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Deb Henkes

Student Digital "Textbooks" - 0 views

livebinders.com/...play_or_edit

moodle_iowa collaboration tools textbooks livebinders

shared by Deb Henkes on 28 Jun 11 - No Cached
  • Deb Henkes on 28 Jun 11
     
    Here are Michael Thornton's student livebinders. These are textbooks written by the students. Except for the typo on Ancient Greece review, this is a marvelous example of having students build meaningful textbooks.Interestingly, Michael's livebinder puts together livebinders themselves.
LaRae Arment

"Personalized" vs. "Personal" Learning - 0 views

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

shared by LaRae Arment on 10 Jun 17 - No Cached
  • 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
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 10 Jun 17
       
      While I wanted to highlight this entire paragraph, I thought this was the one that stuck out the most. This was a really concise way to describe personalization and I just wanted to note how directly this section of the article addressed the entire issue of what this really is.
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 13 Jun 17
       
      Yes! This mantra can guide my new PBL course in the fall; writing it down now....
    • kathleenweyers
      kathleenweyers on 13 Jun 17
       
      Yes, this does fit with PBL!
  • Technology was strikingly absent from these conversations
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 10 Jun 17
       
      This was surprising to me. When I think of personalization, I tend to include technology in it. This idea makes total sense, though, because if a student doesn't view tech as necessary or it isn't part of it, it shouldn't be forced.
    • ecsexton1
      ecsexton1 on 11 Jun 17
       
      I always picture personalized learning with technology too, but then I think about what is the point of teachers? Parents could just home school their kids. I'm still kind of confused about the teacher's role in personalized learning.
    • kellijhall
      kellijhall on 11 Jun 17
       
      Honestly, this makes me happy to hear because a lot of educators are quick to jump to technology without evaluating what is truly needed.
    • eswartzendruber
      eswartzendruber on 14 Jun 17
       
      I am also surprised by this. Society now demands that students understand how to use technology, and I think as teachers we feel pressured to use the latest and greatest website/tool in our classrooms. I agree with Jared that if it isn't necessary or the student wants to use different tools for his/her work, they should be able to.
    • heidimeyer
      heidimeyer on 14 Jun 17
       
      This was shocking to me. Technology seems to be a huge part in every day learning for students. It's refreshing to know that it's not necessarily the best route to go.
    • jhenning40
      jhenning40 on 15 Jun 17
       
      This surprises me as well; technology is such and integral and inescapable part of our lives, especially those of our students, that I would think this would be high on the list.
    • annabrousard
      annabrousard on 19 Jun 17
       
      I, too, was very surprised about how technology was absent. I guess it does make sense because if a student does not want to use technology then they do not have to. It would be totally up to them.
  • We don’t need personalization as much as we need to promote and give opportunities for our kids to do personal learning
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 10 Jun 17
       
      I couldn't agree with this more. I think that a lot of personalization is actually allowing students to learn at their own pace, but in order through a prescribed curriculum. It may be more valuable to allow students to do some learning of what they want how they want.
    • ecsexton1
      ecsexton1 on 11 Jun 17
       
      How do you envision this working for you in your classroom? How do we get kids to do personal learning?
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 20 Jun 17
       
      I think the key words are "promote and give opportunities for our kids to DO." At all levels, kids are going to have more success from doing instead of just recreating or reenacting someone else's work/ideas. This is something I have worked on improving every year since some of my very first lessons taught.
  • ...53 more annotations...
  • having my students read the literature at home and come into class ready to discuss it
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 10 Jun 17
       
      Haha! As a former ELA teacher, several of my colleagues and I argued this exact point a few years ago. That's funny.
    • efabscha
      efabscha on 11 Jun 17
       
      This is still the expectation in many of our college classes!
    • rmeyer1130
      rmeyer1130 on 12 Jun 17
       
      And in band, we have always lived with a model of teaching during small lesson groups and then assigning home practice to gain mastery of a skill. I spend valuable teaching minutes teaching home practice strategies and reflecting on those strategies at lessons. I want kids to set goals and practice the lessons on their own at home.
  • they’ll master a set of skills mandated by people who have never met them
  • skills are acquired sequentially
  • context
    • ecsexton1
      ecsexton1 on 11 Jun 17
       
      I'm concerned that teachers are not teaching enough deep learning in the general education classroom in grade K-4. There is so much focus on getting 120 minutes of reading but it mainly goes toward the daily 5 and not enough connected learning to the world. How do we incorporate deep learning into the daily 5?
    • kathleenweyers
      kathleenweyers on 13 Jun 17
       
      good question! One way might be reading multiple books/articles on the same topic. More cross-curricular including SS and SCI topics
    • kspedersen
      kspedersen on 15 Jun 17
       
      I agree! That this can be tricky. The Daily 5 is a model and teachers need to figure out how to fill the model with meaningful material that accesses the whole child. I like the idea above about integrating other subjects into the reading block and I actually think that the Daily 5 model is a good way to do that!
  • of what deep learning now requires in a connected world.
  • better test scores. And, if that’s what we value as the most important outcome of schooling,
    • ecsexton1
      ecsexton1 on 11 Jun 17
       
