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stitesm

PLC at Work™ | Solution Tree - 0 views

www.solution-tree.com/...plc-at-work

moodle_iowa ollie_iowa

shared by stitesm on 02 Jun 16 - No Cached
  • stitesm on 02 Jun 16
     
    Use the Solution Tree Website to dig further into the importance of PLC as well as ho to set up an effective PLC structure.
karenstock

Professional Learning Communities - What is a PLC? - 1 views

www.centerforcsri.org/...program.html

shared by karenstock on 14 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • An ongoing process through which teachers and administrators work collaboratively to seek and share learning and to act on their learning, their goal being to enhance their effectiveness as professionals for students’ benefit (Hord, 1997)
    • karenstock
      karenstock on 14 Feb 15
       
      Again, one of my favorite concepts of the PLC idea is that it is teachers helping teachers.  The outcome is that students move closer as a group to achieving benchmarks and standards without sacrificing class time or slowing down some parts of the class .
  • karenstock on 14 Feb 15
     
    Definitions of PLC
Heather Whitman

ollie-afe-2018: Educational Leadership: The Quest for Quality--article - 14 views

moodlesw.aealearningonline.org/...view.php

shared by Heather Whitman on 21 Jan 18 - No Cached
  • overflow of testing
    • nickol11
      nickol11 on 21 Jan 18
       
      I couldn't agree more with this statement. I feel like every other week we are testing our students through MAP, Iowa Assessments, etc. I am also from a TAP school so we are doing Pre/Post/Strategy testing in our rooms, as well.
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 25 Jan 18
       
      I would love to learn more about a TAP school as that is a new term to me. I would agree with this statement too about doing testing overload.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 25 Jan 18
       
      This is still a very true statement eight years after this article is written! The movement/shift is to move to more project based learning etc. but our testing systems have yet to make any changes. Very frustrating for teachers and students.
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 25 Jan 18
       
      Progress monitoring for intervention students comes to mind when I read this. These kids generally struggle enough as it is, so rather than use instructional time to help them learn more, we test tehm instead.
    • staudtt
      staudtt on 29 Jan 18
       
      This is one of my biggest pet peeves with education today. We get kids for only so long and so much of it is sucked away by standardized testing.
    • jwalt15
      jwalt15 on 30 Jan 18
       
      I also agree with this statement and others comments. I wish we could find a good balance of testing and actual hands-on learning. Testing is stressful on everyone and takes the fun out of learning.
  • The four categories of learning targets are
    • nickol11
      nickol11 on 21 Jan 18
       
      This is the main goal of our current district. I find this information to be really important as there are so many items and content areas being assessed. I feel it is important to look and asses in all of these areas for our students to really make sure they are learning the items we are giving them.
  • Are results communicated in time to inform the intended decisions?
    • nickol11
      nickol11 on 21 Jan 18
       
      I feel that this is an essential part of teaching in addition to that of learning targets. Students must know where they are going before they start. They need a glimpse of what may be expected of them and possibly what not to do, as well.
  • ...63 more annotations...
  • performance assessment and personal communication,
    • nickol11
      nickol11 on 21 Jan 18
       
      I agree that we should see more performance based assessments with much for feedback for students. As we know each student is different this type of assessment create and opportunity for a student to create something to showcase their learning. Many times they will become more engaged and will retain much more information in the long gun. I am curious if some teachers stray away from these assessments?
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 25 Jan 18
       
      You ask a very good question.  I was trained in project-based learning.  Students can benefit so much from it but it can be overwhelming for the teacher without training.  I would guess many teachers shy away from performance based assessments for the same reason.  Putting forth more time in feedback to students could be a deterrent also. Especially in middle school or high school due to the number of students.  Time for grading and to write feedback for performance based assessments would be necessary to do it with fidelity.
  • grouping the assessments into levels
    • nickol11
      nickol11 on 21 Jan 18
       
      I am grateful to be apart of a district that recognizes this need and is providing us time to build our assessment plans while we are building our learning targets.
  • Who will use the results to inform what decisions?
    • jhazelton11
      jhazelton11 on 23 Jan 18
       
      I think this is an important question. Who are the results for? The teacher? The student? The parent? Administrators? Legislators? I'm not sure the right answer, but it's an important question to consider.
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 25 Jan 18
       
      I feel that everyone uses that results differently too to meet their needs and can construe them to fit their agenda.
    • krcouch
      krcouch on 29 Jan 18
       
      Totally agree with this! Who actually sees the results and how are they using it? Every teacher uses it differently for sure. And they need to be used to best benefit the student.
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 11 Feb 18
       
      Many districts are moving to standard based grading. After more explanations and understanding to students, families, community, staff, and legislators occurs, I think this will help. The focus on the standard and after breaking it down many ways and with much thought, the results are shared. I agree that people can construe the results to look better or gain something, but we have to focus on who matters. It is for the students and those doing the teaching to really make decisions where to go next. Let the data talk.
  • Creating a plan like this for each assessment helps assessors sync what they taught with what they're assessing
    • jhazelton11
      jhazelton11 on 23 Jan 18
       
      Having the end in mind is important in teaching, because otherwise we aren't teaching what we are assessing, which ultimately makes our assessments useless.
  • descriptive feedback linked to the targets of instruction and arising from the assessment items or rubrics communicates to students in ways that enable them to immediately take action, thereby promoting further learning.
    • jhazelton11
      jhazelton11 on 23 Jan 18
       
      This is time-consuming... every teacher knows this is helpful, but we don't always have the time to provide the immediate feedback. Aghhhh...
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 25 Jan 18
       
      Right… and we are now a society with expectation of immediate feedback on many aspects of life that waiting can cause great frustration.  Technology has provided many ways for teachers to provide immediate feedback, but without trainings many educators don't have knowledge of support tools.
    • blockerl
      blockerl on 28 Jan 18
       
      I really like using Google Docs in my classroom to provide immediate feedback to students, especially when typing an essay. For example, this week I had students "finish" their memoirs much faster than their peers. With the use of Google Docs, I was able to provide them with immediate feedback about what they can do to improve their paper. Immediate feedback is hard, but I try to get papers back with clear feedback to my students as quickly as possible.
  • self-assess and set goals.
    • jhazelton11
      jhazelton11 on 23 Jan 18
       
      I'm trying to understand this better as I'm creating an online class for students to take. I'm trying to understand how students can take some ownership of their assessment and learning, but also struggling a bit to wrap my mind around it.
    • Jen Van Fleet
      Jen Van Fleet on 26 Jan 18
       
      There is a huge effect size for student goal setting. So essentially, huge ROI if students understand what is the goal and where they are in relation to the goal and how they are going to move closer to the goal. So if you can create the opportunity for students to self asses, it will be time worth spent.
  • formative point of view
    • jhazelton11
      jhazelton11 on 23 Jan 18
       
      There's certainly more focus on formative assessment nowadays compared to years ago, where we did more summative.
    • srankin11
      srankin11 on 29 Jan 18
       
      Agree! It is important for teachers and students to have the feedback of knowing where they are instead of figuring it out after taking a summative assessment.
  • The assessor needs to have a clear picture of what achievement he or she intends to measure.
    • hansenn
      hansenn on 24 Jan 18
       
      These targets should be the criteria on your rubric or the focus of your questions. It can be challenging to create questions that directly relate to the targets.
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 25 Jan 18
       
      I agree.  Rubrics can help students and the teacher stay focused on the expected outcome.  I appreciate the suggestion that the teacher should use rubric verbiage in the feedback to the student.  Which also means the vocabulary in the rubric needs to be clear and understandable.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 25 Jan 18
       
      I think rubrics are critical for assignments/projects. We are letting the students know what the expectations are for the assignment.
  • not
    • hansenn
      hansenn on 24 Jan 18
       
      I once read that you were not suppose to use not in a selected response, but I still use them because it makes students compare and contrast the concepts.
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 25 Jan 18
       
      I agree. It's not a trick question.
  • Students learn best when they monitor and take responsibility for their own learning.
    • hansenn
      hansenn on 24 Jan 18
       
      I have been trying to have my students use a rubric to evaluate their own progress. If i have time to talk to the student and compare our scores and provide oral feedback it works better. Online meeting with the student might be more difficult.
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 25 Jan 18
       
      I think when any human does self-reflection their is more meaning behind it and we carry those skills with us longer and they are personalized.
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 25 Jan 18
       
      I tried to do this through Google Forms and share results with parents at conferences, hopefully to show correlation between what their kid thinks they understand versus what they demonstarte they understand. I have to admmit, it failed. Kids ranked themselves high almost everytime as if they thought it would affect their grade. it ended up having no impact on achievement. Perhaps I will try a different approach at a later time.
    • bbraack
      bbraack on 27 Jan 18
       
      When a student takes responsibility for their own learning, then when they understand or meet the standard, then they know they have learned something and did it they feel good and have accomplished something.
  • ongoing information needs of teachers and students.
    • hansenn
      hansenn on 24 Jan 18
       
      The needs of the school or teachers is to be able to grade the assessments. If standardized test are selected response and short answer because the results can be calculated quickly. They can measure some higher thinking skills, but most are not. Why do people place so much importance on the test.
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 25 Jan 18
       
      Great question and observation!
  • We're betting that the instructional hours sacrificed to testing will return dividends in the form of better instructional decisions and improved high-stakes test scores.
    • Mike Radue
      Mike Radue on 24 Jan 18
       
      I find this interesting. Authors are betting that giving up instructional time in favor of testing will pay off in terms of better decisions about students and what seems to be for some, the ultimate goal of improved standardized test scores. Assuming assessment structure and frequency is balanced as the paper outlines, that's a good bet.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 25 Jan 18
       
      what is interesting is that most teachers are doing formal assessment throughout their teaching, using RTI (response to intervention) time etc.
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 25 Jan 18
       
      See my comments on the 'overflow of testing' highlight. Guess I should have read a little further. This is like betting on giving up one hour of instructional time every Wednesday for professional development will increase student achievement.
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 26 Jan 18
       
      We also need to find a balance of instruction and assessment. How can we expect students to perform well on assessments when there is little or no time for instruction on the concepts being assessed because of all the testing.
    • blockerl
      blockerl on 28 Jan 18
       
      I'm interested to know what they are basing this on. So, if I test my students more, they will learn more?
  • Figure 2 clarifies which assessment methods are most likely to produce accurate results for different learning targets.
    • Mike Radue
      Mike Radue on 24 Jan 18
       
      This is an excellent visual to help assessors think carefully about the learning target and in turn selecting a proper assessment method. It even has some flexibility supporting a multiple measures type of approach. Accuracy is important and this matrix can help serve that goal.
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 25 Jan 18
       
      Well said Mike.  I think this would be a helpful document for teachers to keep in a ready reference file.  I hadn't considered some of the reasons why certain assessments would not be a good match with the learning targets. The explanations whether good matches or not are quite helpful.
    • blockerl
      blockerl on 28 Jan 18
       
      I, too, really like this chart. It is a nice, simple thing for teachers to use when they are in their teams coming up with Common Formative Assessments.
    • staudtt
      staudtt on 29 Jan 18
       
      As eveyone has stated, this chart really does a good job of breaking down quality ways to look at learning targets. It keeps it simple yet you get some quality information.
  • Will the users of the results understand them and see the connection to learning?
    • Mike Radue
      Mike Radue on 24 Jan 18
       
      Assessment, as a science, can be tough to comprehend for professional educators, let alone a 8 year old, a parent, a school board member or some guy reading an article in the Des Moines Register. Ask ten people to explain validity and reliability and you might be surprised at the results. What I like about the concept in this article is that it emphasizes the "context" of the assessment. Do users of results truly understand what they are looking at and most importantly connect to a big picture and take the next step? Communication is important but so is education and review of assessment principles for all users of results to understand.
    • jwalt15
      jwalt15 on 30 Jan 18
       
      Great observation Mike! You summed up this article perfectly. All of the focus and discussion on assessments doesn't do any good if the people involved aren't truly understanding the information that is being shared with them. People can't comprehend next steps if they don't understand the information in the first place.
  • Educators are more likely to attend to issues of quality and serve the best interests of students when we build balanced systems, with assessment-literate users.
    • Mike Radue
      Mike Radue on 24 Jan 18
       
      Great conclusion and mission. After reading this, I have definitely been challenged to take a closer look at how I view assessment, its purpose and what to do with the results. Seeking balance in the manner in which we conduct assessment and committing to improve assessment literacy for myself and others is a key take-away for me.
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 25 Jan 18
       
      Seeking balance in assessment is something I gained from this article too. I will be looking at assessment differently.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 25 Jan 18
       
      Agreed! Balance is the key to anything. We need to show the students that assessment is important in any form. It is how we grow not only academically, but personally.
  • results that point student and teacher clearly to next steps
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 25 Jan 18
       
      Over the years I've observed increase in doing constructive lessons due to results of assessment. When I was new to this profession the assessment was the focus.  Now I see more emphasis on helping close gaps in learning located through assessments. However, time for assessments to be evaluated and locate those areas that need review or to reteach (possibly in a different method) is mandatory. Allocating the time needed for teachers to evaluate results should be a priority for administration.  
    • lisamsuya
      lisamsuya on 25 Jan 18
       
      I agree. I think following the PLC framework helps teachers collaborate about the learning needs based on assessments.
    • Jen Van Fleet
      Jen Van Fleet on 26 Jan 18
       
      Hi Lisa! I completely agree with adding stock to the PLC framework so that teachers have intentional and regular time to have these conversations when there is plenty of time to act up on results and adjust instruction.
  • Assessment quality and assessment balance
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 25 Jan 18
       
      I believe we need both quality and balance. I believe we were on the right step with Smarter Balance when the decision was made to halt that process and put it on hold for various reasons.
    • lisamsuya
      lisamsuya on 25 Jan 18
       
      I couldn't agree more. Smarter Balanced is the most standards based assessment available and instead of top quality for our kids and teachers, the legislature chose to spend less for lesser quality for our kids. You can see it's a hot topic for me.
  • basis of a single measure
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 25 Jan 18
       
      This is a sad day when we as educators take one single measure and make life long decisions.
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 26 Jan 18
       
      I totally agree! Basing decisions on one assessment is like interviewing someone for a job and only asking one question. We need to look at multiple artifacts when making decisions that are best for students including any social/emotional needs of the student.
    • krcouch
      krcouch on 29 Jan 18
       
      Agreed! a single measure should not dictate what our students know and how they learn. Students learn many different ways...visual, auditory. and test many different ways...
    • emmeyer
      emmeyer on 03 Feb 18
       
      So true! One test, or one event, should not define a student. That goes against us teaching our students to be life long learners and having a growth mindset.
  • including students
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 25 Jan 18
       
      The learning targets and reason for the assessment needs to be first and foremost clear to the students. Teachers need to take the assessment before hand to assure it aligns with the teaching standards that they intended to be taught.
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 25 Jan 18
       
      Our district has made a strong push to write all learning targets in student friendly language, often times utilizing "I can" statements
  • learning targets
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 25 Jan 18
       
      These have to be clear and concise and match to the common core.
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 26 Jan 18
       
      Clear learning targets are not only key when assessing, but they are also important during instruction. With that being said, that does not mean just posting them in your room, but using them throughout instruction.
  • choices in the assessment methods
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 25 Jan 18
       
      Using a choice of assessment methods is important to capture for all students their knowledge on a learning target.
  • noise distractions
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 25 Jan 18
       
      I was in a classroom the other day and she had the radio playing in the background and it was a distraction for me. I was trying to work with a special ed student on a science assignment and has a hard time concentrating.
    • srankin11
      srankin11 on 29 Jan 18
       
      If a student focuses better with music, why wouldn't a teacher have that student use ear buds? There are many students that would be distracted by the music/radio and may not say anything to the teacher.
  • Feedback to students can use the language of the rubric
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 25 Jan 18
       
      Using the same wording from the rubric is another way to enforce the students' learning and reinforce skills.
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 25 Jan 18
       
      Again, I should continue to read before commenting. I just said the same thing in a previous post :-)
    • emmeyer
      emmeyer on 03 Feb 18
       
      I agree, using the same language helps to reinforce for students that this is important.
  • Ongoing classroom assessments serve both formative and summative purposes and meet students' as well as teachers' information needs.
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 25 Jan 18
       
      The key here is formative and summative and ongoing assessments. We don't stop with one and move on we want all students to learn the prioritized standard to mastery.
  • The goal of a balanced assessment system is to ensure that all assessment users have access to the data they want when they need it, which in turn directly serves the effective use of multiple measures.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 25 Jan 18
       
      This is critical! We need to have balance in our instruction and assessment. We don't want to be that teacher that practices "Death by assessment".
  • Effectively planning for the use of multiple measures means providing assessment balance throughout these three levels, meeting student, teacher, and district information needs. This is done using both formative and summative assessments, large-group and individual testing, assessing a range of relevant learning targets using a range of appropriate assessment methods.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 25 Jan 18
       
      This is critical and just reaffirms that balance is the key. Teachers need to be adding/weaving the various assessments within their normal routine.
    • staudtt
      staudtt on 29 Jan 18
       
      And the key/struggle at times is finding what type of assessment/s fits the learning target/s to maximize the time a teacher has.
  • he decision makers might be students and teachers at the classroom level; instructional leaders, learning teams, and teachers at the periodic level; or curriculum and instructional leaders and school and community leaders at the annual testing level.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 25 Jan 18
       
      This is a critical piece! There has to be some guidance from the district level to school level to teacher level, but buy in really has to be at the teacher/student level. Another thought could be that it is driven from the bottom up instead of top down.
  • (selected-response, extended written response, performance assessment, and personal communication)
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 25 Jan 18
       
      It is important to keep all four of these options within the assessment for students to show their knowledge.
  • Making decisions that affect individuals and groups of students
    • lisamsuya
      lisamsuya on 25 Jan 18
       
      I have always disliked the notion of adults thinking a test score will determine a child's future, and then impacting that future by giving that child the message that their test scores are who they are.
    • jwalt15
      jwalt15 on 30 Jan 18
       
      I agree with your dislike of the notion of adults thinking a test score will determine a child's future. I feel that puts too much pressure on student's when they are testing and increases their anxieties. Single test scores cannot accurately measure one's thinking and abilities. I wish that society would change their thinking and listen to educators who are actually in the classrooms.
  • organize the learning targets represented in the assessment into a written test plan that matches the learning targets represented in the curriculum.
    • lisamsuya
      lisamsuya on 25 Jan 18
       
      This is difficult but important work. In my experience teachers are not well trained in creating assessments that are aligned in this way. I have attended some trainings in this, and as an instructional coach, I try to support quality assessment creation by teachers. However, in the long run, I think that it is better if schools adopt materials that include assessments that are aligned to common core and are already vetted by organizations such as EdReports to be of high quality. It saves times, and the models from these materials actual teach the teachers along the way of how to create tests aligned to learning targets
  • stable estimates of student achievement
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 25 Jan 18
       
      A major challenge we are confronting at JHS is that assessments (and by that I really mean evaluations/grades) are 'dead'. They aren't about growth, they are entered as numerical grades into Infinite Campus. This has made 'assessment' a dirty word (like the overflow idea below).
    • Jen Van Fleet
      Jen Van Fleet on 26 Jan 18
       
      I know what you mean. This year with some SBAR transition work, the teachers did not have to enter the district end of term assessments for math (and maybe other content areas?), but the teachers were told they could still use the assessments. It was interesting to listen to conversations when teachers could actually assess and then just use the info to inform their instruction rather than just to perform a function in Campus.
    • dassom
      dassom on 28 Jan 18
       
      I love the word stable in this sentence. We have CTT that arent giving enough CFA's to catch kids before it's too late. We have the flipside though the some CTT's are giving almost to much assessment that the kids aren't getting a chance to struggle (which is not the correct tern). I think with practice teachers will get better at it, but it definately needs to be a quality good balance. Too much or too little can be harmful both ways.
  • Clear Purpose
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 25 Jan 18
       
      Too often the purpose of the assessment is to see if a student knows the content or not at the end of a unit or chapter. This article would be good to share to change that idea.
    • tifinifog
      tifinifog on 30 Jan 18
       
      Exactly. We need to think about the final product or big idea of what we want them to know even before creating a test/assessment.
  • Sound Assessment Design
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 25 Jan 18
       
      This is a major challenge! Teachers need support in learning about and reflecting on assessment design.
    • srankin11
      srankin11 on 29 Jan 18
       
      Agree! I believe teachers not only need the support but also the time. To write a sound assessment takes time. For many subjects, there may be quality assessments included with textbooks. For other classes, all assessments must be written by the teacher. This takes time to produce a quality assessment.
  • Student Involvement in the Assessment Process
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 25 Jan 18
       
      This is a daunting idea when a teacher may teach 6 periods of the same content to 25 students at a time. Teachers need to see this as doable and students need to develop these skills.
  • selected-response formats, extended written response, performance assessment, and personal communication
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 25 Jan 18
       
      Multiple assessment methods is and always has been best practice. Choosing only one style of question type can prohibit many learners from expressing their knowledge of the material. There are too many lerner styles in any given class to apply a one size fits all assessment.
  • teachers must provide the results in a way that helps students
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 25 Jan 18
       
      This is where I think our work with rubrics shows students how to grow.
  • taking advantage of dependable data
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 25 Jan 18
       
      It all boils down to this for me. What data do I have? Why do I have it? What am I going to do with it? How will it impact student achievement?
  • common assessments
    • leighbellville
      leighbellville on 25 Jan 18
       
      Common assessments are a focus now during our Professional Learning Communities (PLC) work. There have been concerns expressed by educators that students are asked to complete too many assessments now. However, I have also observed when additional assessments can allow students more flexibility in terms of movement based on individual growth. If a student is tested only once per year and this one piece of data is used to guide decisions throughout the year that would not be in the best interest of the student either.
    • dassom
      dassom on 28 Jan 18
       
      I know common assessments can be terrifying to teachers because of what it actually showing. The results are a reflection of how well your students did, but it is also a reflection of how well you did teaching the concepts. It's hard to be in "competition" with another teacher. When teams develop that true collaborative mindset they are less likely to see it as a competition but with the wrong dynamic sadly that's exactly what it could seem like. I think the common assessments also hold the teams accountable to each other because it's what they are agreeing to teach their kids.
  • formatively
    • leighbellville
      leighbellville on 25 Jan 18
       
      Formative assessment is such an important piece. Students need feedback throughout the learning process, and providing ungraded feedback is essential. For those interested in learning more about formative assessment, I found the book Embedded Formative Assessment by Dylan Wiliam to be helpful.
  • For example, if the teacher wants to assess knowledge mastery of a certain item, both selected-response and extended written response methods are good matches, whereas performance assessment or personal communication may be less effective and too time-consuming
    • leighbellville
      leighbellville on 26 Jan 18
       
      It is an important point to consider whether we are choosing the right assessment. I have observed previously when personal communication was chosen as the assessment method, which was not the best use of the student or teacher's time. Though opportunities should be provided for personal communication, we need to consider when it will have the most impact.
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 11 Feb 18
       
      Performance assessment can be time consuming but can be a big picture look and communication between student to student, student to teacher, student to expert can help grow as well. Earlier the article pointed out the need to have multiple measures. I see the need to really focus on what the goals are and use the table below to help people make decisions based on the current need.
  • A mechanism should be in place for students to track their own progress on learning targets and communicate their status to others.
    • leighbellville
      leighbellville on 26 Jan 18
       
      Asking students to track their own progress in relation to learning targets and communicate their status to others can be impactful. When students self-assess and dig deeper into the language of the learning targets to set goals, they will have a much clearer understanding of the expectations.
  • Only assessments that satisfy these standards—whether teachers' classroom assessments, department or grade-level common assessments, or benchmark or interim tests—will be capable of informing sound decisions.
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 26 Jan 18
       
      Having criteria for assessment and understanding the purpose is so important.
  • Do the results provide clear direction for what to do next?
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 26 Jan 18
       
      This statement is so important. When we are analyzing the results of assessment we should not just looking at how many points a student got. Digging deeper into what they were successful at, where they had any misconceptions and then planning from there is so important.
    • krcouch
      krcouch on 29 Jan 18
       
      so important. They need to know where to go next and what they can do to improve.
  • current practice
    • Jen Van Fleet
      Jen Van Fleet on 26 Jan 18
       
      I'm going to push back on "current" here. I know that in Davenport teachers are working HARD to look at common formative assessments and daily quick checks to inform instruction so that kids are ready when they reach the common summative assessment. It's a work in progress, and not everything is perfection yet. However, conversations about learning in real time are happening, and it's awesome.
  • Most assumed that a low score or grade was probably justly assigned and that a decision made about a student as a result was as defensible as the evidence on which it was based
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 26 Jan 18
       
      moodle_iowa
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 11 Feb 18
       
      I have heard adults remember the testing as a child and parents say, "My child just isn't a good tester." I don't test very well. I avoided getting a masters from some schools because they required the GRE to get into the program. NO WAY! I often wonder why a GRE score determines who can take the courses and pay anyway? How should our colleges/universities look at the biases of testing and/or knowing some people haven't taken certain courses in 20 years?
  • multiple measures
    • krcouch
      krcouch on 29 Jan 18
       
      I agree. Multiple measures is a better measure of sucess.
    • emmeyer
      emmeyer on 03 Feb 18
       
      Yes, this encourages our growth mindset!!
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 11 Feb 18
       
      I think the multiple measures really help us see the whole kid. What if I am artistic in nature and don't show what I know on the basic tests? What if I am ultra creative in writing? What if my strength is technology, and I disengage because all I want to do is create. Multiple measures is imperative, and we need to look at different ways as well.
  • t also helps them assign the appropriate balance of points in relation to the importance of each target as well as the number of items for each assessed target.
  • wealth of data
    • bbraack
      bbraack on 27 Jan 18
       
      There definitely is a wealth of data with all of the testing students have to go through. Sometimes it seems that nothing is really done with it or that there is so much that it is hard to understand or interpret the data.
    • emmeyer
      emmeyer on 03 Feb 18
       
      On the other hand, right now, our district only has the FAST test for reading and there are no other consistent assessments across the district.
  • NCLB has exposed students to an unprecedented overflow of testing.
    • bbraack
      bbraack on 27 Jan 18
       
      It seems that students have to take so many tests, such as, Iowa Assessments, MAP, or whatever and it doesn't really seem much is done with the data. I know if I was a student I would be frustrated with all of the tests they have to take.
  • quality and balance
    • bbraack
      bbraack on 27 Jan 18
       
      I think the key here is quality and balance, but because of all of the Standards that have to be taught in a year, sometimes the quality isn't what you would like and there really isn't a balance with all of the types of assessments students have to take.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 30 Jan 18
       
      This is critical. We, and I really mean the state/districts go overboard at times and do too many assessments. Students and teachers need a balance - otherwise it is just another case of teaching to the "test'>
  • such as "Focuses on one specific aspect of the subject" or "Makes an assertion that can be argued."
    • blockerl
      blockerl on 28 Jan 18
       
      I would be fine with this as long as the student also explains how their assignment "Focuses on one specific aspect of the subject." If we just as them to apply a piece of the rubric to their assignment, they are going to often just pick something that sounds pretty good and copy/paste it into the reflection.
  • The classroom is also a practical location to give students multiple opportunities to demonstrate what they know and can do, adding to the accuracy of the information available from that level of assessment.
    • blockerl
      blockerl on 28 Jan 18
       
      This is a good point. Performance assessment and personal communication are great ways to measure a student's learning and/or knowledge. I think sometimes we forget about this because we are so used to preparing students for a selected-response test.
    • dassom
      dassom on 28 Jan 18
       
      I know giving multiple assessments over the same learning target can seem time consuming for teachers, and makes it less likely to happen. If teachers had training or ideas of how to assess in a fast or effective way they might be able to take advantage of this concepts, which most know is a valuable but hard to do with time constraints.
    • tifinifog
      tifinifog on 30 Jan 18
       
      Great idea. I like the idea of practical use. It goes back to the saying "when am I ever going to use this" statement. Its good to have students know or understand how, when or why they need to know.
  • clear statements of the intended learning
    • dassom
      dassom on 28 Jan 18
       
      I think of the clear learning targets as the lessons that the teachers are promising to teach. In my district we have pacing guides as well as end of the quarter assessments that are the same district wide. All the teachers are expected to teach these concepts. The style may be different but the outcome or learning targets still need align. It holds teachers accountable but also is promising the students fair curriculum district wide.
  • assessment literate
    • dassom
      dassom on 28 Jan 18
       
      I've never see this term before but I think it truly applies to the process of our CTT process in our district. We have the question to ask what do we do if the don't know it, and then the follow up question what do we do if they still don't know it. It's important for teams to understand what information will be obtained from the results and what the plan is for kids that are proficient or successful at the assessment the first or even second time around.
  • formative applications involve what students have mastered and what they still need to learn
    • staudtt
      staudtt on 29 Jan 18
       
      This is something I still struggle with doing well. Sometimes it is a time thing, but helping guide students before the summative is important and I'm trying to better at.
  • effective feedback
    • srankin11
      srankin11 on 29 Jan 18
       
      Effective feedback is so important to student learning success. It's not the final grade that is important but the learning that has taken place.
  • teachers can choose among the four assessment methods
    • srankin11
      srankin11 on 29 Jan 18
       
      Assessing in a variety of ways helps to see what the student has learned. Giving short-answer formats may be quick to give results plus give practice to taking standardized tests. Having some assessments that require higher-order thinking may give other results that could be beneficial.
  • Assessment literacy is the foundation for a system that can take advantage of a wider use of multiple measures
    • jwalt15
      jwalt15 on 30 Jan 18
       
      This is a powerful statement because I feel that assessment literacy and design is not an area of focus in teacher preparation programs. At least it wasn't a focus when I was an undergrad, but hopefully that is changing.
  • vague directions,
    • tifinifog
      tifinifog on 30 Jan 18
       
      Too often seen teachers have different ways of giving standardized tests. Some kids are allowed to read after test, others have to go over test until others done and others get to play on devices until finished. Kids want to hurry up to be done just to have fun. Consistency is crucial.
  • self-assess and set goals.
    • tifinifog
      tifinifog on 30 Jan 18
       
      This is a great example of how a teacher could let the student see the rubric prior to the project/test so they can set a goal or try to improve from a prior test.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 11 Feb 18
       
      I think the key here is to use the Understanding by Design format. This helps people to focus on what truly needs learned. It is easy to lose track of the goals and the results are distorted or biased.
  • cultural insensitivity
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 11 Feb 18
       
      I think this is often overlooked. It is not intended and most are unaware. As our schools become more diversified, I think this is a huge part we need to address. We have to learn more about our students' lives and cultures. Then evaluate language or cultural expectations. Some cultures don't want students to look at people in their eye when talking. How does this work when they present? Are we thinking through what their thoughts are when presenting?
leipoldc

ollie-afe-2020: Building a Better Mousetrap - 2 views

moodlesw.aealearningonline.org/...view.php

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  • a system designed to measure the key qualities (also referred to as “traits” or “dimensions”) vital to the process and/or product of a given assignment,
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 05 Apr 20
       
      I like this comment! It is a nice way to view rubrics instead of always associating the word with tests or grading.
    • Val Rosenthal
      Val Rosenthal on 05 Apr 20
       
      I agree. The use of a rubric could focus on improving learning, not just a score and done.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 09 Apr 20
       
      I agree. I have to admit that I don't think that I have ever viewed rubrics this way. When writing them, I was always focused on how I was going use them for grading. I'm going to have to show this article to my PLC. I think it will really help us move our assessments to new levels.
    • ravelinga
      ravelinga on 10 Apr 20
       
      I like this definition of a rubric, it gives it a much more important role in the process of assessing. I have sometimes in the past used rubrics as a checklist rather than its real purpose which is focusing on improvement.
  • rubrics can help the student with self-assessment; what is most important here is not the final product the students produce, but the habits of mind practiced in the act of self-assessment.
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 05 Apr 20
       
      I have only started focusing on using these at the beginning of tasks instead of only at the end. It helps the student see all the "parts" to the task.
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 06 Apr 20
       
      I also agree with this. When I was in college this was a big thing that they pushed is to show and use the rubric at the beginning of the assignment instead of just at the end.
  • The result is many students struggle blindly, especially non-traditional, unsuccessful, or under-prepared students, who tend to miss many of the implied expectations of a college instructor, expectations that better prepared, traditional students readily internalize.
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 05 Apr 20
       
      Aww, the guilt...
  • ...48 more annotations...
  • Usually a numerical value is assigned to each point on a scale. You can weight dimensions differently if you feel that one dimension is more important than another.
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 05 Apr 20
       
      I like to use weighted criteria in rubrics. I think it tells students which areas they need to focus more time on.
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 07 Apr 20
       
      Do you feel that it leads students to "ignore" the areas that are not weighted as heavily? Just wondering what you have witnessed...
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 09 Apr 20
       
      I do this often in teaching writing. The area we are targeting is going to be worth more points, but by the end of the year everything should have been taught. It is more balanced.
    • ravelinga
      ravelinga on 10 Apr 20
       
      I do weigh my points on my rubrics, however I feel I could do a better job at giving more points to aspects of the assessment that are more important. I don't tend to use the weight part, but rather more points for more importance. Learning how to do this better, will definitely help me.
  • it is no longer appropriate to assess student knowledge by having students compute answers and apply formulas, because their methods do not reveal the current goals of solving real problems and using statistical reasoning.
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 05 Apr 20
       
      I often have these same thoughts when I think about our science standards. So much of the standard is based upon what students can do beyond memorizing content, so it doesn't seem appropriate to assess students in ways that make it more difficult to demonstrate those skills. Rubrics obviously lend themselves to these performance expectations well because of the science and engineering practices within them. However, I think there still has to be a balance because not everything can be assessed with a rubric.
    • leipoldc
      leipoldc on 22 Apr 20
       
      This is also true for mathematics standards. Rubrics help when assessing performance expectations, however, there are still some items that cannot be assessed with a rubric.
  • “scaffolding”—if they are shared with students prior to the completion of any given assignment. When instructors plan on grading student thinking and not just student knowledge, they should articulate the vital features that they are looking for and make these features known to the student.
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 05 Apr 20
       
      I've never thought of viewing a rubric as scaffolding before when students are completing assessments. I think that's a more positive way to view rubrics if students are using them as guidelines to complete the task. Even if students have a rubric and know what is expected of them, it doesn't mean that they will automatically score much higher. They may still be lacking understanding/skills that the rubric is being used to assess.
    • Michelle Murray
      Michelle Murray on 07 Apr 20
       
      I agree, a rubric can serve as scaffolding for some who have a base knowledge already, but for students who really lack the understanding and skills being assessed in the rubric, a large rubric can be overwhelming and cause that student to shut down.
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 07 Apr 20
       
      I agree with you on this. I have never thought of them this way. If we are creating rubrics as a way to guide student thinking in the best possible way to reach our expectations/standards, they need guidance in order to get there. If the rubric is being used as a facilitation in the process of learning then this would be their tool for self reflection, not an instant guarantee of a higher grade.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 09 Apr 20
       
      I have found that in middle school anyway- long or too wordy of rubrics are hard for students to attend to. They have a hard time focusing to go through it and really using it. I keep that in mind when I'm creating rubrics.
    • ravelinga
      ravelinga on 10 Apr 20
       
      I really like the idea of using rubrics as a way to build scaffolding into an assessment. A lot of the time I give my students the rubrics when we introduce an assessment, which I need to change. I like the idea of giving the students the rubric at the beginning and designing it to help scaffold the learning while they are progressing toward the end.
    • leipoldc
      leipoldc on 22 Apr 20
       
      I agree that using rubrics to build scaffolding into an assessment is a great use of this tool. If the same document is used (with extra spaces for updated scoring) students will be able to see progress and end product will be of better quality.
  • maintains the traditional gap between what the teacher knows and what the student knows
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 05 Apr 20
       
      I do like the leverage that rubrics provide students in knowing what is expected of them. It levels the playing field for all students if they have those guidelines ahead of time. I would imagine students also appreciate that they know what the teacher wants from them and isn't using the assessment as something to hold over their heads.
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 07 Apr 20
       
      Yes! I find it so hard with my own kids when they are graded on something that the teacher never touched on and/or told them about. I hope that I am clear with my expectations in my classroom so kids do not feel this way. Having this "guide" would definitely take care of that problem.
  • teachers know deep learning when they see it.
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 05 Apr 20
       
      I think that this can become a slippery slope if students attempt to assess without any standard against which to compare the work. Teachers will probably grade things less reliably and it is hard for them to remove inherent bias depending on the student's work being graded. I think rubrics provide an advantage in this way so that teachers are more reliable in assessment practices and can avoid some of the bias.
  • First, you must decide whether you need a rubric.
    • Val Rosenthal
      Val Rosenthal on 05 Apr 20
       
      I agree that this would have to be the first question. Ask if it is really the best way to assess a student's work. I can see where it would be detrimental it a rubric was used all of the time.
  • In short, well-designed rubrics help instructors in all disciplines meaningfully assess the outcomes of the more complicated assignments that are the basis of the problem-solving, inquiry-based, student-centered pedagogy replacing the traditional lecture-based, teacher-centered approach in tertiary education.
    • Val Rosenthal
      Val Rosenthal on 05 Apr 20
       
      I highlighted this sentence because it made me laugh and I had to read it several times. It starts out "In short" and then proceeds to use many educational words as possible in one sentence. It understand what it is saying but not right away.
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 08 Apr 20
       
      I agree that it is a lengthy sentence with a lot of educational language but I think the idea is powerful. I am a big proponent of student centered project based learning which can be harder to assess with traditional tests and quizzes. It speaks of "meaningful assessment" which should always be our goal.
    • mkanost
      mkanost on 08 Apr 20
       
      Not only does it help instructors, but it helps students as well to see what is expected of them.
  • unfortunately, most state issued rubrics used in secondary school standardized testing are poorly designed rubrics that list specific static elements encouraging students to simply make sure their essays have those features.
    • Val Rosenthal
      Val Rosenthal on 05 Apr 20
       
      Isn't it sad that rubric that are state issued often are poorly designed. I can see where students that are good at playing the numbers game as school and doing what it says will have a difficult time expressing themselves on non-rubric assessments.
    • ravelinga
      ravelinga on 10 Apr 20
       
      I have to admit that I have rubrics that look like this. But it is good that I have started to identify the issues with my rubrics and am planning on improving them to their intended purpose.
  • rubrics are now used similarly by post-secondary educators in all disciplines to assess outcomes in learning situations that require critical thinking and are multidimensional
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 06 Apr 20
       
      Agree. When a teacher does a "complexed" assignment a rubric sets all expectations of students at the same level and can assess the students at the same level too.
  • A rubric that tells students, as a typical example, that they will get an A for writing a 1000 word essay that “cites x number of sources and supports its thesis with at least three arguments” will lead students to perceive writing as a kind of “paint-by-number” endeavor (Mathews).
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 06 Apr 20
       
      You bet! Isn't that just like a job? You do all of these things and this is the outcome. It's life unfortunately and that is how we go about doing our daily lives. But, I do think that when we have a guide of knowing what someone wants in a certain thing, we need these check lists. I know as me being a math teacher, I love those checklists.
  • Revise the rubric and try it out again.
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 06 Apr 20
       
      This holds true to many aspects of teaching. Revise, revisit and see what you can do to make it better, or even remove it from that assignment.
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 11 Apr 20
       
      I agree. I find different classes are able to view rubrics in a variety of ways for self-assessment.
  • consistently and accurately
    • Michelle Murray
      Michelle Murray on 07 Apr 20
       
      Yes, a well-written rubric can help with consistency and accuracy. In a situation where multiple teachers are teaching the same course, it is also important that those teachers work to ensure inter-rater reliability to ensure that the rubric is being applied consistently and accurately across courses.
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 07 Apr 20
       
      Agreed. This would help with the subjectivity among teachers and across different sections of classes trying to teach to the same standards/expectations.
  • rubrics that are outside of the students “zone of proximal development” are useless to the students.
    • Michelle Murray
      Michelle Murray on 07 Apr 20
       
      This goes back to my comment above about how sometimes rubrics can be too overwhelming for students who lack enough understanding or skills to comprehend the rubric, causing them to shut down.
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 14 Apr 20
       
