaches to blogging.
Also, Yvonne shared with me some great ideas for making blogs work in the real classroom. One option could be to limit the number of students blogging to a few each day so as not to overload the system. Then, the rest of the class could comment on what a few students have to say. Another idea Yvonne had was to simply make links on your websites to student papers. This doesn’t supply the interactivity that a blog does through comments, but it does make it possible to publish student work online.
There are plenty of other resources and ideas out there on blogging. As you know, I love to use and tout my delicious account. This link has a list of the resources I used to prepare my presentation on blogging. You can also read the blog set up for my presentation (that I was unable to use due to a death in the family). Also, this link will take you to a list of ten ways you can use a blog in the classroom.
One other thing…It suddenly occurred to me the other evening how an RSS feed could be utilized in the classroom. When students set up their own blogs, subscribe to those blogs and have the students also subscribe to blogs, requiring them to read and comment on what their peers were writing. The virtual conversations that take place can extend the learning well beyond the time you have in class. You can use Bloglines, but I use my Google account to set up a reader.
Whatever you do, don’t give up on blogging yet. I think it is the most interactive and revolutionary tool of Web 2.0. Let me know on your classroom visits if you want me to help you set up your own blog. In the meantime, read some blogs and make up your own mind.
More Online Tools
I thought I’d take some time and share a few online resources that are free. (I bet that got your attention.)
In keeping with our last module (Tools for Thinking), the first resource is bubbl.us. This website allows you or your students to create webs and brainstorm online. You can save and share this work on bubbl.us, print it out, or even embed it onto your website or blog. It’s very easy to use and is somewhat similar to the mapping software with which we have already worked.
Quizlet is a vocabulary tool that when used for good (and not evil) can greatly enhance vocabulary skills in any and all subject areas. There are flashcard tools, instant quizzes, and (eMINTS friendly) collaborative tools. Think of the collaborative All you have to do is enter or upload your vocabulary list and let the kids go to work.
ClassTools.net allows for teachers personalize flash games, graphic organizers, and lesson templates all for free! This tool gives a teacher plenty of opportunities to create interactive learning activities that take the content to new levels.
Click here for full screen version
The State of Handwriting
We are at a crossroads in education. As we move further into the 21st century, the way we teach and learn is evolving. Some subjects and skills once thought to be essential to succeeding have now become obsolete. The art of handwriting is one of those disciplines.
Technology has made the handwritten word unnecessary. Whole novels are written on cell phones. Some of those novels have even topped best-seller lists. Other professional authors often type or use voice-recognition software to write their books, not the pen. Our governor, Matt Blunt, has made a sincere commitment to improving technology in the classroom. Many people do not even write personal letters anymore with the advent of email. Applications for most jobs are now primarily done electronically. (You’ve seen the kiosks at Target and Wal-Mart, I’m sure.) The art of penmanship is slowly fading.
Sure, there is a solid argument in support of handwriting. We do not exclusively use computers to communicate even as advanced as we have become. It is important to have a unique signature and many jobs do require hand-written notes and records. Also, until we go completely electronic, a premium has to be put on a student’s ability to write clearly.
However important handwriting is to you as a teacher, you have to ask what is the real purpose of being able to write beautifully with a pen or pencil. Isn’t the goal for a student to write a clearly stated and well-supported thesis? Does it matter if the writer properly constructs a cursive “v”? Or is it more important to write clear message with concrete examples?
I recently read an article in Good Magazine on this very topic. The author, who is an English professor at a prestigious college, laments her son’s struggles with handwriting. The teachers have frustrated the young boy over the appearance of his writing instead of concentrating on the validity of his arguments. The result? The student now hates to write. Was this the intention to make a student hate to write? Shouldn’t the intention be to improve the structure and eloquence of his written work?
As testing season draws nearer, consider how you are using your time. Is the learning in your classroom advancing their thought processes? Are they partaking in the “drill and kill” of memorization and basic skill preparation? Are they learning to think for themselves?
Where does handwriting fit in the eMINTS model? Are we focusing on form over function? Which GLE addresses cursive handwriting?
Consider these ideas as you plan your days and weeks completing this school year. Use your time wisely. I’m not completely trashing handwriting, but we must consider its proper place in our facilitation of student learning.