      I had terrible test scores as a child and I get test anxiety about if I have enough time to finish the test. How can educators think that test scores are the best outcome for students?
  • 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.
    • efabscha
      efabscha on 11 Jun 17
       
      How can we use personalization when so much pressure is put on teachers and students to meet the core standards and to do well on standardized assessments?
    • rmeyer1130
      rmeyer1130 on 12 Jun 17
       
      Agreed. And while there are elements of PL that can be used within the current structure of our school system, I am not exactly sure I an visualize just how every student is learning and being assessed.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      This is exactly what I was referring to in an earlier comment - as teachers we do what we can in the paradigm we are in. I think part of the goal of courses like this is to create within our current confines.
    • kspedersen
      kspedersen on 15 Jun 17
       
      I agree with all of the above comments. For the sake of conversation, however, I would like to question how constraining our current structure truly is? Although we do use the common core/curriculum to tell us what we need to teach students, the core does not dictate how we teach them. I wonder if we sometimes create more obstacles for ourselves because, at the end of the day, it is perhaps easier to follow along in a manual than to create 25 separate lessons that involve more personalization.
    • annabrousard
      annabrousard on 19 Jun 17
       
      I love the idea of personalization however I feel if my principal walked in and saw all of my students doing different activities she would NOT be happy. She would ask me what learning scales everyone is working on and I am not sure I would know how to respond.
  • 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. It’s a no-brainer, right?
    • efabscha
      efabscha on 11 Jun 17
       
      So what does this mean? We will have more teachers? Or we will look to the students to act as teachers at times?
    • kellijhall
      kellijhall on 11 Jun 17
       
      How do we accomplish this within current reality?
    • rmeyer1130
      rmeyer1130 on 12 Jun 17
       
      I don't think it's as easy as a "no brainer," do you??
  • Certain forms of technology can be used to support progressive education, but meaningful (and truly personal) learning never requires technology
    • efabscha
      efabscha on 11 Jun 17
       
      This surprises me as there is such a push for technology in the classroom today!
    • kellijhall
      kellijhall on 11 Jun 17
       
      Not to mention how you are pushed into using it over paper-pencil when your district is 1-1. I worry about what message it is sending to my students when I struggle so much with reading their handwriting!
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 13 Jun 17
       
      It's a good reminder! Old-fashioned, face-to-face discussions and creative construction of meaning (i.e. brainstorming) still works!
    • kathleenweyers
      kathleenweyers on 13 Jun 17
       
      But technology can be a powerful tool for learning, creating, collaborating and such. Here is a simple example. Reading this article with other classmates and seeing their thinking pushes my thinking. How about connecting to an expert or author on Skype? That would create a learning opportunity far better than just reading about an author. Just saying, tech can be more powerful than the traditional methods of learning!
    • heidimeyer
      heidimeyer on 14 Jun 17
       
      I agree there is power in learning with technology. However, the kids today have lost the simple art of communication in person. We need to focus on building more relationships out from behind the screens. The Skype idea is something my school implements and is an awesome learning experience we couldn't have otherwise. However, the students need to know how to have the eye contact, confidence and ability to be prepared talk to someone. This is taught and learned away from a screen.
    • katieconnolly20
      katieconnolly20 on 15 Jun 17
       
      I babysit for many families and have seen the impact technology has on their home lives. Technology is so readily available. Children in today's society relay on technology in many ways and parents relay on it to entertain their children. With this said, I believe we will continue to see technology playing a key role in our schools. I feel that there is a time and place for technology to be used. Some people have commented that their schools are 1:1 with technology. As a kindergarten teacher and educator, I feel that technology has a time and place. However there are important skills that I strive to have my students learn without technology such as social skills and writing skills. It will be interesting to see how technology continues to be utilized in schools.
    • efabscha
      efabscha on 11 Jun 17
       
      But most kids love technology!? I guess it doesn't have to be a requirement, but it should always be a option!
  • ed-tech community to describe a student moving through a prescribed set of activities at his own pace.
    • efabscha
      efabscha on 11 Jun 17
       
      I like this idea, but the classroom management piece makes me a bit nervous.
    • kellijhall
      kellijhall on 11 Jun 17
       
      This is what is often explained to teachers when personalized learning is brought up.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 12 Jun 17
       
      If a course is truly personalized, shouldn't the student be creating the pathway and goals while the teacher guides rather than prescribing the activities?
    • kathleenweyers
      kathleenweyers on 13 Jun 17
       
      So this reminds me of ST Math or Reflex Math. Even though the students is self-paced, it would not be considered "PL" in the truest form because the teacher is still assigning the content.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 14 Jun 17
       
      I agree Kathleen! We individualize the content the student is deficient in by assigning skills but there is no student choice. Just some 'fun' in learning through the online program.
  • “We often say we want creativity and innovation – personalization – but every mechanism we use to measure it is through control and compliance,”
  • “personal” learning is something they do for themselves.
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 13 Jun 17
       
      Personalized vs. Personal Learning
    • heidimeyer
      heidimeyer on 14 Jun 17
       