      I AGREE! It kind of sounds like a one rubric for all doesn't work. I'm sure it would completely depend on the assignment/learning target being assessed, but maybe there needs to be multiple rubrics depending on level of learner. That sounds wonderful in theory, but I can't imagine how much more front loading that would be! SO MUCH DIFFERENTIATION!
  • Weighting
    • Michelle Murray
      Michelle Murray on 07 Apr 20
       
      While I see the merits to weighted dimensions (particularly that it helps students to see what is most important in the rubric), I also think that adding point values for each dimension puts the emphasis of the feedback provided as a grade rather than the emphasis of the rubric being the feedback in the dimension that helps the student know how to improve.
  • Can students and parents understand the rubric?
    • Michelle Murray
      Michelle Murray on 07 Apr 20
       
      I agree with all of these ideas. In thinking about if the rubric is clear to parents and students, I also think that a good rubric is descriptive enough for students to understand the difference between each performance level, but also concise enough that the user doesn't experience reader's fatigue from trying to process the rubric. To me, this means rubrics for lower reading abilities especially need to be clear and concise.
  • “The instructor’s comments on papers and tests are done after rather than before the writing, so they cannot serve as guidelines, compromising the value of writing comments at all.”
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 07 Apr 20
       
      I think this applies to all classes on some level. Too often the "final product" whatever that might be only has the feedback on the final version that is turned in and graded. I have given assessments at the beginning of a project for student reference but I need to place more importance along the way for individual reflection using the rubric so it is a tool for them, not just for me in grading.
  • I once gave extra credit to a student who realized that without providing a shred of meaningful content she could meet all the requirements of a state writing rubric he posted in his classroom. As required she used the word “persuade” and two synonyms, composed a clear topic sentence and closing sentence, and made no spelling or grammatical errors. But she did it without saying anything coherent.
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 07 Apr 20
       
      Sometimes we have good intent, but we really need to step back and analyze what we are directly asking for...not leaving things "implied" vs stated on the rubric.
  • Both types of rubrics benefit the teacher and the student in varying degrees: the teacher who relies on a general rubric does not have to develop a new one for each assignment and the student grows to understand fundamental standards in writing—like form and coherence—exist across the board; meanwhile, the teacher that uses specific rubrics is always composing new descriptions of quality work, but their students have clearer directions for each assignment
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 07 Apr 20
       
      I think that both have a place for me, just as described. A general rubric might apply to overall industry standards, classroom norms/expectations, etc for the teacher while the specific rubric would be individual for specific projects/purposes.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 09 Apr 20
       
      Yes, I agree. Both types of rubrics have a place in our teaching depending on what the outcome is. Maybe the general rubric is for a final performance task, but smaller rubrics or pieces of the whole rubric are used and as the student builds the smaller skills.
    • leipoldc
      leipoldc on 22 Apr 20
       
      I agree that both rubrics have a place in assessment and communication with students. The general rubric is best for overall concept understanding, but for unique assignments, a specific rubric would provide better guidance. Again, if used with feedback as a multi-step process.
  • When instructors do not explicitly delineate the qualities of thought that they are looking for while grading, they reduce learning to a hit or miss endeavor, where “assessment remains an isolated […] activity and the success of the learner is mostly incidental” (Montgomery).
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 08 Apr 20
       
      Hit and miss learning like sit and get has seen better days. As an instructor I want to get the most learning out of my time with students and the most learning for their efforts and I think letting students know upfront the qualities of thought and expectations of the activity will help accomplish that objective.
  • “In short, explicit performance criteria, along with supporting models of work, make it possible for students to use the attributes of exemplary work to monitor their own performance.”
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 08 Apr 20
       
      I usually give verbal examples during lecture but will need to be more intentional about including exemplars for each level on the rubric in an online format as I think this will increase student understanding of expectations
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 09 Apr 20
       
      Such an important instructional tool to use in really any subject. Having students evaluate different samples and decided where they fit on a rubric, discuss with the class, and then evaluate their own before it is assessed by the teacher is very powerful. They can clearly see how the rubric will help them improve and they can improve!
  • also be linked specifically to classroom instruction.
    • emilysjohnson
      emilysjohnson on 08 Apr 20
       
      Unfortunately, many of my language arts colleagues like to throw all aspects of writing on a rubric for every piece. I find that this distracts students with what the true objectives are - what they've been learning about in classroom instruction!
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 09 Apr 20
       
      Good point! There has to be an area that is stressed and worth more points because that is the skill teachers are working on for that particular writing.
  • student-generated rubrics, they tend to “think more deeply about their learning.
    • emilysjohnson
      emilysjohnson on 08 Apr 20
       
      This is especially true when students also try assessing different models using the rubric they've co-created. Now they see the differences between examples and non-examples!
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 14 Apr 20
       
      I have thought about rubrics for grading but I am glad to see so many more applications, I think a rubric could be highly motivating to a student who needs structure.
  • monitor their own performance.”
    • emilysjohnson
      emilysjohnson on 08 Apr 20
       
      This is why the consolidation of understanding is so important. Make sure that students practice using various models with the rubric and do this with peers in order to have conversations about what they are noticing and ask questions about why/why not certain models fit the criteria.
  • “stylistic voices full of humor and surprises, produced less interesting essays when they followed the rules
    • emilysjohnson
      emilysjohnson on 08 Apr 20
       
      This is the danger when creating a rubric that teachers need to be aware of! We need to incorporate room in rubrics for style and creativity.
  • hose students who had “stylistic voices full of humor and surprises, produced less interesting essays when they followed the rules [as outlined in a rubric]” (Mathews)
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 08 Apr 20
       
      Sad but I can definitely see this happening. No way do I want to squelch creativity.
  • Rubrics can be designed to measure either product or process or both; and, they can be designed with dimensions describing the different levels of that “deep learning” so valued in WAC programs.
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 08 Apr 20
       
      Nice! Sounds like teachers, myself included, need to strive for this in our use of rubrics
  • Does the rubric relate to the outcome(s) being measured? Does it address anything extraneous? […] Does it cover important dimensions of student performance? Do the criteria reflect current conceptions of excellence in the field? […] Are the dimensions and scales well defined? […] Is there a clear basis for assigning scores at each scale point? […] Can different scorers consistently apply the rubric? […]
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 08 Apr 20
       
      This whole paragraph is one I want to keep handy as an everyday guide.
  • undergraduate engineering curriculum at the University of California at Berkley.
    • mkanost
      mkanost on 08 Apr 20
       
      We had rubrics in my undergrad experience and it helped with clarifying what was expected. I don't recall if we had them in high school, but percentages were standard back then.
  • increases the likelihood of a quality product.
    • mkanost
      mkanost on 08 Apr 20
       
      I do agree with this statement. It helps give students a "roadmap" of where their assignment should go.
  • “sentence structure follows current conventions” would be better than “sentence structure is good.”
    • mkanost
      mkanost on 08 Apr 20
       
      This was a good example to see. Using descriptive language helps the learner see what is required. However, language needs to purposeful. it also needs to be explicitly pre taught to English Learners.
  • Does it reflect teachable skills or does it address variables over which students and educators have no control
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 09 Apr 20
       
      These areas should not be in a rubric.
  • their institution developed can be used to reliably score the performance-based and problem-solving assignments that now form a significan
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 09 Apr 20
       
      The part that sticks out to me here is the use of rubrics to reliably score... This is always my issue. I know that I need to be more clear with the rubrics I use. I don't always know that they are serving the purpose I want or need them to. I often find myself overthinking the rubric when I go to use them. Either I not writing it correctly or I'm not being clear on the learning targets that I'm trying to assess.
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 11 Apr 20
       
      We have created some rubrics as a team so teachers doing instruction on the same assignment can be consistent with one another.
  • traditional assessment practices used to grade papers, for example, are not helpful to the students struggling to write the paper:
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 09 Apr 20
       
      Until, I read the lessons in the previous section of this course, I didn't think much about how I use rubrics. I always just used them as the end point for grading. I really like the idea of using them as learning tools and providing feedback along the way to enhance learning. I think that can be a really positive way to help students learn and not give up on themselves. I have so many students that look at the rubric and just give up. If I can scaffold the rubric better, break it into parts, and then provide feedback with opportunities to redo, then I think students will embrace and use them more.
  • mitagate both teacher bias and the perception of teacher bias
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 09 Apr 20
       
      I agree here. This is one of the best things about rubrics, if you get them created correctly", they help you to limit bias. There is no, well maybe's, or I think's. Rubrics with details, are fairly clear. I also have seen them useful when students or parents try to argue a grade. Having a rubric that you can point to makes it a lot easier to justify a grade. For the most part, rubrics are fairly black and white as to how students will be assessed. They help keep student and teacher honest and on the same page.
  • see as empowering
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 11 Apr 20
       
      I think the more kids understand our rubrics, then they do feel empowered. This is a positive for their learning.
  • using rubrics to establish “performance benchmarks” for the “behavioral objectives” appropriate to each year in the program
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 11 Apr 20
       
      Once these rubrics are established and used yearly, the instruction and learning targets are a lot more clear for the teacher. This is a positive for the engineering program.
  • rubrics are not without their critics
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 11 Apr 20
       
      I have a daughter that is a critic and I do understand her point. Her English teacher said her theme of a book was incorrect, yet she followed the rubric expectations. As teachers, we need to also listen when there is not a clear way to grade the material.
  • However, for the student to successfully use a rubric this way, the criteria must be made clear to them and the jargon used must not only be understandable to the student
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 11 Apr 20
       
      Clear and understandable jargon stood out to me as this is important if we expect the students to see rubrics as a way to self-assess themselves as they complete work.
  • students’ educational disparities and bring fairness into assessment
    • jessed44
      jessed44 on 12 Apr 20
       
      I think we have to realize that there is often a lot of knowledge that educators assume kids have, but do not. This is especially prevalent in students from diverse and less privileged backgrounds. Rubrics can help with this, but we may need to expand on the terminology used in the rubrics with many students.
  • Look at some actual examples of student work to see if you have omitted any important dimensions
    • jessed44
      jessed44 on 12 Apr 20
       
      I have served as a reader for AP, grading essays that students wrote for AP exams. It is interesting to note that their rubrics are not fully-formed until after they receive student work. A first draft is made before, but it is then revised after they receive the essays. I think this is generally good practice, but I wonder if there is an even better way to create these rubrics.
  • Rubrics can be used either for “filtering”—as they are used in placement testing—or for “latticing,” or “scaffolding”—if they are shared with students prior to the completion of any given assignment.
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 14 Apr 20
       
      I think this is very important. There are too many variables in peer statements and comments.
  • Some educators advocate going beyond merely sharing rubrics with students.
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 14 Apr 20
       
      I do wonder about this. If life situations are we given this much specific detail for success?
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 14 Apr 20
       
      Conceptually, I've always thought of a rubric as a Standards-Based Grading kind of assessment. In that system, which has kind of taken on a life of it's own in my school, the education has move completely away from teacher-centered learning.
  • had been more expressive in previous writing assignments, wrote poorly when writing, as we might say, to the rubri
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 14 Apr 20
       
      I think the argument being made here is that a clearly-articulated rubric for this particular course took away the creative flow for these students. I understand this point, in the fact that when I give a grading rubric to my PhysEd classes, many of the kids do exactly what is on the rubric, and don't go above/beyond or exert themselves more. That is likely the cause of a poorly written rubric!
    • leipoldc
      leipoldc on 22 Apr 20
       
      I agree. Some students will look at the minimum work that needs to be done to complete the assignment. It is hopefully something that a better written rubric can help fix and a great reason to re-evaluate rubric each time it is used.
  • Be prepared to evaluate your rubric
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 14 Apr 20
       
      This is the role of the PLC in our school. 90% of our PLC work is focused around this...evaluating the rubric to assess our teaching vs. what the kids are learning and accomplishing.
  • “In short, explicit performance criteria, along with supporting models of work, make it possible for students to use the attributes of exemplary work to monitor their own performance.”
    • leipoldc
      leipoldc on 22 Apr 20
       
      I really like the idea of having students evaluate samples of work to understand the expectations better. It DOES provide a powerful learning experience and clarify how the rubric will be applied to the work they submit. This knowledge & experience should lead to higher quality work
leipoldc

ollie-afe-2020: Article: Attributes from Effective Formative Assessment (CCSSO) - 3 views

moodlesw.aealearningonline.org/...view.php

shared by leipoldc on 12 Apr 20 - No Cached
  • Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 12 Apr 20
       
      Everything we do is to improve student achievement. This helps us going future instruction.
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 12 Apr 20
       
      WE hear data driven decisions so often but this is a such a clear definition of why we base instructional decisions on data.
  • Formative assessment is not an adjunct to teaching but, rather, integrated into instruction and learning with teachers and students receiving frequent feedbac
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 12 Apr 20
       
      It is important to do this as students are doing work, having group discussion, and possibly by another adult that can step in the room. One person may observe learning or needs that another cannot.
  • In this type of classroom culture, students will more likely feel they are collaborators with their teacher and peers in the learning process.
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 12 Apr 20
       
      This collaboration is important. Students need to feel like they have respect and "own" their learning. I teach Special Ed, so I always give students a way to own their instruction and opportunities to improve.
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 13 Apr 20
       
      I agree. Not all kids are risk takers so when they feel supported they are more likely open up with the others in the learning process
    • ravelinga
      ravelinga on 14 Apr 20
       
      This is the direction I really want to go in my classrooms. It is transitioning my students from passive to more active learners. The part that I have work on is building the class norms and modeling them properly in my class.
    • Val Rosenthal
      Val Rosenthal on 15 Apr 20
       
      A classroom culture where there is collaboration between teacher and students in the learning process would be so exciting. I think it would hold students more accountable when they are part of their own process.
  • ...29 more annotations...
  • Because the formative assessment process helps students achieve intended learning outcomes based on explicit learning progressions, teachers must first identify and then communicate the instructional goal to students
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 12 Apr 20
       
      This is an important statement. Students need to know the instructional goal. I do think this is missed. It is a good reminder for me moving forward. I feel like I do this, but what does that look like?
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 13 Apr 20
       
      Agreed! However, I struggle to find that most students don't "care" about this goal unless you make it relevant to them right now. (And even with this some don't care.) I would love for students to buy in to what we are all doing in our classrooms and understand the bigger pictures, then they would understand the learning progressions.
    • ravelinga
      ravelinga on 14 Apr 20
       
      The communication of the end goal is something that I need to do a better job with. I think I will have better outcomes from my formative assessment when my students see there purpose rather than just me.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 17 Apr 20
       
      My new curriculum is all about the I Can statements and reviewing it at the end, so this is very helpful. I agree with the comment above- Now to motivate the students to care!
  • Learning progressions describe how concepts and skills build in a domain, and show the trajectory of learning along which students are expected to progress. From a learning progression teachers have the big picture of what students need to learn, as well as sufficient detail for planning instruction to meet short-term goals. They are able to connect formative assessment opportunities to the short-term goals to keep track of how well their students’ learning is moving forward.
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 13 Apr 20
       
      I have enjoyed our course work on this. It has made me really think the steps between objection and assessment.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 17 Apr 20
       
      I agree with you. The Progression diagram that I have made 2 different times has really helped me understand how to break the learning down. Trying to make sure students are achieving at each step is so important to their success.
  • It should help the student answer three basic questions: Where am I going? Where am I now? How can I close the gap?
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 13 Apr 20
       
      I will remember these questions Often feedback is just a general statement of good job. These questions will drive student with specific feedback.
    • Val Rosenthal
      Val Rosenthal on 15 Apr 20
       
      I really like the idea of posing those questions to the students and make them more engaged in their learning and the skill of really knowing where they are in the learning progression.
    • emilysjohnson
      emilysjohnson on 16 Apr 20
       
      I imagine the learning progressions posted on the wall and when conferring with students, posing the questions - where are you now? where are you going? how will you get there?
    • Michelle Murray
      Michelle Murray on 16 Apr 20
       
      I think posing the questions to students would be a great way to have them do some self-reflection. That would also help the teacher to understand the students' perception of where they are and be able to give appropriate feedback. For example, a teacher might think a student is doing something well because they have evidence of that, but it would help to know if the student felt they knew it well enough so that they could replicate it in the future.
  • student- and peer-assessment should not be used in the formal grading process.
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 13 Apr 20
       
      I think this is very important. There are too many variables in peer statements and comments.
    • leipoldc
      leipoldc on 25 Apr 20
       
      I agree. Peer assessment is meant to help both students learn something new and reflect on their learning/work from a non-teacher perspective.
  • Sharing learning goals and criteria for success with students, supporting students as they monitor and take responsibility for their own learning, helping students to provide constructive feedback to each other, and involving students in decisions about how to move learning forward are illustrations of students and teachers working together in the teaching and learning process.
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 13 Apr 20
       
      I want to increase this in my classroom so if you have ideas, please do share! :) I want students to feel comfortable with this process and care about the learning progressions we are moving through. I want there to be good peer feedback and not just students "jumping through the hoops" so that they themselves get better at the big ideas and collaboration pieces.
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 13 Apr 20
       
      I think this is very important. There are too many variables in peer statements and comments.
  • You must also relate your explanation to one of the properties we have been discussing in class to indicate the reason the steps were incorrect.” Again, the students know the goal, where their response differed from the criteria, and how they can improve their explanations.
  • Effective formative assessment involves collecting evidence about how student learning is progressing during the course of instruction so that necessary instructional adjustments can be made to close the gap between students’ current understanding and the desired goals.
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 13 Apr 20
       
      These are only effective when teachers/students use them to drive the instruction further. It is not enough to just say that we are doing formative assessments but then disregarding the data that they give us. Changes and adaptions must be made to successfully move all students forward with the material.
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 13 Apr 20
       
      I agree. I think this also goes with doing a pretest or pre assessment. What data are you trying to get and what are you actually going to do with that data to enhance your teaching and to adjust your teaching for your students.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 17 Apr 20
       
      Really packed classrooms of students can make this so difficult!
  • A second important part of the definition is its unequivocal requirement that the formative assessment process involve both teachers and students. The students must be actively involved in the systematic process intended to improve their learning.
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 13 Apr 20
       
      So important to build this process in our classrooms so that students take ownership of their learning and want to do better. (I would love tips on how to do this better in my own room if anyone has some!) :)
    • jessed44
      jessed44 on 18 Apr 20
       
      Getting students to consistently take ownership of their learning has been one of the most difficult tasks of my career. Intrinsic motivation is key, but by definition, it has to come from within a student There are things a teacher can do, such as offer freedom and choice, but this can be very difficult for students that do not buy in.
  • a process used by teachers and students
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 13 Apr 20
       
      It's important to emphasize that it is a process used both by teachers AND students. I think too often, students don't realize how much informaiton a formative assessment can also provide them and help them with goal-setting for future lessons.
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 13 Apr 20
       
      I think that most teachers use formative assessments throughout their lesson plans and teaching without even knowing that they are doing it!
    • ravelinga
      ravelinga on 14 Apr 20
       
      This is why I liked the learning progression activity. It put the use of formative assessments front and center when creating units. Something I need to do better with.
    • leipoldc
      leipoldc on 25 Apr 20
       
      I agree that teachers have been using the formative assessment process before it was given a name. I think they knew they were doing it and because it is good practice, gave it a name.
  • These range from informal observations and conversations to purposefully planned instructionally embedded techniques designed to elicit evidence of student learning to inform and adjust instruction.
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 13 Apr 20
       
      It's always interesting to hear the groans from students if I announce that we are going to have a more formal formative assessment (such as a quick 2-3 question quiz) vs. the simpler formative assessments that I conduct daily in terms of having conversations with students/groups or thumbs up/thumbs down. There's this misconception with students (at least my own) in that if I announce we are having an assessment, it suddenly becomes more important than the daily check-ins.
  • The process requires the teacher to share learning goals with students and provide opportunities for students to monitor their ongoing progress.
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 13 Apr 20
       
      In my building we've spent a few professional development sessions on crafting student-friendly learning targets that we regularly communicate to students and that students can communicate back to us. We are working on how we can better have students monitoring their own progress at reaching those learning goals. I think it's critical that the learning targets are student-friendly so that it becomes easier for them to monitor their own progress.
    • Val Rosenthal
      Val Rosenthal on 15 Apr 20
       
      The communication piece is key to pulling teachers and students together for the same purpose. I would love to continue on finding ways for students to understand the formative assessments and how they can help in the student's learning.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 17 Apr 20
       
      Yes, getting students not to push back is key. I find that my students this year, shut down if I attach the word assessment to any thing. I think that they issue is, the educational system has trained students to think with a "for grade" mentality. Somehow we have to shift that focus to a "learning mentality". Is it possible to get parents to and students not to worry about grades and simply worry about the learning that can happen?
  • In peer-assessment, students analyze each others’ work using guidelines or rubrics and provide descriptive feedback that supports continued improvement.
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 13 Apr 20
       
      I think the use of peer-assessment can be really effective in helping students think about their learning and make changes. It's helpful for them to hear from their peers, and not always receive feedback from just the teacher. I think this brings up a good point, though. Students have to be explicitly taught how to provide helpful feedback, without it, their comments and feedback are often superficial and won't really help the student make progress.
    • ravelinga
      ravelinga on 14 Apr 20
       
      I really like this as a formative assessment that I need to incorporate more into my units. What I like is the students are now being more involved in the learning process.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 15 Apr 20
       
      Have you had any success doing this. At the middle school level we have started pairing the teams together and we present and give feedback across the two teams. However, it is still not what we want it to be. We made a sheet with look fors and sentence stems to help students. We've even stopped a class of 60 students and told them that we are listening for you to us...(a certain sentence stem), and that helps a little, but it still seems a bit fake. I can't tell if we aren't doing something right or if the idea of it is just so foreign to them. I know that as a student we never did peer feed back and the best feedback I got from a teacher was a, "Wow, your hard work is evident".
    • leipoldc
      leipoldc on 25 Apr 20
       
      I like the idea of peer-assessment, but think it would probably work best when the students do not know who is providing the feedback nor to whom they provided feedback. It would require discussion and practice, but allows students to do some analysis which should cause more critical thinking of the work they too are completing.
  • process
    • emilysjohnson
      emilysjohnson on 16 Apr 20
       
      I think we still struggle as a system to view formative assessment as a process. Case in point, administrators in my previous buildings would ask teachers to bring their "formative assessments" to our PLC meetings. It became a tangible thing vs. observations, etc.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 17 Apr 20
       
      I am glad that you brought this up. This whole process is supposed to be something that moves student learning forward and deeper and our profession to new heights. That definitely gets lost in translation when it becomes something forced. My administrators have done the same thing. The meaningful process becomes lost when teachers do it just because they are told to, or they are just going through the motions. I think that you are correct when you say it's so much more than a tangible thing, it has to be observational as well. We also have to get educators to see the value of it and using formative assessments to guide our practice.
  • Specific, timely feedback should be based on the learning goal and criteria for success.
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 13 Apr 20
       
      "timely feedback" - students don't want formative feedback when they already took their summative assessment. Make the feedback relatable and clear. If you make the feedback irrelevant it is not meaning full to the student.
    • mkanost
      mkanost on 14 Apr 20
       
      I do like using the language in the rubric to specify what they did well as well as what needs to be built upon to hit the success criteria.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 15 Apr 20
       
      I also liked that part. I have a hard time with the whole specific, timely feedback. I don't always know how to go about doing it for a 150 students. I think that being more clear on the rubric might really help. Rather than focus on content I could include wording needed that help develop the skills needed to get to or master the content. I still am unsure how to effectively answer the where going, where now, and closing the gap questions. I wonder if students can be given a self assessment with a carefully worded rubric and them I can review those and make changes as needed. What ideas or methods do the rest of you use to meet the needs of the last three questions in this sentence?
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 15 Apr 20
       
      or rather the end of the next sentence, sorry
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 21 Apr 20
       
      YES! This cuts out all of the fluff and gets to the heart of what we want kids to learn! Creating better learning targets makes teaching much more purposeful!
  • To support both self- and peer-assessment, the teacher must provide structure and support so students learn to be reflective of their own work and that of their peers, allowing them to provide meaningful and constructive feedback.
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 13 Apr 20
       
      I think this is a great way to incorporate the rubric that would be used to assess the student. Peer feedback is one that could go really well and really bad if the teacher doesn't set the guidelines of what it looks like. This is a teachable moment in it's self.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 17 Apr 20
       
      I agree with this statement. If a student can successfully self evaluate according to criteria like a rubric then they can have success with peers. Start there.
    • jessed44
      jessed44 on 18 Apr 20
       
      I have found that if I ask students to give each other a grade, it is basically useless, as they will just give each other an A. But if I ask them to comment and send back for revision, in actually work quite well. Qualitative over quantitative has been key for me.
  • In other words, there is no such thing as “a formative test.” Instead, there are a number of formative assessment strategies that can be implemented during classroom instruction.
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 13 Apr 20
       
      Viewing formative assessment as a process rather than any one or a series of discrete assessments is critical in my mind for formative assessment to really do what it is meant to do and that is to inform instruction and improve student learning. Never too many reminders of this fact.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 17 Apr 20
       
      I think the definition has changed a bit since 2006. I know my administrators include AFTER the instruction as formative assessment such as ticket outs and even quizzes. All still help guide teaching decisions but many occur after.
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 21 Apr 20
       
      We use formative assessments in the in-person classroom multiple times within the class period. I have done some formative assessments, realized all of the kids were well past proficient (thanks to great background knowledge), and I moved on. In that sense, there was no test needed.
  • Using the evidence elicited from such tasks connected to the goals of the progression, a teacher could identify the “just right gap” – a growth point in learning that involves a step that is neither too large nor too small – and make adjustments to instruction accordingly.
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 13 Apr 20
       
      It is important to identify those "just right gaps" for individual students and for the class as a whole so that time isn't wasted on things they have already mastered nor do some or all of the students feel lost or overwhelmed. Learning progressions in conjunction with ongoing formative assessment help pinpoint where additional instruction or practice may be needed.
    • Val Rosenthal
      Val Rosenthal on 15 Apr 20
       
      This is one of the positive aspects of blended learning. I can figure out who has gaps and bring them in to work on the skills they need to improve.
    • Michelle Murray
      Michelle Murray on 16 Apr 20
       
      I hadn't thought about how an additional benefit of a well-written learning target is that it allows a teacher to readily know what the next step of learning is for students and let's them use that knowledge to help give feedback that is alerts the student to next steps in their learning, but that makes absolute sense!
  • teachers must provide the criteria by which learning will be assessed so that students will know whether they are successfully progressing toward the goal. This information should be communicated using language readily understood by students, and may be accompanied by realistic examples of those that meet and do not meet the criteria.
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 13 Apr 20
       
      Providing students with user friendly criteria upon which they can self-assess their own progress is critical for optimal learning.
    • emilysjohnson
      emilysjohnson on 16 Apr 20
       
      I agree! Too many students aren't able to tell if they are "on track" because they think they have to get in the heads of their teachers. The assessment piece remains a mystery to them.
  • Formative assessment is a process that directly engages both teachers and students.
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 13 Apr 20
       
      Student involvement makes the formative assessment process so much richer and teaches students life long skills that will help them think critically when in the workforce. I believe it also helps motivate students to do their best.
  • The teacher might first offer students a paraphrased version of that goal such as, “You will be able to judge the strengths and weaknesses of arguments in the editorials you find in our daily newspapers.” The teacher would discuss the criteria for evaluating arguments and then provide several examples of critiques of political essays. This will provide students with a reasonably clear idea of the analytic skills they are to develop and also provide them with the tools required to assess their own written analyses.
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 14 Apr 20
       
      This process really helps you hone in on scaffolding to move learning to your end objective.
  • With this kind of descriptive feedback and collaboration, the teacher clarifies the goal for the student, provides specific information about where the student is in relation to meeting the criteria, and offers enough substantive information to allow the student an opportunity to identify ways to move learning forward.
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 14 Apr 20
       
      Feedback throughout the process is so beneficial to the student. I think it is easy for teachers to skip this part or not notice they are giving it during conversations. Written feedback usually happens in those final assessments.
  • Helping students think meta-cognitively about their own learning fosters the idea that learning is their responsibility and that they can take an active role in planning, monitoring, and evaluating their own progress.
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 14 Apr 20
       
      I think teachers and students need to hear and believe this concept more. Once teachers buy into allowing students more o fa role in their learning, students will take on more responsibility...in the ideal world.
    • emilysjohnson
      emilysjohnson on 16 Apr 20
       
      Absolutely! We need to re-structure the classroom environment so that students don't see it as hierarchical. The teacher should be a guide in the room, sitting among his/her students. This way, students may begin to develop more ownership of their learning.
    • leipoldc
      leipoldc on 25 Apr 20
       
      Helping students see that the only way they can truly learn is when they take ownership for their learning is the key. We will never be able to teach someone who does not want to learn.
  • Students can use a rubric to provide feedback to a peer by articulating reasons why a piece of work is at one level and discussing how it could be improved to move it to the next level.
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 14 Apr 20
       
      This idea takes some of the worry out for students who don't want to hurt or offend other students in the critique.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 17 Apr 20
       
      I think this will definitely happen. The more it is done, the better students will be at peer editing.
  • inform instruction and learning during the teaching/learning process
    • mkanost
      mkanost on 14 Apr 20
       
      This is so important to decipher the difference between summative and formative.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 17 Apr 20
       
      I agree! This is for the teacher and the students.
  • particular kind of assessment.
    • mkanost
      mkanost on 14 Apr 20
       
      My first year or two, I believed that it was a specific assessment. The confusion between formative and summative for a new teacher is hard to grasp if you haven't been explicitly taught.
    • Michelle Murray
      Michelle Murray on 16 Apr 20
       
      I worry that in our district's attempts at the PLC process that teachers have gotten the wrong impression that formative assessment has to be proven through a specific assessment in order to facilitate a data-driven discussion. I believe that data can tell us a great deal about where our students are and how to move them forward, but I don't like the idea of it replacing ongoing feedback about the process.
    • jessed44
      jessed44 on 18 Apr 20
       
      This is an important point. Any, and potentially all assessments can and should be formative.
  • Students build on this learning in later stages of the progression to develop an understanding that people represent and interpret the past in different ways
    • mkanost
      mkanost on 14 Apr 20
       
      An effective teacher understands that this must be built upon before students can learn new material.
    • jessed44
      jessed44 on 18 Apr 20
       
      Looking back at my early days as an educator, I did not do a very good job at this. In hindsight, I really assumed that students knew how to do some things that they obviously did not know how to do. I still find that I have to get myself to slow down and break apart tasks for students. I wonder how many other teachers struggle with this, and may not even be aware of it!
  • However, for students to be actively and successfully involved in their own learning, they must feel that they are bona fide partners in the learning process. This feeling is dependent on a classroom culture characterized by a sense of trust between and among students and their teachers; by norms of respect, transparency, and appreciation of differences; and by a non-threatening environment. Creating such a culture requires teachers to model these behaviors during interactions with students, to actively teach the classroom norms, and to build the students’ skills in constructive self- and peer-assessment.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 15 Apr 20
       
      I think this is so very true. I fully think that we as a system we have to do a better job at promoting learners not students. Students do things for a grade. They follow the rules so they don't get into trouble. They don't follow the rules to get out of work or other outside issue. Learners however, they do the work to learn, even if it were not graded. They come to school to better themselves and they understand that they are there are doing the work for themselves, it's a passion of self improvement. The know the teacher is there to facilitate them and they understand that the person in charge of the learning in the classroom isn't the teacher, it's them, the learner. I hope, that through the formative assessment process, scientists seminars, and norms that I have developed, that I am beginning to foster more learners and less students. It is a journey that has forced me to become less of a teacher and more of learner myself.
  • A teacher needs to have modeled good feedback with students and talked about what acceptable and unacceptable comments look like in order to have created a safe learning environment
    • Michelle Murray
      Michelle Murray on 16 Apr 20
       
      As an instructional coach, this is a step that I frequently saw teacher's skip when they asked students to to self- and peer-feedback. Teachers assumed students knew how to give high quality feedback then were frustrated with the responses with students gave, often coming to the conclusion that self- and peer-feedback were a waste of time because the feedback lacked quality.
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 21 Apr 20
       
      I find this the most important piece. If I don't model feedback, how are kids supposed to know what's going on? Without the modeling, this becomes an unimportant time-filler.
  • Effective formative assessment involves collecting evidence about how student learning is progressing during the course of instruction so that necessary instructional adjustments can be made to close the gap between students’ current understanding and the desired goals.
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 21 Apr 20
       
      I would say that sometimes PLC work goes too far in this...there is too much data being thrown around, and less attention to actual teaching. Sometimes, the formative assessments are analyzed but the kids don't receive any feedback. If we want our students to be a partner in the learning, the feedback has to be provided to the student, not just for teacher use.
lisamsuya

iowaonlinelearning - Teaching Standards - 17 views

iowaonlinelearning.wikispaces.com/Teaching+Standards

shared by lisamsuya on 28 Sep 13 - No Cached
    • manderson34
      manderson34 on 28 Sep 13
       
      How often do we neglect this as educators?  I think often times we focus on the content or the tech tool without giving methods of assessment their due.
    • manderson34
      manderson34 on 28 Sep 13
       
      It is so important for educators to engage in professional learning.  More importantly and prominently than in the past, informal professional learning is available through social media.
  • Engages in professional growth
  • ...48 more annotations...
  • Creates and implements a variety of assessments that meet course learning goals and provide data to improve student progress and course instruction
  • Selects and understands how to evaluate learning materials and resources that align with the context and enhance learning
    • criley55
      criley55 on 13 Jul 15
       
      There are so many things out on the internet that it is extremely important to be sure to analyze what you're using and ensure it is of high quality to be putting in front of students.
  • Understands student motivation and uses techniques to engage students
    • criley55
      criley55 on 13 Jul 15
       
      For some students just having technology in front of them is engaging but we also need to ensure we are utilizing tools for the best use for students and learning.
    • amberstrang
      amberstrang on 14 Jul 15
       
      I know that many of my students will love being able to use technology more in the classroom this year.  Choosing the best tools so that they are not only engaged but also learning and making progress towards learning targets is crucial.
    • syedlik
      syedlik on 19 Jul 15
       
      Technology is definitely a driving force in their lives, now we need to show them how to use it as a learning guide. My son uses technology to research baseball teams and their stats. (math connection) Students could research win/loss ratios, batting averages....etc. Sara Arnold/syedlik
    • trfishe
      trfishe on 19 Jul 15
       
      If students aren't engaged, they'll just go through the motions of completing what's required. I feel we've seen many resources in this course. With sufficient time and devotion, creating engaging lessons should be doable. Tim Fisher
    • samanthalowe
      samanthalowe on 20 Jul 15
       
      Using technology and an online format doesn't necessarily mean automatic student engagement. It is important to make sure content is interesting to the students, or find a way to intrigue the students.
    • sstulken
      sstulken on 20 Jul 15
       
      There is a balance that needs to occur, technology use that allows students to interact and demonstrate learning. I also think that we need to "keep the pace" of learning technology with the digital natives that are in our classrooms.
  • intellectual property rights and fair use, and assists students in complying as well
    • criley55
      criley55 on 13 Jul 15
       
      This is something I need to learn a lot more about to ensure I am following rules!
    • mdaviscr
      mdaviscr on 20 Jul 15
       
      As I read this line I thought the same thing. I have a basic knowledge, but I'm not sure if I'm completely up-to-date on things. 
    • samanthalowe
      samanthalowe on 20 Jul 15
       
      I agree, it is important to be aware of privacy rights. This is something that should be looked at more closely.
  • Continuously uses data to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of instructional strategies
    • criley55
      criley55 on 13 Jul 15
       
      While adding a technology component may be engaging for students, we need to always bring it back to the content we are wanting to teach and continually analyze the strategies we are using to make sure it is fitting the needs.
    • nicolemsmith
      nicolemsmith on 13 Jul 15
       
      I completely agree that good teaching practice comes down to regularly evaluating the effectiveness of instructional strategies whether there is the integration of  technology or not.  Along with this, formative assessments and data should be the foundation of determining the accuracy and effectiveness.   (NS)
    • Kelly Snyder
      Kelly Snyder on 14 Jul 15
       
      I like the way our district is going with assessments and quality instructional practices
    • Ashley Lyng
      Ashley Lyng on 14 Jul 15
       
      I agree with what both of you said.  I also think it is important to continually use the data that we collect to make instructional changes.  We need to keep in mind what is best for kids and if we are not meething their needs, then we need to change our approach. 
    • conniestarr
      conniestarr on 15 Jul 15
       
      Informing our instructional practice through formative (ongoing) assessments is critical as we collect the evidence of learning from our students so we can design lessons through technology or other modes that meet our students' needs.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Jul 15
       
      It is important to have data ready during our PLC time so that we can best meet the needs of our students.
    • maryblocker
      maryblocker on 17 Jul 15
       
      Mary Blocker-I agree that this fits right along with our PLC work.  We are constantly looking for ways to create and use formative assessments.  Hopefully, technology will provide us with more ways to do this efficiently.
    • christineclark
      christineclark on 18 Jul 15
       
      I agree that we are headed in the right direction with the analysis of data. I always think about how data doesn't lie because it is based on facts. Ultimately, the gathering if data can't be the end, it needs not only to be analyzed, but then the gathered information needs to be used to increase student learning. I definitely look forward to doing a better job of that.
    • syedlik
      syedlik on 19 Jul 15
       
      I also agree. Content trumps technology. We must focus on getting the content across to our students and also assess their learning through the course. It must provide each child the support that they need to achieve. Some students may get frustrated with the technology component, support will be needed for these students. We can't allow their achievement to suffer due to any frustration they experience in the online learning format. Sara Arnold/syedlik
    • malger17
      malger17 on 20 Jul 15
       
      Marie Alger- I agree that in order to move forward data must be evaluated continuously and with a purpose. It does the students no good to have them working on tasks if there is no set purpose or growth from those tasks. This means that when we are creating technology activities we must have a way to collect student data to see if the strategy is effective. 
  • (including technological knowledge
    • criley55
      criley55 on 13 Jul 15
       
      When adding technology components, you not only have to know how to use them, how to choose the right one for the task and also be able to troubleshoot to help students,
    • Ashley Lyng
      Ashley Lyng on 14 Jul 15
       
      I totally agree with you!  It is very important that we are not using technology because it seems neat or new, we need to have a purpose.  I also needs to fit with what the outcome or goals of the task. 
    • syedlik
      syedlik on 19 Jul 15
       
      I appreciate all of the online learning classes that have been offered this summer in our district. For me, summer is when I have time to gain new knowledge to incorporate into my classroom. I am much more prepared to incorporate canvas into my classroom. I hope this will enhance my teaching. Sara Arnold / syedlik
    • tnederhiser
      tnederhiser on 20 Jul 15
       
      It's imperative to start with what we want students to learn. It unfolds from there!
  • Assists students with technology used in the course
    • nicolemsmith
      nicolemsmith on 13 Jul 15
       
      Teachers need to have a certain level of comfort and skill with troubleshooting and supporting their students with technology.  Instructional time is valuable and it is much more efficient if the classroom teacher can quickly resolve basic issues instead of waiting for external support all the time.  However, it will certainly take time to build this capacity within teachers.  
    • juliahendred
      juliahendred on 15 Jul 15
       
      I agree and know that I will need to practice and be knowledgeable personally before delivering content and modeling the use of technology to teachers via Canvas.
    • jnurre
      jnurre on 15 Jul 15
       
      I was thinking the same things...we need to be risk takers and learn the ropes, just like we are expecting our students.  It is beneficial for us to know the ins and outs of the technology we incorporate into our lessons. 
    • shelbywoods
      shelbywoods on 20 Jul 15
       
      I am glad we spent this time learning the ropes so we can use what we know and what we struggled with to help the learners in our classrooms. I want to use a lot of my computer lab time teaching about Canvas and practice using it, so when we are in the classroom, the students can pick up a surface and be independent with what they are doing. Rather than having to ask a million questions of how to get somewhere or do something.
  • Designs the structure of the course and the presentation of the content to best enhance student learning, including using unit/lesson overviews and reviews, using patterns in lesson sequencing, and using appropriate visual web design techniques
    • nicolemsmith
      nicolemsmith on 13 Jul 15
       