      This was profound for me!
  • personalization only comes when students have authentic choice over how to tackle a problem.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 12 Jun 17
       
      Yes!! When there are authentic choices, student buy-in and motivation increases. I like how the author included the phrase 'tackle a problem.' In the workplace, our students will be expected to sovle authentic problems adn this is a great way to build those critical thinking and resilency skills.
    • heidimeyer
      heidimeyer on 14 Jun 17
       
      Yes!! I agree with you 100%. Nothing can prepare our students more than allowing them the opportunity to authentically tackle problems.
    • katieconnolly20
      katieconnolly20 on 15 Jun 17
       
      As you both said, I agree with this statement 100%. I think it is awesome to allow students to authentically chose how to handle a problem. In kindergarten, I teach the importance of problem solving. I give my students prompts that allow them to become respectful leaders. I think problem solving is a great life skill that students can benefit from no matter their grade level!
  • the prevailing narrative seems to be that we can’t engage kids without technology,
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 12 Jun 17
       
      I've noticed with my own students, that their excitement and engagement with technology has decreased as they increase the amount of time the are using technology in their gen. ed. classrooms. Since they are using technology to use programs that place them in a prescribed path after taking a placement test, they are loosing interest because they have lost the authentic connection to the content. The technology instruction is redundent and unpersonalized. They are missing the personal interactions with the teacher, discussing ideas with group members, and the choices provided in authentic learning. Students in my classroom are now more engaged through group work or hands on learning than technology.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 12 Jun 17
       
      Has anyone noticed this in their own classrooms as well? I believe technology should enhance instruction, not replace it in the elementary setting.
    • eswartzendruber
      eswartzendruber on 14 Jun 17
       
      Yes, I could see how this would be the case. We use a program similar to what you're discussing. As a district, we're supposed to be utilizing this online tool, but how effective is the tool if the students are no longer engaged with it?
    • annabrousard
      annabrousard on 19 Jun 17
       
      I definitely see this. I have trouble keeping my student's attention if I do not have the work projected onto the Smart Board.
  • monitor students’ progress
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 12 Jun 17
       
      This frame of thinking challenges me. As a special education teacher, we monitor progress on reading fluency weekly. We need to follow a research-based curriculum and every week my students are tested and we I evalute their graphs. This information is legally required. How can I impliment a true personalized learning experience for my students when I am required to teach a research based intervention? Has personalized learning been applied successfully in a special education setting?
    • kspedersen
      kspedersen on 15 Jun 17
       
      This is a really good question and one that I am wondering about as well. Although I teach in a general education classroom, we too have to follow certain guidelines and use research-based curriculum. I wonder if personalized learning is only feasible for students who are at or above grade level?
  • our thinking about what we want our kids to learn and our changed roles in that process matters
    • rmeyer1130
      rmeyer1130 on 12 Jun 17
       
      I love this article and what the author seems to be struggling with is what I struggle with. For the students enrolled in beginning band, I cannot make it a totally free learning environment. I can offer choice and give kids some freedom in choosing which exercises demonstrate learning targets, but what I want kids to learn is not really the student choice. Is it enough to say that band itself is an elective and if kids chose to explore band, then that is part of a personalized learning model?
    • rmeyer1130
      rmeyer1130 on 12 Jun 17
       
      I am all for student involvement in making some of their own choices as they learn, but maybe I can't look past the needs of my content area to imagine a change in paradigm for all learners
  • but every mechanism we use to measure it is through control and compliance.’
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 13 Jun 17
       
      We do function within a system...the question is how to negotiate that system to personalize for our students.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 13 Jun 17
       
      I think this is the hardest thing for both the teachers and students - it is easy to talk about PL, but once rubber hits the road it is very complex to make it work within the traditional confines of the school day and grading structures.
    • jhenning40
      jhenning40 on 15 Jun 17
       
      There seems to be a big contradiction, at least in my mind, with matching personalized learning to the need/desire to tie everything to particular standard and grade. Our current system and expectation of a grade seems to limit the true sense of personalized learning.
  • choice
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 13 Jun 17
       
      Ah- now I understand that if the choice is created and given by the teacher, it might not be personalization. Our district uses E 20/20 in some extreme cases and it generally does NOT meet any student's learning needs.
    • LaRae Arment
      LaRae Arment on 28 Jun 17
       
      I think this is where the disconnect is, many my district will do online learning but it isn't personailzed because it is driven by the program that the district uses and students just fly though he program to get done. In the end I don't think they learned anything from their courses. If it were personalized they would take more ownership in their learning.
  • resource rich
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 13 Jun 17
       
      Partnering with community businesses and community organizations.
    • jhenning40
      jhenning40 on 15 Jun 17
       
      That's a good point. There are often so many other experts within our own schools and communities who could be valuable resources for our learners.
  • agency
  • changing just about everything
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 13 Jun 17
       
      Makes me think of the directive "we can no longer teach what kids can simply Google." So, learning becomes more inquiry-based and connected to real-life purposes.
    • LaRae Arment
      LaRae Arment on 28 Jun 17
       