      When designing online instruction, it is certainly important for teachers to be very thoughtful in the organization of their content and delivery methods in order to accommodate the various learning styles of students and their experience with online learning.  I generally try to organize a course with the assumption that there is one person in my course with no experience with online learning or the Learning Management System.  In addition to this, online teachers need to consider how to support students who may need guidance with pacing their independent learning since it is very different than a face-to-face classroom. 
  • Promotes learning through online collaboration group work that is goal-oriented and focused
    • nicolemsmith
      nicolemsmith on 13 Jul 15
       
      I think it is important to keep in mind the value of collaborative work even in an online setting.  It can take a little more effort in an online setting to ensure that everyone is comfortable with the setup, but I think it helps create a community of learners, deepen learning, and add interest to the learning environment. (NS)
    • amberstrang
      amberstrang on 14 Jul 15
       
      I love the collaborative work that can happen in an online setting.  I think when used and taught correctly, it can be even better than in person collaborative work for some kids.
    • mdaviscr
      mdaviscr on 20 Jul 15
       
      I really like that they specified that the work needs to be goal-oriented. I am constantly trying to get my students to keep in mind what they are working toward as they work. I think goal-setting is extremely important and something that often falls aside. I really think that teachers can get more buy-in from students if they feel like they are working toward a common goal. 
    • samanthalowe
      samanthalowe on 20 Jul 15
       
      I love the asynchronous nature of online collaboration. It allows for students to work at their own pace and contribute when they can.
  • Has experienced online learning from the perspective of a student
    • nicolemsmith
      nicolemsmith on 14 Jul 15
       
      I think there is a lot of value in experiencing online learning from the student perspective.  I have personally gained a better understanding of what is helpful as far as the organization of a course, what is frustrating, and what tools/activities can increase the effectiveness of a course.  (NS)
    • stnovak
      stnovak on 14 Jul 15
       
      I definitely agree with this!  Once you have been in the shoes of the student you have a better understanding of what they need.  It's like looking at it from the students' point of view.
    • Kelly Snyder
      Kelly Snyder on 14 Jul 15
       
      I am taking a student driven learning course that meets this also!  Am enjoying it.
    • juliahendred
      juliahendred on 15 Jul 15
       
      I also agree! I know now from the perspective of a student how tough it can be to navigate and completely understand the online learning environment and how much your comfort level can effect your success. It has been an eye opener for me and hopefully with help me as I assist with some online instruction.
    • jnurre
      jnurre on 15 Jul 15
       
      I have been taking online courses all winter and there is something to be learned from being on the other side.  I seem to be learning more about my own learning style and form of communication.  We will have students experience the same!  
    • conniestarr
      conniestarr on 15 Jul 15
       
      Having this experience from a student's perspective can help teachers be proactive and address misconceptions or potential barriers before the get in the way of student learning.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Jul 15
       
      I certainly can understand the frustration of students when they are learning something new!
    • lsjohnson
      lsjohnson on 16 Jul 15
       
      For the first online class I took, I felt like the learning curve was very steep!  It has gotten easier with each class and I feel like I have actually become a 21st century learner!  Students are starting with this from a much younger age and it will become just another learning tool, another way of learning for them.
    • kaylamartinwhs
      kaylamartinwhs on 16 Jul 15
       
      I would have to agree with this also.  When implementing Canvas at the high school level, us teachers barely knew what we were doing, but the students and parents were expected to hop on the train with us.  I wasn't able to help the students with their view because I couldn't understand mine :) I would feel like I would have a better understanding of what they are learning and assist them better as a teacher.  
    • kboesenberg
      kboesenberg on 17 Jul 15
       
      wow...great analogy with the Canvas reference.  We make decisions based on our past experiences.  If we have never experienced online learning we may not have a good understanding of what should even be expected of an online learner.  
    • shelbywoods
      shelbywoods on 20 Jul 15
       
      I agree with this and want to implement Canvas into my classroom as soon as possible! Becoming familiar with the website just like I did will help students in the long run. It is important to be a student before a teacher to realize what will cause problems. This is the same thing with any lesson. In science I would go through the experiments by myself first to make sure it worked and to see where students would struggle or have questions.
    • tnederhiser
      tnederhiser on 20 Jul 15
       
      I am learning so much as I take these courses as a student! It gives us a real flavor for what our students will actively participate in.
    • malger17
      malger17 on 20 Jul 15
       
      Marie Alger- I completely agree with this! It is essential that we are able to work through the course through the eyes of a student to ensure that we have sufficient directions and guidance for student success. There has been multiple times when I thought that something online would be a piece of cake yet when I went to work through it I realized that there needed to be more structure. 
    • sstulken
      sstulken on 20 Jul 15
       
      I am always humbled when learning something new and is a great reminder of how students feel when faced with a new challenge. Demonstrate that risk and failure is okay-growth mindset.
  • Understands and uses data from assessments to guide instruction
    • nicolemsmith
      nicolemsmith on 14 Jul 15
       
      I think it can be easy for online instructors to create and organize their content ahead of time and not be responsive to student data throughout the course.  It is important for them to make an extra effort to be flexible and use data to guide their instruction. (NS)
    • Kelly Snyder
      Kelly Snyder on 14 Jul 15
       
      I like the tool we use to facilitate conversation about instruction in our building.  I also like the teaching cycles we are going to for next year.
    • christineclark
      christineclark on 18 Jul 15
       
      I agree that we need ti be flexible with instruction. If the data isn't headed in the same direction as what is written in the plan book, we need to adjust for the students!
    • Ashley Lyng
      Ashley Lyng on 14 Jul 15
       
      I believe it is important to have teaching standards, so that all teachers are following the same set of guidelines throughout the state. 
  • Provides and communicates evidence of learning and course data to students and colleagues
    • Ashley Lyng
      Ashley Lyng on 14 Jul 15
       
      Students need to take ownership and responsiblity of their learning.  If they are invested in their learning, they are much more likely to do their personal best.  I have noticed the impact this has on my own students, and it's amazing!
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Jul 15
       
      The use of data binders is a great way for students to see thier growth as they move towards reaching their goals.
    • syedlik
      syedlik on 19 Jul 15
       
      We could have online data binders. Wonder if this would be possible? We must balance online learning with traditional learning. It is important for students to gain valuable fine motor skills in their younger years. Sara Arnold/syedlik
    • tnederhiser
      tnederhiser on 20 Jul 15
       
      Tricia Nederhiser - I agree, data binders are important way for students to track their learning!
  • Identifies and communicates learning outcomes and expectations through a course overview/orientation
    • stnovak
      stnovak on 14 Jul 15
       
      I think it has to be clear what the expectations are so students know what they will need to be able to do and what concepts they need to know.
    • Ashley Lyng
      Ashley Lyng on 14 Jul 15
       
      Agree with your statement.  I also think teachers need to plan ahead of time, so that the lesson has a specific purpose.  If a purpose is created and stated to the students, then the teacher will be more likely to stay focused.  
    • jnurre
      jnurre on 15 Jul 15
       
      This is not only important for educators planning and preparing for students, however educational leaders need to make sure we are communicating learning outcomes and expectations for adult learners. 
    • maryblocker
      maryblocker on 17 Jul 15
       
      Mary Blocker-I think that this is essential for students in our daily instruction.  The training we received in writing purpose statements last year has really helped with this standard.
  • Maintains an online social presence that is available, approachable, positive, interactive, and sincere
    • stnovak
      stnovak on 14 Jul 15
       
      Building relationships with your students is an important part of teaching, whether face-to-face or online
    • stnovak
      stnovak on 14 Jul 15
       
      Building relationships with your students is an important part of teaching, whether face-to-face or online
    • juliahendred
      juliahendred on 15 Jul 15
       
      Yes, I believe that building those relationships and encouraging students has a huge impact on their success and desire to participate.
    • kaylamartinwhs
      kaylamartinwhs on 16 Jul 15
       
      Although the class is being taught online, the students should still be able to feel as though you are there to help answer questions, build a community of trust and grow as a student.  
    • maryblocker
      maryblocker on 17 Jul 15
       
      Mary Blocker - My hope is that this class will help me create an environment in my class for frequent online social interactions with me and other students in our class.  
    • shelbywoods
      shelbywoods on 20 Jul 15
       
      I really wanted to reflect on the word positive in this highlight. It goes all the way back to Netiquette from the first OLLIE class. I think it is extremely important to the success of the student to be able to collaborate in a positive manner and not to be afraid of messing up. It is easy to get discouraged using technology when you do not know how to do something, so keeping the environment positive with room for mistakes is important to how I want to run my blended learning.
    • tnederhiser
      tnederhiser on 20 Jul 15
       
      I agree that remaining positive is crucial. I think it's important for students to understand we don't always have the answers. Sometimes technology doesn't cooperate!
    • sstulken
      sstulken on 20 Jul 15
       
      Showing our students that we embrace technology and push ourselves to learn is so important. Lifelong learner has a different look!
  • including different learning styles
    • stnovak
      stnovak on 14 Jul 15
       
      I liked this because there are so many different types of presentation technologies for example, but including different learning styles will allow the students to have a choice as to which tool they would utilize best.
    • Ashley Lyng
      Ashley Lyng on 14 Jul 15
       
      Choice is very important for students, however we need to make sure that the choices connect with the purpose.  I believe choices are very powerful for studnets, and it allows them to shine in different areas. 
    • conniestarr
      conniestarr on 15 Jul 15
       
      Choice can also increase student engagement on projects and other learning activities!  I agree Ashley, that we need to be purposeful when planning our choices.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Jul 15
       
      In kindergarten we use a variety of different learning styles all day long. 
    • mdaviscr
      mdaviscr on 20 Jul 15
       
      I agree that choice is important, but it is also important to keep in mind that students don't always make the best choices for themselves. When thinking about having choices that go with different learning styles, it probably would help to make sure the students are aware of which learning styles work best for themselves through some sort of inventory. Then you could label the choices with what learning styles they work best with. The students can then make an informed decision. I wouldn't necessarily tell them they have to pick the choice that goes with the learning style, but I would suggest it. 
    • shelbywoods
      shelbywoods on 20 Jul 15
       
      I agree that choice is important. Sometimes technology is viewed as an option and we don't think of how we still need to differentiate within technology. Not all students are at the same levels using technology as well as intellectually. Choice is extremely important to the engagement of the students.
    • tnederhiser
      tnederhiser on 20 Jul 15
       
      Tricia Nederhiser - As mentioned above, I agree that choice is important. I, too, am concerned that elementary students may not have the background to choose, within technology, how they will show their learning. They will need guidance and support to make good decisions.
    • samanthalowe
      samanthalowe on 20 Jul 15
       
      Differentiation is important to student learning, no matter the format. Oftentimes an online learning format could allow more independent level of instruction for students.
  • improve practice
    • stnovak
      stnovak on 14 Jul 15
       
      I feel like this is one of the purposes of this class. We need to continually learn new ways of teaching or methods and then apply that knowledge so our students can benefit from this improved practice.
    • Ashley Lyng
      Ashley Lyng on 14 Jul 15
       
      I couldn't agree with you more.  It is important for us to be models for our students.  By taking classes and stretching ourselves professionally we can achieve this. 
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Jul 15
       
      I agree! I have spent some time this summer doing some professional reading. 
    • kaylamartinwhs
      kaylamartinwhs on 16 Jul 15
       
      I agree with everyone above.  If we don't continue to learn new methods, technologies, tools, ourselves as teachers how do we expect our students to grow?  
  • Selects and uses technologies appropriate to the content that enhance learning (SREB M.3, Varvel IV.D, ITS 3.e, ITS 4.f)
    • amberstrang
      amberstrang on 14 Jul 15
       
      I think it's so important to make sure that technology and online learning is used to enhance learning and improve the education of students.  It shouldn't just be included because we want more technology in schools.  We need to include it because it's what's best for the particular students learning in that course
    • trfishe
      trfishe on 19 Jul 15
       
      In mathematics, I think it's critical that the online materials selected or designed be as interactive as possible. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to find suitable materials or ways to create them.
    • malger17
      malger17 on 20 Jul 15
       
      Marie Alger- I agree that we should not just add technology or online learning just because we want more of it in the schools. It comes down to purposeful planning and ensuring that the technology used is supporting student learning.  
    • sstulken
      sstulken on 20 Jul 15
       
      This is one that challenges me. What tool do I use to get the results I am looking for? An area that I look forward to growing in.
  • Provides substantive, timely, and constructive feedback to students
    • amberstrang
      amberstrang on 14 Jul 15
       
      I think that this is a challenging but very important part of teaching, whether it is in the online or face to face setting.  I think a bonus of online learning is being able to individualize feedback more easily, though it would depend on the number of students in the course.
    • Kelly Snyder
      Kelly Snyder on 14 Jul 15
       
      I think this will be a great tool for feedback
    • jnurre
      jnurre on 15 Jul 15
       
      It seems to me we have more work to do with this standard.  We need to be providing feedback all the time to students and encouraging them to continue to fail forward. I am wondering how online learning impacts feedback?  Is it going to be harder to give feedback?  How will online feedback be perceived?  I know how "texts" and other "online communication" can be misconstrued.  We need to be cautious with our feedback in written form.  
    • conniestarr
      conniestarr on 15 Jul 15
       
      Timely feedback is so important when keeping students in the loop about their learning, they need to be partners.  Being able to give every student in your classroom individual feedback during a lesson can be challenging in one class time.  Using online tools like diigo or through Canvas would benefit teachers in giving timely specific feedback about student learning.
    • lsjohnson
      lsjohnson on 16 Jul 15
       
      Assigning online homework makes it easy to be able to provide immediate feedback!
  • Sets and models clear expectations for appropriate behavior and proper interaction
    • amberstrang
      amberstrang on 14 Jul 15
       
      Teaching students how to interact one another appropriately online is very important in the process of online learning.  It's not only a skill necessary for academic success online, but it could transfer over to the social media setting.  If we teach kids how to interact appropriately online, perhaps it can prevent problems online elsewhere.
    • Ashley Lyng
      Ashley Lyng on 14 Jul 15
       
      Agreed! Especially since social media is so prevelant with young kids.  If we can at least give them some tools and strategies on internet safety, make we can prevent some cyber bullying. 
    • jnurre
      jnurre on 15 Jul 15
       
      We need to be leading my example.  Students are watching the choices we make every day.  
    • jnurre
      jnurre on 15 Jul 15
       
      We need to teach them, just like every thing else, how to interact appropriately and not appropriately.  It's a life skill!  
    • malger17
      malger17 on 20 Jul 15
       
      Marie Alger- I agree! With how much our students are online now it is important that we are teaching them how to interact respectfully online. I often tell my students that people are unable to read your social ques through the internet and that it is important that you are able to articulate yourself efficiently for others to understand what you mean. 
  • Demonstrates growth in technology knowledge and skills in order to stay current with emerging technologies
    • mdaviscr
      mdaviscr on 20 Jul 15
       
      I have heard people say they don't have time to stay current with technology and figure out how to use it in their classroom. Some of them even seem to pride themselves on their resistance to technology. I see that as a huge problem. When that happens, they are making a conscious decision to not do what is best for their students. The reality of the situation is that their students will have to be able to use technology in a variety of ways. Those students will have to be able to use technology in a job someday. I can't think of a single paid job that I have had that didn't require me to use technology in some way. 
  • Understands the differences between teaching online and teaching face-to-face
    • juliahendred
      juliahendred on 15 Jul 15
       
      In looking at providing some instruction this next year to new and veteran teachers, I feel it will be essential for our team to determine what can be effectively delivered through Canvas and what will be best through face-to-face instruction, especially given the diverse knowledge base of the learners.
    • jnurre
      jnurre on 15 Jul 15
       
      absolutely, I agree that this is an ongoing struggle. Just like our classrooms, our buildings are full of diverse learners and we need to ensure we are differentiating all the time.  
    • maryblocker
      maryblocker on 17 Jul 15
       
      Mary Blocker- I think this is a great cautionary note for teachers to make sure that we are meeting all the student individual needs.  Technology should be a tool we use to enhance our face-to-face instruction.
    • samanthalowe
      samanthalowe on 20 Jul 15
       
      I completely agree with Mary, it is important to remember that technology is a great tool, but that I would like to use it to enhance face-to-face instruction.
    • jnurre
      jnurre on 15 Jul 15
       
      This couldn't be more important in education.  We must lead by example. 
    • jnurre
      jnurre on 15 Jul 15
       
      This seems to be ever challenging with technology changing by the moment, but as educators we have to be dedicated and risk takers in the tech world!  
  • Demonstrates
  • Creates a safe environment, managing conflict
    • jnurre
      jnurre on 15 Jul 15
       
      In today's world we have to make sure we are teaching students about cyber bullying and how to interact appropriately (netiquette)!  
    • kboesenberg
      kboesenberg on 17 Jul 15
       
      This is super important.  Would love to see examples of how teachers have set up high school courses and effectively dealt with this. 
    • syedlik
      syedlik on 19 Jul 15
       
      This will be an area that we will constantly need to monitor. We can never let our guard down when it comes to student safety online. Netiquette needs to be taught at the onset of the class and constant supervision by the teacher will be needed, with necessary consequences established and follow through. Sara Arnold /syedlik
    • cwhitebotello
      cwhitebotello on 18 May 16
       
      Totally agree, being respectful of folks in the online learning environment to create an environment where folks feel free to share opinions and take risks when learning is critical.
  • Networks with others involved in online education for the purpose of professional growth (
    • conniestarr
      conniestarr on 15 Jul 15
       
      Collaboration with other colleagues and teachers who are also embedding some online learning can be very beneficial.  Learning about best practices together and having conversations about what it looks like in a classroom wnd with students can help grow our own practice and tool kits when providing online learning experiences and opportunities for our students.
    • kaylamartinwhs
      kaylamartinwhs on 16 Jul 15
       
      I would also agree with your comments.  Not only to have colleagues to collaborate with and share best practices, but to help you trouble shoot possible issues.  
    • trfishe
      trfishe on 19 Jul 15
       
      I agree completely! I am hoping to find some teachers in my PLC group or building who will help me in the online portion of some classes! Tim Fisher
  • • Has knowledge of and informs student of their rights to privacy and the conditions under which their work may be shared with others (SREB E.8, Varvel I.D)
  • • Demonstrates techniques for dealing with issues arising from inappropriate student technological use (SREB E.7)
    • kboesenberg
      kboesenberg on 17 Jul 15
       
      This is just as essential as how to deal with a student you caught cheating on a test.  However, I personally need to dig into techniques for dealing with these issues as I have not personal experience with this.
    • christineclark
      christineclark on 18 Jul 15
       
      I agree, this is like cheating. I haven't experienced this directly, but know of multiple students who have had their internet privileges taken away for inappropriate use of their searches. I feel like teaching students what is appropriate and inappropriate online is key. Along with that maybe schools can have a process that all teachers follow in this situation so students have common expectations.
  • Creates a learning community that encourages collaboration and interaction, including student-teacher, student-student, and student-content (SREB D.2, Varvel VII.B, ITS 6.a)
  • Provides opportunities that enable student self-assessment and pre-assessment within courses
    • mdaviscr
      mdaviscr on 20 Jul 15
       
      Using both self-assessment and pre-assessment would really help students monitor their own learning and take more ownership. I think this would help students and parents think more about the amount of learning taking place instead of focusing on a letter grade. 
  • ability to use computer programs required in online education
    • kboesenberg
      kboesenberg on 17 Jul 15
       
      This is the equivalent of learning how to manage the learning of the warm bodies in our current environment.  So essential to know how to manage a course before you attempt to teach.
  • nd synchronous/asynchronous communication tools
    • maryblocker
      maryblocker on 17 Jul 15
       
      Mary Blocker-as an elementary teacher, I think we haven't done as much with communication tools with students.  This will be a goal to set for next year.  Canvas should allow us to improve in this area.
    • syedlik
      syedlik on 19 Jul 15
       
      Sara Arnold- Asynchronous instruction/learning is the future of education. I have said for years that learning needs to be extended beyond the school day. Using canvas will allow me to connect with my students even when I am not physically in each of my three buildings.
    • tnederhiser
      tnederhiser on 20 Jul 15
       
      Tricia Nederhiser - I agree, Mary, that we started with very basic technology, and are ready for collaboration and communication.
    • malger17
      malger17 on 20 Jul 15
       
      Marie Alger- I agree that we need to be able to extend learning beyond the school day as well as providing opportunities within the school day to reach children when we are working with small groups and others are working independently. Canvas and other online tools will provide an opportunity to continuously work with students even when we are unable to be physically near them. 
  • Creates or selects multiple assessment instruments that are appropriate for online learning
    • maryblocker
      maryblocker on 17 Jul 15
       
      Mary Blocker-This is an area in which I need more guidance.  I haven't been very effective at evaluating students in this area.
    • christineclark
      christineclark on 18 Jul 15
       
      This standard makes me think of the mindset of our LA curriculum planning. The idea was to plan with the end in mind. Ultimately what do we want students to know? From that answer assessments can be developed.
  • Applies research, knowledge, and skills from professional growth
    • christineclark
      christineclark on 18 Jul 15
       
      I think that this is important for bettering ourselves as educators and people. To be able to have an open mind, gather knowledge presented, and use that to our advantage is learning that needs to occur.
  • Communicates with students effectively and consistently (SREB D.1, ITS 1.g)
    • christineclark
      christineclark on 18 Jul 15
       
      This is an essential standards, that I believe can be overlooked. I wonder if it would be appropriate to address what effective communication means. Could some negative student behaviors be avoided if communication from all educators is effective, consistent, and positive?
    • trfishe
      trfishe on 19 Jul 15
       
      This is going to be one of the biggest challenges once the course is up and running. Finding the time in an already full day to stay on top of the online component of a blended course is critical, but daunting too! Tim Fisher
    • shelbywoods
      shelbywoods on 20 Jul 15
       
      One thing I worry about is keeping up with the classroom and with the online classroom with blended learning. It could be potentially easy to let the online classroom slip more and care to the classroom in front of you. It will be extremely important for me to keep my eye on the online classroom with communication that is constant and effective to let students know there is a presence and purpose.
    • cwhitebotello
      cwhitebotello on 18 May 16
       
      Creating an online learning community is essential to learning and yet it is likely the aspect of online teaching that may be most challenging.
  • Aligns assessment with course objectives (SREB I.3, Varvel VI.C, ITS 5.a)
  • Iowa Online Teaching Standards
  • Tailors instruction to meet the different needs of students
    • syedlik
      syedlik on 19 Jul 15
       
      This online format can be a great tool for differentiating instruction by creating groups. We will be able to differentiation instruction, assignments and assessments. It seems a bit overwhelming right now, but definitely something we can work towards. Sara Arnold/syedlik
    • trfishe
      trfishe on 19 Jul 15
       
      I look forward to using my online materials to assess what my students know, and then have options available to them for remediation, extra practice, or enrichment. I hope to also use groups to enable different sets of students to work together on activities based on the group's needs.
  • student feedback data
    • mdaviscr
      mdaviscr on 20 Jul 15
       
      I really like the idea of using student feedback to improve a course. However, the instructor would need to make sure that they collect the feedback in a way that the students will take seriously and respond honestly. Asking what students liked/disliked will get very different answers than questions that ask students to say what could have been done differently to help them be more successful. 
    • malger17
      malger17 on 20 Jul 15
       
      Marie Alger- I agree that you have to be careful in how you word questions to students to gain meaningful feedback. I think it would be beneficial to know what students are having difficulty with or what they would need to be able to be successful in online courses. 
  • Has experienced online learning from the perspective of a student
  • Understands the differences between teaching online and teaching face-to-face
  • uses data to evaluate
    • tnederhiser
      tnederhiser on 20 Jul 15
       
      Tricia Nederhiser - The alignment of online teaching standards and Iowa teaching standards in regards to using data is quite obvious throughout the standards.
    • malger17
      malger17 on 20 Jul 15
       
      Marie Alger- It is essential to be continuously evaluating instructional strategies through the use of data. In order to best support the growth of students we must be able to see where they need more help or what need to do to challenge them more. 
  • Continuously uses data to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of instructional strategies
    • samanthalowe
      samanthalowe on 20 Jul 15
       
      I agree with the importance of continual data collection. Assessing student progress continually allows teachers to determine instructional next steps.  Online learning can make evaluating effectiveness more efficient.
    • samanthalowe
      samanthalowe on 20 Jul 15
       
      I agree with the importance of continual data collection. Assessing student progress continually allows teachers to determine instructional next steps. Online learning can make evaluating effectiveness more efficient.
    • samanthalowe
      samanthalowe on 20 Jul 15
       
      Assessing student progress continually allows teachers to determine instructional next steps.  Online learning can make evaluating effectiveness more efficient.
    • sstulken
      sstulken on 20 Jul 15
       
      This makes me wonder, how can we incorporate more technology into student's tracking their progress? Engagement and learning could be impacted greatly.
  • Creates a learning community that encourages collaboration and interaction, including student-teacher, student-student, and student-content (SREB D.2, Varvel VII.B, ITS 6.a)
    • cwhitebotello
      cwhitebotello on 18 May 16
       
      Creating an online learning community is essential to learning and yet it is likely the aspect of online teaching that may be most challenging. 
  • Designs the structure of the course and the presentation of the content to best enhance student learning, including using unit/lesson overviews and reviews, using patterns in lesson sequencing, and using appropriate visual web design techniques
    • cwhitebotello
      cwhitebotello on 18 May 16
       
      Presenting streamlined content that still addresses the need for depth and diverse learners will be a challenge in designing on-line courses. 
  • Iowa Core
    • lisamsuya
      lisamsuya on 02 May 17
       
      It is important that the Iowa Online Teaching Standards make reference to the Iowa Core at the beginning because technology and online tools are for the purpose of teaching core curriculum.
  • age and ability level, multiple intelligences, didactic conversation, student developmental influences, constructivism, behaviorism, cognitivism, connectivism, and group theory
    • lisamsuya
      lisamsuya on 02 May 17
       
      I think it is interesting that these particular theories are mentioned in the standards, and it seems important to have a refresher of these theories in the online learning courses.
Joan Fredrickson

ollie1 (Peterman): Iowa Online Teaching Standards - 0 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

moodle_iowa

shared by Joan Fredrickson on 12 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • Knows and aligns instruction to the achievement goals of the local agency and the state, such as with the Iowa Core (Varvel I.A, ITS 1.f, ITS 3.a)
    • Jake Bartels
      Jake Bartels on 12 Sep 12
       
      alignment with iowa core has to be extremely important
  • Tailors instruction to meet the different needs of students, including different learning styles, different interests and backgrounds, and students with special needs or whom are language learners (SREB C.7, Varvel V.H, ITS 4.c)
    • Jake Bartels
      Jake Bartels on 12 Sep 12
       
      Probably one of the most powerful standards. Allowing students to have instruction tailored to them is great
    • Tiffany Oppelt
      Tiffany Oppelt on 13 Sep 12
       
      I think that's what makes this form of learning so powerful. It allows to not only to provide extra support to those who need it, but also extension and enrichment for students who are ready to step it up. This naturally lends itself to differentiation.
  • Has experienced online learning from the perspective of a student (SREB F.1, Varvel II.E)
    • Jake Bartels
      Jake Bartels on 12 Sep 12
       
      For myself this is also very important. I know what it is like to take an online course and this can help guide me in making decisions about content and tools used.
    • Anne Opgenorth
      Anne Opgenorth on 18 Sep 12
       
      I am pleased to be experiencing the online course myself before implementing it in my class. It is certainly important to know what works and doesn't.
    • Heather Martens
      Heather Martens on 18 Sep 12
       
      Taking a course like this has been good for me in that it reminds me what it is like to be the student, and how difficult learning new things can be.
  • ...16 more annotations...
  • Networks with others involved in online education for the purpose of professional growth
    • Tiffany Oppelt
      Tiffany Oppelt on 15 Sep 12
       
      This struck me because I think that it is essential for us to network with each other to enhance instruction. With the tools and resources that are available to us, it is very easy to collaborate for professional growth.
  • Maintains an online social presence that is available, approachable, positive, interactive, and sincere
    • Tiffany Oppelt
      Tiffany Oppelt on 15 Sep 12
       
      I can see this as being a challenge, because of how easy it is to be misunderstood online. It is essential to make sure that you are approachable and positive, but making sure you come through that way can be tough.
    • Heather Martens
      Heather Martens on 18 Sep 12
       
      Because of the lack of face-to-face interaction, an online teacher would have to get used to constantly answering questions and troubleshooting through email and forums. This could be difficult at first.
  • Utilizes a course evaluation and student feedback data to improve the course (Varvel VI.F)
    • Brad Bjorkgren
      Brad Bjorkgren on 15 Sep 12
       
      It is very helpful to do an end of the class evaluation.  Students will always be honest with things they liked and disliked about the class.
    • Anne Opgenorth
      Anne Opgenorth on 18 Sep 12
       
      I agree. I find that an evaluation at the end of a course can be very helpful. Teachers can always benefit from honest feedback.
  • Creates a learning community that encourages collaboration and interaction, including student-teacher, student-student, and student-content (SREB D.2, Varvel VII.B, ITS 6.a)
    • Brad Bjorkgren
      Brad Bjorkgren on 16 Sep 12
       
      Creating a learning environment where students can learn from each other is very helpful to students for an online course.
  • Understands the differences between teaching online and teaching face-to-face
    • Mary Blaisdell
      Mary Blaisdell on 16 Sep 12
       
      Many similarities between the two but a real trick to accomplish in the online world. And the instructor needs to be aware of how to "read" people in the online participant world.
  • Designs the structure of the course and the presentation of the content to best enhance student learning, including using unit/lesson overviews and reviews, using patterns in lesson sequencing, and using appropriate visual web design techniques
    • Mary Blaisdell
      Mary Blaisdell on 16 Sep 12
       
      This will be important to assist learners in their progress through the course. Without good structure/content/techniques, the online instruction will likely be boring, inadequate and inaccesible.
  • • Continuously uses data to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of instructional strategies (SREB J.7, ITS 1.c)
    • Brandon Frohwein
      Brandon Frohwein on 17 Sep 12
       
      We have designed our science tests to be organized by learning targets from the Iowa Core and use our PLC teams to evaluate the scores on each target to modify instruction. Online instruction can also be set up by learning targets and the learning of those targets can be assessed and modify instruction.
  • • Continuously uses data to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of instructional strategies (SREB J.7, ITS 1.c)
  • • Understands student motivation and uses techniques to engage students (Varvel V.D, ITS 4.d)
    • Brandon Frohwein
      Brandon Frohwein on 17 Sep 12
       
      As educators we usually love our content because it is our chosen field. We have to continue to find ways to get students engaged in the topic. The same holds true for online education.
  • • Assists students with technology used in the course (Varvel III.C)
    • Anne Opgenorth
      Anne Opgenorth on 18 Sep 12
       
      it is important for the instructor to be competant in the technology used in the course in case the students have questions.
    • Joan Fredrickson
      Joan Fredrickson on 18 Sep 12
       
      I think this is what keeps teachers from using the technology. They are afraid the student will know more than they do. Which at times may be the case, but that only shows that we never stop learning. With that said, I do agree that instructors need to be competant in order to have a positive teaching experience.
  • Knows the content of the subject to be taught and understands how to teach the content to students
    • Joel Conn
      Joel Conn on 19 Sep 12
       
      Today's students are very adept at searching for and obtaining volumes of information. What separates a good course from the wealth of online content IS a teacher that knows how to teach students. Without knowledgeable and qualified teachers behind the online course, it probably won't be worth the effort, money or time of the student.
  • Communicates with students effectively and consistently
    • Joel Conn
      Joel Conn on 19 Sep 12
       
      Good communication is ALWAYS important be it in the classroom or online.
  • Designs the structure of the course and the presentation of the content to best enhance student learning, including using unit/lesson overviews and reviews, using patterns in lesson sequencing, and using appropriate visual web design techniques
    • Beth Lillskau
      Beth Lillskau on 23 Sep 12
       
      I think that designing on-line learning is so much more difficult than live teaching. I know what I am doing in the classroom and I scaffold and plan, but on-line seems to require planning. Sometimes I am simply too abstract-random for this to work for me.
    • Cathy DeValk
      Cathy DeValk on 24 Sep 12
       
      I agree, Beth--it seems more difficult to embrace the "teachable moment"--might not be in the lesson plan, yet could be a valuable lesson nonetheless.
  • Has experienced online learning from the perspective of a student
    • Beth Lillskau
      Beth Lillskau on 23 Sep 12
       
      I don't know how anyone could try and teach on-line if they hadn't experienced it themselves. I have learned so much about providing information on-line to students simply by being in classes. In fact, I took the moodle class because the last class I took used it and it was so much easier than a web-site.
    • Joan Fredrickson
      Joan Fredrickson on 25 Sep 12
       
      I agree, it is so important to experience the online learning from the perspective of a student. I have found that many online tools may be easy to implement but can have a bit of a learning curve when it comes to using it as a student. Its good to get some of the "kinks" worked out or at least be prepared for possible problems to eliminate the frustration if something doesn't go quite right.
  • Aligns assessment with course objectives
    • Cathy DeValk
      Cathy DeValk on 24 Sep 12
       
      Even more important to keep the course objectives clear and concise in the online relationship.
  • Brandon Frohwein on 17 Sep 12
     
    We have started giving tests with each section being a learning target based on the Iowa Core. We score each section separately then we use the data to see which targets the students struggle with and discuss new instructional strategies with our PLC team.
  • Cathy DeValk on 24 Sep 12
     
    Never thought of this--all teachers have been students, but not all online educators have been online students.
lkmace

"Personalized" vs. "Personal" Learning - 2 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by lkmace on 06 Feb 16 - No Cached
  • many school district leaders require public school educators to teach a specific curriculum that will be evaluated on standardized tests, while at the same time telling teachers to be innovative and creative within their classrooms
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 06 Feb 16
       
      This is a major concern I have been struggling with in regard to Personalized Learning. The content many elementary teachers have been presented with is very specific - follow the basal or system of information you have been given, present it in the order it is to be taught, in the confines of the time you have to teach it, however, be creative (but don't stray from the plan because you have Standards Based goals to achieve), reach all students with it irregardless of ability or interest (make sure you meet with those groups every day to ensure they learn the content) and get good scores on our standardized tests (but don't teach to the test and you need to show growth).  It is a challenge we face but the dream of personalized learning is not an impossible reality. We just have to understand how it can be done. 
    • wolson86
      wolson86 on 10 Feb 16
       
      I agree and can easily connect with your comment about sticking to the curriculum, yet being creative. This is also a major concern of mine. I often feel that there is so much to fit in and little time. A guaranteed curriculum is important but I believe teachers need to have some freedom within their room to create plans and lesson that can be personalized and meet the standards.  Once teachers are better acquainted with personalized learning I believe we will see more and more of it within classrooms across the country. 
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      I can relate, too.  I mentioned earlier that we work in PLCs, so we write curriculum together and then go to our rooms to teach it, share Data later, and learn from each other.  I feel like this setup is too restrictive for me to implement PL.  Instead of throwing the idea away, we need to experiment with implementing PL small then look at the data and see if we can convince others to go with it.  We won't be able to make the full switch in a year, over the summer, or even within a few years until the entire system gets on board and works toward this common goal of implementing PL..
  • In a world where we can explore almost every interest or passion in depth on our own or with others, it’s crucially more important to have the dispositions and the skills to create our own educational opportunities, not be trained to wait for opportunities that someone else has selected for delivery.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 06 Feb 16
       
      As an adult learning individuals, if we want to continue to learn and grow, we need to reach out and ask questions and find the answers rather than waiting for the world to find us. We need to inspire that in our students as well. Motivation and drive with a purpose!
    • lkmace
      lkmace on 13 Feb 16
       
      To instill this drive for learning and seeking one's own understanding seems so important when developing skills in our young students. When we as adults have that drive for learning continuum, modeling that passion, sharing examples on how this is evident in work environments, as well as higher education, should be a skill all students be taught. PLEs could be a great tool to do just that!
  • Personal learning entails working with each child to create projects of intellectual discovery that reflect his or her unique needs and interests. It requires the presence of a caring teacher who knows each child well. Personalized learning entails adjusting the difficulty level of prefabricated skills-based exercises based on students’ test scores.   It requires the purchase of software from one of those companies that can afford full-page ads in Education Week.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 06 Feb 16
       
      Personal Learning requires "heart" Personalized Learning requires "hardware"
  • ...17 more annotations...
  • Thus, while making sense of ideas is surely personal, it is not exclusively individual because it involves collaboration and takes place in a community.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 06 Feb 16
       
      Personal doesn't mean individual. 
  • Personalization is often used in the ed-tech community to describe a student moving through a prescribed set of activities at his own pace. The only choice a student gets is what box to check on the screen and how quickly to move through the exercises. For many educators that’s not the true meaning of “personalized learning.”
    • amorarend
      amorarend on 07 Feb 16
       
      At the district I teach in we have many computer programs like this. Our lower elementary students (K-4) work on ST math and our upper elementary students (5-6) work on ALEKS. Our district also recently purchased and is going to start implementing Lexia Reading Core5. I personally have not worked with any of these programs, but from what I've heard teachers really like ST Math and ALEKS. 
    • wolson86
      wolson86 on 10 Feb 16
       
      Our district has also just started implementing Lexia Reading Core 5 this year. I have found it to be engaging for the students, but I have a student who has already passed all levels. At this point there is nothing left for her to do. I think personalization is more than a computer program, however I am a fan of computer programs that are tailored to the students' needs. 
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      From some of the things I've read in the PL Environment articles, these computer programs are only one part of Personalized Learning.  They have a purpose for some students who need it, but shouldn't really be implemented as a "work until you complete the program" type of thing.  More of a "you need more practice..go here" type of situation. Until we really embrace PL and truly personalize, we'll continue to encounter these issues.  So hard to do!
  • “It meets the needs of an individual in a very standardized way, but it doesn’t take into account who that kid is.” For Laufenberg, personalization only comes when students have authentic choice over how to tackle a problem.
    • amorarend
      amorarend on 07 Feb 16
       
      I don't think many teachers and administrators realize this. I think most feel like the computer programs, such as ST Math, ALEKS and Lexia Reading Core5, are personalized because each student is working at their own level. From what I've learned so far in this class is that Personalized Learning takes it a step farther. 
    • lkmace
      lkmace on 10 Feb 16
       
      I have felt hesitation from adminastartion with using computer programs for student learning. I'm looking for evidence that supports research in this area. Is it best for certain learning styles? I believe so.
    • lkmace
      lkmace on 13 Feb 16
       
      Ditto! I've tried some pilot computer learning, and students enjoy and stay engaged. Trying to receive support from administration isn't easy - district policy, costs, and balance between classrooms are the constraints I find.
  • Personalization comes at the expense of denying students opportunities to learn personally, forming the habits of mind and “network literacies” that will serve them much more effectively than most of the content knowledge that, as we know from experience, never gets applied in real life.
    • amorarend
      amorarend on 07 Feb 16
       
      I agree and disagree with this statement. I think every student in America has asked the question "When am I ever going to use this in real life?" at some point in their educational career. I know I did when I was sitting in Pre-Calc my senior year of high school. On the other hand I cringe every time one of my 5th grade students doesn't know that Iowa is a state. I had to have all of the states and state capitals memorized in 3rd grade! I do feel there are some things every well educated person should know, but the question is how do we decide what is important enough for every person to learn.
    • kelsi-johnson
      kelsi-johnson on 10 Feb 16
       
      There are definitely basic, foundational skills that need to be learned by all students. For example, since our district has focused less on teaching and grading students on grammar, punctuation, and elements outside of the content of a paper, we have noticed huge gaps in performance. I had to spend an entire class period with my ninth grade students explaining when to capitalize a letter before printing their final papers. I was also able to listen to Richardson speak at my school last year, and he claimed that all math classes would be rendered irrelevant over the course of the next decade due to technology resources; however, he used many graphs and statistics in his presentation. Luckily, I had great math teachers throughout school in order to possess the skills necessary to interpret his presentation data! I would agree that we have to develop certain basic skills in all students before we can set them off to work completely independently. I think it all comes down to your final question...how/who determines those priority skills or standards?
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      I completely agree!  However, I feel we're just not advanced enough as a system or society to truly see what we're doing work well.  The standards are set up to build upon the previous year's standards.  Unless everyone is covering his/her standards, it won't work as well.  We saw this first hand at my school when our JH/HS started aligning to the core before our elementary did.  It was very difficult for our 7th grade teachers to even teach the 7th grade standards because our students were back on the 2nd/3rd grade level according to the standards.  We had to back up and teach those skills first in order to get anywhere close to our own standards.  However, in the last 4 years I have seen much improvement!  Our elementary has begun aligning, and we're not (almost) able to do our own jobs!  I have hope!
  • But the red light flashes here not just because of the focus on standardized tests but because of the larger preoccupation with data data data data data.
    • amorarend
      amorarend on 07 Feb 16
       
      With being a Title 1 teacher everything I do is based on data. The school I teach at just got done doing the FAST testing for winter and when it was done I sat down with the principal and the other Title 1 teacher and used the student's test scores to determine who was going to be receiving Title 1 services. I am not a huge fan of testing, but when the state requires students who are flagged as "substantially deficient" to be in an intervention and students who are flagged as "at risk" to be progress monitored we have no choice but to be driven by the data. I really like the idea of personal learning, but I don't think school are going to be able to make that switch until the government changes things.
    • kelsi-johnson
      kelsi-johnson on 10 Feb 16
       
      It is frustrating that this information/research is out there and many teachers want to shift towards learning that is less test-focused, but unfortunately we don't have the power to make those changes! I also wonder how parents would respond to a change from the traditional school format. I know when we even discussed switching to standardized based grading, we got a lot of push back and criticism from parents. I don't know how we start making these changes.
    • lkmace
      lkmace on 13 Feb 16
       
      This is directly connected to the students I serve that are identified as gifted. Testing often displays data that doesn't seem to reflect their total understanding, often posing a picture where students haven't reached that area of one year's growth. This has engaged many debates as to pushing core v. pushing student interests.
  • ‘We often say we want creativity and innovation – personalization – but every mechanism we use to measure it is through control and compliance.’
    • kelsi-johnson
      kelsi-johnson on 10 Feb 16
       
      But at some point, don't we have to hold students and ourselves accountable for the learning taking place in the classroom? With the requirements of the current education system, there doesn't seem to be much that we as classroom teachers can do here: at some point we have to prove that we have created growth in our students through data. I wish the article would have specified other methods for depicting learning/student achievement rather than simply debunking the current ones. While I am all for personal learning and a change in the way we view student performance, I have yet to see a realistic method presented to ultimately score or evaluate the results of our students in the classroom.
    • wolson86
      wolson86 on 10 Feb 16
       
      I agree that it would be nice to have some other specified methods to collect data and show student growth. I do believe what we have now is not a true judgement of our students, they are so much more than a score. 
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 11 Feb 16
       
      I think our major hiccup lies in our struggle with producing "proof" of learning. It is important that you state a realistic method of scoring students. In a perfect world, we would have a personalized instruction for each student with a personalized rubric guiding the learning. However, that is not realistically possible, especially if I want them to be authentic and innovative at their own level. As long as I am expected to prove my kids are learning, regardless of the system used, time will play into how personalized the instruction can be.
    • lkmace
      lkmace on 13 Feb 16
       
      Before reading your post, my thinking directed to the time constraint and proving a year's growth in each of our students. This is a major component in our classrooms and often fogs up the importance of addressing individual learning needs. How do teachers with large groups of students realistically find time to implement successful PLEs? I have 40+ students on my roster between two buildings. PLEs could be the answer to providing challenges more than 30--40 minutes 1-2 times per week. That part I am excited about. Assisting with all 40+ PLEs sounds a little overwhelming, but initial skill development in students in designing their own with my assistance seems to be my starting point.
  • it implies moving away from the industrialized form of education that pumps out cookie-cutter students with the same knowledge and skills
    • wolson86
      wolson86 on 10 Feb 16
       
      This first sentence really stuck out to me, especially the statement cookie-cutter students. Why would we want to create students to all have the same talents? What kind of future would that be, with students who all have the same specific skills?
  • Can the Web and laptops, et al., support and expand intrinsic engagement for those parts of the world that interest us? Absolutely! But while a multimedia textbook on an iPad may be more engaging than the dog-eared paper one we’ve been handing out for decades, a textbook is still a textbook. You want to really engage kids? Give them opportunities to learn personally, to create their own texts and courses of study, and to pursue that learning with others in and out of the classroom who share a passion.
    • kelsi-johnson
      kelsi-johnson on 10 Feb 16
       
      This makes me reflect on the learning we have done about the SAMR model. Because our students recently became 1:1 with iPads in our building, we have done a lot of learning on making technology usage meaningful rather than just "fluff" in the classroom. Here is a link for those of you not familiar with SAMR: http://tinyurl.com/posterV4 As Richardson indicates, we can't simply put technology into the hands of students and call ourselves innovative. It is what we allow our students to do with technology in order to generate new ideas that stimulates innovation and creativity.
  • meaningful (and truly personal) learning never requires technology
    • kelsi-johnson
      kelsi-johnson on 10 Feb 16
       
      I found this statement to be particularly profound; I never thought of it that way!
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      Especially nowadays when technology is such a big part of their lives.
    • lkmace
      lkmace on 13 Feb 16
       
      Fifth graders in our district are fortunate to have Chrome Books. After working in secondary for the past 4 years, coming back to elementary made things very exciting to know these students would have tech access at their fingertips. After a few weeks working with this age level, I found the tools could be very distracting. Starting with personal understanding to form inquiry and learning proposals allowed for focus on goals. Technology came in next as a great resource, but ending with communicating new learning (sometimes with tech, but often through discussions, writing or small group share.)
  • A personalized environment gives students the freedom to follow a meaningful line of inquiry, while building the skills to connect, synthesize and analyze information into original productions.
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      This is so hard to really implement correctly!  Most of us are in school systems where we are really restricted by required classes, bell schedules, teacher certification, the previously mentioned DATA COLLECTION (!!!), which would look much differently in a true PL classroom.  I'm personally struggling with how to implement PL because we work in PLC teams where we have common formative assessments that need to be administered around the same time.  That allows very little room for kids to work at their own pace.
  • resource rich.
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      I have found that finding good resources for English is really hard.  There are so many factors when it comes to literature, like readability level, topic, concept, that it's hard for ME to find resources, let alone have my students find them on their own.  Unfortunately, if someone develops something that is good, they're going to want money for it making it unattainable for many of us.  I was excited to hear about the pilot going on with the AEA Online for students.
  • Our kids (and we ourselves) are suddenly walking around with access to the sum of human knowledge in our pockets and connections to literally millions of potential teachers.
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      A few problems come to mind.  1)  This is why it's important to climb the ladder of Bloom's with our activities and lessons and make them real life.  2) Students don't value knowing the basics because they can just Google them.  The part of speech of a word...Google can tell us that, so it isn't important.  But it IS important to know when it's applied later, for instance writing complex sentences and identifying clauses/subjects.     Or is it?
    • kelsi-johnson
      kelsi-johnson on 11 Feb 16
       
      Think about how much longer it would take for students to complete seemingly simple aspects of a project or task if they had to look up every single smaller bit of information. It seems that this is where we need to set priority standards in order to determine what basics are most important for students to know in order to complete and take part in personal learning.
  • give opportunities for our kids to do personal learning.
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      This is it!!  This is all we can hope for.  Having the perfect school, unit, support, funding, etc. to do this is not anywhere in our near future.  If our classroom is set up to give opportunities for our kids to do personalized learning, we're on the right track.  I feel it will snowball into more opportunities.  Kids will want it, the ever-important test scores will prove it, and schools will slowly jump on the PL train!
  • the best thing we can do for kids is empower them to make regular, important, thoughtful decisions about their own learning, what they learn and how they learn it, and to frame our use of language in that larger shift, not simply in the affordances for traditional curriculum delivery that the tools of the moment might bring.
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      This is the beginning.  Find opportunities for this wherever you can and then let personalized learning grow from there.
    • lkmace
      lkmace on 13 Feb 16
       
      Advanced differentiation conversations often involve the, "how do we develop independent learners?" This shift is dearly needed. Enabling students with PLEs - tool to make the shift?
  • as long as he ends up fundamentally similar to everyone else:
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      Agreed, but this is what students need to understand when it comes to PL.  You don't just get to pretend you're working, you are still held accountable to reach the end target; you can just get there how you want.  This is my biggest fear with "setting kids free" in PL.  I'm afraid I'll check-in with their progress and they'll have done nothing.  What's the consequence?  How do you hold them accountable daily (at first) and realize they still have to do something.  Hopefully interest level, real life applications, etc will help hold them accountable.  They'll be on stage for someone hopefully.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 11 Feb 16
       
      I have a self-paced system currently in place in my classroom. Often times, I do check in, and they will have done nothing. I have the daily goal for where they should be to be on target to finish on time. My kids have figured out that I will fail them. I akin it to a job. If you do not do the task, the boss will penalize you for it. That said, grades are fluid. I have no problem changing the grade once I receive the work. Normally the work happens after a few angry emails from parents, pulling from study halls, and a little bribing. This morning I sent out an email stating I was still missing fifty papers from students, giving their names. The immediate consequence is failing, with the understanding that once work is shown, failing is not a permanent ultimatum .
  • She cautions educators who may be excited about the progressive educational implications for “personalized learning” to make sure everyone they work with is on the same page about what that phrase means.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 11 Feb 16
       
      I find it interesting that she says everyone we work with needs to be on the same page about the implications of personalized learning. I find, that when I try something new, even if my co workers aren't on board right away, my results speak for themselves. I am not sure it is important that BEFORE I start personalized learning, EVERYONE is onboard. 
    • lkmace
      lkmace on 13 Feb 16
       
      As I "pilot" PLEs with some of my students, taking evidence from their experience to share with staff could begin those "on board" conversations and reel teachers towards learning more and trying in their classrooms, as well as sharing with administrators. Many past learning models have sounded wonderful, but without having data to show evidence of success, hesitance exists.
  • Our systems and assessments assume that neither content nor access to teachers is widely available, and that we must deliver a proscribed, fairly narrow curriculum to each child because if they don’t have it in their heads when they need it, they will fail at the task.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 11 Feb 16
       
      I find it interesting that the Web and other pieces of technology have expanded the capabilities of learning, yet our standardized testing and other assessments specify exactly what they "need" to know. I question how, regardless of how the Internet has changed education, we still use the same methods to prove proficiency. 
hansenn

ollie-afe-2018: Building a Better Mousetrap - 3 views

moodlesw.aealearningonline.org/...view.php

shared by hansenn on 30 Jan 18 - No Cached
  • we ought to illicit student input when constructing rubrics
    • leighbellville
      leighbellville on 30 Jan 18
       
      Student input when creating rubrics would assist them in fully understanding the expectations set forth. It would be interesting to see examples of rubrics constructed with student input.
    • bbraack
      bbraack on 30 Jan 18
       
      Having students illicit input in making of the rubric gives the students ownership and feel like they have a say in what should be assessed.
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 01 Feb 18
       
      This would be tough for me to do in an ALgebra class as a majority of what i am teaching is brand new to them.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 01 Feb 18
       
      I love this idea! I think there would be the initial learning curve of how to design a rubric, but a teacher could explain some of the main features/expectations of the projects and then let the students have some say in what excellent would look like etc.
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 03 Feb 18
       
      Building autonomy in our students and promoting learner agency! What a novel idea.
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 04 Feb 18
       
      Great idea but realistically when would any teacher have time to gather input?  Could it be through exit tickets?  I could see Google Forms be used as a way to collect input. It still would mean dedicated time to review input.   
    • staudtt
      staudtt on 04 Feb 18
       
      I have had mixed feelings with this. For those that have done it do students really help design to further learning? I have had conversations with educators that say in some cases students create simple rubrics to make the expectations easy to attain. Just wondering what experiences were.
    • Jen Van Fleet
      Jen Van Fleet on 06 Feb 18
       
      As far as the time committment, I don't think it would have to be student created all day every day. I think allowing them to contribute when possible AND pulling out previous rubrics which students contributed on in the past shows the students that the teacher listens to student voice on a regular basis. Not necessarily 24/7. :)
  • dehumanize the act of writing
  • At the beginning of the process, you could ask a student to select to select which aspect she values the most in her writing and weight that aspect when you assess her paper.
    • leighbellville
      leighbellville on 30 Jan 18
       
      The idea of asking a student to choose which aspect "she values most" to determine the piece that will be weighted more heavily is an interesting one. I think it lends itself to creating personalized goals with students. Similar to when we ask teachers if there is a specific area they would like to focus on to receive a rating and feedback during an AIW scoring, it could create opportunities for growth and discussion between the teacher and the student.
  • ...67 more annotations...
  • rubrics can help the student with self-assessment; what is most important here is not the final product the students produce, but the habits of mind practiced in the act of self-assessment.
    • bbraack
      bbraack on 30 Jan 18
       
      Though the end product is important, I agree that it is important for the student to think about what or how they are going to go about constructing the end product.
    • jhazelton11
      jhazelton11 on 30 Jan 18
       
      True. If students could accurately self-assess, their end-products ultimately become stronger.
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 30 Jan 18
       
      This is when the true spirit of education come through when there is self reflection and self assessment occurs.
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 03 Feb 18
       
      The best way to get students to use self-reflection and self assessment is for teachers to also model this same practice.
    • dassom
      dassom on 04 Feb 18
       
      I often forget about the benefit of students being able to self assess. It would not be as useful in probably a math class since it's usually a yes or a no. However in a writing assignment it could help the students see how much work they need to do to get to the next level.
    • blockerl
      blockerl on 06 Feb 18
       
      I agree that it is important to encourage self-assessment. I also like to show students things I have written so they can grade me on the rubric. They enjoy critiquing their teacher. :)
  • produced less interesting essays when they followed the rules [as outlined in a rubric]
    • bbraack
      bbraack on 30 Jan 18
       
      I can see where students would be too concerned with following the rubric in writing, instead of just writing for the fun of it or pleasure of adding things to their writing that they might not when using a rubric.
    • krcouch
      krcouch on 02 Feb 18
       
      I love when they write for fun but they still need to know the basics of grammar and sentence structure etc. and even writing and then going back and doing a self evaluation would be helpful to see if they got all the required items.
    • staudtt
      staudtt on 04 Feb 18
       
      My biggest fear in creating a rubric is just this. How do I write it to encourage going the extra mile and encourage not squash creativity?
  • The second step is deciding who your audience is going to be. If the rubric is primarily used for instruction and will be shared with your students, then it should be non-judgemental, free of educational jargon, and reflect the critical vocabulary that you use in your classroom
    • leighbellville
      leighbellville on 30 Jan 18
       
      Purpose and audience are two important considerations when developing a rubric. The point of including "critical vocabulary that you use in your classroom" and ensuring that it is "non-judgemental" are pieces that can be overlooked by educators.
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 03 Feb 18
       
      I really like that this emphasizes that the rubric be free from educational jargon.
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 03 Feb 18
       
      Student friendly language is key if we want the student self reflection to happen.
    • Mike Radue
      Mike Radue on 04 Feb 18
       
      I think it's helpful to consider / reflect on the notion of the students as our audience in terms of assessment and feedback. Remaining non-judgemental is important to remember in the assessment mode.
  • an analytical rubric, however, will yield more detailed information about student performance and, therefore, will provide the student with more specific feedback.
    • bbraack
      bbraack on 30 Jan 18
       
      I like the idea of having two or more separate scales (analytical rubric). Some parts of an assignment or test might have the student do more and so it should have a different scale. Specific feedback for students is always important so they can understand how they did and what they might need to improve on.
  • Can different scorers consistently apply the rubric?
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 04 Feb 18
       
      I hadn't considered this being an issue until our small group assignment this week.  I've only used rubrics in isolation.  Interesting thought for teachers in department (i.e. Social Studies) using same rubric.
    • leighbellville
      leighbellville on 08 Feb 18
       
      Inter-rater reliability is essential. The goal is promoting creativity and creating clear expectations. However, by including too many details, we run the risk of formulaic writing. It is important to ensure students understand the expectations, but also stretch themselves and do not do the minimum required to reach proficiency. On the other hand, when enough detail is not included, then we can run the risk of a rubric that becomes too subjective and then two scorers can review the same piece of writing and score it differently based on their own expectations.
  • stultifying and others see as empowering.
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 30 Jan 18
       
      First of all, I had not seen the word stultifying before! In order for a rubric or other type of assessments to be empowering, students must understand how to use them and have examples that help guide the conversation. Students need to know the expectations and what is considered and exceeds and just beginning. We must put more ownership on the kids' ends to self-assess well before the final due date. We want kids to improve it. I have come to love checklists to help guide this.
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 30 Jan 18
       
      I just commented about how students need to see the rubric before hand so they know what is expected of them. I love the idea of using checklists more to help guide the learning.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 01 Feb 18
       
      Agreed. What good is a rubric if we don't let the students see it ahead of time? Are we setting students up for failure?
    • emmeyer
      emmeyer on 03 Feb 18
       
      Sadly, it is so easy to get wrapped up in all that we have to do in the short amount of time and not show the students the rubric, even when we know that it is more meaningful to show the rubric ahead of time.
    • blockerl
      blockerl on 06 Feb 18
       
      I feel both ways about rubrics. Rubrics certainly help the students and teachers know what is expected out of an assignment, but they can sometimes restrict a student's creativity. I feel like we saw that when we applied our rubric to some of the assignments this week.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 06 Feb 18
       
      I think this is a major problem for a lot of PLCs I work with. Some don't even want students to see exemplars for fear of limiting creativity.
  • post-secondary educators in all disciplines
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 30 Jan 18
       
      I have had quite a bit of training on assessment and rubrics and still feel it is almost impossible to write a good one. Are our post-secondary educators, many of whom don't necessarily have a teaching background, feel comfortable developing rubrics? Who is in charge of this huge task that can be career ending or career beginning for some?
    • nickol11
      nickol11 on 31 Jan 18
       
      I couldn't agree more with your thoughts here! And depending on who is assessing your rubric the feedback, grows and glows you receive will also be different. OR what one person is taught as never to include in a rubric another person is taught to always do that.
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 01 Feb 18
       
      Heather, I am with you. Right now I am torn because I am supposed to be assessing my Algebra classes by standards with rubrics created for me at the district level, but everything I read indicates that these should be teacher created. i'm not sure who is more (or less) qualified to be doing this type of work, the individual teachers or the district level decision makers?
  • current goals of solving real problems and using statistical reasoning.
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 30 Jan 18
       
      This perplexes me...As Mike pointed out the need to focus more on the process, do we focus too much on the final product? Can't we have separate rubrics that assess along the way to help with this? It would improve learning but and help teachers truly give a grade with multiple indicators that assess work ethic, collaboration, final product, and the process. I am glad to hear that our focus isn't always on the right answer but creating students who can reason and problem solve.
    • lisamsuya
      lisamsuya on 05 Feb 18
       
      That idea resonates with me. Rubrics to help students with the process makes sense. Maybe the learning progressions would be helpful for teachers to create rubrics for "along the way."
  • The issue of weighting may be another area in which you can enlist the help of students
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 30 Jan 18
       
      This perplexes me...As Mike pointed out the need to focus more on the process, do we focus too much on the final product? Can't we have separate rubrics that assess along the way to help with this? It would improve learning but and help teachers truly give a grade with multiple indicators that assess work ethic, collaboration, final product, and the process. I am glad to hear that our focus isn't always on the right answer but creating students who can reason and problem solve.
  • “Meaningfully” here means both consistently and accurately—accurately measuring the specific entity the instructor intends to measure consistently student after student.
    • jhazelton11
      jhazelton11 on 30 Jan 18
       
      As a psychology major, this was a big deal in making sure you had sound products you were using. I'm wondering how much we are testing ours today. I know some PLC's that practice scoring examples with rubrics, then discuss, to ensure they are on the same page.
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 04 Feb 18
       
      I see how beneficial rubrics can be in "meaningful" assessment.  It provides clear expectations for both teachers and students, keeps the student focused, and hopefully created to meet standards or other meaningful benchmark.  
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 06 Feb 18
       
      I think sometimes the rubric is a tool for the teacher to score and not as much a tool for feedback and encouraging learning (from earlier in the article). When teachers common score, are they using that discussion to shape their instruction and feedback to students? I don't mean to imply they aren't, I don't currently work with a PLC willing to common score. They simply use the same rubric.
  • (whether they are rubrics or more nebulous modes of evaluation) from students is not only unfair and makes self-assessment more difficult, it maintains the traditional gap between what the teacher knows and what the student knows
    • jhazelton11
      jhazelton11 on 30 Jan 18
       
      We are running into this right now with our LMS... the new assessment piece doesn't allow us to upload the rubric. So, kids will have to do tasks without seeing the rubric. This is not okay with teachers, so hoping the tech people will build the rubric options in....
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 03 Feb 18
       
      Agreed that withholding assessment tools does a disservice to the education for the students and is can give some teachers a power trip. I am glad to hear the tech at your school are working on this piece and that the LMS has a feature to upload rubric into the system.
  • one rubric can be used to assess all of the different papers assigned in a freshman composition course.
    • jhazelton11
      jhazelton11 on 30 Jan 18
       
      We use a common rubric when assessing special education students with writing goals (although some students have modified or specific rubrics addressing the specifics of their goal).
    • krcouch
      krcouch on 02 Feb 18
       
      I love the idea of common rubrics so that the goals are spelled out. especiallywhen one teacher likes it this way and another likes it this way can be so confusing.
    • emmeyer
      emmeyer on 03 Feb 18
       
      I agree, it is nice to have the common rubric that makes all expectations the same.
  • Does the rubric relate to the outcome(s) being measured?
    • jhazelton11
      jhazelton11 on 30 Jan 18
       
      In paper-writing, sometimes we get really caught up in measuring outcomes like mechanics (capitalization, punctuation), and not content. Often we get so caught up in assessing those things, we lose sight of the higher order thinking that we are really trying to measure.
  • non-judgmental:
    • jhazelton11
      jhazelton11 on 30 Jan 18
       
      rubrics are certainly less judgemental when they are used formatively along the way during the process... it's not an end-all "gotcha"
  • system designed to measure the key qualities
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 30 Jan 18
       
      The system of a rubric can be very abstract and not concrete if being teacher made. This has pros and cons, one pro if the teacher lets the students see it ahead of time, is that the students know what is expected of their performance.
    • srankin11
      srankin11 on 05 Feb 18
       
      Agree! This can be challenging for a new teacher or one that is new to teaching that unit/class. The rubric also allows for standards to be measured in multiple assessments.
  • actually learned rather than what they have been taught
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 30 Jan 18
       
      This reiterates to me the difference we are learning between assessing and grading. It is our job as teachers to make sure all students our learning and we aren't just going through the motions of going from chapter to chapter in a textbook.
    • dassom
      dassom on 04 Feb 18
       
      Teaching is a personal profession and when a student doesn't perform well on an exam it can be a shot to the teachers ego. If we can get teachers to think of rubrics as a way to see if the students have learned it yet instead of just a summative yes or not they got it, it might become less personal and we can start focusing on how to get the students to actually learn in.
  • help instructors in all disciplines
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 30 Jan 18
       
      A beauty about Rubrics is they can be utilized in all content areas for all educators.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 01 Feb 18
       
      and they can be tailored for the specific assignment or project. I love that rubrics are not content specific and can be designed for individualized, specific things.
  • traditional gap between what the teacher knows and what the student knows
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 30 Jan 18
       
      This makes me emotional and the emotion I feel is anger. That there are teachers that are still out there that try to one up the student and have a power trip. As an educator and mother of three students myself I see this and have to play the politically nice card and try to listen instead of get mad during conversations with teachers. This class is giving me knowledge on the importance of assessments and different types.
  • Well-designed rubrics
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 30 Jan 18
       
      As stated in one of the videos teachers are not taught in pre-teaching programs how to ask good questions, nor do I think we were taught how to prepare well written rubrics. If rubric are well designed they should not be "formulaic" in their outcomes.
  • But she did it without saying anything coherent
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 30 Jan 18
       
      I would say this student was not given a well written rubric.
    • staudtt
      staudtt on 04 Feb 18
       
      Agreed. The rubric apparently wasn't written so that it focused on an outcome the required something coherent.
    • Jen Van Fleet
      Jen Van Fleet on 06 Feb 18
       
      Leave it to kids to take your words literally in order to drive you figuratively insane. This just goes to show that a rubric shouldn't be driving students to one right answer but rather guiding them towards quality and learning.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 06 Feb 18
       
      Absolutely. Kids will pick out one or two words and take them out of context. Is that what the intent of the rubric was? most likely no, but we need to teach the students that the rubric is a guide for expanding their learning with a few checks throughout the process.
  • mitagate both teacher bias and the perception of teacher bias
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 30 Jan 18
       
      Anything to mitigate teacher bias is an improvement for many teacher assessments and evaluations of student learning.
    • emmeyer
      emmeyer on 03 Feb 18
       
      So true, removing teacher bias is difficult, and when we can do it, it is a good thing.
    • dassom
      dassom on 04 Feb 18
       
      I love the term real-life learning. Most professions don't have a good and bad type of employee. There are different levels of employees, and there's usually room for improvement.
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 04 Feb 18
       
      In this respect, rubrics protect both the student and teacher. This document removes any possible bias perceived by students and/or parents.
    • blockerl
      blockerl on 06 Feb 18
       
      The problem, which I don't know that it is really a problem, is that grading writing is biased. What I find creative or thoughtful might not be what another teacher thinks. The rubric can assess the prescriptive things like thesis, intro., conclusion, etc.
  • achiev[ing a] new vision of statistics education.
    • nickol11
      nickol11 on 31 Jan 18
       
      This is also true for the review systems for many companies. As I talk more and more with my friends outside of education, they talk of the rubrics that are used for their evaluation processes. I think that it is important as we teach students that they are able to relate their learning to rubrics as someday they will have to transfer that knowledge and understanding to their someday job/career.
  • a clear understanding of how rubrics operate
    • nickol11
      nickol11 on 31 Jan 18
       
      I really feel like many times when teachers are lost building rubrics they really need to zero in on the criteria needed to meet each indicator level. That said, they also need to model and communicate these items with their students.
    • emmeyer
      emmeyer on 03 Feb 18
       
      I agree with both of your points here. The indicator level makes the rubric clear and effective or not so much. Also, it is key for students to know what is expected of them. We, as adults, want to know what is expected of us, but we often think that students don't...which doesn't make sense.
  • wrote poorly when writing, as we might say, to the rubric
    • nickol11
      nickol11 on 31 Jan 18
       
      Have we considered to present the assignment to the students with the criteria THEN midway through the creative process bringing in the rubric so that students can assess their own work but still not lose their individuality?
  • Do the students find the rubric helpful?
    • nickol11
      nickol11 on 31 Jan 18
       
      I always find it helpful that in designing my rubrics (especially now when our school is building learning targets, assessment plans and more rubrics) that I test them out in my classrooms. They not only provide me feedback to student learning but I also have students provide me feedback as to how they are written, what I can change or add to make them work better for them. It also gives them even further buy-in to what you are doing in the class, as well and shows that you respect that there may be changes in learning but you are there for the student.
  • shared with students prior to the completion of any given assignment
    • hansenn
      hansenn on 01 Feb 18
       
      I think rubrics should always shared with students when they start the assignment. so for me it is not an "IF:
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 01 Feb 18
       
      I agree Noel! Mine are posted along side my standards and learning targets in my room, and constantly referred to.
    • krcouch
      krcouch on 02 Feb 18
       
      I agree completely. I think the kids should know ahead of time what the expectation is.
  • reports that extensive use of rubrics can help minimize students’ educational disparities and bring fairness into assessment on numerous levels:
    • hansenn
      hansenn on 08 Feb 18
       
      As long as the rubrics are well constructed and use I believe they do help lead to more equality and consistency in assessment. Teachers that give the same assessments, also need to review the rubrics together for consistency across schools and district.
  • students to simply make sure their essays have those features
    • hansenn
      hansenn on 08 Feb 18
       
      Many students will just complete the assessment to meet the requirements in the rubric, but students are then meeting the expectations you wrote in the rubric. If you want them to do more change the rubric. What would happen if you did not share the rubric some might do more than expected and many would not because they have no idea what is expected.
  • Look at some actual examples of student work to see if you have omitted any important dimensions.
    • lisamsuya
      lisamsuya on 05 Feb 18
       
      Looking at actual examples of student work ahead of time is a good idea. When we created the rubric for the Assess This assignment, we only had one example of student work. Then when we were given more pieces to assess, we quickly learned that the rubric would not work for all of the types of pieces that needed assessed.
    • hansenn
      hansenn on 08 Feb 18
       
      Sometimes after using a new assessment an rubric, I reflect and notice the mistakes I made when creating the rubric and revise it. When you have students examples it makes it easier to evaluate your own rubric.
  • given their association with standardized assessment
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 01 Feb 18
       
      Last I checked, the iowa Assessments were not scored by a rubric. This is something I continuously struggle with. if students, teachers, buildings, and districts are measured by standardized test scores, why do we push for standards based assessments and rubrics? This will be the first year I have never taught specific focus lessons geared to higher achievement on the iowa Assessments. My district wanted me to pilot standards based assessment so I am going all out! Can't wait to compare and contrast previous years' scores to this year. Stay tuned!
  • formulaic writing
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 01 Feb 18
       
      Sounds more like a checklist approach. Who hasn't been guilty in their life of following a rubric like a checklist? Almost human nature.
  • “checksheets.”
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 01 Feb 18
       
      There's my checklist comment! Should have kept reading :-) When I think of this in math though, I must admit it's a struggle to NOT say these skills are level 1, these are level 2, and so on.
    • Jen Van Fleet
      Jen Van Fleet on 06 Feb 18
       
      I do see the checklists especially in math as a benefit when collaborative teacher teams are discussing what exactly the foundational skills of a priority standard look like and what dots to connect if a student is far away from achieving proficiency. I don't think that kind of learning progression would translate for a student who would see it as a checklist.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 06 Feb 18
       
      I think the checklist and deep learning piece are not necessarily mutually exclusive. The checklist may require certain content (based on the unit of study or course topic) but the rest of the rubric can be skill focused and framed in a growth model.
  • there has been “notable increases in the use of open-response questions, creative/critical thinking questions, problem-solving activities, […] writing assignments, and inquiry/investigation.”
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 01 Feb 18
       
      This ties in directly with a comment I made earlier, "How does this help increase student achievement scores of high stakes standardized assessments like the Iowa Assessments.
  • Focus, Support, Organization, Conventions.
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 01 Feb 18
       
      Good for us Group 1! We pretty much came up with these same criteria for our rubric :-)
  • Weighting
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 01 Feb 18
       
      I have to admit as a math teacher this peaks my interest the most. Would love to work with teachers who establish their own grading criteria for rubrics but want help 'converting' that into a conventional grade for reporting purposes i.e. report cards.
  • Modify accordingly
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 01 Feb 18
       
      As should be the case with anything we do as professional educators.
    • jwalt15
      jwalt15 on 06 Feb 18
       
      I agree with you Shawn. Professional educators are constantly modifying and adapting their instruction to the meet the needs of their students and the curriculum. Change means growth and learning are taking place for both the student and the teacher.
  • that rubrics provide students with clear and specific qualities to strive for in those assignments that “are open-ended, aligned more closely to real-life learning situations and the nature of learning”
    • krcouch
      krcouch on 02 Feb 18
       
      I agree that it helps the students know what they need to strive for instead of just open ended questions and then you get back your grade and you did not do well because it wasn't what the teacher wanted. I struggled with this in my undergrad classes.
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 03 Feb 18
       
      I agree with this too that it provides students with the clear and specific qualities of the academic piece of material they are working on to be assessed. I have never thought about it being related closely to real-life learning situations though which is an imperative connection that should be made.
  • ‘some rubrics are dumb.’” He recounts,
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 03 Feb 18
       
      I would say to that, it was a poorly written rubric is it is "dumb".
  • Usually a numerical value is assigned to each point on a scale
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 03 Feb 18
       
      This has been my experience with rubric to be very specific in the world of special ed. especially when using them for IEP goal writing.
  • vital to the process and/or product of a given assignment,
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 03 Feb 18
       
      When I see the word vital in this statement, it reminds me that we should only be assessing the qualities that are truly important. We need to be so careful when we are creating and assessing student work to not over assess or under assess our students.
    • staudtt
      staudtt on 04 Feb 18
       
      I think this is true. Sometimes as teachers we feel the need to give a grade to everything. And while we are constantly assessing, we need to focus on the the things that are vital for the student to know.
    • jwalt15
      jwalt15 on 06 Feb 18
       
      I agree with both of your statements. The word "vital" does remind the teacher to assess only what is truly important. It is very easy for teachers to loose focus on the important skills being taught and turn their attention to mundane details that are easier to define like writing mechanics or content presentation.
  • rubrics to both assess and encourage student learning.
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 03 Feb 18
       
      This statement stands out to me because we should use rubrics for many purposes. Many times teachers just want to use the rubric to grade. We need to think about the feedback that we give students on a rubric as a way to encourage them to continue to push themselves in their learning and set goals for themselves.
    • dassom
      dassom on 04 Feb 18
       
      I really like the word encourage here. I do not really show the kids the rubric I am grading them on (although I should). I don't know if my students are mentally there to "want" to move to the next progression. Currently I am doing a lot of forcing to learn. I think that encourage puts the wanting to learn on the students shoulders.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 06 Feb 18
       
      I like this concept - assess and encourage, not just evaluate and move on to the next assignment. In my opinion, this is where the learning on assessment and feedback is so important for teachers and students.
  • When instructors plan on grading student thinking and not just student knowledge, they should articulate the vital features that they are looking for and make these features known to the student.
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 03 Feb 18
       
      Students should not have to play a guessing game with instructors. We as teachers need to be transparent with our students about what they need to know and should be able to demonstrate.
  • rubrics should be used in conjunction with other strategies
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 03 Feb 18
       
      So important to remember that rubrics are not the only way to provide feedback to students.
    • srankin11
      srankin11 on 05 Feb 18
       
      True! I would hope by the time that the students complete a project to get graded on by a rubric, that they have received feedback from formative assessments along the way.
  • some educators see
    • dassom
      dassom on 04 Feb 18
       
      I think it's important to understand both sides of why teachers may or may not be in favor of rubic. In a math class it seemed unresonable and unnecessary to use a rubric until we started talking about standard based grading. It still a hard concept I am wrapping my head around but I am getting there. I have had WAY more instruction than other math teachers in building and district so I know it will be a huge struggle for them to see the value.
  • become wooden
    • dassom
      dassom on 04 Feb 18
       
      This reminds me of readings we did that talked about rubics killing the creativity of the writings. It is definately a con, but for some students might help them get started in the writing process.
  • With your colleagues
    • dassom
      dassom on 04 Feb 18
       
      This is important. If you are going to go into rubric style grading you want input from like content people. I teach 8th grade math, and would want input from 7th and 9th teachers when developing rubrics.
  • different levels of that “deep learning”
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 04 Feb 18
       
      The examples of why rubrics haven't been appreciated mainly boil down to poor design.  I like this statement because it shows the flexibility of rubrics.  The creator can decide how in-depth the learning can go or encourage the student to expand beyond with skinny columns.
  • different
  • A rubric that tells students, as a typical example, that they will get an A for writing a 1000 word essay that “cites x number of sources and supports its thesis with at least three arguments” will lead students to perceive writing as a kind of “paint-by-number” endeavor (Mathews).
    • Mike Radue
      Mike Radue on 04 Feb 18
       
      When I see a rubric performance descriptions include a certain number of something, I can't help but think about this.
    • srankin11
      srankin11 on 05 Feb 18
       
      In this case, a teacher could use a checklist instead of a rubric. Trying to reach a specific number seems like it would cut down on the quality of some student work and only produce quantity.
    • tifinif
      tifinif on 06 Feb 18
       
      I understand this type of rubric but have also wondered what # of words/ correct words/spelling etc. constitutes an A/B/C...grade. What an A means to mean might not be the same to another person.
  • I once gave extra credit to a student who realized that without providing a shred of meaningful content she could meet all the requirements of a state writing rubric he posted in his classroom. As required she used the word “persuade” and two synonyms, composed a clear topic sentence and closing sentence, and made no spelling or grammatical errors.
    • Mike Radue
      Mike Radue on 04 Feb 18
       
      Even a well-intentioned rubric can leave something to be desired. This sounds more like a checklist but begs the argument around having a criteria for coherence.
  • Similarly, Heidi Andrade, in her study, “The Effects of Rubrics on Learning to Write,” has found that, while rubrics increased her students’ knowledge of the grading criteria and helped most of her students (especially the young male students) do well on the state writing test, many of the young female students, who had been more expressive in previous writing assignments
    • Mike Radue
      Mike Radue on 04 Feb 18
       
      I find this interesting. The formal, structured writing is favored and the in this particular task, the expressive abilities of a writer are not assessed and reported on and/or flexibility to consider creative structures is not in place. We should look at a student's overall writing abilities in a variety of settings.
  • problem-solving, inquiry-based, student-centered pedagogy replacing the traditional lecture-based, teacher-centered approach in tertiary education
    • staudtt
      staudtt on 04 Feb 18
       
      This to me is important. I try to use rubrics to assess the more inquiry/student centered work I do. There is still a place for teacher centered as there are skills that must be conveyed to all students for foundational learning. Finding that balance between teacher and student based is what can be challenging.
    • srankin11
      srankin11 on 05 Feb 18
       
      I agree that there needs to be a balance and that balance can be challenging. I believe this is important as it helps to reach all learning styles.
  • weight dimensions differently
    • staudtt
      staudtt on 04 Feb 18
       
      I need to figure out a way to do this within our standards based grading system.
  • increases the likelihood of a quality product
    • srankin11
      srankin11 on 05 Feb 18
       
      It can be challenging and time consuming to create a quality product. In my opinion, teachers that can work in teams to develop rubrics have a bonus. Several minds working together may help to produce a better rubric. A quality rubric is important so students do not have to guess what teachers want as they work on a project.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 06 Feb 18
       
      Also, I think the teachers having that discussion is powerful - it can help develop their ideas or challenge misconceptions. I know some teachers fear students looking at an exemplar or rubric and all students creating basically the same thing. I think that is an error of instruction/feedback/design and not a student error. I think teachers having that discussion can prevent that type of problem.
  • description of the work rather than judgments about the work.
    • lisamsuya
      lisamsuya on 05 Feb 18
       
      Descriptive vs evaluative is another way to think about this. It is difficult to keep evaluate words from our feedback and from rubric descriptions but descriptive feedback is more beneficial than evaluative feedback for students learning.
  • we need a rubric to judge our performance—
  • However, for the student to successfully use a rubric this way, the criteria must be made clear to them and the jargon used must not only be understandable to the student but also be linked specifically to classroom instruction.
    • jwalt15
      jwalt15 on 06 Feb 18
       
      This is a powerful statement because it doesn't do any good to share rubrics with students if they don't understand the expectations or the way the teacher is using the rubric. Older students should have a better understanding of rubrics because they should have more experience with them. I think that younger students would benefit from initial exposures to rubrics especially since more and more teachers and employers are using them.
  • “Perhaps the greatest potential value of classroom assessment is realized when we open the assessment process up and welcome students into that process as full partners”
    • tifinif
      tifinif on 06 Feb 18
       
      I think that this would be interesting to see what students consider valuable in the assessment. What is it that they want to gain from their input?
    • tifinif
      tifinif on 06 Feb 18
       
      Totally agree. This goes back to the days when you study for a test, take the test and then do poorly because nothing you studied for was included on the test. If students have input or are able to know the expectations the results will hopefully reflect actual student learning.
  • teacher
  • explicit performance criteria, along with supporting models of work, make it possible for students to use the attributes of exemplary work to monitor their own performance
  • The result is many students struggle blindly, especially non-traditional, unsuccessful, or under-prepared students, who tend to miss many of the implied expectations of a college instructor, expectations that better prepared, traditional students readily internaliz
    • tifinif
      tifinif on 06 Feb 18
       
      I think that having students of all ages know the expectations or knowledge of what is required for grades is crucial. As an adult it is important that we are clear with what we are assessing. Time is valuable at any age but certainly as an adult learner I don't want to spend hours working on a project only to find out that what I present or do was not relevant.
  • Can students and parents understand the rubric?
    • jwalt15
      jwalt15 on 06 Feb 18
       
      It is important that students and parents understand the rubric because usually the project grade is the product or reflection of the rubric. If the students or parents don't understand the components of the rubric, then they will question the validity of the grade that was given.
  • to assess our rubric
    • blockerl
      blockerl on 06 Feb 18
       