      I recently heard that if a student can google the answer then we are not teaching them the higher order thinking that the industries are seeking now in their future employees. Google tends to give the surface answers and not the think out of the box answers unless they take the time to really dive into resources (which most won't take that time).
  • drive their own education
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 13 Jun 17
       
      For me it keeps coming back to this: who drives the learning - the teacher or the student?
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 20 Jun 17
       
      Do they know how to identify what specifically does drive their own education? We do a lot of modeling before asking the students to do different work. I think this is going to take some brainstorming as to HOW to help kids see what helps them learn.
  • You’re “free to expand as a standardized individual.”[
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 13 Jun 17
       
      Ha! We have the "individual vs. society" discussion in my class each year and many students notice the irony of trying to be an individual by doing something that conforms to someone else's norms (i.e. dying your hair blue...like millions of other teens trying to be individuals is a classic 9th grader example).
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      This is a great point! It is hard to fit in and stand out:) It is hard to excel in school if you risk doing something different.
    • eswartzendruber
      eswartzendruber on 14 Jun 17
       
      I love reading your comments, Julie! That might be a challenge with personalized learning as well. Students struggle to be their own learner and achieve their personal goals - yet at this age, so many kids are drawn to the social dynamics of groups and trying to stay close in their developing friendships. As a fourth grade teacher I see students experimenting with the individual vs. group struggle on a regular basis. This will certainly be a challenge to stay on top of!
  • caring teacher who knows each child we
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 13 Jun 17
       
      Yes! The most important "method" of teaching.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      I think the core of PL is this - knowing the who/what/why/how for each student, this is true even within current school structures.
    • kspedersen
      kspedersen on 15 Jun 17
       
      I agree! We need to care about our students as people, not just as learners and I think that this will create great success for not only the teacher but for our students as well.
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 20 Jun 17
       
      While I agree, it takes MORE than caring! If caring is all it took, I'd be golden, but figuring out how to implement it for 50-100 kids is where I struggle. I hope to learn this by the end of the course.
  • not created by them
  • construction of meaning
  • learning with and from one another.
  • collaboration and takes place in a community.
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 13 Jun 17
       
      I am grateful to read this...my students report each year that some of their biggest "ah-ha" moments come from their peers. I know I learn so much each year from my students; there's no way I can be the "sage on the stage" when we're all in this learning thing together!
  • 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.
  • moving ownership of learning away from the teacher and more toward the student.
  • 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,
  • we cherish our commitment to individualism yet experience a “relentless pressure to conform.” Each of us can do what he likes as long as he ends up fundamentally similar to everyone else:
  • Personal learning entails working with each child to create projects of intellectual discovery that reflect his or her unique needs and interests.
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 20 Jun 17
       
      I'm sure this is an aim for most teachers. How to do it for EVERY student is what I hope to learn!
  • preoccupation with data data data data data.   Elsewhere, I’ve written about the folly of believing that everything can and should be reduced to numbers.[
  • For many educators that’s not the true meaning of “personalized learning.”
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      While I agree it isn't the true meaning, nor the widely accepted meeting, however I think it is the reality for what teachers can do in the current structure. When transcripts, grade scales, grade books and class sizes are currently where they are, this is the compromise or baby step towards the largest goal.
  • “personalized learning”
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      I think there is a difference between the technical definition and the operational definition. When you read about innovative schools who do all kinds of things, the easy criticism is that they can do what we can't. There is truth there, but the reality is that we need to try to do what is best for all of our students regardless of the status quo, especially when the status quo isn't working at the highest level.
  • It’s had an enormous effect on media, business, politics and journalism, and its effect on education
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      To his point, I think this statement is taken out of context to conflate tech and learning. Districts spend a lot of money on tech but not enough is done to change how teaching happens or tech pedagogy.
  • new dispositions to take advantage of it for learning.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      I believe this is the major gap. Many taking this course are already jumping in (or did a while ago) but I think we too often ignore where others are in relation to that change. There are still teachers who refuse to integrate anything but a few substitutions for what they have always done, instead of real change.
    • eswartzendruber
      eswartzendruber on 14 Jun 17
       
      That's when teachers who believe in this change of learning need to use student work and proof of student motivation in order to get other teachers on board!
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 20 Jun 17
       
      I would say, as educators, we fall into this trap when using technology. We need to look at what purpose the technology we are using is providing. Would it be more effective or simpler to understand without the newest technology? I'm not against technology, but sometimes we get so excited about what we found out on the internet that we don't keep an objective eye when choosing to implement it into our classrooms.
  • not be trained to wait for opportunities that someone else has selected for delivery
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      I think this connects well with the notion of dispositions - we need to create a system that supports learners who know how to learn - the whole candles to light instead of buckets to fill - but schools typically operate as bucket filling stations. A lot of students, families, and teachers need to support for this transition.
  • surely lost our way
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      I completely agree - I HATE hearing the word 'cool' when a learning about a new resource or tool. Things being cool doesn't lead to learning or engagement.
  • By assigning the lecture at home, we’re still in charge of delivering the curriculum, just at a different time
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      I think this is the current status of innovative teaching and learning for a lot of teachers. Flipped = Engagement = Innovative = Personalized etc. Really though, I think the good intentions are there, but the time, energy and resources aren't to move beyond intentions for a critical mass.
  • goals and practices
  • resemble standardized tests. When we hear a phrase such as “
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      This makes PL a tough sell - it isn't worth the time if it doesn't help the existing goals, but it isn't really PL if the goals are already defined.
  • reductive rubrics
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      I see a lot of SBG and SRG teachers explain how they can measure every discrete skill in an ELA standard with the right rubric, I feel that fits the cliche - seeing the forest through the trees. Every aspect of school can't be all or nothing - it is like the polar opposite of high stakes testing; a similar but different problem.
  • Personal learning tends to nourish kids’ curiosity and deepen their enthusiasm
    • heidimeyer
      heidimeyer on 14 Jun 17
       