      I agree. When we make these rubrics, we do need to discover its effectiveness.
  • “red” or “reddish,
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 06 Feb 18
       
      Sometimes this looks like teachers' favorite parts - marking up the sheet in every possible way. I personally don't even have red pens! I think it sends the wrong message.
  • to a hit or miss endeavor
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 06 Feb 18
       
      This is why students see school as a game and only want to talk about how to get more points.
  • static
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 06 Feb 18
       
      I think the classic example of this is something like "3-5 spelling errors" as a criterion. Some rubrics are bad because they focus on delimiting every possible error instead of being growth or learning focused.
emmeyer

ollie-afe-2018: Article: Attributes from Effective Formative Assessment (CCSSO) - 4 views

moodlesw.aealearningonline.org/...view.php

shared by emmeyer on 04 Feb 18 - No Cached
  • there are a number of formative assessment strategies that can be implemented during classroom instruction
    • jhazelton11
      jhazelton11 on 04 Feb 18
       
      technology has made access to formative assessments easier (in my opinion) because once they are created.... they are usually there forever
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 10 Feb 18
       
      There are so many strategies that teachers can use to formatively assess. Some can be more informal than others, but they provide great insight into supporting teachers with the planning of their next steps.
  • The students must be actively involved in the systematic process intended to improve their learning.
    • jhazelton11
      jhazelton11 on 04 Feb 18
       
      This can be a challenging concept to teach, especially to high schoolers--- that they need to take part of their own responsibility in learning
    • bbraack
      bbraack on 04 Feb 18
       
      I agree that students do need to take responsibility in their own learning. Many times high school students don't do this, they just do the work asked and it is up to the teacher to do all the work in order for them to learn or understand.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 11 Feb 18
       
      I have not personally done this, but data notebooks are a great example of this. I have students reflect on scores but I have not asked them to keep a notebook or journal.
    • blockerl
      blockerl on 13 Feb 18
       
      Yes! We struggle so much getting students to self edit their papers. However, it is important for them to review what they have written and improve their skills. The more we can encourage students to do this the better.
  • With this kind of descriptive feedback and collaboration, the teacher clarifies the goal for the student, provides specific information about where the student is in relation to meeting the criteria, and offers enough substantive information to allow the student an opportunity to identify ways to move learning forward
    • jhazelton11
      jhazelton11 on 04 Feb 18
       
      I know that often times teacher build in stepping-stones (formative feedback) to give students feedback on larger writings or projects along the way. What happens when kids don't turn these rough drafts in on time, though?
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 12 Feb 18
       
      That is a great point. Some of my LA teachers "assign" a copy to every student in Google Classroom - this way they can monitor the student work as it is being completed. Many give feedback throughout the process and are able to catch issues and help students to fix them before the rough draft is turned in. Is it perfect - far from it - but students are getting more timely feedback.
  • ...64 more annotations...
  • To support both self- and peer-assessment, the teacher must provide structure and support so students learn to be reflective of their own work and that of their peers, allowing them to provide meaningful and constructive feedback.
    • jhazelton11
      jhazelton11 on 04 Feb 18
       
      I like the idea of having students create the rubric that they will assess with- it gives them buy in and ownership, plus makes them understand the expectations more clearly
  • In this type of classroom culture, students will more likely feel they are collaborators with their teacher and peers in the learning process.
    • jhazelton11
      jhazelton11 on 04 Feb 18
       
      I worry about creating this type of collaborative culture online... I know there are plenty of tools, but I'm worried it won't "feel" the same.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 11 Feb 18
       
      In my opinion, a key part of creating this collaborative feel is to make sure students feel like part owners in the process. They need to feel like the learning is something they are doing instead of being done to them. The potential for handing off control in the online class is greater because a student is independent, however the challenge for the teacher is to make sure the student doesn't feel along.
  • classroom culture
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 04 Feb 18
       
      This is one of the most important aspects of teaching to me after knowledge of content.  Students and staff should feel safe, respect for others, acknowledge and celebrate our diversity, consistency, and honesty. Falsifying test results, assessments with purposeful trick questions, and threats over scores is very disturbing.  These things should not happen if the classroom culture matters to the teacher.
  • A further benefit of providing feedback to a peer is that it can help deepen the student’s own learning.
  • further
  • A further benefit of providing feedback to a peer is that it can help deepen the student’s own learning.
  • further
  • A further benefit of providing feedback to a peer is that it can help deepen the student’s own learning.
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 04 Feb 18
       
      I agree that peer feedback can deepen the student's learning.  But I also know from experience it won't have the desired outcome without participants taking the exercise seriously.  They need to find value in helping others and listening to critiques.
  • constructive feedback
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 04 Feb 18
       
      Constructive feedback needs to be modeled by the teacher for students to do this successfully.  Professional development refreshers and training may need to be provided for teachers to attend.
    • staudtt
      staudtt on 07 Feb 18
       
      I do like that there are many ways to do this now. Google Docs has made this easy with commenting. Of course we can use Diigo to. There are also several voice and video tools to use too.
    • blockerl
      blockerl on 13 Feb 18
       
      I agree that refreshers and training needs to happen for this time of constructive feedback. This would be a great PD for curricular area professional developments.
  • It should help the student answer three basic questions: Where am I going? Where am I now? How can I close the gap?
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 04 Feb 18
       
      I appreciate McManus' statement that descriptive feedback should relate to these three questions.  Rubrics can also help the student know where they are going.  Learning progressions can help the teacher assess where the student is presently.  Descriptive feedback can be given frequently to help the student know how to close the gap.  
    • staudtt
      staudtt on 07 Feb 18
       
      This is a great way to break down the process. Sometimes with time constraints of classes and the school day it can be tough to do effectively with students. But for the really important "stuff" this is a great process.
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 10 Feb 18
       
      I really appreciate these three basic questions. They can be used for teachers as they look at student work and plan and they can also be used for students in their reflection process.
  • It should avoid comparisons with other pupils
    • brarykat
      brarykat on 04 Feb 18
       
      McManus mentions how important it is not to compare the work to other students.  This should be a golden rule, one not to be forgotten.  
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 06 Feb 18
       
      Agreed. Giving specific feedback on only that students work is critical. Learning is then more individualized and not compared.
  • One key feature of this definition is its requirement that formative assessment be regarded as a process rather than a particular kind of assessment.
    • bbraack
      bbraack on 04 Feb 18
       
      I think at first many times formative assessment was looked at as having to have some type of quiz or quizzes during the unit to say that they were given to the students. I think more teachers are now realizing that it is a "process" to help the students learn and understand and not just something the teacher has to give during the unit.
    • jwalt15
      jwalt15 on 13 Feb 18
       
      I agree with Bryan. At first, I believed that formative assessment was referring to quizzes given during a unit to determine a final grade. I now understand that it is a process for teachers and students to reflect on their instruction or work during the learning process. It is a tool that is a more powerful indicator of the learning that is or isn't taking place and allows for adjustments in instruction.
  • the teacher listens for the rules or properties in the explanations, and this becomes the focus of her feedback.
    • bbraack
      bbraack on 04 Feb 18
       
      Listening to students or discussing with them is a good way to assess whether a student knows the information, concept or procedure. Formative assessment doesn't always have to be a quiz that is graded, it can be talking to the student and discussing their progress.
    • dassom
      dassom on 13 Feb 18
       
      I huge mindshift as a math teacher is that sometimes it's not about actually solving the problem but being able to explain how to solve the problem. When you get into high level math basic computation errors can mess up a whole problem. It the problem were adjusted to explain the process the basic mathematical computations would be eliminated from assessing student understanding.
    • Jen Van Fleet
      Jen Van Fleet on 14 Feb 18
       
      I love this. Art standards and instruction is also being focused more on the process rather than solely on the product. Totally different set of values and viewpoints.
  • students can work in pairs to review each other’s work to give feedback. A teacher needs to have modeled good feedback with students and talked about what acceptable and unacceptable comments look like in order to have created a safe learning environment.
    • bbraack
      bbraack on 04 Feb 18
       
      Peer review using a rubric or guidelines will help in showing both students what is important and that the student that is reviewing isn't just making things up and trying to be critical. Having the teacher model the behavior and show what is acceptable and unacceptable is important because students don't necessarily know how to do this and might not feel their is a safe learning environment.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 12 Feb 18
       
      This is a great way to use peer review. If the students know the rubric expectations and then can break off into smaller groups to do the more specific peer reviews. Having the teacher go over the rubric first and then modeling what the peer review looks like gives the students a sound foundation.
  • nstruction so that necessary instructional adjustments can be made to close the gap between students’ current understanding and the desired goals
    • hansenn
      hansenn on 06 Feb 18
       
      he results could be that some students have learned the material and some need more time to learn. The teacher would then have to develop a plane to assist the students that need more time and how to extend the learning for students who have already learned the objective.
  • provide opportunities for students to monitor their ongoing progress.
    • hansenn
      hansenn on 06 Feb 18
       
      I have seen teachers use student monitored formative assessments where students will rate their own learning from a 1 -10. One teacher used different colored cups to rate their own learning. Students would put a green cup out if they understand and a red cup if they did not
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 06 Feb 18
       
      I commented on this above. Simply telling the students where they are in the learning process, while important, is not enough. The students need to take ownership of their learning. i used a similar activity Noel, where students rated their learning 1-4 on a google form and i used that data to form small groups the next day. I experienced mixed results as the students eventually just started giving themselves 3s and 4s to avoid small group work.
    • staudtt
      staudtt on 07 Feb 18
       
      I have not done this very well as an educator and appreciate the feedback. The key to me would be would students be truly honest with their self evaluations. Sometimes it seems the kids that struggle the most for me are looking for the easy way out.
    • lisamsuya
      lisamsuya on 09 Feb 18
       
      That's interesting, but it makes sense that most students knowing that their rating would mean small work instruction would start claiming they were fine. So, it makes me think that actual checks on the skill itself are needed to really determine understanding.
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 10 Feb 18
       
      I think as teachers we need to use a combination of student self reflection and teacher evidence as our guide for helping students to move forward.
    • dassom
      dassom on 13 Feb 18
       
      I still struggle with this element when assessing students. I may giv the may give them a quick exit ticket to see what I need to change but never give them feedback on how they did. In our learning about rubric it might actually help the kids set some personal goals to improve and I need to be better about this. I think it's important that the students be involved in determine what are the appropriate next steps whenever possible.
  • instructional goal to students.
    • hansenn
      hansenn on 06 Feb 18
       
      Students should always know the objective of the lesson and why it is important for them to learn it. They cannot monitor their progress if they do not know the goal.
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 10 Feb 18
       
      This is a reason why learning targets are so important and need to be explained and up for students to see in the classroom.
    • tifinif
      tifinif on 14 Feb 18
       
      Agreed to both! Do parents ever see these learning targets? That again would be helpful with communication so that everyone is on the same page.
    • Jen Van Fleet
      Jen Van Fleet on 14 Feb 18
       
      One of my favorite things to do in a classroom is ask a student what he/she is learning at that time. You know right away whether a teacher is identifying/posting/reiterating/supporting learning targets if the student can articulate the goals of their learning.
  • They are able to connect formative assessment opportunities to the short-term goals to keep track of how well their students’ learning is moving forward.
    • hansenn
      hansenn on 06 Feb 18
       
      Teachers might also discover they forgot a step in their learning progression. Sometimes I think students will have certain background knowledge and then discover they do not.
    • dassom
      dassom on 13 Feb 18
       
      A focus in our collaborative teams is to write out learning targets for upcoming cylces, it we could add the element of a matching common formative assessment it would help the teachers see the students learning and the unit or cylce is progressing.
  • peers are involved there are many more opportunities to share and receive feedback.
    • hansenn
      hansenn on 06 Feb 18
       
      You have to teach students how to do peer reviews, or they do not work. Sometimes I find students will be immature when reviewing other students work if you do not set up the ground rules.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 12 Feb 18
       
      Teaching the students the process of doing peer reviews is critical. The students can't do the process if they don't understand the process.
  • teachers and students receiving frequent feedback.
    • nickol11
      nickol11 on 06 Feb 18
       
      This is so important to provide feedback in any form not only to students but I also feel its important for teachers to use it as feedback for ourselves. In addition, especially with older students, it may be impactful to have students provide you with feedback to the formative assessment - did it work, how could it be modified to make more sense or meet their learning styles, etc.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 06 Feb 18
       
      Feedback is critical. It doesn't matter whether it is at the k-12 or higher ed. level or even life, feedback helps us to learn and to grow.
  • criteria
    • nickol11
      nickol11 on 06 Feb 18
       
      I truly feel that this is essential in having students really understand and give them the best chance for proficiency from the start. From the get-go, students need to know what it is they are trying to achieve and perhaps a road map of how they may get there. That road map may not be specific to induce problem-solving and creativity but it will prompt their direct. In addition, I feel it is important to model examples for students that have used the criteria well, not so well and middle ground.
  • timely feedback
    • nickol11
      nickol11 on 06 Feb 18
       
      I would also include contains academic language that derives from the content area, unit and lesson objectives.
    • leighbellville
      leighbellville on 10 Feb 18
       
      Timely feedback is important. Too often we as learners have felt frustration if we do not receive feedback in a timely manner. We have to move forward uncertainly in these instances and do not know what the outcome will be moving forward. Most of us have faced this at some point. I often keep that in mind when working with students. If my students were working on a lengthy essay, then I would walk around the room and read a paragraph and provide feedback for each student during every class. Then, they can make adjustments during the writing process versus waiting to provide feedback at the end of the unit. If formative checks are not completed along the way with descriptive feedback, then students can feel frustrated when they think they were on the right track and receive a low score because they did not meet all the expectations of the teacher.
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 10 Feb 18
       
      I see this with teacher now that they give assessments but don't give the results back in a timely fashion. It is detrimental to the student learning and growth.
    • Mike Radue
      Mike Radue on 11 Feb 18
       
      I would rewrite the title of this section descriptive and timely feedback. I think it's that important. As Leigh points out, a little bit along the way helps avoid the big logjam at the end of a learning unit. Finding ways to accelerate feedback cycles helps students adjust faster and progress further.
    • krcouch
      krcouch on 12 Feb 18
       
      probably the most important thing in assessment...giving feedback quickly and not weeks down the line.
    • emmeyer
      emmeyer on 21 Feb 18
       
      So true, this is one of the most important parts to the assessment, if the feedback is not timely, it is not anywhere near as effective!
  • provide structure and support so students learn to be reflective of their own work and that of their peers
  • constructive feedback to each other,
    • nickol11
      nickol11 on 06 Feb 18
       
      I feel like this can be the most challenging for students. They sometimes don't want to feel like they are "judging" or being "judged". It is important for them to realize what constructive criticism is and that is ok to give and receive feedback.
    • leighbellville
      leighbellville on 09 Feb 18
       
      Teaching students how to provide constructive feedback is essential. We have been working on this with students during substantive conversations taking place. Teachers can provide conversations starters and prompts to assist students when they are first learning how to build on another students idea or to challenge an idea, etc.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 12 Feb 18
       
      Agree with both of you. It is critical that we teach students how to give constructive feedback. This can be done through teacher modeling of the process along with students practicing how to do it.
  • used by teachers and students
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 06 Feb 18
       
      I think this is the most overlooked part of formative assessments. These are of course for the teacher to form instruction moving forward, but the students should use it as well Teaching students to formatively assess their own work is very powerful and discourages 'making the same mistake twice.'
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 06 Feb 18
       
      Agreed. It can and should be used by both teachers and students to reflect on their work.
    • krcouch
      krcouch on 12 Feb 18
       
      I agree we need to use them as teachers and students. Students need to be a part of the assessment process
    • jwalt15
      jwalt15 on 13 Feb 18
       
      I also agree. Formative assessments are powerful tools for both teachers and students to use to improve instruction and learning.
    • tifinif
      tifinif on 14 Feb 18
       
      Agreed to both. Dont' forget that this information (especially in an elementary settying) is perfect to show parents,especially those who want to know specifics.
  • a step that is neither too large nor too small
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 06 Feb 18
       
      Differentiated instruction at its best right here! "One size fits all" might work for an initial learning progression, but through formative assessments you might find some are ready to move on to the next progressions while some may need some reteaching, or at least a slower pace through the progressions. Two of our district's guiding questions are "What to do when they don't learn it?" and "What to do when they do learn it?" Unfortunately these two questions and answers might be happening at the same time in your classroom. A good teacher is prepared to do both!
    • jwalt15
      jwalt15 on 13 Feb 18
       
      Nicely stated Shawn. Formative assessments provide a teacher with a real time snapshot of where students are with their learning. Ideally, all students would be at the same place in their learning of a concept or topic. However, experienced teachers know that in reality that rarely happens and adjust their instruction to improve all students' achievement.
  • Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 06 Feb 18
       
      I really like this definition. I think when someone hears the word assessment that it automatically means they are getting a grade - when in reality it is a check for understanding to adjust teaching/learning.
    • staudtt
      staudtt on 07 Feb 18
       
      I agree that I really like the definition. I think it is something that has meaning, but those that aren't educators can still understand. Sometimes in education we tend to get a little to "fancy" with our definitions and in the end no one knows what it really means.
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 10 Feb 18
       
      My takeaway from this definition is that it is a process used by teachers and students. The only thing I would add to this definition is that formative assessment is something that not only happens during instruction, it should also be happening before and after instruction.
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 10 Feb 18
       
      I really appreciate the words to improve student learning. Isn't that what we are all about. It is not a show where teachers are in front just dictating information for students to regurgitate but to synthesis and hold on to for future use.
    • Mike Radue
      Mike Radue on 11 Feb 18
       
      I zeroed in on the word "process." Formative assessment is not a single event or a series of events. it is a process designed to provide feedback and adjust along the way...exactly what a process is.
    • dassom
      dassom on 13 Feb 18
       
      The "during instruction" is a huge mindshift for some teachers. Every time the assess the students they get hung up on how much teaching they have given. I give assessments just to see how much further I need to go before the class masters the concept.
    • jwalt15
      jwalt15 on 13 Feb 18
       
      Many aspects of this definition provided me with a clearer vision of a formative assessment. A "process" describes the relationship between teachers and students during instruction. "Provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching" describes the need for teachers to check for understanding and adjust instruction accordingly. Finally, "to improve students' achievement" describes what teachers strive to do daily.
  • Learning Progressions: Learning progressions should clearly articulate the sub-goals of the ultimate learning goal.
  • accompanied
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 06 Feb 18
       
      Trying to piggyback on a couple of highlights already in this paragraph, communicating the goal and providing criteria. This has been an extreme challenge for me this year switching to standards based grading. I mean it's easy to tell the kids what the standard is, but making them understand what proficient work looks like ahead of time is the challenge. I (and our district) am trying to use rubrics to do this.
  • While evidence exists in varying degrees to support the five attributes presented, there is clearly no one best way to carry out formative assessment. The way these attributes are implemented depends on the particular instructional context, the individual teacher, and—perhaps most importantly—the individual students.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 06 Feb 18
       
      This sums up the article. We need to individualize for our students. We need to meet them where they are at - but push them to grow based on what they need and not just canned assessments etc.
  • Students should be provided with evidence-based feedback that is linked to the intended instructional outcomes and criteria for success.
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 06 Feb 18
       
      I totally agree with this attribute ... eventually. In my intervention process I make 'awareness' the first step. In other words, I just let the student know their work was wrong, or didn't meet proficiency. This is usually marked with a simple mark, checkmark, x, etc. If the student can then self asses their own mistakes and resubmit work with an explanation of what they did wrong and how they fixed it, I don't intervene any more. If they can't, I begin the formal RTI process, where this statement comes into play heavily.
  • learning is their responsibility
  • Collaboration
    • dykstras
      dykstras on 06 Feb 18
       
      Big educational buzz word, collaboration. But we primarily hear of it in regards to just teacher collaboration (CTT, PLC, etc.) or student collaboration (small groups, peer-evaluation, etc.). For effective formative assessment to work, there needs to be this third layer, teacher-student collaboration, beyond just instruction from the teacher and assessment by the student. The five points in this article should be a must read for all teachers to become more effective!
    • Jen Van Fleet
      Jen Van Fleet on 14 Feb 18
       
      Agreed. Students are often left out of the conversation where they could be a part of the instructional design. Student goal setting has a really high effect size, and if they know how they will be measured, they are more likely to move toward those goals.
  • realistic examples
    • staudtt
      staudtt on 07 Feb 18
       
      This is a tricky one for me as well. I do this sometimes to make sure students understand what I'm looking for. At times I decide not to as I don't want students to look at a model and think "ok, if it looks just like this then I've done what I need to do". At times I think showing examples can hinder a students creative mindset.
  • d make adjustments to instruction accordingly
    • lisamsuya
      lisamsuya on 09 Feb 18
       
      I have struggled with the idea of adjusting instruction on the fly or overnight especially when there are 125 kids to adjust for. But, I did appreciate the ideas in the lessons of this week that talked about having a bank of activities, videos, etc. at my fingertips to use just at the right time.
    • krcouch
      krcouch on 12 Feb 18
       
      I agree that sometimes we need to do this...I have actually done this while teaching a digital citizenship lesson when I realized they had no idea what I was talking about and adjusted it right then and there.
    • Jen Van Fleet
      Jen Van Fleet on 14 Feb 18
       
      Lisa, one thing to consider is looking at the learning targets a head of time and trying to anticipate the pitfalls students might find themselves in and how you would correct those misconceptions. That way when it comes time for that quick check/daily data, you are able to adjust instruction without throwing out the playbook.
    • emmeyer
      emmeyer on 21 Feb 18
       
      Making sure that we, as teachers, are constantly adjusting our instruction based on formative assessments, observation, to best meet their student's needs.
  • explicit learning progressions
    • lisamsuya
      lisamsuya on 09 Feb 18
       
      Jim Knight recommends something similar to learning progressions, learning maps. I haven't utilized that strategy enough, but I think I will make it a goal to do so.
  • on a classroom culture characterized by a sense of trust between and among students and their teachers; by norms of respect, transparency, and appreciation of differences; and by a non-threatening environment.
    • lisamsuya
      lisamsuya on 09 Feb 18
       
      I would add that it actually needs to be a school culture for students to become involved in their learning, not just a class culture. I think the annotations to this article about most students do not act responsible for their own learning support this. For students to become partners, they need much practice and opportunities to do so in numerous classes in different formats and structures as described in the first four attributes of assessments. Plus, the affective attributes of a school as described in #5 . .. respect, transparency, appreciation of differences have to also be present for students to feel like partners. That is so hard to get a whole school to exhibit these qualities. But, I submit that one classroom cannot do it on their own.
    • Mike Radue
      Mike Radue on 11 Feb 18
       
      I've been thinking a lot about the student's experience throughout the school day in terms of technology. That is, most of the teachers at our school have a Google Classroom, but not all. There are differences between how Classroom is used between teachers. Point being, without a overall school culture, students experience 7 cultures a day when they change classes. In one period, they have the trust and transparency thing going on and then classes change and a student finds themselves in a more restrictive culture of sharing and learning. This is a tough task for teenagers to navigate on a daily basis. We should be mindful of this and aspire to bring our classroom cultures closer together in terms of look and feel.
    • Kim Foley-Sharp
      Kim Foley-Sharp on 12 Feb 18
       
      I wholeheartedly agree! This can't be something that is taught or used in isolation. Students need to learn the process of being involved in their learning. This is most easier said than done. Students have been conditioned to sit and learn - thinking that the learning just happens from what the teacher is doing in class. This whole process is a mindshift that takes some time to grab hold to be successful.
  • Formative assessment is not an adjunct to teaching but, rather, integrated into instruction
    • leighbellville
      leighbellville on 09 Feb 18
       
      It is promising that teachers are beginning to discuss their formative assessments more frequently in my building, and one teacher asked for resources to assist her in varying the methods of formative assessment she uses. Recently, the importance of formative assessments was emphasized during a Science PD that I attended as well. There should be formative (ungraded) checkpoints along the way to monitor student understanding.
    • krcouch
      krcouch on 12 Feb 18
       
      LOve love love! we need to use assessment to drive further instruction...not just move on because the pacing guide says so. and create goals so the students know what they need to get to
  • Creating such a culture requires teachers to model these behaviors during interactions with students, to actively teach the classroom norms, and to build the students’ skills in constructive self- and peer-assessment.
    • leighbellville
      leighbellville on 10 Feb 18
       
      Creating an environment of safety and trust is important. The article mentions modeling by the teacher of the behaviors when interacting with students, and this cannot be emphasized enough. Students need reminders and modeling. Protocols for discussions should be in place, and students should be encouraged to interact with peers frequently with these in mind. The more students practice these skills the less time one needs to spend covering these expectations, but reminders are still necessary.
    • srankin11
      srankin11 on 12 Feb 18
       
      Agree!! Safety and trust is very important as students are working together. The teacher may want to consider what project(s) they start with during the school year (or semester) to build that collaboration among peers. We can learn so much from each other and that includes the teacher.
  • students’ ability to reason in increasingly complex ways
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 10 Feb 18
       
      This jumps out at me. The purpose of scaffolding and modeling along with high rigor for all allow students to reasons increasingly concept text. Let us not forget that teaching is incredibly difficult, and it truly is this that makes it challenging to do it well. But when done well, the results are amazing.
  • formative assessment process involve both teachers and students
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 10 Feb 18
       
      Often, teachers use informal data to drive instruction or make quick decisions. I think in the last 10 years there has been much more focus on metacognition. Teachers should and will formulate ideas informally. I think the key is goal setting and kids truly identifying where he/she is and communicate it in some way.
  • Remember the success criterion.
  • two stars and a wish
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 10 Feb 18
       
      I like this terminology. Through the years, we would read others writings and give feedback or other activities. I would say give at least 2 positives and one idea for improvement. I think this terminology is excellent! This definitely takes a lot of modeling as this is difficult for many. Modeling with the rubric is a way to explain how to use a rubric. This must be practiced often.
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 10 Feb 18
       
      I have actually planned a lesson with a teacher who used this type of feedback in art with her fifth grade students. It was a great way for students to work together and it gave them a great framework for discussion.
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 10 Feb 18
       
      I like the idea of this strategy two stars and a wish. This allows for some guidance to be utilized while working with other students work.
  • involving students in decisions about how to move learning forward are illustrations of students and teachers working together in the teaching and learning process.
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 10 Feb 18
       
      This truly only works in a growth mindset classroom vs. a fixed mindset. For the students or teachers who do things just to get done or just to get the "A", this is tough and often time rushed through. It think it takes a lot of discussions about why we learn. The focus on the learning process and not the final "grade" has to be key. This is much, much harder than it sounds. It goes full circle on how to create the formative and summative assessments. Are we focusing on just the final product or the process? This is hard.
  • Learning progressions describe how concepts and skills build in a domain
    • carlarwall
      carlarwall on 10 Feb 18
       
      Many schools and districts are working on creating unit organizers for instruction based around standards. This piece of that planning is so important. The creation of the progression based around the standard is valuable work for classroom teachers to help develop and plan around learning targets. Another piece of learning progressions though is looking at the work students have done with that standard in the grade level before and also looking ahead to the grade level to come.
  • inform instruction and learning during the teaching/learning process
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 10 Feb 18
       
      I agree with this statement and like the emphasis on informing instruction and learning during the process. It is as much for the teachers to change their strategies as anything.
  • unequivocal
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 10 Feb 18
       
      It is not up for discussion. The process requires both the teacher and the student actively involved.
  • sufficient detail for planning instruction
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 10 Feb 18
       
      I feel sometimes teacher become such expert in their content, especially at the secondary level, they forget about the details it takes to get to the big picture.
  • Both self- and peer-assessment are important for providing students an opportunity to think meta-cognitively about their learning.
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 10 Feb 18
       
      Self-reflection and peer assessment are important for students to grow their thinking. This requires teachers the opportunity to work with one on one or small groups of student to do this self reflection.
  • peer-assessment, students analyze each others’ work using guidelines or rubrics and provide descriptive feedback that supports continued improvement.
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 10 Feb 18
       
      This peer reflection needs to be a process that is taught on how to accurately do this. It is also an opportunity for the student to be doing self reflection while reflecting on peers work. They are constantly learning and growing as learners.
  • they must feel that they are bona fide partners in the learning process
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 10 Feb 18
       
      The classroom must be a safe environment where risks can be taken and students know it is okay to make mistakes and learn from them.
  • teachers have the big picture
    • Mike Radue
      Mike Radue on 11 Feb 18
       
      In working more with the concept of learning progressions, I think the biggest benefit is the emphasis on the big picture. As I reflect on some projects that didn't work out quite right, I think had I shared more of the big picture, students would have performed better. I could see where they didn't understand how the part related to the whole. As this section discusses, you have to provide other details and goals to support the big picture.
    • srankin11
      srankin11 on 12 Feb 18
       
      Agree! The big picture is important for not only the teacher to have, but also the students. When you can provide the big picture with details and goals to support it to students, hopefully the results of the learning will be better.
  • Effective formative assessment
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 11 Feb 18
       
      I think there is a significant jump (especially at the HS level) to move from formative assessment to effective formative assessment. Often, it is simply about the grade and not about the learning or responsive instruction.
    • blockerl
      blockerl on 13 Feb 18
       
      I agree with you. I think sometimes teachers seem less willing to carry out more effective formative assessment because it is more work.
  • a teacher could identify the “just right gap”
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 11 Feb 18
       
      It is really challenging to identify this gap but even more challenging to respond appropriately to it - especially with class sizes of 25+. of course those aren't excuses to not do it.
  • Learning goals and criteria for success should be clearly identified and communicated to students.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 11 Feb 18
       
      I think the criteria for success is too often simply the score on the quiz or test. A letter grade or % is not descriptive feedback for most students. As teachers we need to clearly articulate what success means and what the goals are.
    • dassom
      dassom on 13 Feb 18
       
      This makes me think of the rubrics and how they could make the student's progress be communicated with them. If you gave an an assessment that has multiple learning targets a rubric might better show them where they did well, and where they could improve on. A percentage grade would not communicated how they did on each "section" of the assessment.
  • communicated using language readily understood by students
    • srankin11
      srankin11 on 12 Feb 18
       
      Students need to understand the language you are speaking. If they don't, they are already a step behind. This may require differentiating so all students are successful!
  • particular qualities of student learning with discussion or suggestions about what the student can do to improve.
    • srankin11
      srankin11 on 12 Feb 18
       
      I believe this feedback is so valuable to student achievement. With the discussion and/or suggestions, students will know how to improve. This feedback could also allow students to clarify questions they may have. Taking the time to give descriptive feedback is valuable to student learning.
  • but also to increase student scores on significant achievement examinations.
    • stephlindmark
      stephlindmark on 12 Feb 18
       
      I like this idea of increasing student scores instead of seeing what students don't know. It is in line with how education is changing to fit PLC and the MTSS System.
  • A further benefit of providing feedback to a peer is that it can help deepen the student’s own learning.
    • dassom
      dassom on 13 Feb 18
       
      I like the idea of peer assessment but I think it would be helpful to have clear expectations (like a rubric or checklist) of what the students are looking for so they aren't over critical or give "wrong" feedback.
  • In this particular lesson, students have been asked to write an opening paragraph to their speech with the success criteria of introducing their topic in a way that engages the audience. The feedback the teacher gives to one student is, “The opening paragraph does not capture the audience’s attention because it does not clearly state what the speech is about. However, the opening sentence of the second paragraph states you
    • blockerl
      blockerl on 13 Feb 18
       
      I like how the teacher is providing feedback to the student throughout the process of writing. That is a challenging task to do all the time, but it is great practice.
  • formative assessment as a way not only to improve student learning, but also to increase student scores on significant achievement examinations.
    • tifinif
      tifinif on 14 Feb 18
       
      If we are not using formative assessment along the way, then we are setting our kids up for failure in the long run. Teachers can use this information to change the way they teach and to help kids with specifics.
  • Sharing learning goals
  • teachers and students receiving frequent feedback.
    • emmeyer
      emmeyer on 21 Feb 18
       
      I love that they put teachers and students. This is key...students also need to know what the feedback is so that they understand where they lie and what they need to do to get better.
  • formative assessment as a way not only to improve student learning, but also to increase student scores on significant achievement examinations.
    • emmeyer
      emmeyer on 21 Feb 18
       
      Agreed. When teachers look at formative assessments, this gives them a view of where the students are in order to change instruction to best fit students' needs.
Evan Abbey

ollie-afe-2020: Educational Leadership: The Quest for Quality--article - 7 views

moodlesw.aealearningonline.org/...view.php

shared by Evan Abbey on 30 Mar 20 - No Cached
  • The assessor must begin with a clear picture of why he or she is conducting the assessment.
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 30 Mar 20
       
      I feel like sometimes we get caught up on we have to assess our students on all topics. One nice thing about mastery in certain topics is with math, math concepts keep coming up in chapter 1 then in chapter 3.
  • The assessor needs to have a clear picture of what achievement he or she intends to measure.
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 30 Mar 20
       
      This also goes with the why am I assessing on this.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 02 Apr 20
       
      I'm not sure that this works for science classes. In these classes, students are to be figuring out. They are not supposed to know what they are learning about until they have discovered it. I thinking that making the assessment clear at the beginning would ruin this. Now I will say that you could be clear on how students will be assessed. For example, you will have to support your claims using reasoning and evidence.
    • jessed44
      jessed44 on 07 Apr 20
       
      I often wonder where this argument fits with discovery learning, and other forms of self-directed methods. Are we constraining ourselves too much here?
  • "I can make good inferences.
  • ...51 more annotations...
  • "I can make good inferences.
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 30 Mar 20
       
      Student-friendly language has been a huge part of our school district. Especially when dealing with many ELL and Sp.Ed students. Also, referring to the learning target multiple times throughout the lesson. One thing I could do in my class is to put the learning target on my quizzes.
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 30 Mar 20
       
      I could also do this more/better. It does get challenging when you teach multiple classes if you want them posted on your board etc.
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 01 Apr 20
       
      I agree. I started adding hyperlinks to vocabulary.com for any words I thought they might struggle with.
  • identify struggling students and the areas in which they struggle.
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 30 Mar 20
       
      This is a huge part for me in my teaching. I use our three question quizzes to allow myself to better understand misconceptions that I have over seen and to see what I need to do to better my students.
    • ravelinga
      ravelinga on 01 Apr 20
       
      Agree! In my economics class I do periodic checkpoint quizzes. These formative assessments have two purposes. One to check how well my students are understanding the content. And secondly, how well am I teaching the material. Sometimes the students are not getting the content, because my teaching was ineffective.
  • As a "big picture" beginning point in planning for the use of multiple measures, assessors need to consider each assessment level in light of four key questions, along with their formative and summative applications1 :
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 30 Mar 20
       
      These four points are things that we do everyday. Understanding what I need to do for students, understanding what the information will tell me and where do I go next.
  • But NCLB has exposed students to an unprecedented overflow of testing.
    • Val Rosenthal
      Val Rosenthal on 30 Mar 20
       
      too many tests; students get anxiety when taking a test
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Apr 20
       
      I agree! Testing not only causes anxiety, but it can give students the wrong impression of their abilities.
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 03 Apr 20
       
      Unfortunately over testing takes away from quality instructional time and student learning. What's really sad but all too true is that we are seeing over testing being pushed down on even our youngest learners, our 3 and 4 year old preschoolers.
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 05 Apr 20
       
      The concern of all my Special Ed students is testing. I teach them test-taking strategies, but they get to a test and can't use them.
    • jessed44
      jessed44 on 07 Apr 20
       
      I don't think the act of retrieving information is bad, in fact, research says it is good. It is the importance and finality that is often attached to it that can be detrimental.
  • the use of multiple measures does not, by itself, translate into high-quality evidence.
    • Val Rosenthal
      Val Rosenthal on 30 Mar 20
       
      more tests doesn't necessarily produce good results
  • Students learn best when they monitor and take responsibility for their own learning.
    • Val Rosenthal
      Val Rosenthal on 30 Mar 20
       
      Education has to make this happen more. I'd like to find a good way for them to monitor their learning.
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 30 Mar 20
       
      Yes, agreed! We know that this true but we need to help build this in our students. The internal motivation is hard to build!
    • leipoldc
      leipoldc on 07 Apr 20
       
      Taking responsibility is the key to learning. The best years to help students understand and take responsibility is middle school. They want to be in charge and they need support to do it well.
  • assessment-literate teachers
    • Val Rosenthal
      Val Rosenthal on 30 Mar 20
       
      I really don't seem to have a good background on assessment and would like to be assessment-literate.
  • Clear Purpose
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 30 Mar 20
       
      The purpose is so important! I feel like sometimes we test just to test...and then send the results off to someone else. The kids need to understand the purpose as internal motivation is not always there.
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 01 Apr 20
       
      So important! I think about myself and the hoops we need to jump through in our lives without understanding the purpose. That purpose definitely leads to motivation.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 03 Apr 20
       
      The purpose has to be tied to helping the students discover information about himself. How to improve? What has been learned? Then move forward.
  • Teachers have choices in the assessment methods they use, including selected-response formats, extended written response, performance assessment, and personal communication. Selecting an assessment method that is incapable of reflecting the intended learning will compromise the accuracy of the results.
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 30 Mar 20
       
      All teachers know that they have choice in the types of assessments to give students but I wonder if we all really think through what type we are giving every time. Do we just give what we did last year? Do we give what is easiest? The fastest to grade? Things to think about...
  • This key relates directly back to the purpose of the assessment.
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 30 Mar 20
       
      Feedback can be challenging as we all know. I tend to get frustrated when I have taken the time to provide detailed feedback and the students could care less about it, they just want to know a grade and move on.
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 01 Apr 20
       
      so true...
  • From a formative point of view, decision makers at the classroom assessment level need evidence of where students are on the learning continuum toward each standard,
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 30 Mar 20
       
      This would go along with students taking ownership for their own learning....we would WANT them to want to know where they are at for individual purposes!
    • ravelinga
      ravelinga on 01 Apr 20
       
      Most of my formative assessments have been multiple choice or short answer quizzes. After learning more about rubrics, I would like to start using rubrics in two ways for formative assessments. One the students will do a self assessment on where they feel they are at. Then a teacher to student-conference with the rubric to see where they are at. With the end goal of making the assessment portion less stressful for my students, because they know where they are at.
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 02 Apr 20
       
      ^^^ Love this idea! I hope I can get there also with some projects!
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 03 Apr 20
       
      I was thinking the same thing about rubrics that you wrote here. Students would hopefully see themselves moving on the rubric as they improve their skills /learn. This should be motivating and students would know exactly what is expected.
  • not only are they limited in key formative uses, but they also cannot measure more complex learning targets at the heart of instruction.
    • nkrager
      nkrager on 30 Mar 20
       
      which leads to frustration...
  • Given the rise in testing, especially in light of a heightened focus on using multiple measures
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 31 Mar 20
       
      Although I would say this is definitely still true in the courses we teach (we still emphasize bigger, summative assessments), I think we have changed how we view student progress. Our summative assessments aren't all tests, some of them are projects or performance assessments. Those assessments are also no longer considered "one-and-done" opportunities. Students can retake assessments or make corrections, etc. to show progress in their learning even if they didn't get it right the first time. It's less focused on the final grade and instead, assessing what students have learned.
    • jessed44
      jessed44 on 07 Apr 20
       
      This is great. However, when juxtaposed with having 200 students like I do, it is not always feasible to have numerous projects and reassessments. How do we change the change the way that teachers spend their day so this is possible?
  • the assessment formatively—as practice or to inform students about their own progress
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 31 Mar 20
       
      I find this distinction between summative and formative assessment interesting. In our freshman group of teachers, we have a category for both formative and summative assessment. Formative is weighted at 20% and summative is weighted at 80%. So although in my courses we were taught not to grade formatives, we still assign a score to it and put it into the gradebook. Also, if formatives weren't graded, I wonder how much of them would actually be completed by students?
    • ravelinga
      ravelinga on 01 Apr 20
       
      This has been a goal of mine this year, to use formative assessments to help make instructional decisions in my class. It has been a work in progress, but I have seen some success. I use the information from the formative assessment to decide is it a small group that needs reteaching or is it an entire class that needs reteaching. I don't normally grade my formative assessments, but I go give them completion points. For the most part if a student sees they are not getting something, they appreciate the reteaching opportunity.
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 03 Apr 20
       