      That's what I strive to do but the linear curriculum can really hold the teacher and student back.
  • t is clear that all children don’t learn the same way
    • katieconnolly20
      katieconnolly20 on 15 Jun 17
       
      How do we as teachers make sure that all students needs are met and that they are all able to gain the same amount of knowledge? I feel that there are so many different types of learners and sometimes as a teacher am overwhelmed by the different kinds of learns in my classroom. I struggle with how to meet each students needs to make sure I am doing my best as an educator.
    • jhenning40
      jhenning40 on 15 Jun 17
       
      I think an important piece is to help students (and parents) understand the type of learner they are. Students who know what works best for them (auditory, visual, reading silently and hearing it read out loud, etc.) can begin to take steps towards helping their learning and success.
    • annabrousard
      annabrousard on 19 Jun 17
       
      I wonder if schools will ever start grouping students by learning type. For example, if there are 3 sections of second grade, one teacher might teach to the auditory learners, one the visual learners, and one the hands-on type.
    • LaRae Arment
      LaRae Arment on 28 Jun 17
       
      I like the idea of grouping students by their learning styles. It would really hit that personalized learning. However, what would happen if there was an unbalanced separation in learning styles. Do you think that schools would accommodate or would it be too expensive? I see this working really well in both special educ classrooms and regular educ rooms.
  • 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.
    • katieconnolly20
      katieconnolly20 on 15 Jun 17
       
      I love this part of this text. As a kindergarten teacher, I believe it is important for students to have that exploration and discovery time in the classroom. They need to learn at a young age to be their own teachers. It has amazed me during our center time this past year what five and six year olds are able to discover and share with me!
    • LaRae Arment
      LaRae Arment on 28 Jun 17
       
      Yes! I think this can work at any level for learners. Why would we want to limit a learner to stop at a certain point and not stretch themselves in a direction that will better them as a students. I believe this is where students discover their interests and strong points with a little bit of freedom.
  • engagement”
  • industrialized form of education that pumps out cookie-cutter students
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 20 Jun 17
       
      These words used here could easily offend someone who has been in education, those who have created good lessons with ways to reach various children: "industrialized," "pumps out," and "cookie-cutter students." Not a great idea at the beginning of an article if you wish for veteran teachers to read and learn from ideas presented about personalized learning - might seem like another buzz term because there have been a lot of them throughout the years!
  • tware
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 20 Jun 17
       
      This is a problem in itself when there is no funding to do this!
  • “’Personalized’ learning is something that we do to kids; ‘personal’ learning is something they do for themselves.”[4]
  • “It’s so much cheaper to buy a new computer than to pay a teacher’s salary year after year.”[11]
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 20 Jun 17
       
      This is what I fear for the future of education! Going one-to-one and seeing the push for technology in lesson planning worries me that education is not going to need the person in the future!
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. 
Carol Price

Where Students Read Textbooks FREE | Flat World Knowledge | Flat World Knowledge - 0 views

www.flatworldknowledge.com

moodle_iowa

shared by Carol Price on 04 Apr 12 - Cached
    • Carol Price
      Carol Price on 04 Apr 12
       
      Denise, my name in Diigolet is cprice143. Carol
herdegenk

ollie1: Iowa Online Course Standards - 0 views

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

shared by herdegenk on 16 May 12 - No Cached
  • The requirements for student work, including student interaction, are clearly articulated
    • herdegenk
      herdegenk on 16 May 12
       
      When you give instruction in class, it is much more convenient and easier for students to ask you to clarify any part of the assignment.  Instructions and requirements given online need to be much more articulated than if they were read in class. 
  • All resources and materials used in the course are appropriately cited and obey copyright and fair use.
    • herdegenk
      herdegenk on 16 May 12
       
      Can someone clarify something for me?  I was once told that I could post a document to a website for educational purposes as long as the website was password protected.  For example, I could make a copy out of a textbook, convert it to a pdf file and post it to my Moodle website so students wouldn't have to bring their textbook home with them to complete an assignment.  Is this disobeying copyright laws.
Chad Otdoerfer

ClassZone - 1 views

www.classzone.com

moodle_iowa

shared by Chad Otdoerfer on 30 Jun 11 - Cached
  • Chad Otdoerfer on 30 Jun 11
     
    Classzone.com is an interactive website that our textbook provides to enrich students' understanding. The website has an online textbook with audio that struggling readers can use. It also has section quizzes, crosswords puzzles, click and drag games, section notes, interactive maps, animated maps, and all kinds of other things. I think it also increases student engagement because students enjoy completing the various activities. .
trgriffin1