      Too often I see teachers not fully use the formative assessment data they have to intentionally inform instruction. If done properly formative assessment is very powerful. I also like the idea of giving participation points for formative assessments.
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 05 Apr 20
       
      Some teachers give 0% for formative assessments at my school. The Science department has figured out a way to have labs count as a way to assess a standard. I think practice is important and should have some weight.
  • it's important to know the learning targets represented in the written curriculum.
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 31 Mar 20
       
      My school has increased its emphasis on learning targets this year. We are all using a 5D+ template to write unit plans and the learning targets are similarly broken down into knowledge targets, academic targets (transferable skills), and performance targets. I think that writing unit plans and sitting down and thinking about the individual types of targets has really strengthened the types of instruction teachers are carrying out in their classrooms. They are more familiar with the targets they want students to meet, and in turn, students are also more familiar with what's expected of them.
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 01 Apr 20
       
      I like the specific targets here. I guess I have been generalizing them for awhile. My plans would be better defined for myself and students if I focused on them more.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 04 Apr 20
       
      Our middle school is beginning this work as well. We are trying to get a system wide learning plan template developed and going. Our goal is to help all teachers fully understand their learning targets and how they relate to student understanding. I know that all teachers look at them, but I'm not sure how many break them down to fully understand them and what students outcomes should be.
  • highlight crucial words (for instance, most, least, except, not).
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 31 Mar 20
       
      I also do this on other assessment types such as short answer. I've gotten into the habit of bolding things that I want to make sure students don't forget to do. For example, they may be required to answer a question but then they need to follow that with explanation or justification. I often bold the second half so that they don't forget to include the explanation, which often highlights their thinking, which can be more important than the first half of the answer.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 03 Apr 20
       
      I do this too. I find this is very helpful for kids. Sometimes in rubrics when going through them, I'll have kids underline or circle key words instead just to force their attention a bit. It does help.
  • it is not capable of informing the student about the next steps in learning.
    • lwinter14
      lwinter14 on 31 Mar 20
       
      It is SO important that our feedback is more than a score or letter grade if we want to emphasize progress and the ability to improve for our students.
    • emilysjohnson
      emilysjohnson on 03 Apr 20
       
      Agreed! And if the targets are clear and communicated to students, they should know what steps they need to take to grow! It shouldn't be a mystery!
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 14 Apr 20
       
      "Do the results provide clear direction for what to do next?"
  • The purpose is to inform others—policymakers, program planners, supervisors, teachers, parents, and the students themselves—about the overall level of students' performance.
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 01 Apr 20
       
      Wouldn't that be interesting if the "we" mentioned here were all actually on the same page, wanting and assessing the same things. A common purpose. Nothing like focusing on the negative here, but all of these people are being informed in different ways and gathering different data for a different endpoint.
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 04 Apr 20
       
      The piece of policymakers is the most frustrating to me (and most likely all educators). I have always struggled with the notion that the people making the majority of decisions are not the ones in the trenches, nor do they have the background to make those. I have been pleased with the direction PLC work has gone as of late; I think this gives more valid work to inform decision making on part of the teachers.
  • Do the results provide clear direction for what to do next?
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 01 Apr 20
       
      Sometimes an assessment is just an end. Information is used in the next unit, but the assessment doesn't always tell the student they are ready for what is coming next.
    • Michelle Murray
      Michelle Murray on 03 Apr 20
       
      Yes, and it makes me wonder why so many of us provide copious amounts of feedback on summative assessments when students do not have the opportunity to do anything with the learning and provide less feedback on formative assessments along the way when students could actually do something with that feedback.
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 04 Apr 20
       
      In the SBG system we use, which seems to evolve constantly, we don't really every get to a summative assessment. Kids are (supposed to be) constantly re-learning and re-assessing. Their results on assessment give the kids, and the teacher for that matter, a path on how to proceed.
    • leipoldc
      leipoldc on 07 Apr 20
       
      Our students are allowed to re-take summative assessments, so notes and conversations can assist in their learning (I guess they are not really summative then are they?)
  • Using data from these assessments, schools now make decisions about individual students, groups of students, instructional programs, resource allocation, and more.
    • kshadlow
      kshadlow on 01 Apr 20
       
      How much money and time was spent in areas unnecessarily? Data is no good if it is tainted. I am glad we have moved farther away from the traditional state testing.
  • better instructional decisions and improved high-stakes test scores.
    • aripperger
      aripperger on 01 Apr 20
       
      I see some teachers more hopeful that ISASP, with its better alignment to state standards, will be a truer indicator of success. Other teachers, however, are still so jaded toward standardized testing.
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 03 Apr 20
       
      Good point! ISASP should be a better indicator of student achievement.Some of the best indicators are teacher formative and summative tests. These are still the most useful for teachers.
  • four categories of learning targets
    • aripperger
      aripperger on 01 Apr 20
       
      This is a helpful breakdown of learning targets for me. In a core discipline area like history, it's easy to forget about performance skill and product targets. But there are definitely areas where these type of learning targets are present, and knowing those areas can help me decide how best to assess.
  • erode accurate results
    • aripperger
      aripperger on 01 Apr 20
       
      Easy to forget about bias! So many other things take our time and attention when we write tests, that it's easy to forget about spelling, formatting mistakes, and other unintentional things that give students a clue as to the right answer in ways that don't truly test mastery of content.
  • Annual state and local district standardized tests serve annual accountability purposes, provide comparable data, and serve functions related to student placement and selection, guidance, progress monitoring, and program evaluation
    • aripperger
      aripperger on 01 Apr 20
       
      One of our school's frustrations with the new ISASP format is that no itemization or further guidance is provided at the building/district level as to how our students performed on specific components of the test. Perhaps this will change, or maybe we're missing it, but it's difficult to program evaluate without this breakdown.
  • will be capable of informing sound decisions.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 02 Apr 20
       
      I think this is an important thing to think about. How often do we really use assessments to make changes in our instruction. When I was a student I was thankful for tests. I could cram the material into my head and once the test was over, I could forget it and move on; clearing the way for new information. As a teacher, I realize that isn't the intent, but I wonder how often we still get caught up the type of thinking. Are we assessing so we feel better about moving on or are we assessing so we can make course corrections to support student learning and understanding?
  • Teachers should design the assessment so students can use the results to self-assess and set goals.
    • Michelle Murray
      Michelle Murray on 03 Apr 20
       
      This reminds me of self-reported grading. Hattie says self-reported grading has an effect size of 1.33 but it seems that it is rare for teachers to actually use it.
  • all available assessment methods
    • Michelle Murray
      Michelle Murray on 03 Apr 20
       
      This article focused solely on formal assessment, but I also think it is important to discuss the role and value of informal assessment opportunities and how powerful immediate feedback based on informal assessment can be in a F2F setting.
  • enable them to immediately take action
    • Michelle Murray
      Michelle Murray on 03 Apr 20
       
      One of the easiest ways to ensure that students respond to feedback is to design opportunities that require them to engage with the feedback and do something with the feedback, but this is frequently dismissed due to the quantity of standards and learning required of students at each grade level. Many teachers feel like they need to prioritize "covering" all the standards over students truly engaging in their learning.
  • Are results communicated in time to inform the intended decisions
    • jhatcher
      jhatcher on 03 Apr 20
       
      I have 140 students so it can take a while to get results back to them. I know the quicker I can get the results back in their hands, the more they care about their score and the assessment. They are more likely to want to fix mistakes and learn from it. If I take too long it has a negative impact on motivation. We have to correct quickly but correctly.
  • affect individuals and groups of students on the basis of a single measure is part of our past and current practice.
    • mkanost
      mkanost on 03 Apr 20
       
      This is detrimental to English Learners-Kanost
  • assessments
    • mkanost
      mkanost on 03 Apr 20
       
      Using data from multiple assessments can help determine where exactly a student is at in their learning. Kanost
  • cultural insensitivity.
    • mkanost
      mkanost on 03 Apr 20
       
      This can really hurt our students with that lack background knowledge obtained in white, christian, middle class society. Kanost
  • clear and understandable to everyone, including students
    • emilysjohnson
      emilysjohnson on 03 Apr 20
       
      It is especially important that students know what the intended learning is! Unfortunately, too many students think grades are given to them by their teacher instead of earned by their work. When they don't know what is being assessed, this adds to that narrative.
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 05 Apr 20
       
      This is where it is important to have a clear rubric with student language. Students, even learning adults, need to have guidance on why they are learning so they can be assessed accurately.
  • Reasoning targets
    • emilysjohnson
      emilysjohnson on 03 Apr 20
       
      This is an area I feel like we don't capture as much as we should as teachers. It's the process over product idea!
  • appropriate balance of points in relation to the importance of each target
    • emilysjohnson
      emilysjohnson on 03 Apr 20
       
      I'm glad to see a number of items for each target instead of just one or two in order to get a better understanding of the learning.
  • Figure 2 clarifies which assessment methods are most likely to produce accurate results for different learning targets.
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 03 Apr 20
       
      This chart is really helpful, I will refer back to it often. I like that it gives some of the rationale for saying it is a good match or not.
  • Specific, descriptive feedback
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 03 Apr 20
       
      This is so important. Feedback that is too general, not clear and/or not descriptive enough to lead to concrete actions on the students part limit their effectiveness as an instructional tool.
    • leipoldc
      leipoldc on 07 Apr 20
       
      I agree. Providing complete and clear feedback in language the student can comprehend is key to helping them move forward.
  • Inherent in its design is the need for all assessors and users of assessment results to be assessment literate—to know what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate uses of assessment results—thereby reducing the risk of applying data to decisions for which they aren't suited.
    • parkerv
      parkerv on 03 Apr 20
       
      The term assessment literate is a great term. Often is seems teachers don't get all the information they could from an assessment because they haven't sufficiently thought through this question. And then sometimes they are used to make decisions in inappropriate ways.
  • For each assessment, regardless of purpose, the assessor should organize the learning targets represented in the assessment into a written test plan that matches the learning targets represented in the curriculum.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 04 Apr 20
       
      This is something that I have been improving on and is not something I knew about when I first started teaching. I actually used to think that a good test was a simple repeat of information that I told the students during the unit. I wrote tests over the "facts" that I taught them. Wow, have I learned a lot. Now in my PLC we take the time to organize the learning targets and make sure that our assessments match the learning targets in our curriculum.
  • The classroom is also a practical location to give students multiple opportunities to demonstrate what they know and can do, adding to the accuracy of the information available from that level of assessment.
    • jnewmanfd
      jnewmanfd on 04 Apr 20
       
      My administrator and I were just talking about something similar. We are trying to work on grading practices in our building. We both agree that students need multiple opportunities to show what they know and that assessments shouldn't be viewed as a one a done item that is checked off. We even got into the idea if a student is assessed once and gets a 58%, a second time and gets a 78% and third time and gets a 98% do you average all those scores, or do you think to yourself, "It took them three times but they finally go it, let's celebrate, here's your A"?
  • If we don't begin with clear statements of the intended learning
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 04 Apr 20
       
      In our district, there has been a major focus on writing clear, concise learning targets as "I CAN" statements to introduce learning. These are posted throughout the lesson, and are written out on the assessment for our kids. In my own teaching, it has really focused my attention to the task at hand, and I've eliminated a lot of the fluff I had in there previously. I'm only assessing the things I want them to learn/do...not the extra stuff that just kind of happened.
  • Performance skill targets, which ask students to use knowledge to perform or demonstrate a specific skill
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 04 Apr 20
       
      This is 75% of grading in PhysEd (well, at least our PhysEd program). We have gone away from sport-ed, and moved to almost completely fitness-based education. We grade on heart rate data, specifically time spent in the Target Heart Rate Zone. Our goal is to make competent movers to enhance health beyond the school setting.
  • they involve where and how teachers can improve instruction—next year
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 04 Apr 20
       
      This has been tough to do when results from assessments don't come back to us in a timely matter. Side note: Not that PhysEd is targeted area, but I'm so glad Iowa isn't a high-stakes testing state. I cannot imagine having that pressure on top of balancing all of the other things asked of us. I cannot imagine teacher morale being high.
    • leipoldc
      leipoldc on 07 Apr 20
       
      I agree - it is so tough to improve instruction - next time when the data arrives after instruction has begun. This makes the need for multiple types of assessment an vital part of the educational setting.
  • quality and balance
    • tkofoot
      tkofoot on 05 Apr 20
       
      What does quality and balance look like compared to the instruction?
  • through the use of clear curriculum maps for each standard
    • leipoldc
      leipoldc on 07 Apr 20
       
      The curriculum map needs to ensure standards are addressed at multiple grades levels. If standards are missed at a level, this needs to be communicated so we dont create gaps in our kids' learning. Gaps make for students who are insecure in their understanding and hesitant to try new ideas. :(
  • The assessor must begin with a clear picture of why he or she is conducting the assessment.
    • jessed44
      jessed44 on 07 Apr 20
       
      Teachers and students are both culpable in this 'teaching to the test' mode. My students will often ask if something is on the test, and if not, they show less attentiveness. And I think there may be some implicit pressure on teachers to emphasize the assessments we are to give. It really is sad.
  • e assessor must begin with a clear picture of why he or she is conducting the assessment. Who will use the results to inform what decisions? The assessor might use the assessment formatively
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 14 Apr 20
       
      In a data driven world, which I totally agree with, the data is only valid if the reason for the data is clear and understood.
  • Do the results provide clear direction for what to do next?
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 14 Apr 20
       
      This must be the purpose for data. What direction will come from the results? Otherwise, it becomes busy work.
  • At the level of annual state/district standardized assessments, they involve where and how teachers can improve instruction—next year.
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 14 Apr 20
       
      Intersting it is not the same the same sampling of students.
  • Inherent in its design is the need for all assessors and users of assessment results to be assessment literate—to know what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate uses of assessment results—thereby reducing the risk of applying data to decisions for which they aren't suited.
    • maryhumke
      maryhumke on 14 Apr 20
       
      I think too often we are told what data to take but do not know why and don't have a genuine investment in the collection. How many teachers have been involved in taking data from an IEP goal and have no idea what the actual goal says.
  • No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
Joanne Cram

ollie_4-fall14: Educational Leadership: The Quest for Quality--article - 13 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by Joanne Cram on 09 Sep 14 - No Cached
  • Student Involvement in the Assessment ProcessStudents learn best when they monitor and take responsibility for their own learning. This means that teachers need to write learning targets in terms that students will understand.
    • bgeanaea11
      bgeanaea11 on 09 Sep 14
       
      This seems to be to be a critical component to engaging students in their learning.
    • joycevermeer
      joycevermeer on 10 Sep 14
       
      Writing learning targets in tersm that students will understand can be a challenge...especially with younger children.
    • scampie1
      scampie1 on 11 Sep 14
       
      Having I can statements make a huge difference in what the learning will be. All students need this!
    • Nicole Wood
      Nicole Wood on 12 Sep 14
       
      I think goal setting and tracking is way students can take responsibility for their own learning.
    • nathanjenkins
      nathanjenkins on 19 Sep 14
       
      Learning targets and "I can" statements reach all students and guide them in their learning, but even more so help to maintain attention for students that get off task easily or loose focus. Having these short-term goals posted in the classroom can aide in self-guidance of the students. A quick gesture to the poster or board with these goals can redirect without too much effort.
    • Joanne Cram
      Joanne Cram on 22 Sep 14
       
      Student involvement in assessment always produces deeper understanding. When students can create their own learning targets (when guided by the educator), this is deeply beneficial because they've created a mini road map to help them navigate through the content. They won't have any surprises, only answers to the learning targets they hoped to gain.
  • Clear Learning TargetsThe assessor needs to have a clear picture of what achievement he or she intends to measure. If we don't begin with clear statements of the intended learning—clear and understandable to everyone, including students—we won't end up with sound assessments.
    • bgeanaea11
      bgeanaea11 on 09 Sep 14
       
      I feel we often assess for the sake of assessing without keeping our focus on what it is we want the student to gain from it in the long run.
    • Deb Vail
      Deb Vail on 12 Sep 14
       
      I completely agree. I was constantly assessing formatively, but I hate to admit that summative assessments that I created for my units were more assessment for the sake of assessment. I should have approached it more big-picture
    • Deb Vail
      Deb Vail on 12 Sep 14
       
      Also, I think that clearly communicated learning targets are so important. How many times have I taken classess or sat through PD and was doing what was asked of me, but I wasn't sure why.
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 12 Sep 14
       
      I agree, having clear learning targets is helpful for students.  It gives them an idea of what is most important in a lesson and gives students a guide for learning.  
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 13 Sep 14
       
      I agree with Deb and Kristina that students need to have clearly defined learning targets which will guide students as to the area of focus. Assessment should be done for a purpose and an outcomes.
    • criley55
      criley55 on 16 Sep 14
       
      I also agree that we can't keep what we are teaching a mystery to the students. They need to know the learning targets so they know what is expected of them. Then they will be able to connect with the content and engage in the learning.
    • Joanne Cram
      Joanne Cram on 22 Sep 14
       
      I think it's important to have a road map that is constantly being referred to- and instructors that ask the question, are we getting there? If the assessment can't answer that question, maybe the instruction needs to be adjusted, or the assessment needs to be thrown out.
  • Keys to BalanceThe goal of a balanced assessment system is to ensure that all assessment users have access to the data they want when they need it, which in turn directly serves the effective use of multiple measures.
    • bgeanaea11
      bgeanaea11 on 09 Sep 14
       
      I like the use of the tern balance. It implies we need to USE assessments for information instead of just because we feel we need to assess everything. The issue of access is also critical because if we do not give teachers access to the data directly they cannot effectively use it!
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 13 Sep 14
       
      Direct access to data provides teachers with feedback as to whether further instruction is needed in a specific area or if students understand and you can move forward. I often question why we start another unit immediately after a test when there may be a need to step back and review an application before moving forward.
    • joycevermeer
      joycevermeer on 14 Sep 14
       
      If we respond to what the assessment data is telling us we won't always be doing the same things with the same children. Planning for individual and small group instruction becomes necessary if we truly want to scaffold learning.
    • Joanne Cram
      Joanne Cram on 22 Sep 14
       
      Balance as a whole is essential in any learning environment- especially in assessment. Students need to have ample time spent in learning environments that allows them the success they earn in an assessment environment. After that time is used in assessment- students need to know that those assessments will drive the instruction in the future, and they see the value in assessment.
  • ...74 more annotations...
  • What decisions will the assessment inform?
    • bgeanaea11
      bgeanaea11 on 09 Sep 14
       
      This is a good question we should ask before each assessment! Why are we assessing this? What will we do as a result?
    • joycevermeer
      joycevermeer on 10 Sep 14
       
      Yes, and the answer to the question of why we do assessment can't be "because we have to".
    • scampie1
      scampie1 on 11 Sep 14
       
      Or because I have to enter something in a LMS system
    • Deb Vail
      Deb Vail on 12 Sep 14
       
      Great question. I think we often assess because we feel we should and we always do; it's just part of a routine. This question forces more of a big-picture plan for assessment.
  • begin with a clear picture of why he or she is conducting the assessment.
    • Lynn Helmke
      Lynn Helmke on 14 Sep 14
       
      I believe that this statement is so true.  The teacher and students must have a clear picture of why the assessment is happening.  I am afraid that many times it is because the curriculum says that it is time for a particular test or the district has said it is time.  But, then the assessments are only being used to give a letter grade or to get stats for a certain audience like the school board.
    • criley55
      criley55 on 16 Sep 14
       
      I completely agree. We can't let pacing guides dictate when an assessment is necessary or what we use it for.
  • Are results communicated in time to inform the intended decisions?
    • criley55
      criley55 on 16 Sep 14
       
      I know there is never enough time to get everything done but if we are not providing timely feedback, then it was a waste of time to give the assignment in the first place.
    • Bev Berns
      Bev Berns on 10 Sep 14
       
      Using results in a timely fashion is so important!
  • Specific, descriptive feedback linked to the targets of instruction and arising from the assessment items or rubrics communicates to students in ways that enable them to immediately take action, thereby promoting further learning.
    • joycevermeer
      joycevermeer on 10 Sep 14
       
      This statement really ties into what we learned in unit 1 about rubrics. Having a rubric helps you to be able to give specific descriptive feedback that make continuous improvemnt more likely.
    • Deb Vail
      Deb Vail on 12 Sep 14
       
      I agree. This is really a biggie. Tmely, specific feedback that is linked to specific learning goals is so important. It takes time, but it sure has an impact on learning.
    • jbdecker
      jbdecker on 13 Sep 14
       
      In starting to teach a course online for the first time this fall being able to easily provide written feedback to each and every student has been a positive of the online format. Yes, it takes time and I don't know exactly how soon the students view the comments that I make but it has the potential to make a real impact on student performance and learning. 
  • next steps in learning
    • joycevermeer
      joycevermeer on 10 Sep 14
       
      Next steps in learning--teachers quickly understand that they must provide this, but don't always see it's connection to how we assess.
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 13 Sep 14
       
      It might be helpful to look at ourselves as coaches, a coach would give feedback to help an athlete improve.  They wouldn't say, "that's average" and move on.  Our assessments shouldn't do this either.  
  • the need for all assessors and users of assessment results to be assessment literate
    • joycevermeer
      joycevermeer on 10 Sep 14
       
      These examples really help one to understand how various assessment methods have different functions.
  • it's important to know the learning targets represented in the written curriculum.
    • scampie1
      scampie1 on 11 Sep 14
       
      This is a challenge for many of us with the new Iowa Core which has process and content targets. Knowing how to assess processes is new to many of us.
    • scampie1
      scampie1 on 11 Sep 14
       
      It also requires deep understanding of the curriculum.
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 13 Sep 14
       
      For me, as an art teacher, I have had experience assessing the process.  However, I don't always include it in the final assessment like I should.  It is always interesting to hear the student's perspective in the process they went through when learning.  
  • Most assessments developed beyond the classroom rely largely on selected-response or short-answer formats and are not designed to meet the daily, ongoing information needs of teachers and student
    • scampie1
      scampie1 on 11 Sep 14
       
      Teachers often rely on text book published assessment tools that may or may not reflect the intended learning needs of the teacher.
  • Educators are more likely to attend to issues of quality and serve the best interests of students when we build balanced systems, with assessment-literate user
    • scampie1
      scampie1 on 11 Sep 14
       
      This statement made me think about the LMS some schools have that make formative assessment a challenge. They tend to require grades for weekly reports to parents that may not be reflective of the process of learning.
  • inform students about their own progress
    • Nicole Wood
      Nicole Wood on 12 Sep 14
       
      I think it is always important to keep in mind the value of students taking ownership in their learning and being aware of their own progress toward standards.
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 12 Sep 14
       
      Yes, when students take ownership of their own learning they are more successful.  It is important to keep in mind when designing assessments.  
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • Sound Assessment Design
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • Sound Assessment Design
  • ods are most likely to produce accurate results for different learning targets.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
  • Examples of bias include poorly printed test forms, noise distractions, vague directions, and cultural insensitivity.
    • Nicole Wood
      Nicole Wood on 12 Sep 14
       
      This was a good reminder to me that many variables impact assessment results in addition to the just the assessment methods.
    • Deb Vail
      Deb Vail on 12 Sep 14
       
      The vague directions reference is key. It is so critical that directions are clear, but that is easier said than done at times.
    • Diane Jackson
      Diane Jackson on 14 Sep 14
       
      It is easier said than done. I have written directions that I thought were very clear but evidently were not as I had several questions from students. I'm trying to get better at this.
    • Bev Berns
      Bev Berns on 14 Sep 14
       
      It's interesting that assessment result inacuracies are connected to external factors. So true!
    • Joanne Cram
      Joanne Cram on 22 Sep 14
       
      So many kids don't have any idea what the instructions are, but are too afraid to ask for clarification because they don't want to stick out. It's essential for teachers to make sure that all students know what is expected of them.
  • A mechanism should be in place for students to track their own progress on learning targets and communicate their status to others.
    • Nicole Wood
      Nicole Wood on 12 Sep 14
       
      I consider data binders a great tool for helping students track their own progress on learning targets. They can also use it to communicate their progress to parents at conferences.
    • jbdecker
      jbdecker on 13 Sep 14
       
      Teachers being able to organize the grade book or other assessment scores in an online classroom environment might be a powerful tool in allowing students to easily see the progress they are making towards a learning target throughout a particular online course. 
    • Diane Jackson
      Diane Jackson on 14 Sep 14
       
      Students having access to the progress they are making would help give students the motivation to keep improving and a sense of accomplishment.
    • criley55
      criley55 on 16 Sep 14
       
      It seems like a lot of work up front getting things set up for students to be able to track their progress but it is much more meaningful when they are taking responsibility for their learning and have that internal motivation.
  • Ongoing classroom assessments serve both formative and summative purposes and meet students' as well as teachers' information needs.
    • Nicole Wood
      Nicole Wood on 12 Sep 14
       
      I think ActivExpressions (used with Interactive Whiteboards) are an outstanding tool for gathering formative data on student learning. They provide immediate feedback and a method of saving results for teachers to review at a later time.
  • students can use the results to self-assess and set goals
    • Deb Vail
      Deb Vail on 12 Sep 14
       
      Students have got to be given time for metacognition and reflection to maximize current learning as well as future learning.
    • Lynn Helmke
      Lynn Helmke on 14 Sep 14
       
      I believe that it is important for students to be involved in setting goals for their learning and monitoring their own progress.  The research has been available for years on this topic.  
    • Diane Jackson
      Diane Jackson on 14 Sep 14
       
      I agree. It is so important to have students involved in their own learning and in monitoring their progress. I know for me it would have been beneficial to have those options when I was in school. "in the olden days" when I was in school, we weren't given options. Would have been nice!
  • provide the results in a way that helps students move forward
  • written test plan
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 13 Sep 14
       
      This works for some subjects, but not all.  I don't know that I would give my students in drawing a written test.  The written test is a product in my case. 
    • jbdecker
      jbdecker on 13 Sep 14
       
      Kristina, The way I read this is that it wouldn't have to be a written test for the students but that we as instructors should have a written plan that shows how our assessments are assessing the various learning targets we are trying to hit.
  • Clear Purpose
    • Travis Wilkins
      Travis Wilkins on 13 Sep 14
       
      While in the classroom this was a constant struggle when working with many of the assessments that we were being asked to give to students.  Often we as teachers were not sure of the purpose of the assessments we were being asked to give.  While this did not mean that the assessments were not worthwhile, the lack of communication and development of teacher understanding was a big problem.  On some levels I think we are currently seeing similar miscommunication in schools that are for the first time implementing FAST or another DE approved assessment with their students.  I have spoken with teachers that have little or no context to the different tests within the FAST program and therefore are unaware of the purpose.  This does not mean that they are poor assessments or not worth the time - we know differently.  However, without a clear purpose the information gained from the assessment might easily be lost.
  • Who is the decision maker?
    • Travis Wilkins
      Travis Wilkins on 13 Sep 14
       
      This is another area of confusion that I have experienced in the classroom.  As schools started to implement IDM, then RTI, and now MTSS many assessments and interventions started popping up at the elementary level.  Often there was confusion as to what the results of these assessments and interventions would mean, and who would make the decisions.  Having a clear understanding of who will be making the decisions and insuring that those individuals have the background knowledge and understanding to make these decisions is crucial.
    • Travis Wilkins
      Travis Wilkins on 20 Sep 14
       
      This is another area of confusion that I have experienced in the classroom.  As schools started to implement IDM, then RTI, and now MTSS many assessments and interventions started popping up at the elementary level.  Often there was confusion as to what the results of these assessments and interventions would mean, and who would make the decisions.  Having a clear understanding of who will be making the decisions and insuring that those individuals have the background knowledge and understanding to make these decisions is crucial.
  • At the level of annual state/district standardized assessments, they involve where and how teachers can improve instruction—next year.
    • jbdecker
      jbdecker on 13 Sep 14
       
      Our Social Studies department at our school requested the Social Studies test data from lasts years Iowa Tests from our district.  We were told that even though all of our students had taken the test that we would not be given any breakdown of the data.  Needless to say we were more than a little frustrated by this decision. Unfortunately, even though all of our students took the test it costs money to get a breakdown of the data and the district wasn't willing to pay for that at this time. Why give the assessment if you aren't going to use the data from it to try to improve?? 
  • Reasoning targets, which require students to use their knowledge to reason and problem solve.
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 13 Sep 14
       
      I see this directly relating to higher order thinking skills where are students are being encouraged to think at a much deeper level and not settle for a single answer. We need to be questioning how and why certain things take place and this would be one way that students are being held accountable for their own learning.
  • Performance skill targets, which ask students to use knowledge to perform or demonstrate a specific skill, such as reading aloud with fluency.
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 13 Sep 14
       
      The performance skill target provides students with another way to be demonstrate/share their understanding of a specific concept instead of a written test.
    • ajbeyer
      ajbeyer on 17 Sep 14
       
      These type of assessment and targets are the key to know if students have understood the material that has been presented to them! moodle_iowa
  • Product targets, which specify that students will create something, such as a personal health-related fitness plan
    • Kathleen Goslinga
      Kathleen Goslinga on 13 Sep 14
       
      What a great way to differeniate instruction. Learning styles vary and its important to provide students with multiple options in completing an assignment.
    • Diane Jackson
      Diane Jackson on 14 Sep 14
       
      I agree with you. Giving students choice in how to express what they have learned is so important. That's a key component in Universal Design for Learning.
  • A Solid Foundation for a Balanced System
    • Lynn Helmke
      Lynn Helmke on 14 Sep 14
       
      I absolutely agree:   balanced systems for assessing learning with assessment-literate users.  When a district has many teachers, an implementation plan on how to have all teachers assessment-literate is crucial.  Then how is a district going to measure the success?  It needs to be included in the teacher evaluation process. (Lynn
    • Bev Berns
      Bev Berns on 14 Sep 14
       
      Many schools are using DuFour's PLC framework to drive teacher collaboration around data points. Wonderful work!
  • Because classroom teachers can effectively use all available assessment methods, including the more labor-intensive methods of performance assessment and personal communication, they can provide information about student progress not typically available from student information systems or standardized test results.
    • Lynn Helmke
      Lynn Helmke on 14 Sep 14
       
      The assessment methods utilized by teachers in the classrooms can have the greatest impact on student learning IF the teachers know how to use assessments to impact instruction. Hence, the need for good professional development concerning assessment. (Lynn)
    • Adrian Evans
      Adrian Evans on 15 Sep 14
       
      You raise an interesting point Lynn, "the need for good professional development concerning assessment" (Helmke, L. 2014). I wonder how such a professional development would be received- both at the different building levels (elementary, middle and high schools) as well as looking at different parts of the state.
    • ajbeyer
      ajbeyer on 17 Sep 14
       
      The teacher is the most powerful player when it comes to assessment. The teacher who sees that child day after day has a more accurate understanding of the performance of the student than a standardized test. This should be a taken into consideration more than the standardized test.
  • Teachers can minimize bias in a number of ways. For example, to ensure accuracy in selected-response assessment formats, they should keep wording simple and focused, aim for the lowest possible reading level, avoid providing clues or making the correct answer obvious, and highlight crucial words (for instance, most, least, except, not).
  • Bias can also creep into assessments and erode accurate results
    • Adrian Evans
      Adrian Evans on 15 Sep 14
       
      I am amazed when I create a test for our Professional Learning Committee, the amount of rigor that we, as teachers, put into choosing the correct verbage and vocabulary for individual questions.
  • Will the users of the results understand them and see the connection to learning?
    • Adrian Evans
      Adrian Evans on 15 Sep 14
       
      The idea of people understanding the results really speaks to me. My wife is an "Instructional Design Strategist" (read Coach) for an elementary school. She knows a lot. She especially knows a lot about assessing at the elementary level, and whenever we would go into a parent-teacher conference for our daughters, she would make sure that the teacher explained the data to me, as she already knew what the score meant. If I just went on what I understood, well my kids were way off the A-D grade charts because they were scoring M and E- little did I know that those meant Meeting and Exceeding...
  • Who will use the results to inform what decisions?
    • Adrian Evans
      Adrian Evans on 15 Sep 14
       
      This is very true. As more and more people (parents, students, teachers, administrators, elected officials as well as the rest of the public) are looking at education, we must be able to justify not only what we are looking to assess but why
  • having more assessments will mean we are more accurately estimating student achievement
    • criley55
      criley55 on 16 Sep 14
       
      Just giving an assessment isn't helping improve student achievement, its' what you do with the information you get from the assessment.
  • Using misinformation to triangulate on student needs defeats the purpose of bringing in more results to inform our decisions.
    • ajbeyer
      ajbeyer on 17 Sep 14
       
      We try to use so much information and I think it's important to use the RIGHT information when when comes to assessing. moodle_iowa
  • Effectively planning for the use of multiple measures means providing assessment balance throughout these three levels, meeting student, teacher, and district information needs.
    • ajbeyer
      ajbeyer on 17 Sep 14
       
      Effective planning starts with the teacher. Planning for the needs and assessments of all learners it where effective assessment can be powerful. If they teacher takes the time to plan the assessment, then his or her teaching will probably match that assessment. moodle_iowa
  • What Assessments Can—and Cannot—Tell Us
    • Travis Wilkins
      Travis Wilkins on 20 Sep 14
       
      This is a component of assessments that I think has flown under the radar for too long.  In my experience in the classroom, we were often inundated with mounds of data that we had been given very little training or time to understand what it could or could not tell us about our students.   Rather than data bing used for decisions for which they were not suited, it was more common for the data to be collected and never used.
  • Effective Communication of Result
    • Travis Wilkins
      Travis Wilkins on 20 Sep 14
       
      This was something that we often struggled with as classroom teachers.  We were collecting more and more data that had the potential to tell us great things about our students, however, the format or system in place did not allow great opportunities to communicate this information with parents.  If we had better system processes in place I think that many of the parents in the community would have been thrilled with the work we were doing.  However, some of our systems limited the communication of results in a timely manner.  While the teachers saw the connection to learning, their were times where I felt the parents did not understand the work we had been doing with their students.
    • Joanne Cram
      Joanne Cram on 22 Sep 14
       
      Since I'm about a week late, I've read through most of these points and my "notes" that I was going to post have all been addressed. This is the one that was most important as a take home to me. I think that assessing without feedback is a huge issue in education. I understand that as teachers, we get busy. But what is the point of giving a grade if there is no learning behind why the grade was assigned?
mrswalker_

Articles: Presentation "Awakening" - 11 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by mrswalker_ on 10 Apr 15 - No Cached
  • if your presentation visuals taken in the aggregate (e.g., your “PowerPoint deck”) can be perfectly and completely understood without your narration, then it begs the question: why are you there?
    • rabraham
      rabraham on 10 Apr 15
       
      I think this is a great summary of the information in this article.  It is also easy to remember.  The PowerPoint should be used as a tool, not the entire message.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 11 Apr 15
       
      So true. This is one of the big shifts in this class, where you purposefully do not put all your info into your ppt, because that takes their attention off of you.
    • vmcgee
      vmcgee on 12 Apr 15
       
      I think this statement is something that I can use when I finish putting together a presentation.  If it is such that it can be understood without my narration, then do I need to take up class time going through it?
    • suzdohrer
      suzdohrer on 13 Apr 15
       
      Why are you (the presenter) there? Great focal point, as I prepare my next PPT.
    • chaneline
      chaneline on 15 Apr 15
       
      This is a great statement.  I know I get so annoyed when someone just reads off the PP.  I want more.
  • Some stick, and others fade away. Why? What the authors found—and explain simply and brilliantly in their book—is that “sticky” ideas have six key principles in common: simplicity, unexpectedness, concreteness, credibility, emotions, and stories. And yes, these six compress nicely into the acronym SUCCESs.
    • rabraham
      rabraham on 10 Apr 15
       
      This message is better remembered as SUCCESs.  I don't think I would remember the principles as easily otherwise.  Each of them is broken down and explained well in the rest of this article.
    • suzdohrer
      suzdohrer on 12 Apr 15
       
      The use of acronyms is so helpful to learners, of all ages. I'm pleased that the author took time to share this one, too.
  • Second, make slides that reinforce your words, not repeat them. Create slides that demonstrate, with emotional proof, that what you’re saying is true not just accurate.
    • rabraham
      rabraham on 10 Apr 15
       
      I think this is something that needs to be remembered in many presentations.  Why would I listen to a presenter if they are telling me the same thing that is on the screen. I like the idea of making an emotional connection to go along with the message.
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 11 Apr 15
       
      Agreed, and as the last article stated, you can't take in the verbal information while you are reading.
  • ...32 more annotations...
    • pkmills
      pkmills on 10 Apr 15
       
      Weird thought: I've turned my thinking on this to include slides of how I would make up slide for the rules.
  • The reason you give a presentation is to make a sale. So make it. Don’t leave without a “yes,” or at the very least, a commitment to a date or to future deliverables.
    • rabraham
      rabraham on 10 Apr 15
       
      I like thinking about a presentation as making a sale.  It gives me the extra challenge that the competitive (one of my top 5 strengths) part of me will take on and want to be successful.
  • What makes some presentations absolutely brilliant and others forgettable? If your goal is to create a presentation that is memorable, then you need to consider how you can craft messages that stick.
    • rabraham
      rabraham on 10 Apr 15
       
      This needs to be in the forefront of my mind when presenting to any crowd.  How can I craft messages that stick?
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 11 Apr 15
       
      I think the real problem is that there are too many words on most power points and this is why we tend to read them to students.
  • the diagram uses a visual modality and the speech uses an auditory modality which should result in greater working memory capacity and better understanding, depending, of course, on what is being presented
  • we all want to be sold
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 11 Apr 15
       
      This is true. We want to be sold an idea by the presenter just like we are drawn to the advertising of products.
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 11 Apr 15
       
      This true of our students. we are trying to "sell" our learning objective or strategy. I always considered a power point of a anvenue to convay information. Did not consider the emotional side or selling it my students.
    • suzdohrer
      suzdohrer on 12 Apr 15
       
      In the interest of being "green" is there any problem with posting thePPT on a class website, so students can review the slides online.? If so, then is there more reason to include more substance and words, so the PPT is not simply a presentation matter, but it also is a learning tool.
  • , what’s the key point? What’s the core? Why does (or should) it matter?
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 11 Apr 15
       
      There should be a clear purpose to the presentation and that should be made clear to the audience.
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 12 Apr 15
       
      We use I CAN statements everyday. It is very clear due to the fact it is written on the board. Do we need to be that blatant?
  • you must make them feel something.
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 11 Apr 15
       
      This is a lot like advertising!
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 11 Apr 15
       
      In a large way, presentations are like advertising. You need to persuade the audience to care about your message, and then you also need to communicate that message clearly so that they do not misunderstand. Caring requires an appeal to "logos, pathos, and ethos", meaning you need to connect to their emotions and their sense of being a person.
    • mrswalker_
      mrswalker_ on 27 Apr 15
       
      This is especially true in music. Creating connections to personal feelings and the material is key.
  • but for all of us to use the same format
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 11 Apr 15
       
      I'm imagining going to a conference and seeing the same type of Powerpoint over and over again! I don't think I would want to continue going to presentations because the boring factor would be too much for me.
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 11 Apr 15
       
      I have been witness to something close to this. I was in Las Vegas for a week long PLC Conference and almost every presenter had the same format, slides, clipart. As the week went on I found myself concentrating on the speaker and less on the slides. I fell the message was lost in many presentations.
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 12 Apr 15
       
      I too have been to a seminar like this. We checked out early before the snores started.
    • chaneline
      chaneline on 15 Apr 15
       
      Many people like to come to presentations with a printed out PP, they take notes on them....then recycle them later.  It is a very boring style to have to sit through and I find myself zoning out.
    • mrswalker_
      mrswalker_ on 27 Apr 15
       
      This happened way too often in my college days! Everything looked just the same!
  • Often, people come to a conclusion about your presentation by the time you’re on the second slide.
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 11 Apr 15
       
      This is a scary thought. You really don't have much time to catch your audience's attention. I would assume, in students this could be even faster!
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 11 Apr 15
       
      I think this line is the most important one in the entire article. We really need to do something different and attention grabbing right away, or we've lost them by slide 2.
  • make yourself cue cards
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 11 Apr 15
       
      Seems like going back to the basics. This is what we used to do before powerpoint.
    • chaneline
      chaneline on 15 Apr 15
       
      This is something I am going to do.  I was wondering what the audience would think, but it will help to keep me organized.  In the end, I may not need them much.
    • mrswalker_
      mrswalker_ on 27 Apr 15
       
      I don't use cue cards, but I do use the "notes" component of google slides. It helps me review my talking points before I present, but keeps me from reading from cue cards.
  • Don’t hand out print-outs of your slides
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 11 Apr 15
       
      I had always thought this was a good idea. I remember times that I wanted print-outs of a presentation so that I could make notes on them. But, that must be because there are too many words on the slides!
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 11 Apr 15
       
      I agree, I always tried to get a copy of the presentation. Taking notes on each slide helped me remember the most important ideas. If I try and take notes with the slide it makes no sense to me later. I am not sure how I would do without the handout.
  • mirror the spoken word of the presenter
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 11 Apr 15
       
      This seems to be the problem, presenters who just read what is on the screen. I had a teacher who, before Powerpoint existed, would have his entire lesson written on overheads and would stand and read them. So very boring!
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 11 Apr 15
       
      Wow... that's even worse that ppt reading. I thought overheads were expressed domain of "filling out the worksheet as a class"
    • vmcgee
      vmcgee on 12 Apr 15
       
      I guess that is what we are trying to focus on - using the presentation as a tool for the audience rather than as a crutch for the presenter.
  • people can not read and listen well at the same time
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 11 Apr 15
       
      I had not thought about this, but I do find that if I am reading the powerpoint, I am missing what the presenter is saying. At our last meeting I asked one of our teachers if he could repeat his question because I was reading something and had heard the answers but completely missed what the question was
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 11 Apr 15
       
      I have problems with this as well. Whenever there is a lot of text on the screen and I'm in the audience, I invariably find myself just finishing the passage as the person is moving to the next slide, and I've missed everything that they said.
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 11 Apr 15
       
      This is enlightening! I thought for sure I was ADD! I am constantly missing the verbal information is I concentrate on the text of the slide. It can become an exhausting task during a lengthy presentation.
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 12 Apr 15
       
      Ditto, I thought that I was reaching all types of learners, but I might have been reaching none. WOW
  • Before you go from analog to digital—taking your ideas from sketches on paper and laying them out in PowerPoint o
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 11 Apr 15
       
      I think this would be a great way to plan out a presentation. Sometimes you just need to start with good old paper and pencil.
    • vmcgee
      vmcgee on 12 Apr 15
       
      Yes, I think this would keep the technology "in check."  The technology is then just a tool to aid what I am trying to present rather than the technology controlling how I do my presentation.
    • chaneline
      chaneline on 15 Apr 15
       
      It occurred to me that the act of using pen and paper in an analog way, makes the activity more active and therefore more exciting for the brain.
  • Speak of concrete images, not of vague notions. Proverbs are good, say the Heath brothers, at reducing abstract concepts to concrete, simple, but powerful (and memorable) language.
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 11 Apr 15
       
      This speaks to me! I think some presenters try to make their presentations unique which translates into complicated, wordy, unfocused. And yes I amone of them! This makes me think of the old saying "Keep It Simple Stupid!"
    • vmcgee
      vmcgee on 12 Apr 15
       
      I guess I knew this, but hadn't really thought about it.  Many times in the past when presenting with PowerPoint I have just stopped mid-talk and allowed my students to copy what was on the screen before I continued speaking.
    • vmcgee
      vmcgee on 12 Apr 15
       
      Great point here for educators.  Great idea to think of the presentation in terms of the students' brains.  In the past for me the focus of the presentation has been purely on the content.
  • No more than six words on a slide. EVER.
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 12 Apr 15
       
      Even for educational presentations????? That will mean a lot of slides.
    • chaneline
      chaneline on 15 Apr 15
       
      Not sure this is always entirely possible.  Wouldn't it depend on the presentation and what information needed to get across...I may have to break this rule.
  • No dissolves, spins or other transitions.
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 12 Apr 15
       
      I will have to tell my students this.
  • Unexpectedness
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 12 Apr 15
       
      Is this good for presentations for teaching??
    • suzdohrer
      suzdohrer on 12 Apr 15
       
      Simplicity and concreteness, yes, but I am less sure that unexpected info helps students.
  • Great ideas and presentations have an element of story to them.
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 12 Apr 15
       
      Once again, I question how to always accomplish this in educational presentations.
    • suzdohrer
      suzdohrer on 12 Apr 15
       
      Why use note cards, when the PPT has a notes area and then you can print the slides with the notes to read or review.
  • IMPORTANT: Don’t hand out the written stuff at the beginning! If you do, people will read the memo while you’re talking and ignore you. Instead, your goal is to get them to sit back, trust you and take in the emotional and intellectual points of your pr
    • pkmills
      pkmills on 12 Apr 15
       
      I have experienced this first hand. I will work at taking this advice and I know I should have better results than in the past.
  • the modality effect shows that ”working memory can be increased by using dual rather than a single modality.” That is, it is more effective to target both the visual and auditory processors of worki
  • Simplicity. If everything is important, then nothing is important. If everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority. You must be ruthless in your efforts to simplify—not dumb down—your message to its absolute core. We’re not talking about stupid sound bites here. Every idea can be reduced to its essential meaning if you work hard enough. For your presentation, what’s the key point? What’s the core? Why does (or should) it matter?
    • mrswalker_
      mrswalker_ on 13 Apr 15
       
      This will really help students figure out what is most important in their learning. By keeping things simple, it also helps the teacher prioritize what is most important to focus on.
  • Images are one way to have audiences not only understand your point better but also have a more visceral and emotional connection to your idea.
    • mrswalker_
      mrswalker_ on 13 Apr 15
       
      This is a great way to connect with young elementary students, especially non-readers or low level readers. 
  • The redundancy effect says that if one form of instruction (such as the spoken word) is intelligible and adequate then providing the same material in another form (such as lines of text on a screen that mimic the words being spoken) are redundant and can actually hurt understanding.
    • chaneline
      chaneline on 15 Apr 15
       
      The redundancy effect is something I hadn't ever thought of but it makes sense.  When something can be read off the screen, our brains kind of turn off the listening part...unless it's novel.
  • PowerPoint as a method. Instead... PowerPoint is a medium
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 23 Apr 15
       
      The word "power" in power point is misleading. There really is no power in it unless you provide it through an active, engaging presentation.
  • mgoodwin5 on 13 Apr 15
     
    I agree this is an important part of the presentation process. Whatever you are presenting about, needs to get to your audience as though you are selling the information, idea, data, etc. Creating interesting, fun, and memorable presentations are more apt to stick with your audience and support what you are presenting-just like marketing!
  • ...3 more comments...
  • mgoodwin5 on 13 Apr 15
     
    I've made this mistake before. If you hand out the information beforehand, your audience knows (to some extent) what you are going to talk about. Therefore, you end up not having their full attention and possibly give away the main points of your presentation that would have been your key factors and "selling" points in the presentation that would have kept your audience attentive to you presenting.
  • chaneline on 13 Apr 15
     
    This is a great point to remember. If they can just read the powerpoint to get this information, the audience may as well leave. I have said this to myself before and need to remember it when doing my own presentation.
  • mgoodwin5 on 18 Apr 15
     
    When giving a presentation, it is important to get your audiences attention by delivering a strong message, however giving too much information and not allowing your audience to use their own imagination, may be an overload to them and therefore not understand what you are trying to say or not have them same emotions, thoughts, and feelings as you (the presenter) does. Give your audience a strong, clean, precise, and factual presentation, and the rest will do what it needs to do for the audience. I do not feel PowerPoint needs to be ditched, but instead cleaned up drastically and presented in a much more professional and effective manner.
  • mgoodwin5 on 18 Apr 15
     
    I agree with the article-I do not think when Garr says "Is it finally time to ditch PowerPoint?" that he means to get rid of it completely. I think that it may be overused at times and/or used incorrectly as there are certain criteria that is better to follow on PowerPoint than what some people are doing. Knowing the maximum information to put onto each slide, the correct information and format, and how it is used as a presentation, as well as the visuals, all makes a difference in its used and overuse.
  • mgoodwin5 on 18 Apr 15
     
    I really like this part of the article. You have to get your message across to your audience-make them feel the same you do about the topic. This sometimes takes a lot of work, but can be accomplished by putting in some time to create a powerful presentation. Putting into your presentation the emotion and feelings that you have will capture your audiences attention and keep them captivated.
dougmay

Articles: Design - 0 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by dougmay on 16 Apr 15 - No Cached
  • The less clutter you have on your slide, the more powerful your visual message will become.
    • rabraham
      rabraham on 16 Apr 15
       
      This is something that will help transform presentations.  Keeping it simple will ensure the audience stays engaged.
  • Instead of a copy of your PowerPoint slides, it is far better to prepare a written document which highlights your content from the presentation and expands on that content.
    • rabraham
      rabraham on 16 Apr 15
       
      This is a great way to keep the talking points limited.  I think it will be great to use with students who are absent for the lessons too.
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 20 Apr 15
       
      I was glad to see that they still advise giving a document if the thought is to not give out the slide handouts. This is good for students who are absent.
  • You will be able to notice more extraneous pieces of visual data that can be removed to increase visual clarity and improve communication.
    • rabraham
      rabraham on 16 Apr 15
       
      Slide Sorter view helps you to see the big picture of the entire presentation put together.
  • ...57 more annotations...
  • But including a healthy amount of white space sharpens viewers’ focus by isolating elements.
    • rabraham
      rabraham on 16 Apr 15
       
      This is a key element to remember.
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 23 Apr 15
       
      I wouldn't have thought of this, but this slide looks good. The old thought process was to not have extra space.
  • Highlight the key phrases that you will help you rehearse for your presentation
    • rabraham
      rabraham on 16 Apr 15
       
      This is a good step to simplify what the audiences sees and may keep them interested because they can't simply read the rest of the information.
  • Listeners will get bored very quickly if they are asked to endure slide after slide of animation. For transitions between slides, use no more than two-three different types of transition effects and do not place transition
    • suzdohrer
      suzdohrer on 18 Apr 15
       
      I've struggled with using animations for transitions and lists. Now I read it may not be worth it. Yeah, back to basics and keep it simple.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      I will admit that I never use animations or transitions in any of my presentations. Not even a subtle fade. Not only is it extra junk, but it can add an hour to your development time. The most I do are builds. If I have a slide with an important point that I want to reveal, I will make two copies of the slide, and delete the "revealed" info on the first one. Then when I advance to the next slide, voila, I have a "transition".
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 23 Apr 15
       
      With my students presentations, It sooooo delayed their presentations with all of their animartions and transitions. I, too, kept thinking of these articles.
  • Gill Sans
  • Cut out the extraneous content. Speak to that content when you present
    • suzdohrer
      suzdohrer on 18 Apr 15
       
      This is when I move the cut text or additional text notes to the "Notes" section of the powerpoint, below the slide shot. Then, I like to print-out the slides to show the notes for my presentation.
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 20 Apr 15
       
      I was thinking that I would be using the notes area much more too. I've even been using it to keep the information of where I got the image on the slide so that I can decide where to add that later.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      For many people, the notes section is really good. If you haven't tried the presenter view within Power Point, it is worth trying. On your computer, you can see your current slide, the next slide coming up, the notes that you have, and a timer/clock. The audience only sees your slide.
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      I have done so few PowerPoints but this was a great tip. I will be checking out my notes section and presenter for sure.
  • The blurred backgrounds set off the stark white illustrations for quick visual processing:
    • suzdohrer
      suzdohrer on 18 Apr 15
       
      I do not have an artisticy background, but I now think this blurred background image will be a use ful tool.
  • You can achieve this through consistent type styles, color, image treatment, and element placement throughout the slide deck.
    • suzdohrer
      suzdohrer on 18 Apr 15
       
      Another artistic point of placement and imagery through cohesiveness. I worry that I do not have the natural talent to put this together on my own, but I do see the real difference.
    • chaneline
      chaneline on 19 Apr 15
       
      Some presenters use lots of different colors, fonts and backgrounds.  May it's just because they can and they haven't taken this course.  The visual clutter distracts from the content and decreases the cohesiveness.
    • mrswalker_
      mrswalker_ on 20 Apr 15
       
      I like creating templates using Google Slides to ensure that colors and fonts translate to all of the slides in a deck.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      We kind of pooh-pooh color and design elements in learning, as though it is just pretty-ness. But, it does have a big effect, and it is worth it to improve one's sense of color combination.
  • If you have a detailed handout or publication for the audience to be passed out after your talk, you need not feel compelled to fill your PowerPoint slides with a great deal of text.
    • mgoodwin5
      mgoodwin5 on 19 Apr 15
       
      I think this is a great point. The more I'm reading about what should (or is appropriate) be on a slide for the best presentations, it is better to have less, than more.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      Do you think the "after" is important? Is it better to pass it out after or before?
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      interesting point.At the presentation I attend Monday afternoon the speaker handed out a document before he started his talk. in a way I liked being able to dot notes or highlight an idea or concept I wanted to review more closely later, but on the other hand it was very distracting to be leafing through the document trying to find the page that matched up with what he was discussing. I guess I would say it is better to wait till after your talk is done.
  • Use the same font set throughout your entire slide presentation, and use no more than two complementary fonts (e.g., Arial and Arial Bold).
    • mgoodwin5
      mgoodwin5 on 19 Apr 15
       
      This is something that we stress to our students, since based on what students will usually do is have many different text fonts and sizes. They tend to use whatever looks best for each slide, instead of having the presentation look more smooth and have a togetherness.
    • mrswalker_
      mrswalker_ on 20 Apr 15
       
      I like using two fonts on slides: one to convey the big idea (title) and another to convey the supporting ideas (text).
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      My rule of thumb is no more than two. One for headers, one for text (though I often use the same for each). I use a sans-serif font for my text, and either the same sans-serif font for my headers, or a designer font to communicate a special theme. I never use serif fonts.
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      Okay,Okay no more Comic Sans
  • Use the same font set throughout your entire slide presentation, and use no more than two complementary fonts (e.g., Arial and Arial Bold).
  • Images can be very powerful and effective if used with careful intention.
    • mgoodwin5
      mgoodwin5 on 19 Apr 15
       
      This is so true. Many times the image used, is what immediately gets the audiences attention and interest. Images are very powerful. i.e. "A picture is worth a thousand words."
    • mrswalker_
      mrswalker_ on 20 Apr 15
       
      I like the idea of using text over images, but it has to be the right image! This creates one image for students to remember, rather than an idea and an image.
  • Lots of extras actually take away meaning because they become a distraction.
    • mgoodwin5
      mgoodwin5 on 19 Apr 15
       
      As goes with the statement, "Less is more." I completely understand that too much can be a distraction for the eye. Too much on a slide, take s away the meaning and I feel it also makes a person wonder what they should focus on, such as what is the most important point I'm supposed to be receiving from this slide?
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 23 Apr 15
       
      Agreed!
  • The first step is admitting that you have a problem
    • mgoodwin5
      mgoodwin5 on 19 Apr 15
       
      Many of my slides in my presentations either look like this, or have started out like this. This is exactly what I need to work on! Eliminating some of the bullet points and a lot of text!
  • Depending on your content, you may be able to convert each bullet point into a separate image on one slide or over several slides.
    • mgoodwin5
      mgoodwin5 on 19 Apr 15
       
      Here is what I'm going to work towards doing. Since learning about Zen, I realize I'm definitely adding too much to my slides, whether it be text or bullets. By using images, or at least less text and bullets, it appears presentations will be much more appealing and interesting to the audience. I really like the idea of using the images instead of any text at all. Then the presenter (me) will expand on the meaning of the image or what it stands for.
  • Your slides should have plenty of “white space” or “negative space.” Do not feel compelled to fill empty areas on your slide with your logo or other unnecessary graphics or text boxes that do not contribute to better understanding.
    • chaneline
      chaneline on 19 Apr 15
       
      This point has been huge for me.  I really thought I would want to fill up the slide with information, not any more.  I see the power of simplicity of the white or negative space.
    • mrswalker_
      mrswalker_ on 20 Apr 15
       
      This is a great idea- I like the idea of negative space better than white space. My classroom is really bright so light text on a dark background sometimes works better than white.
  • No audience will be excited about a cookie-cutter presentation, and we must therefore shy away from any supporting visuals, such as the ubiquitous PowerPoint Design Template, that suggests your presentation is formulaic or prepackaged.You can make your own background templates which will be more tailored to your needs.
    • chaneline
      chaneline on 19 Apr 15
       
      This lead me to think about use of a white background.  I was so afraid of it because it seemed boring, but with the use of visuals, a white background can be powerful and increase the interest of the slide.
  • Avoid off-the-shelf clip art (though your own sketches & drawings can be a refreshing change if used consistently throughout the visuals).
    • chaneline
      chaneline on 19 Apr 15
       
      Some presenters overuse cartoon type Clipart, maybe because it's easier, that's what they are used to, they are trying to be funny/cute or they haven't learned the power of a visual image/picture within a presentation.  
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 20 Apr 15
       
      I don't think I will be drawing my own art either!
  • Go through your bullet points and try to highlight the main point of each bullet point. Try to bold only the key parts of each point — limit it to as few words as possible.
    • mrswalker_
      mrswalker_ on 20 Apr 15
       
      Great idea to take it step by step rather than just trying to cut a lot of information at once. 
  • Go through your bullet points and try to highlight the main point of each bullet point. Try to bold only the key parts of each point — limit it to as few words as possible.
  • It is very common for people to “brain dump” all of their ideas or thoughts into “stream of consciousness” bullet points as they create slides.
    • chaneline
      chaneline on 19 Apr 15
       
      I think this happens because you want to make sure that all of the points you feel are important are given to the audience.  It has been one of the most eye opening concepts from this course.  I made note cards for my presentation, rather than putting all of the info on the slide. " Redundancy effect" is powerful!
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 20 Apr 15
       
      Yes, I had always thought bullet points were a good thing! Oh how wrong I was!
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      I thought bullet points would be superior to long connected text or narrative on a slide. I really felt it was the most effective way to get your message out. Now I have seen the light!
    • vmcgee
      vmcgee on 23 Apr 15
       
      Me too.  I have been using bullet points extensively all year.  Google slides makes it very easy to do so...
  • The best slides may have no text at all
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 20 Apr 15
       
      It is interesting to go to presentations while I'm taking this class. I took the ISEA's mandatory reporter training last week and it was an RN on a video with powerpoint slides for 3 hours. Lots of text, the crayon template and a graph that she kept going back to that you couldn't even read due to tiny font. Death by PowerPoint!
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      This is true. It also is somewhat of a curse. You can get to the point where you can't see any presentation without being critical of it :)
    • vmcgee
      vmcgee on 22 Apr 15
       
      Absolutely.  Just today I had to give a presentation to a class on behalf of another teacher.  It had WAY too much text and I had great difficulty keeping the attention of 13 year old students.  I couldn't help but think of this class while presenting.
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 23 Apr 15
       
      In the past, I would have a hard time with no text. My thought was that the slide should do the work. My students did presentations and I kept wanting to critique their slides.
  • Presenters are usually guilty of including too much data in their on-screen charts
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 20 Apr 15
       
      This can be tricky when you really need to get all of the data in the hands of your audience. What to leave out?
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      I guess this is where the analog planning is helpful. Along with the elevator test.
  • though your own sketches & drawings can be a refreshing change if used consistently throughout the visuals)
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 20 Apr 15
       
      I had not thought about the use of your own sketches and drawings. I would be afraid that it would look corny, like the clip art, but I'm also intrigued to try this!
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      It does sound interesting. I think it would nice to try student drawings too when using this if educators or students themselves.
  • The trick becomes finding just the right image(s)
    • bdoudwaukee
      bdoudwaukee on 20 Apr 15
       
      This is where I feel that I could take hours second guessing my choice of image, or trying to edit it to work.
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      I agree. I have already been out looking, and I just keep looking and looking. I am hoping it will get easier the more experience I have creating PowerPoints.
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 23 Apr 15
       
      This can seem to take more time than the planning.
  • Use high-quality graphics including photographs.
    • mrswalker_
      mrswalker_ on 20 Apr 15
       
      My students LOVE seeing pictures of themselves in a presentation. I try to use student examples as often as possible to create images for presentations.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      This is a great idea! Especially for younger students!
  • But boring an audience with bullet point after bullet point is of little benefit to them
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 20 Apr 15
       
      This reminds me of that first video we watched for this class and the gun image. That has stuck with me and it is all because of the image of the gun!
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      I guess this goes to speak of the power of an image.
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      I just sat through a presentation Monday afternoon on PLCs and Short Data Cycle. The presentaer was very engaging but his PowerPoint was not! Too much text and bullets very few images. I found myself critiquing his slides instead of listening to the message!
  • The right color can help persuade and motivate. Studies show that color usage can increase interest and improve learning comprehension and retention
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 20 Apr 15
       
      Color can do so much, like make you feel stronger/weaker, or energize/soothe. That was why they painted our visiting team locker room pink!
  • This looks like they were going for the full-bleed background image effect but just missed
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 20 Apr 15
       
      One of my classrooms has a projector that is slightly to the right and the image bleeds to the white board behind the screen. It is very distracting for me and my students!
  • in your slide deck
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 20 Apr 15
       
      I have recently heard of a presentation set of slides referred to as a deck, but we certainly do not need 52 slides to present!
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      Well, this depends. Some presenters make one master deck and then "hide" the slides they don't want. For the next preso, they hide different slides. Also, it depends on how you use your slides. If you talk for each slide, then 52 is way to many. But if you are using builds or quick sequences of slides as a substitute for bulleted lists, you can get there pretty quick. My rule of thumb is one slide every two minutes, but I do have one preso with 70 slides in it for a 45 minute preso. It is the exception, not the rule.
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      At a recent in-service the speaker had 3 PowerPoints open he retrieved slides from different presentations based on our dicussion. It made the informtion much more relevant to our school but at the same time created a distraction when he couldn't find a slide and had to flip back and forth.
  • the golden rule of PowerPoint presentations — always do what is right for your audience.
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 20 Apr 15
       
      Shouldn't the rule state, "Present unto others as you would like presented to you?"
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 21 Apr 15
       
      Ha! Hilarious!
  • add unrelated “decorations
    • aboevers
      aboevers on 20 Apr 15
       
      Keep the idea of purpose in mind constantly.
    • ney4cy
      ney4cy on 22 Apr 15
       
      This is was my typical slide! ALL bullet points.
    • pkmills
      pkmills on 22 Apr 15
       
      Somehow that simple idea got very lost along the way.
  • “Sorry I missed your presentation. I hear it was great. Can you just send me your PowerPoint slides?” But if they are good slides, they will be of little use without you.
    • pkmills
      pkmills on 22 Apr 15
       
      If someone had said this to me, I would have. Now if they say it to me I still will send them the slides. Ha Ha.
  • You can take your own high-quality photographs with your digital camera,
    • pkmills
      pkmills on 22 Apr 15
       
      I ran into soem object that I need for my presentation that were "iffy" for me in the copyright area, so I decided to take my own pictures instead. I feel great about how it turned out.
  • So make sure your slides pass what I call the glance test: People should be able to comprehend each one in about three seconds
    • pkmills
      pkmills on 22 Apr 15
       
      Love this idea. It's a good way for me to see if I am travelling down the right road.
  • Live long and prosper.
    • pkmills
      pkmills on 22 Apr 15
       
      I found out that "Live long and prosper" was added by Leonard Nimoy for character and was based in his Jewish teachings.
  • By getting out of the Slide View and into the Slide Sorter view, you can see how the logical flow of your presentation is progressing. In this view you may decide to break up one slide into, say, two-three slides so that your presentation has a more natural and logical flow or process.
    • pkmills
      pkmills on 22 Apr 15
       
      I used the sticky notes at the begginnig to check the flow of my presentation. I will use the sorter to check the presentation at the end of the creation process.
  • Try to avoid text-heavy (and sleep inducing) slides like this one
    • vmcgee
      vmcgee on 22 Apr 15
       
      I gave a presentation today on behalf of another teacher that was structured much like this slide.  It had too much text and information on it, and I found myself racing to get through it before I lost the attention of my audience.  Afterwards, it completely felt like a waste of time.
  • Not sure what two guys shaking hands in front of a globe has to do with the fertility rate in Japan. Yet even if we were talking about "international partnership" the image is still a cliché.
    • vmcgee
      vmcgee on 23 Apr 15
       
      It seems like I have seen some sort of "handshake" image a thousand times.  It is overused and carries no meaning - which I think defeats the purpose of an image in a slide.
  • An audience can’t listen to your presentation and read detailed, text-heavy slides at the same time (not without missing key parts of your message, anyway
    • vmcgee
      vmcgee on 23 Apr 15
       
      This is probably the topic that has had the greatest effect on my presentations so far.  I have done about 3 different presentations since this course began, and I am now always concentrating on not having my students read slide material while I talk.
  • Very few audiences enjoy paragraph-length bullet points.
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 23 Apr 15
       
      I can't think of anybody, let alone a few people.
  • It’s okay to cover details verbally that are not reflected in your bullet points.
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 23 Apr 15
       
      I am having a hard time adjusting to this thought. In the past, I wanted to include everything in the slides. Now I thinking of it more of an outline for me.
  • & contains watermark
  • & contains watermark
  • & contains watermark
  • & contains watermark
  • ) Image is of poor quality & contains watermark
  • This introduces distracting visual noi
    • dougmay
      dougmay on 23 Apr 15
       
      Why would anyone do this? How could they think that this is ok?
kylejclark

iowaonlinelearning - Teaching Standards - 3 views

iowaonlinelearning.wikispaces.com/Teaching+Standards

shared by kylejclark on 08 Jul 15 - No Cached
  • Continuously uses data to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of instructional strategies (
    • cjterry64
      cjterry64 on 08 Jul 15
       
      This is so important. If students aren't getting a concept, repeating it over and over....or slower...isn't the answer. We must find a different way to approach them. This is true of all types of learning - traditional and online. 
    • cjterry64
      cjterry64 on 08 Jul 15
       
      This is so important for all type of instruction, whether it be online or face-to-face. If a student isn't getting the concept, repeating my instruction over and over....or slower...isn't going to help. Time to try a different approach. 
  • Designs the structure of the course and the presentation of the content to best enhance student learning, including using unit/lesson overviews and reviews, using patterns in lesson sequencing, and using appropriate visual web design techniques
    • cjterry64
      cjterry64 on 08 Jul 15
       
      This gets me to thinking about layout of an online course and ease of navigation. If things aren't clearly laid out or easy to navigate, it makes the learning more difficult. My daughter is taking a summer class and I'm seeing first hand how course layout has affected her. The lessons are presented in Soft Chalk with the assignment directions on the assessment page. They don't take the assessments shown there, rather the ones the instructor posts in the modules. The assignment directions are not easy to return to, The pages load slowly and there is no sliding bar to just take you to the last page. The assignment directions are not shown on the assignment page where students actually submit their work. This has been a source of frustration for my daughter. Layout and ease of navigation, along with directions on the actual assignment page are extremely important for online learners. Especially students who aren't as patient as adult learners. 
  • Tailors instruction to meet the different needs of students,
    • cjterry64
      cjterry64 on 08 Jul 15
       
      This is something I strive to do in my classroom. Face-to-face interactions make this easier. This would be more challenging in on-line learning. 
    • cjterry64
      cjterry64 on 08 Jul 15
       
      This is something I strive to do in my classroom. Online learning presents challenges in this area. Great care and planning would be involved. I can see the importance of having a student coach. 
    • milemieux
      milemieux on 16 Jul 15
       
      Accommadating for students with special needs would be a tough in the online setting. With the use of some technologies such as text to speech I think that some of those challenges could be addressed. I agree though, if it is a full online class, then a student coach would be ideal.
  • ...16 more annotations...
  • Understands and uses data from assessments to guide instruction
    • cjterry64
      cjterry64 on 08 Jul 15
       
      This ties in with the first item I highlighted.
    • cjterry64
      cjterry64 on 08 Jul 15
       
      This ties to the first item I highlighted. Assessment data, whether it be formative or summative, must guide what we do as teachers. How many times over the years have I given an assessment and didn't do anything with it? I continually strive to do better with this. 
    • milemieux
      milemieux on 16 Jul 15
       
      I like this one as well. It is so hard to be a learner when you do not understand something, and the teacher continues to plow forward.
  • Creates a learning community
    • cjterry64
      cjterry64 on 08 Jul 15
       
      A sense of community is what makes a classroom such a great place to learn. The challenge would be to create such a learning community with online learners. 
    • cjterry64
      cjterry64 on 08 Jul 15
       
      A sense of community is so important for learning. This seems so much easier to me with face-to-face learning. Definitely a learning curve for educators as we head towards more online learning. 
    • klsgwin
      klsgwin on 17 Jul 15
       
      Agreed! The connections in face-to-face learning environments are more naturally occurring but in an online environment where a large component to understanding lies in the ability to effectively communicate the material, an educator must facilitate an open and safe place to do so.
  • Communicates with students effectively and consistently
    • cjterry64
      cjterry64 on 08 Jul 15
       
      Finding how to effectively communicate and monitor students consistently in an online course seems extremely important to me.  Adult learners are more likely to be independent and push on when things aren't clear. Not the case with children or teenagers. They are more likely to just "shut down" and blow the course off if they weren't able to communicate with their coach and/or instructor. 
    • cjterry64
      cjterry64 on 08 Jul 15
       
      Finding out how to effectively communicate with online learners seems critical. Again, the importance of a student coach surfaces. Adult learners tend to push on and problem solve more. Student learners, not so much. Feedback, help with assignment, tech help, etc. must be given consistently and as quickly as possible. Finding the balance between being available and being on 24/7 would be challenging. Letting students know when you are available, when to expect a reply to message, when things will be graded must be communicated up front. And communicate if changes occur. I know even my 5th graders appreciated updates if something was taking longer to grade than anticipated or if I needed to help them a little later. 
  • Your thoughts?
  • encourages collaboration
    • elgehrke
      elgehrke on 14 Jul 15
       
      I feel like maybe last year I was so focused on classroom management that I didn't really take many risks in the collaboration department. I know how important that collaboration is... I just have to figure out how to make sure my students stay actively engaged with our learning during these group work or partner work times.
    • Beth Moss
      Beth Moss on 16 Jul 15
       
      I could see how with younger students this could be... "risky." AS adults, and professionals, we self regulate and censure ourselves well. Especially with topics that are not controversial.  I wonder if canvas has a way that kids can post, and you can moderate before it is shared?
  • appropriate use of the internet
    • milemieux
      milemieux on 16 Jul 15
       
      Using techniques to engage the students will push them to do more than the minimum. If they become engaged and are enjoying it they could take their learning to another level. In this class, I feel I have learned about a lot of new resources that will help engage my students in their learning.
  • Knows the content of the subject to be taught and understands how to teach the content to students (SREB A.3, Varvel II.A, ITS 2.a)
    • milemieux
      milemieux on 16 Jul 15
       
      This seems silly to highlight this, but students need to have an instructor that is trained in the subject matter and has the technology skills to help students as well. It brings validity to the material when presented by someone that has learned about it, experienced it and has taught the material. I would be horrible at teaching an online course about Language Arts because that is not my strength area and have limited skills providing online learning. In my opinion, if you want something to be successful you need to be fully invested and not cut corners.
  • Selects and uses technologies appropriate to the content that enhance learning (SREB M.3, Varvel IV.D, ITS 3.e, ITS 4.f)
    • milemieux
      milemieux on 16 Jul 15
       
      Technology is great but sometimes technolgy does not always fit every learning situation. Choosing the right format or multiple options, can make or break instruction. I found it very easy to follow along with the videos provided to sign up for diigo, where I probably would have struggled to more if I had to read directions and figure it out on my own. Visually seeing it put me more at ease.
  • Understands student motivation and uses techniques to engage students
    • milemieux
      milemieux on 16 Jul 15
       
      Being able to motivate and engage students helps to push them to do more than just the minimum. Hopefully, they will take more ownership of the learning and take it to another level.
  • Demonstrates ethical conduct as defined by state law and local policies or procedures (ITS 8.a, ITS 8.b)
    • Beth Moss
      Beth Moss on 16 Jul 15
       
      This is potentially hard to do. There is so much copyrighted material that floats around the internet, namely on youtube and on google image search. Its tempting to just use all the resources you can easily find, and those are two HUGE sources of information. I hear the AEA website has an copyright OK picture library for school use, and I know there where some learning licensed video sights listed on the resource wiki we looked at. Anyone know some more specifics on these? #ollie_iowa
    • klsgwin
      klsgwin on 17 Jul 15
       
      When you are using Canvas and posting information on your class page, you can click an icon above the text box that has a list of video resources available. I would be able to tell you more however, I am new to it as well. It is the little blue V in the center of the bar above the text box.
  • Knows and aligns instruction to the achievement goals of the local agency and the state, such as with the Iowa Core (Varvel I.A, ITS 1.f, ITS 3.a)
    • Beth Moss
      Beth Moss on 16 Jul 15
       
      This is no different than any other course in real life, but it speaks to the rigor thats expected no matter what the delivery method. 
  • Understands the differences between teaching online and teaching face-to-face (SREB C.1, Varvel V)
    • klsgwin
      klsgwin on 17 Jul 15
       
      This seems like a no-brainer but the two are distinctly different.
  • Has experienced online learning from the perspective of a student
    • klsgwin
      klsgwin on 17 Jul 15
       
      This is integral to a student's success. I have always held fast to the belief that if you don't understand the context of a student, you are missing out on teaching opportunities.
  • Aligns assessment with course objectives (SREB I.3, Varvel VI.C, ITS 5.a) • Communicates assessment criteria and standards to students, including rubrics for student performances and participation (Varvel VI.D, ITS 5.b)
    • klsgwin
      klsgwin on 17 Jul 15
       
      Not any different from the Learning Targets we create for our Priority Standards for our face to face classes.
    • kylejclark
      kylejclark on 20 Jul 15
       
      This is critical with an online course.  Not only do your criteria and standards need to be clear, but you also must have an efficient way for students to seek clarification and ask questions, just like they would in a normal classroom.
  • 8. Adheres to, models, and guides ethical behavior, including technological use (ITS 8)
    • kylejclark
      kylejclark on 20 Jul 15
       
      This standard as a whole is my weak point.  My knowledge about copyright laws is minimal at best.
karenstock

Educational Leadership:Schools as Learning Communities:What Is a Professional Learning ... - 1 views

www.ascd.org/...-Learning-Community%C2%A2.aspx

shared by karenstock on 14 Feb 15 - Cached
    • karenstock
      karenstock on 14 Feb 15
       
      It seems like a good concept.  The school system in Decorah is adopting the PLC idea this school year.  I like how it moves some of the strain of helping students onto a larger community and not just on the classroom teacher.
  • karenstock on 14 Feb 15
     
    Professional Learning Communities
karenstock

PLC - 0 views

www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may04/vol61/num08/What-Is-a-Professional-Learning-Community¢.aspx

shared by karenstock on 14 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • karenstock on 14 Feb 15
     
    practical definition of a professional learning community
juliefulton

"Personalized" vs. "Personal" Learning - 36 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by juliefulton on 11 Jul 15 - No Cached
  • Tocqueville’s observations
  • A suffix can change everything
    • lisalillian311
      lisalillian311 on 14 Jul 15
       
      Harsh adverb.  Not all students analyze "ideas from the inside out".  I think that is something that personalized learning can teach them.
  • ‘We often say we want creativity and innovation – personalization – but every mechanism we use to measure it is through control and compliance.’
    • principalchris
      principalchris on 12 Jul 15
       
      This is a topic that has been discussed for years - But how do I grade the project??  I am glad I do not receive a grade for being the principal!
  • ...75 more annotations...
  • If we can’t engage our kids in ideas and explorations that require no technology, then we have surely lost our way.
  • One final caveat: in the best student-centered, project-based education, kids spend much of their time learning with and from one another. Thus, while making sense of ideas is surely personal, it is not exclusively individual because it involves collaboration and takes place in a community. Even proponents of personal learning may sometimes forget that fact, but it’s a fact that was never learned by supporters of personalized learning.
    • principalchris
      principalchris on 12 Jul 15
       
      I like the fact that Alfie Kohn makes the reader think.  He is a word smith and must love kids!
  • She cautions educators who may be excited about the progressive educational implications for “personalized learning” to make sure everyone they work with is on the same page about what that phrase means.
    • madonna63
      madonna63 on 12 Jul 15
       
      Educational Admin. needs to work with schools to come up with other forms of assessment that meet up with individualized forms of learning. 
    • marydermit
      marydermit on 12 Jul 15
       
      Yes, new forms of assessment will be needed with PL.  I think this maybe a challenge because standardized tests are tied to funding.  I am afraid standardized tests are here to stay until funding changes are made at the state /federal level.
    • ahawthorne
      ahawthorne on 13 Jul 15
       
      This is always an issue. Making sure everyone is on the same page.
    • lisalillian311
      lisalillian311 on 14 Jul 15
       
      I think my original comment about change being difficult for veteran teachers was deleted (accidentally by me).  Part of my statement mentioned the need for PD on PL.
    • nwhipple
      nwhipple on 15 Jul 15
       
      I agree that everyone needs to be on the same page.  Too many times we get bombarded in PD sessions and walk away with mixed emotions and different understandings about what we learned about.  PL needs to be a clear, cut definition amongst everyone in the building.  It wouldn't be a bad idea to have PD on PL.  Veteran teachers absolutely need to be up to date on reaching all learners and stepping themselves out of their comfort zones to help reach every student's needs individually, not in a whole group setting.  
    • dwefel
      dwefel on 15 Jul 15
       
      This will be a big challenge getting everyone on board.
    • kainley
      kainley on 16 Jul 15
       
      I agree that it would be a challenge to get everyone on the same page. I like the idea of PD, but how do we get our administrators to "buy in"? Then after that, how do you get people who are set in their way, especially if it is improving test scores, to change their thinking so we are focused on the whole child?
    • kburrington
      kburrington on 16 Jul 15
       
      I guess I would like to go back a step and look at how college educational departments are teaching Personal Learning. I would say most teachers are teaching the way they were taught. Maybe the change needs to start there also.
    • katie50009
      katie50009 on 16 Jul 15
       
      As a district we tried to define creativity during PD incorporating the 4C's. It was no easy task. It is even more difficult to measure!
    • juliefulton
      juliefulton on 22 Jul 15
       
      It seems as though we need a multi-phase approach at infusing PL in our educational systems. I agree with needing PD for our current teachers and that colleges need to be modeling PL for our new teachers. We also need to inspire our students to be individual thinkers rather than the 'check mark the box' learners that our system currently promotes.
  • best thing we can do for kids is empower them
  • he demands of the system — and education leaders’ desire to excel within it — lend themselves well to the computerized, modular and often very standardized system of “personalization” many ed-tech companies are offering.
    • marydermit
      marydermit on 12 Jul 15
       
      This sounds like more of the same unless PL stakeholders and teachers are involved in the R&D.
    • katie50009
      katie50009 on 16 Jul 15
       
      When thinking about the constraints of our current system--Common Core, standards assessments, pacing guides, etc.--I wonder if PL will become anything more than a dream or a small scale implementation.
  • Personalized learning entails adjusting the difficulty level of prefabricated
  • Big questions, passion, personal interest are what should drive our use of technology, not the other way around.
  • “Personalized” learning is something that we do to kids; “personal” learning is something they do for themselves. In a world where we can explore almost every interest or passion in depth on our own or with others, it’s crucially more important to have the dispositions and the skills to create our own educational opportunities, not be trained to wait for opportunities that someone else has selected for delivery.
    • madonna63
      madonna63 on 12 Jul 15
       
      Educators will need to be informed on what it will look like for students to take these opportunities which won't be directed by us or possibly by curriculum. They will need to learn how to help students on this path and not hinder them.
    • marydermit
      marydermit on 12 Jul 15
       
      PD is vital for teachers.  If left out it will not be good for anyone most of all the students.  
    • spfantz
      spfantz on 13 Jul 15
       
      This definition is vague, I too would like to look at specific curriculum pathways and opportunities. Seeing personalized learning in action, and the role of the teacher would be interesting.
    • Alison Ruebel
      Alison Ruebel on 13 Jul 15
       