Ditch That Textbook - 0 views

ditchthattextbook.com

moodle_iowa ollie_iowa

shared by trgriffin1 on 05 May 17 - No Cached
  • Writing papers and research reports the Google way
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 05 May 17
       
      I love Ditch That Textbook and Matt Miller's emails. It is so much more than just curating digital resources for your courses. It is a great place to explore for pedagogy and edtech ideas
tifinif

The Google Classroom Quick-Start Guide + tips and tricks! | Ditch That Textbook - 0 views

ditchthattextbook.com/...ck-start-guide-tips-and-tricks

Moodle_Iowa

shared by tifinif on 06 Feb 17 - No Cached
  • tifinif on 06 Feb 17
     
    Nice site that has practical tips when using Google Classroom. I like that it tells you what Classroom "isn't ". This site also has great resources for other "tech" ideas.
Keith Bonnstetter

ollie1reppert: Iowa Online Course Standards - 0 views

moodle.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

moodle_iowa

shared by Keith Bonnstetter on 15 Nov 11 - No Cached
  • Sufficient learning resources and materials to increase student success are available to students
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 15 Nov 11
       
      Having an online presence really makes this possible because you can easily increase the resources and materials available to students. For instance, on my Google site, I have links to other resources where students can go for help if they do not understand a concept, such as the textbook site, writing skills sites, and study skills sites.
  • Academic integrity and netiquette (Internet etiquette) expectations regarding lesson activities, discussions, e-mail communications and plagiarism are clearly stated • Privacy policies are clearly stated. • The self-introduction by the instructor is appropriate and available online, and students are likewise asked to introduce themselves to the class. (CP) • The course provider offers orientation training.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 15 Nov 11
       
      All four of these are very important, but I have to say that my course currently lacks each of these. I'm wondering if since my course is partially online and partially in person if all of these are necessary to have in the online component, or if it counts as long as it is covered at one point, whether it be online or in person.
    • LeAnne Wagner
      LeAnne Wagner on 15 Nov 11
       
      This is an area that often gets overlooked.  It is a skill just like any of the technical skills--knowing the online etiquette, etc.  
  • The course makes maximum appropriate use of online tools outside of the CMS (including email, web 2.0, chat, videoconferencing, and whiteboard) to enhance learning
    • LeAnne Wagner
      LeAnne Wagner on 15 Nov 11
       
      So many times, you see schools that have their teachers use a CMS like Moodle and that is the extent of their technology use--it is only one way to utilize.  There are many ways to deeply integrate these types of tools in the classroom.
    • Josh Hetrick
      Josh Hetrick on 17 Nov 11
       
      I have really started to think this year how to connect with students using my Promethean board at school.
  • ...17 more annotations...
  • The course instructions articulate or link to a clear description of the technical support offered.
    • Steve Butler
      Steve Butler on 16 Nov 11
       
      got to have the technical support... learners will get discouraged or quit w/o it!
    • Robin Olberding
      Robin Olberding on 17 Nov 11
       
      I highly agree.
  • The course is easy and logical to navigate, including self-describing links
    • Steve Butler
      Steve Butler on 16 Nov 11
       
      I think it is very important to remove potential barriers to learning. Confusion leads to shutdown.
  • Technologies are chosen that are accessible to students
    • Josh Hetrick
      Josh Hetrick on 17 Nov 11
       
      It's important to remember when placing items on a website that are downloadable to choose programs that most students have. What I am thinking is when using the latest version of microsoft that some students don't have to convert to a pdf file.
  • Specific and descriptive criteria, including rubrics, are provided for the evaluation of students’ work and participation
    • Josh Hetrick
      Josh Hetrick on 17 Nov 11
       
      I have really started to use more rubrics in my teaching and students find it useful. I really think when students are allowed to help create the rubric it makes their learning more powerful and gives them a sense of ownership.
  • A clear, complete course overview and syllabus are included in the course
    • Andy Denton
      Andy Denton on 17 Nov 11
       
      This is the best way to start all classes. everyone knows what is expected and there ar eno questions as to what is going to be done in the class.
  • Ongoing and frequent assessments are conducted to verify each student’s readiness for the next lesson.
    • Andy Denton
      Andy Denton on 17 Nov 11
       
      The question then becomes what to do when some are ready to move on abd the others are not quite there yet. Stay with the topic and bore some, or go on and lose others.
  • The course content and assignments are of sufficient rigor, depth, and breadth to teach the standards being addressed
    • Andy Denton
      Andy Denton on 17 Nov 11
       
      They have to be challenged to the point just before frustration.
  • clearly state what the participants will know or be able to do at the end of the course
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 18 Nov 11
       
      I appreciate knowing upfront what I am expected to do and what I will learn in a course! Clarity is great!
  • Course instructions answer basic questions related to research, writing, technology, etc., or link to tutorials or other resources that provide the information.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 18 Nov 11
       
      The issue that I see as a concern is that tutorials become outdated as soon as a tool updates and the interface/operations change. Keeping the tutorials current is another job for the instructor.
  • The course provides opportunities for appropriate student interaction with the content to foster mastery and application of the material.
  • The course provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student and student-student interaction to foster mastery and application of the material and a plan for monitoring that interaction.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 18 Nov 11
       
      Student interaction can be so powerful! One of the best ways to learn!
  • The course instruction includes activities that engage students in active learning.
    • Kristy Cleppe
      Kristy Cleppe on 21 Nov 11
       
      The ability to utilize online resources and course work provides many opportunities for students to actively engage themselves and what they learn with in a course. Some hands on activities can be utilized within a moodle
  • Instructions make clear how to get started and where to find various course components.
    • Kristy Cleppe
      Kristy Cleppe on 21 Nov 11
       
      This is one reason I truly enjoy utilizing a moodle with in my classroom. It limits handouts and creates a great opportunity for me to provide very detailed instructions about assigments, activities or projects. When students are absent they can access this information in order to be prepared for the next class.
  • The course provides opportunities for students to engage in higher-order thinking, critical-reasoning activities and thinking in increasingly complex ways.
    • Keith Bonnstetter
      Keith Bonnstetter on 23 Nov 11
       
      This is extremely important for AP classes. The students need to reach this level of thinking skills in order to perform well on the AP exam.
    • Keith Bonnstetter
      Keith Bonnstetter on 23 Nov 11
       
      This is extremely important so that the students know exactly what they must do. It is hard to get to the final destination if the map is unclear.
  • The requirements for student work, including student interaction, are clearly articulated.
lisa rasmussen

ollie4: Educational Leadership: The Quest for Quality - 5 views

moodle.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by lisa rasmussen on 25 Sep 11 - No Cached
  • Five keys to assessment quality provide the larger picture
    • Maryann Angeroth
      Maryann Angeroth on 25 Sep 11
       
      The Clear Purpose paragraph resonated with me since I just finished reading an article in Education Leadership called Know Your Target. It is all about knowing the purpose and sharing that with students and how student achievement goes up as a result.
    • Nancy Peterman
      Nancy Peterman on 27 Sep 11
       
      I would agree with you that it is important to give the students a clear idea of the purpose of the lesson and how it would impact their life or daily skills.
  • Five keys to assessment quality provide the larger picture into which our multiple measures must fit
  • Are results communicated in time to inform the intended decisions
    • Maryann Angeroth
      Maryann Angeroth on 26 Sep 11
       
      One of the "What Works in the Classroom" strategies from Marzano is: Setting objectives and providing feedback. Research shows that giving feedback improves student achievement. This statement about results being communicated in time to inform the intended decisions reminds me of the Marzano work.
    • Nancy Peterman
      Nancy Peterman on 27 Sep 11
       
      I have seen positive results in my own classroom when I have provided feedback in a timely manner that is directly to the specifics that were taught.
    • Judy Griffin
      Judy Griffin on 28 Sep 11
       
      This is one of the benefits of educational games if they are created well... instant feedback and another level to conquer!
    • Maryann Angeroth
      Maryann Angeroth on 28 Sep 11
       
      Did you read Evan's blog about gaming? I was interested in his perspective to making it synonomus with using literature to teach content.
    • Kevin McColley
      Kevin McColley on 28 Sep 11
       
      I completely agree! I have around 600 kids and try my best to comment more than just "good job" but with meaty feedback for my older kids in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade and I've seen many kids work and rework their challenges out until they get it. It shows the kids they're not just a number. :)
    • Mark McGaffin
      Mark McGaffin on 28 Sep 11
       
      Teachers are becoming more data driven than ever before.  Teachers will need to have a condensed curriculum if they want to provide enrichment opportunities in their classroom.  Currently, there is not enough time within the school year for teachers to assess, analyze, and enrich for each and every child unless some of the content they are expected to teach is removed.  This is a situation where it looks great on paper but right now doesn't work in the classroom.  If we really are stressing Quality than quantity needs to be reduced. 
    • Tim Brickley
      Tim Brickley on 02 Oct 11
       
      The time factor and choosing the right assessments is a daily struggle for teaching. I wish that there was more time in the day, week, month to evaluate past assessments and determine the effectiveness of them.
    • Gayle Olson
      Gayle Olson on 06 Oct 11
       
      I agree with all your comments on the value of feedback. That's what I really like about some of the online assessments I've seen - kids get the feedback right away and then are pointed to extra help or a different type of explanation if they need it.
  • ...42 more annotations...
  • Who will use the results to inform what decisions?
    • Barb Shutt
      Barb Shutt on 26 Sep 11
       
      and...is there already and assessment in place that give you this information? Do I need to duplicate? Not only is the why important, but also the what-does it get to what I need to know for future instruction?
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 26 Sep 11
       
      Your last statement is very importatn, Barb! That question should be asked prior to giving each assessment--how will this help my students and how will this help me to change my instruction to help my students.
  • four categories of learning targets
    • Barb Shutt
      Barb Shutt on 26 Sep 11
       