      I now understand more the difference between "personalized" and "personal" learning, but I do agree that staff and administrators need to be more informed and given specific examples or experiences to help us learn more about implementing it and what our role is as a teacher. It would be nice to be given examples of this in action. It seems so confusing once you think about how teachers do this in the classroom, but I think it can make a big difference in schools and student learning in the future. 
    • Jessica Athen
      Jessica Athen on 13 Jul 15
       
      This quote really helped me to understand more of what we are learning about. 
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      Agreed, this is a very helpful statement, but I think I would also agree that I would like to see what PL looks like. (Alissa Hansen)
    • bakersusan
      bakersusan on 15 Jul 15
       
      This is a very helpful statement, PD with time to implement is important for success. In addition to teachers being educated about PL, parents will also need to be educated. In my district as we have tried to incorporate more technology, unless the parents are in agreement, the changes have not been successful.
    • kaberding
      kaberding on 16 Jul 15
       
      I have a better understanding of personalized learning vs. personal learning.  I like how the author states the difference; it makes it very easy to differentiate between the two terms.  In regards to the rest of the statement, I think that professional development is a vital key in getting teachers "on board" with this concept.  I have cotaught with many general education teachers, and it is difficult for some to see how this will work and what this can look like.  A bank of teachers "in action" would be great for all teachers to access to get ideas!  
    • kburrington
      kburrington on 16 Jul 15
       
      I totally agree that there are a lot of people who would have to get on board. I now realize that I'm just providing personalized learning with my Odysseyware, not personal learning by any means.
  • moving ownership of learning away from the teacher and more toward the student.
    • madonna63
      madonna63 on 12 Jul 15
       
      Our current way of teaching is somewhat like a 'helicopter mother'. We aren't letting students try and fail on their own, without us being there to catch them. We need to be more of a teacher/resource person to instruct and /or guide when needed. Also, like a grandmother-giving positive feedback.
    • marydermit
      marydermit on 12 Jul 15
       
      We do not teach students that failure is part of learning or the importance of what we can learn from a failed attempt. Sticky notes are a perfect example.
    • spfantz
      spfantz on 13 Jul 15
       
      Some of the online programs such as Khan Academy and E2020 are the epitomy of nonpersonalized learning, yet we are enrolling more and more students each year.
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 13 Jul 15
       
      This is where students could/should be encouraged to seek out resources that fit their individual interests.  It is a step in the right direction, but needs to be applied in a way that will help students become stronger learners. 
    • ahawthorne
      ahawthorne on 13 Jul 15
       
      I agree the online programs are just classroom lectures put on the computer and are more of the same. 
    • jroffman
      jroffman on 15 Jul 15
       
      I think it is a great idea to have students be responsible or the "owner" of their own learning, we need to get parents and administration on board with this, I feel that way too often it is the teachers fault or the schools fault when kids are not learning. 
    • dwefel
      dwefel on 15 Jul 15
       
      I have to admit, I am that 'helicopter mother' teacher sometimes. I agree, teachers need to find individual interests in students and figure out how they want to learn and step away and allow students to figure out how they learn best, even if they do fail at first.
  • It requires the presence of a caring teacher who knows each child well.
    • madonna63
      madonna63 on 12 Jul 15
       
      The idea of each student having a teacher(s) know her/him well is vital. We don't want students just being set free and only "check in" as they go along. They will feel very disconnected and alone. They need to be known, cared for. Teachers might have times during the year when she gets her students together to do activities to get to know each other, celebrate holidays, etc.
    • marydermit
      marydermit on 12 Jul 15
       
      I like your idea of getting students together for a celebration It could be a celebration of learning to highlight student work / projects.  This fits into the PL model of "learn to learn, learn to do, learn to be." 
    • lisalillian311
      lisalillian311 on 14 Jul 15
       
      I wonder in an ideal PL environment what the student/teacher ratio should be?  Large classes are tough to get to know students in the way that PL suggests
    • nwhipple
      nwhipple on 15 Jul 15
       
      "Ah Ha".. every teacher who is there for their students should know their students well.  Not only how they learn, but about their family life and themselves personally.  Building a relationship with each child is huge.  I couldn't imagine walking into my room every morning and not wanting to connect with each student, individually and personally, daily.  If teachers aren't going to be caring and willing to get to know each of their students, then they shouldn't be allowed to have their minds to mold.  
    • jroffman
      jroffman on 15 Jul 15
       
      Part of the requirement of the Voluntary 4 year old preschool program is that I go to each home before school starts and do a home visit. I love it, I think it is the best idea ever and I really think all elementary teachers should do it. I really think that I make a strong connection with all of my students by having them meet me in their home where they are in the most control. Even though I know each child very well I just feel like there is not enough of me to go around, there are always those one or two students that require more time and energy while the rest are kind of on their own.
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      I think home visits are wonderful, although I am not sure my high school students would want Mrs. Hansen coming to their house! ha ha. I do make it a priority to keep the lines of communication open with families, in fact, I send out emails weekly (personal), make calls (5 a day, positive and negative), and even send out personal welcome letters at the start of the year. It makes quite the difference in how my students work for me! (Alissa Hansen)
  • echnology was strikingly absent from these conversations. Instead, the common view of personalization focused on giving agency for learning to the student and valuing each individual in a classroom.
    • spfantz
      spfantz on 13 Jul 15
       
      The definitions we have read about personalized learning incorporate technology as an important piece of the personalized learning experience, so this surprises me.
    • Alison Ruebel
      Alison Ruebel on 13 Jul 15
       
      Yes this surprised me too! A lot of my kids learn best through using technology since they are surrounded by it today within this generation, and engages them more so to me it makes sense to have technology be a big part of personalized learning. 
    • Lisa Hackman
      Lisa Hackman on 13 Jul 15
       
      I agree! How can technology not be part of the personal learning environment? There are so many opportunities for students to use technology to reach out to others all over the world for collaboration. Technology doesn't have to be relegated only to ed-tech programs.
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      I guess the idea behind the technology is to use it so students have the freedom to gather authentic and meaningful information to help them towards mastery, instead of using technology just for technology sake. A lot of us do, but I have definitely encountered classrooms that like the idea of having technology in the classroom, but it does nothing to further learning in students. (Alissa Hansen)
    • bakersusan
      bakersusan on 15 Jul 15
       
      I think with this statement, the author is trying to remind us that personalized learning is more than technology. You don't have to use technology to truly personalize learning for students but that it can be one of the "tools" in the teacher's toolbox to help students learn.
    • lisa noe
      lisa noe on 16 Jul 15
       
      I think that the author is implying that technology itself shouldn't be the teacher but more like a partner in learning. I personally think that too many times technology impedes learning.  Students don't have to think or try to figure something out, they can just Google the answer.  If all the answers in the universe can be found in Google what is the point of learning?  We need students to think of things that aren't out there yet.  To discover the unknown.  
  • specific curriculum that will be evaluated on standardized tests, while at the same time telling teachers to be innovative and creative within their classrooms
    • spfantz
      spfantz on 13 Jul 15
       
      This sentence does appear to be a contradiction. Requiring teachers to teach a specific curriculum while infusing innovation and creativity is a challenge.
    • nwhipple
      nwhipple on 15 Jul 15
       
      I absolutely agree with you!  It is VERY hard to teach the specific standards for the test while wanting to be creative.  More projects take time and time is inevitable.  We need more time to make learning "fun" and "meet all the standards".  I find kindergarten to be a challenge to balance the standards and crafts/fun.  I know I tried hard this year to let the kids "play" at their tables during math and reading with manipulative instead of constantly doing pages from our math/reading books.  
    • emilyzelenovich
      emilyzelenovich on 13 Jul 15
       
      Curiosity is something I really see lacking in some students today (at least high school students).  Many have a really hard time thinking of things they want to know or learn about or believe they can just get the answer to a question by looking online.  I have many students, who when given the chance to research a topic of their choice, believe they aren't interested in anything. This would be a challenge with peronalized learning. 
    • lisalillian311
      lisalillian311 on 14 Jul 15
       
      I agree: curiosity has to have motivation.  I allow students to choose their research topic, and once they delve into it, they start asking me questions, which, in turn, I help them find internet info that might send them in the right direction.  Then, they fly!
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 14 Jul 15
       
      Sadly, I too have seen more and more lack of innovation and creativity with students and the issue is on the rise it seems. I know with my own experiences as a high school English teacher that students really struggle coming up with their own original ideas, and even with lots of guidance and modeling beforehand. It's as if they do not trust themselves to make a good decision and this is so sad! I try to be very eclectic with how I teach the curriculum and my students will tell you that they do have a lot of choice and voice in my class, but they still need to meet standards and achieve mastery at some levels. I just don't know what it is that seems to be holding students back anymore. I do think PL can help this issue, but I do think that students will have difficulty (as with any chance) getting into such a different system if they already struggle being authentic, generating original ideas, and being creative. (Alissa Hansen)
    • Alison Ruebel
      Alison Ruebel on 13 Jul 15
       
      This is very true in many schools. I can relate to this, since our school has been focused on following our new school's reading curriculum this year and focusing on test scores each week. It isn't allowing us to be creative in our classrooms. How do we change the views of administrators to help them allow us to have more personalized learning in our classrooms?
    • kainley
      kainley on 13 Jul 15
       
      I worry about adding personalized learning to our environment too. We have seen 20% growth in reading scores on Iowa Assessments as we switched our Tier One instruction to a new curriculum. I think our curriculum and the way that teachers are constantly looking at data and working together to create better ways to meet student needs (small group instruction, mixing up classes, intensive guided groups, etc.) has been successful. I wonder how personalized learning lends it self to standardized tests...although the voice of reason in the back of my mind keeps reminding me that one test on one day is no way to measure what a student knows...or for that matter who they are!
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 14 Jul 15
       
      We have seen a lot of growth with Iowa Assessments too, and it is a result of the amazing teachers in our building and the data teams. I do wonder what assessments look like in a PL environment. There has been a sharp focus on reading and math scores, and scores equate to funding, so I have a feeling that this would be a hard sell...sadly. How can the bureaucracy of the educational world come to terms with what learners truly need/want? I guess this is always up for debate, and once you add in the giving "students the freedom to follow a meaningful line of inquiry, while building the skills to connect, synthesize and analyze information into original productions," it tends to scare people.
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      (last comment was from Alissa Hansen)
    • jenniferlb
      jenniferlb on 15 Jul 15
       
      This is a true concern, as we have pre and post assessments for each unit to gauge their mastery of the standards.  While I find that information valuable, it is a struggle (and great concern) for many of my colleagues regarding the "freedom" to be creative in how they approach the standards.  I hope to better understand how the idea of innovation and creativity can coexist with necessary curriculum through PL.  Sharing that with concerned colleagues will be a great boost to morale, for sure!
  • The larger point is this: This moment of huge disruption requires us to think deeply about our goals and practices as educators, and it requires us to think deeply about the language we use. Words matter. More importantly, our thinking about what we want our kids to learn and our changed roles in that process matters. I’m suggesting that right now, because of the Web and the plethora of new technologies, the best thing we can do for kids is empower them to make regular, important, thoughtful decisions about their own learning, what they learn and how they learn it, and to frame our use of language in that larger shift, not simply in the affordances for traditional curriculum delivery that the tools of the moment might bring.
    • Jessica Athen
      Jessica Athen on 13 Jul 15
       
      I had the pleasure of listening to Will Richardson speak at our school two years ago. I learned so much from his presentation and I was so excited about all of the ideas he provided for our district. I was saddened by how many teachers in our district were really turned off by Will, and felt that the presentation was a waste of their time. Unfortunately, because of this pervasive attitude, we never really proceeded with his ideas for our district.
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 13 Jul 15
       
      These ideas require teachers to thinking beyond the traditional model, which is difficult for most to do or think about.  His example about flipping is a good example, it could be used to really create students who know how to learn, but most don't use it in a way that encourages personal learning. 
    • dwefel
      dwefel on 15 Jul 15
       
      I love this section. It really talks about students taking charge of their learning. I think it is so important for kids to make goals and to really understand where they are and where they need to be. It is neat when students can see where they started and where they end and realize that working towards goals really pays off. (Dana Wefel)
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      Yes, students will only learn that metacognition and how it works by making their own goals and plans of action. I try to have my freshmen do this at the start of each school year and we revisit the list through the year. It is hard for them to create goals, even with modeling, however, so this is something that needs a lot of work (both the teaching of the concept and creating the goals). 14 and 15 year olds have a hard time seeing past the right now, and most struggle even more with articulating what they struggle with and what they are good at. I want to really help my students with this aspect as that will really help us get close to a PL environment. (Alissa Hansen)
  • That was flipping the curriculum, but it still wasn’t flipping the control of the learning.
    • Jessica Athen
      Jessica Athen on 13 Jul 15
       
      I have never really understood how flipping a classroom is supposed to be the future of education like so many educators are saying it is. 
    • bakersusan
      bakersusan on 15 Jul 15
       
      I totally agree. If I use the definition of flipping explain by this article, I've been flipping my classroom for most of my career.
  • Dozens of teachers agreed that a truly personalized learning experience requires student choice, is individualized, meaningful and resource rich. This kind of learning allows students to work at their own pace and level, meets the individual needs of students, and perhaps most importantly, is not a one-size fits all model. T
    • Jessica Athen
      Jessica Athen on 13 Jul 15
       
      This statement does a great job of summarizing the goals of personalized learning, but I find myself wondering how we can move in this direction? There are so many changes that need to be made at every level of education and government that it seems almost impossible that we will actually ever be able to provide this type of environment to our students.
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 13 Jul 15
       
      Doesn't it also mean a lower student-to-teacher ratio? I also think it seems nearly impossible to implement on a wide scale basis. 
    • ahawthorne
      ahawthorne on 13 Jul 15
       
      I agree the system needs to change from top to bottom. If we aren't able to see change in the levels of education we will continue to struggle to see significant change.
    • Lisa Hackman
      Lisa Hackman on 13 Jul 15
       
      I agree whole-heartedly Jessica! Transitioning from a more traditional model to a personal learning model would be a HUGE undertaking. We aren't just talking about PreK-12 education, but post-secondary as well. Teacher preparation programs would need to be overhauled as well. How does everyone get on the same page in terms of what Personal Learning means and what it involves? There is much work to be done at all levels of the educational system as well as the government that funds the public educational system. I can't really wrap my head around this monumental task.
    • ascallon
      ascallon on 14 Jul 15
       
      I agree students need to make their own choices.  How does the teacher motivate the student to choose more than the basics to get by.  Many students I see want to do the bare minimum and nothing more.
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 14 Jul 15
       
      I agree that change is going to be difficult and that the entire educational system would need to be revamped, and that would also mean students would need to be trained for this type of learning environment because they have been born into this "one size fits all" system. I am curious what that training would look like. I am also thinking that communities that are homes to these schools would also need to be educated on personalized learning, or I fear major problems. (Alissa Hansen)
    • nwhipple
      nwhipple on 15 Jul 15
       
      I changed up my teaching this year and did less large group time and more centers and small group instruction time.  I found that my time with a small group worked really well because it was individualized by what their needs were.  However, I am still tweaking my centers and how the kids motivate themselves.  I have things for them to do, but to get them to do "more" is the hard part, unless you are scaffolding it, constantly.  (Natalie Whipple)
    • moodyh
      moodyh on 15 Jul 15
       
      In my traditional high school classes, I am trying to work towards a more personalized classroom experience, (although I realize in taking this class that it's actually more of a differentiation approach.) I think someone has to initiate the change and make it successful and more people will try it.  
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      I am curious what you are doing to make your high school classroom more personalized. I am trying to do the same thing, but is very tough as I have classes of over 25 and see over 100 students everyday. I want this as my goal, but it seems like quite the mountain to climb. I like doing small groups, but my biggest issue is that I only see students for 45 minutes. I am not sure that is enough time to create a truly "meaningful line of inquiry, while building the skills to connect, synthesize, and analyze information into original products." (Alissa Hansen)
    • edamisch
      edamisch on 15 Jul 15
       
      What if a student's pace is excruciatingly slow?  How will a teacher ever get through everything? 
  • Certain forms of technology can be used to support progressive education, but meaningful (and truly personal) learning never requires technology.
    • ahawthorne
      ahawthorne on 13 Jul 15
       
      Some of my students are so sick of technology - and good for them. We need to remember it doesn't solve everything. 
    • lisa noe
      lisa noe on 15 Jul 15
       
      I agree with this statement.  Learning is a process of discovery, the acquisition or knowledge and sklls, and although you can learn many things by googling information, true learning goes beyond that.  You must know how and when to use this information.
    • bakersusan
      bakersusan on 15 Jul 15
       
      I too agree with this statement. Technology is a tool and shouldn't be expected to solve "problems" within education. I work in a 1:1 school, and as staff have come to a better understanding of technology and what it can and can't do, I see more true learning taking place. Once still has to remember that the most important component of learning are the people, not computers, iPads, etc...
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
       Agreed! I have students who cannot even tell time on a clock that is not digital or read a map...this is where things are going if we use technology for technology sake. (Alissa Hansen)
  • However, in order to navigate the system of accountability in the U.S. educational system, many school district leaders require public school educators to teach a specific curriculum that will be evaluated on standardized tests, while at the same time telling teachers to be innovative and creative within their classrooms. When that happens, the structures around the classroom leave little room for the kind of authentic, whole-child personalization many teachers dream of offering. The demands of the system — and education leaders’ desire to excel within it — lend themselves well to the computerized, modular and often very standardized system of “personalization” many ed-tech companies are offering.
    • Jessica Athen
      Jessica Athen on 13 Jul 15
       
      This statement really resonated with me. I feel like as a teacher, we are supposed to "do it all." We are supposed to meet the individual needs of each student while also providing a mandated one size fits all curriculum with the goal of better test scores, and if we can't do all of this, then we are told that we have failed as teachers.
    • Lisa Hackman
      Lisa Hackman on 13 Jul 15
       
      Standardized testing is not consistent with personal learning. So how would schools be evaluated for progress? I don't see standardized testing going away anytime soon, but then again, it will take a long time to implement personal learning in a school, let alone the entire state and country.
    • Alison Ruebel
      Alison Ruebel on 13 Jul 15
       
      Interesting and good point! I think this is important for all educators to realize and know that personal learning should never require technology. We need to use it to support our student's on going learning.
  • ‘We often say we want creativity and innovation – personalization – but every mechanism we use to measure it is through control and compliance.’
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 13 Jul 15
       
      Maybe the idea of grading needs to be evaluated.  Even standards based grading does the same thing.  
    • ahawthorne
      ahawthorne on 13 Jul 15
       
      This is always a difficult. How do we address this?
    • lisalillian311
      lisalillian311 on 14 Jul 15
       
      We use common rubrics that we design as a staff and use CCS as our guide.  It is difficult to set up at first, but it becomes second nature after a while.  On standardized writing, we set a baseline on three different student submissions so we are all on the same page while grading with the rubric, and we all understand what "proficient" and "approaching" clearly mean.  I have done this in two different districts--perhaps it is the same all over?
    • kainley
      kainley on 15 Jul 15
       
      We also use common rubrics that we designed. We are constantly changing them as we learn more about the standards. I love your idea of bringing submissions to a PLC and discussing what is truly proficient. I do wonder, how did you get your team to be brave enough to share?
  • not about giving students what they want, it’s about a
    • ahawthorne
      ahawthorne on 13 Jul 15
       
      This is always a fear of mine. So difficult to not do for them what we really need them to do!
  • recommended learning path just for them.
  • Personalization is often used in the ed-tech community to describe a student moving through a prescribed set of activities at his own pace.
    • Lisa Hackman
      Lisa Hackman on 13 Jul 15
       
      As a user of a couple ed-tech products, they are really no different than what happens in the traditional classroom. Students are receiving the same content but in a different way. This is still not a personal learning opportunity but an individualized learning opportunity. All of the students are still meeting the same objectives and completing the same work. There is really nothing personal about it. In a weak defense of these products, I have had students do quite well using ed-tech programs. They were at least showing up to school on a more consistent basis and completing work. That doesn't necessarily mean that it was the best way for them to learn but it was a slight improvement over their previuos experience in the traditional high school setting.
    • ascallon
      ascallon on 14 Jul 15
       
      I don't think using a program like Edgenuity is personalizing for students.  All students use the same program.  I think it's more differentiation and individualization.
    • bleza66
      bleza66 on 16 Jul 15
       
      I agree with you that programs like Edgenuity are more about differentiation or individualization and not personalization but I think we can get there with programs like this if we can get the publishers to adapt them for more personalized choices. It can be built into the programming and if there is enough market f  or it they will create it. Education is a  slow moving train but with time and a push from educators this can and I believe will happen in the future.
  • because of the larger preoccupation with data data data data data.
    • ascallon
      ascallon on 14 Jul 15
       
      A comment from a recent high school grad--standardized tests don't show individuality yet schools are funded by test scores. 
  • Tracking kids’ “progress” with digital profiles
    • ascallon
      ascallon on 14 Jul 15
       
      I don't think it's fair that one test has so much value for a student.  Iowa Assessment scores are used for PSEO criteria, class placement.  If the student tests poorly due to illness, classroom environment, or just a bad day--it can have quite an effect on his/her future classes.
  • their choices are limited to when — or maybe, if they’re lucky, how – they’ll master a set of skills mandated by people who have never met them.
    • lisalillian311
      lisalillian311 on 14 Jul 15
       
      I worry about students who have gotten all the way to high school with a lack of intrinsic motivation.  So many are off track to graduate, so I guess I wonder how PL will help these kids if they already lack motivation.  Often, their goals are to be in a trade, which is fine, but they may see their parent making this work look easy.  For PL, I feel cautious around motivating the hard-to-motivate.
    • emilyzelenovich
      emilyzelenovich on 18 Jul 15
       
      This is one of my greatest concerns as well. I have so many students who struggle to find anything to write about, read about, talk about that matters or is thought provoking to them. How would they handle the flexibility and independence that comes with PL? 
  • If we can’t engage our kids in ideas and explorations that require no technology, then we have surely lost our way.
    • lisalillian311
      lisalillian311 on 14 Jul 15
       
      Not every subject lends itself to technology, such as science, which requires hands-on lab work.
    • moodyh
      moodyh on 15 Jul 15
       
      Another image comes to mind. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/1d/eb/5c/1deb5c1cf49a5dbb7689131f3cc8b9a9.jpg I am all for technology as an OPTION, not as a requirement.
    • jenniferlb
      jenniferlb on 15 Jul 15
       
      I totally agree! It is a seemingly impossible task to get students to put aside their technology for the sake of real world interaction.  I use technology, and invite them to use technology when appropriate and, ahem, innovative ;) but to get them interested in a novel is becoming increasingly difficult.  I feel that I share my passion for what we're learning, but it is a constant struggle to keep them interested without a screen.
    • kburrington
      kburrington on 16 Jul 15
       
      I think of my favorite teachers and the classes I felt I learn the most in and I never remember there being a computer there. Technology is a tool not a substitute for teaching. KB
  • artificially personalized
  • Personalization is often used in the ed-tech community to describe a student moving through a prescribed set of activities at his own pace. The only choice a student gets is what box to check on the screen and how quickly to move through the exercises. For many educators that’s not the true meaning of “personalized learning.”
    • sheilig
      sheilig on 15 Jul 15
       
      Is this where Skoolbo, Moby Max, Scootpad, and other sites like these fit? 
  • Simpler strategies, such as having kids choose, read, and discuss real books from the library may be more effective
    • sheilig
      sheilig on 15 Jul 15
       
      YES! I don't see kids free reading enough. It's an inexpensive, easy, and effective strategy. It can be done when the internet is down, too! (I'm saying this because there have been times when we have lost power or internet and kids feel we should cancel school!)
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      hahaha. I have heard that from so many of our students, and believe me, a little too often than not because our school is moving closer to 1-to-1 and it has done a number to the stability of the Internet, so of course as the district was increasing our bandwidth, there were a number of hours we lost power. But of course, I have students read independent reading novels each semester and create a project/presentation over what they choose, this gave them time to read in class! Most students really enjoyed reading a book, but I did have students look at me like I was crazy, "What, a book that is 100 pages or more?!"  (Alissa Hansen)
  • She cautions educators who may be excited about the progressive educational implications for “personalized learning” to make sure everyone they work with is on the same page about what that phrase means.
    • sheilig
      sheilig on 15 Jul 15
       
      There is so much information out there that talks about "personalized learning." So, yes, I agree that everyone in the district needs to be on the same page about the definition and ways to implement it.
  • We often say we want creativity and innovation – personalization – but every mechanism we use to measure it is through control and compliance
    • kainley
      kainley on 15 Jul 15
       
      This is exactly why I think that PL will be a hard sell to my district. We ARE seeing growth on the test...does that mean that we are taking into account the whole child...no. However, this is how we measure growth and I'd like to know how we can even change that?
  • ‘We often say we wan
  • don’t lear
  • it is clear that all children don’t learn the same way and personalization seems to honor those differences.
    • nwhipple
      nwhipple on 15 Jul 15
       
      I agree that not all students learn the same way, especially at age 5.  I honor their learning differences daily but I am often challenged by grouping them based on their ability  and fitting in time to have them reach the standard for the day on their own.  The common core wants all kids proficient by the end of their school year in all their standards.  It gets tricky to personalize every child's learning and have them do it at their own pace when some may take 4-5 weeks to accomplish 1 standard.  This is where I worry about not having enough hours in the day and days in the school year.  
    • jroffman
      jroffman on 15 Jul 15
       
      I agree too! Not all students learn the same way I also think that is why now in the preschool classroom I am having to teach students how to play. I think that even at a very young age kids are taught to wait and be told what to do. I always think back to my youngest brother who struggled in school, and how he was told he would never make it. He went into farming and now at the age of 26 bought his first farm and milks over 100 cows, I would say he is successful even though he didn't make all of the common core goals. 
    • jenniferlb
      jenniferlb on 15 Jul 15
       
      When I think of the work I do with high school students, this is clearly something we deal with every day.  I present information in a variety of ways to attempt to meet the needs of different learning styles and I really try to "keep it moving" to avoid losing the attention of very "short-attention-spanned" kids! I think we can all relate to this, and I certainly agree that personalization will help adjust traditional learning to meet the needs of all students a little better. (Jennifer Betz)
  • A personalized environment gives students the freedom to follow a meaningful line of inquiry, while building the skills to connect, synthesize and analyze information into original productions.
    • kainley
      kainley on 15 Jul 15
       
      I love that students get choice. I love that they are connecting, synthesizing and analyzing. I love that they are creating something original. I guess I am wonder what a personalized environment would be for PL. In my class we follow the Daily 5 and with that, we have a comfortable reading space, cushions that can be brought to anywhere in the room, soft lamp light, tables for 4-6 students to work together, buddy areas.."home-looking." I mean is that what this is, or am I way off base?
    • jroffman
      jroffman on 15 Jul 15
       
      I struggle with creating a personalized classroom because of space, when students start projects one day they have to be put away at the end of play time otherwise we won't have space for large group or table activities. I also struggle with enough adults in the classroom, students are not comfortable with that much freedom and want a teacher next to them for guidance, but one teacher to 18 kids just doesn't work most of the time. My other issue is a personal issue I am an all or nothing type of person and I get frustrated when it doesn't look like I think it should. In reality I am probally doing an okay job with personalized learning, but I have LOTS of improvements to make. 
  • the industrialized form of education that pumps out cookie-cutter students with the same knowledge and skills.
    • lisa noe
      lisa noe on 15 Jul 15
       
      I agree that many students have difficultly thinking outside of the box.  I believe that is because we have quashed individuality.  We ask everyone to conform to our standards.  Our society has a habit of criticizing those that go against the norm.  We expect all students to follow the same path and to want the same things.  Students don't want to be embarrassed for thinking or looking differently.  I see this happen frequently during group work.  There always seems to be a strong-minded individual who takes charge.  Many times other members' voices are never heard even though they may have equally as good of ideas, if not better.  Many students have zero confidence in themselves so they never stand up and let their voice be heard.  Hence, cookie cutters. 
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      I am nodding my head in agreement to your every statement here Lisa. With all of the assessments and data driven curriculum we have not given students any room or confidence to be creative or innovative. And when we do ask for it, students are so reluctant out of fear and that fear is paralytic. PL has so many benefits. Don't we want our future citizens to be innovators and critical thinkers? I think we do and our current educational system seems to imprison any originality. (Alissa Hansen.
    • bleza66
      bleza66 on 16 Jul 15
       
      I agree with both of you (Lisa and Alisson) students today are afraid of being different or standing out because they are afraid of not being accepted. I also agree that society has taught us this lesson all too well. However, if we begin to initiate higher order, more individualized thinking and expression of ideas at an early age then our societal norms will eventually begin to change and persoanalized individual learning will become the expectation and eventually the new norm. We can only hope and dream for that day to come. 
  • Three words seem to be dancing around in my head of late when it comes to current thinking about education: “personalization,” “engagement” and “flip.” All three were on display on the vendor floor and in session rooms at last week’s International Society for Technology in Education conference in San Diego, one of the largest ed tech conferences in the world attended by upward of 18,000 people.
  • It meets the needs of an individual in a very standardized way, but it doesn’t take into account who that kid is.
    • moodyh
      moodyh on 15 Jul 15
       
      This is what happened in my last school district.  The administration thought that a computer program could solve all the issues, but very few students learned well from a computer program.
    • kburrington
      kburrington on 16 Jul 15
       
      We have been finding that technology works good for some students but not for all. Sounds familiar kind of just like direct instruction.
    • jillnovotny
      jillnovotny on 19 Jul 15
       
      I think the issue is differences in the meaning of personalized learning. As we discussed in class previously, personalized learning is not the same thing as differentiation, which is supposed to meet students' needs. Personalized learning is truly about putting students in control of their learning and supporting them in developing that learning!
    • juliefulton
      juliefulton on 22 Jul 15
       
      When a student is unsuccessful in the traditional classroom we look to computer classes to fulfill the credit requirement. The focus is on successfully fulfilling the requirement rather than on learning. If schools were to turn to component recovery with a unit that allows personalized learning, the student could do both - learn and fulfill the graduation requirement.
  • Our kids (and we ourselves) are suddenly walking around with access to the sum of human knowledge in our pockets and connections to literally millions of potential teachers. It’s a dramatic shift that requires new literacies to navigate all that access and, importantly, new dispositions to take advantage of it for learning.
    • moodyh
      moodyh on 15 Jul 15
       
      This line makes me think of this image. https://marinarn.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/pic1.jpg I think there will have to be some re"training" for teachers and students to be able to deal with the vast sums of knowledge available to everyone.
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      Agreed! In my own English classroom, and I know I am not alone, students have access to millions of reviews and analyses of the literature we read in our own classroom so my goal is always to have them either create a product based on their own understanding of a concept, character, plot point, etc. or I do my best to give them choices for them to navigate their own understanding. A lot of "required" literature is all found online and there is so much out there on most aspects of each piece. Technology can make this aspect very difficult as students have all of this at their fingertips, and our goal as educators is for students to gain their own sense of meaning from what they have seen, read, heard, while also building skills that lead towards mastery along the way. (Alissa Hansen)
  • You want to really engage kids? Give them opportunities to learn personally, to create their own texts and courses of study, and to pursue that learning with others in and out of the classroom who share a passion.
    • dwefel
      dwefel on 15 Jul 15
       
      This is a great piece in the article. It really got me thinking of how boring school is for kids. As an educator I 100% want my students to be engaged and having fun learning. It would be so great to hear old kids tell their younger siblings how much fun school is!
  • Technology and the Web has radically changed that concept.
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      Technology has changed the way EVERYTHING is done in the classroom as students have access to EVERYTHING now. So, what can we do as educators to make sure they are having meaningful and authentic experiences in our classrooms? How do some of you deal with this issue? I know I put a lot of work into the in-class and out of class work that I have students do because many questions/answers can be found so quickly by students and this occurs anytime and anywhere. (Alissa Hansen)
  • “free to expand as a standardized individual.”[1]
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      I think this is a great quote that truly shows just how contradictory our world is! And especially with education. (Alissa Hansen)
    • principalchris
      principalchris on 16 Jul 15
       
      Alissa, I like this quote as well.  We are free to educate as long as everyone gets 100% on the standardized test.
  • more important to have the dispositions and the skills to create our own educational opportunities, not be trained to wait for opportunities that someone else has selected for delivery.
  • crucially more important to have the dispositions and the skills to create our own educational opportunities, not be trained to wait for opportunities that someone else has selected for delivery.
  • can explore almost every interest or passion in depth on our own or with others, it’s crucially more important to have the dispositions a
  • personalization only comes when students have authentic choice over how to tackle a problem
    • jenniferlb
      jenniferlb on 15 Jul 15
       
      I like how this is stated..."authentic choice." We all want to be given choice in what we do each day...personally or professionally.  I think it is imperative to give students choice, when possible, in their learning.  But, the term "authentic" is what strikes me, because when I think of the choice I'm able to give students, I question whether or not it is authentic. When I offer students their choice of six different novels to read for a unit of study, is that truly authentic?  I'm doubting so.  It is a struggle, for sure.
    • katie50009
      katie50009 on 16 Jul 15
       
      I was also struggling with the word "authentic" here. Or even "how to tackle a problem." What problem? Why is this an important problem to tackle? Why? Would the student agree that it is worth tackling much less how to tackle it?
    • juliefulton
      juliefulton on 22 Jul 15
       
      I like the use of "authentic" however I am equally curious how a teacher manages a situation when the student does not believe it is worth tackling the question, as the previous reader noted. This is a great example of a need for PD - help teachers with strategies to inspire their students to want to take chances and risks to learn.
  • personalization only comes when students have authentic choice over how to tackle a problem
  • personalization only comes when students have authentic choice over how to tackle a problem
  • the prevailing narrative seems to be that we can’t engage kids without technology, without a smartphone, tablet computer or some other multimedia device or tool.
    • edamisch
      edamisch on 15 Jul 15
       
      Technology is great and all, but it does have it's drawbacks.   A family friend was all excited that her baby could do XYZ on an iPad at a young age to find out later that her pediatrician thought that very thing might be why her speech was so delayed.  
  • better test scores
    • edamisch
      edamisch on 15 Jul 15
       
      I've been interviewing and the question every district seems to ask it about data, data, data.  Two and four years ago, this was not the case.  I believe this is because of the high stakes testing trend in recent years.  
  • individualism yet experience a “relentless pressure to conform.”
    • edamisch
      edamisch on 15 Jul 15
       
      This reminds me of the "hipster" trend - "let's all be different in the same way." 
  • “It’s so much cheaper to buy a new computer than to pay a teacher’s salary year after year.”[11]
    • edamisch
      edamisch on 15 Jul 15
       
      There are districts using Rosetta Stone as opposed to foreign language teachers out there! 
  • One final caveat: in the best student-centered, project-based education, kids spend much of their time learning with and from one another.
    • edamisch
      edamisch on 15 Jul 15
       
      I'll admit, there is one tiny, tiny part of me that thinks, "My parents' generation turned out alright without flipped/project-based/differentiated/insert every other educational buzzword here." Honestly sometimes I do wonder if all these best practice trends aren't leading to an egocentric, narcissistic  generation.  Selfies for example.  But then there's a larger part of me that knows the factory model doesn't work in education either.  
    • lisa noe
      lisa noe on 16 Jul 15
       
      I agree!  I think of all the amazing things that have been invented in history and wonder, how in the world did they do it without technology?!  I know that our world is changing, and that to continue to grow we must change, but sometimes things are better left as is. As I type that, I realize our educational system needs to be overhauled.  It's just that every time I turn around someone is trying to "sell" us something else they claim will work, and before we even have a chance to get it up and running something new comes along. :)
  • From what I’ve seen, flipping doesn’t do much for helping kids become better learners in the sense of being able to drive their own education
    • jenniferlb
      jenniferlb on 15 Jul 15
       
      I have to agree with this statement.  With high school students who are over-involved (or resistant to be involved in anything at all) homework is rarely a priority.  Perhaps for a math class or a world language class where they have actual "work" to hand in, but when it comes to students finding reading time outside of class and putting as much effort into English is a challenge, for sure.
    • emilyzelenovich
      emilyzelenovich on 18 Jul 15
       
      This is a common discussion in the English department at my school. We struggle to figure out how to make any kind of outside reading or homework a priority. We have tried providing more time in class, but then we often run out of time or students grow tired of doing one thing for too long. Trying to help them see value and meaning in the work we assign is tricky.
  • ‘We often say we want creativity and innovation – personalization – but every mechanism we use to measure it is through control and compliance.’
  • The Web has changed or is changing just about everything when it comes to how we think about the ways in which we communicate, collaborate and create.
  • It’s as if engaging them in learning without technology has become this impossible task.
    • kaberding
      kaberding on 16 Jul 15
       
      It is hard to compete with technology.  When I think of technology, I think of even simple things like a cd player, video (the old VHS), radio station (for current news), etc.  As educators, we have been using technology to teach since we could get our hands on it. How about a simple cassette player with the ABC song on it?  I'm sure every educator has put their hands on any technology device that can help their students gain a better understanding of what is being taught. So I tend to disagree with idea that we shouldn't have to engage students without technology.  We should have to engage them with whatever is out there; doesn't that contradict the whole idea of listening to lecture is not an effective teaching strategy?  Basically, when I think of the term technology, I think of any form of it; not just the Web.  
  • Personalization promises better student achievement and, I believe, a more effective delivery method than any one teacher with 25 or 30 students in a classroom can compete with.
    • kaberding
      kaberding on 16 Jul 15
       
      Personalization scares me to the extent that we are not only talking about teaching the content, but being an expert in whatever they choose as personal learning.  Or at least knowing how or where they can access all the information for their personal learning.  With class sizes only growing, I am nervous to see how planning, tracking, and assessing the learning will go.  
    • jillnovotny
      jillnovotny on 19 Jul 15
       
      I will admit, this is the component of personalized learning I have not yet been able to wrap my head around. In thinking about how to manage the learning of all students in the classroom when the content may be different is kind of intimidating. Teachers who have experience with personalized learning like project-based learning have shared that it is not as difficult as it might seem and that the students work harder than they do. I think it is important that people don't get the idea that it is a hands-off approach from the teacher; it is simply putting the learning in their control and supporting them with developing their learning!
  • personalization,” “engagement” and “flip
  • personalization,” “engagement” and “flip.”
  • personalization,” “engagement” and “flip.
  • personalization,” “engagement” and “flip
  • “personalization,” “engagement” and “flip
  • personalization,” “engagement” and “flip.
  • “personalization,” “engagement” and “flip.”
  • engagement
    • kaberding
      kaberding on 16 Jul 15
       
      When I think of these terms, I think of differentiation.  To me that is what personalizing, engaging, and flipping learning can be.  Only until you add the term personal does that change and move away from differentiation.  
  • system of accountability in the U.S. educational system,
    • katie50009
      katie50009 on 16 Jul 15
       
      I struggle with the systemic changes that will need to be made to have complete personalized learning for all students while still have some accountability for what goes on in the classrooms of America. I don't want to appear negative, and I am certainly for personalized learning, but I am conflicted on how this can happen and still have accountability
    • jillnovotny
      jillnovotny on 19 Jul 15
       
      I completely agree with you that there are a number of systematic changes that will need to occur before personalized learning really takes hold in the US. In my opinion, there are still many ways to keep teachers and students accountable through personalized learning (i.e. still meeting the standards but through a project-based way). It is going to take some time for policy makers and other stakeholders in education to realize the possibilities personalized learning has to offer. I think it starts with having success with it in our own classrooms and success only comes through a number of attempts! I like to think of it as "If not us, who? If not now, when?"
  • We often say we want creativity and innovation
  • whole-child personalization many teachers dream of offering.
  • Personal learning entails working with each child to create projects of intellectual discovery that reflect his or her unique needs and interests
    • jillnovotny
      jillnovotny on 19 Jul 15
       
      Whether you call it personal or personalized learning, this is what it is all about! To nurture students' natural curiosity, we want students learning about things they are passionate about. By supporting students in creating projects that reflect their unique needs and interests, we are truly teaching to the child. Again, this doesn't mean teaching one student about addition using basketballs and another ballet shoes, but about getting students actively involved in their learning and putting more of the control in their hands. 
  • the industrialized form of education that pumps out cookie-cutter students with the same knowledge and skills.
    • juliefulton
      juliefulton on 22 Jul 15
       
      I wholeheartedly agree with all of the comments and agree that we need to place emphasis on the young learners to change societal norms which are incredibly strong in the high school culture.
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