      I hadn't seen LT' broken down this way before.
    • Judy Griffin
      Judy Griffin on 28 Sep 11
       
      Neither have I seen this breakdown! Worth sharing with teachers.
    • linda vann
      linda vann on 28 Sep 11
       
      I love this! What an easy, direct guide to clarifying learning targets!
    • David Olson
      David Olson on 02 Oct 11
       
      Stiggins actually has 5 targets, which includes dispositional targets
  • which assessment methods are most likely to produce accurate results for different learning targets.
    • Barb Shutt
      Barb Shutt on 26 Sep 11
       
      It's always about working smarter, not harder and this leads us toward that.
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 26 Sep 11
       
      I agree--and I really like this chart! It really helped to enhance my understanding of this information.
    • Deena Stanley-Dostart
      Deena Stanley-Dostart on 01 Oct 11
       
      The chart is very helpful. I like how it shows that perfomance assessments aren't always the best, it depends on what you are assessing. I am glad selected response is still acceptable for knowledge mastery.
    • Gary Petersen
      Gary Petersen on 09 Oct 11
       
      I am always looking for "filters" that I can use when developing a course. This is a great filter when reviewing the assessments used in the course.
  • more assessments
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 26 Sep 11
       
      If the additional assessments were mostly formative, I do believe that we would be more accurately estimating student achievement.
    • Becky Hinze
      Becky Hinze on 27 Sep 11
       
      And...if those formative assessments are linked directly to the learning of the skill, it wouldn't take time away from the learning to assess.
    • Mark McGaffin
      Mark McGaffin on 28 Sep 11
       
      Currently I think the students feel like they are being assessed all day long.  Think about how many classes they have in a day.  If those teachers are being asked to provide data showing progress/mastery in each of their subject areas they will be overwhelmed with assessments.  A balance is key but at the same time we need to think about our students and think about what it might be like to be assessed this much.
    • linda vann
      linda vann on 28 Sep 11
       
      Balance being the operative word here...assessment for assessment sake is not time efficient or effective. Assessment for adjusting instruction is highly valuable.
    • Natalie Smithhart
      Natalie Smithhart on 03 Oct 11
       
      I think more assessments can help teachers estimcate student achievement, but only if it is not taking away teaching time. We need to assess in ways that don't interupt class time. I know there are times that I have had to spend assessing my students when I felt I could of been giving them more by teaching....
  • The 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.
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 26 Sep 11
       
      Clear learning targets are so important--and so often not understood by teachers. I still work with so many teachers who don't question learning targets, as they just go from page to page in the textbook and teach what is next regardless if students already know the information or would need background knowledge in order to understand the concepts.
    • Becky Hinze
      Becky Hinze on 27 Sep 11
       
      So often we assess and we truly don't know what our learning targets were. Often our assessment doesn't even match what we thought our learning targets were.
    • Nancy Peterman
      Nancy Peterman on 27 Sep 11
       
      I would agree that many of us do not take the time or effort to evaluate if the assessments actually measure what we are teaching in the classroom.
    • linda vann
      linda vann on 28 Sep 11
       
      The alignment between curriculum, instruction, and assessment is critical. If we don't take the time to clarify our intended outcomes, how can we expect students to perform to expectations?
  • Or, you can highlight the phrases on the rubric that describe the hypothesis's strengths and areas for improvement and return the rubric with the work.
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 26 Sep 11
       
      In the first class I took towards my Master's in Educational Technology, the professor did this--not just for our assignments, but also for our participation in our forums. Since then, I have "borrowed" this strategy for my own students. It definitely encouraged me to work on improving my responses in the weekly forums!
    • Mark McGaffin
      Mark McGaffin on 28 Sep 11
       
      Might we be suggesting the end of grades and the beginning of standards based assessment?  How would that affect colleges and universities?  Would they be willing to accept a student who met all the standards at a school over a student who got a 4.0?
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 01 Oct 11
       
      I think it depends on the discipline. Art and graphic design--and perhaps music--are probably going to be much farther ahead here. Students have to prepare portfolios of their work and that is what is looked at, at least at Morningside College. They also look at GPA, but there is more weight put on the portfolio.
    • Tim Brickley
      Tim Brickley on 02 Oct 11
       
      More and more former students are telling me they needed to submit a portfolio of past work for colleges. Whether it be for scholaraships or acceptance into a certain program.
  • assessment literate
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 26 Sep 11
       
      I'm finding the sessions I've attended in Des Moines by Margaret Heritage to be very helpful in understanding what "assessment literate" means!
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 27 Sep 11
       
      That is a term I've not heard before. It makes sense, however. Data used inappropriately can have disastrous results.
    • Mark McGaffin
      Mark McGaffin on 28 Sep 11
       
      The state will need to spend a lot of money and time training teachers how to assess, use the data, and enrich students.  As my district begins its transition into this new data-driven age, I am noticing more and more teachers struggling to analyze data.  They are also struggling to find enough time to check assessments, analyze data, and provide meaningful enrichment activities to help students reach proficiency. 
    • David Olson
      David Olson on 02 Oct 11
       
      Stiggins has a great plan to move a district and a school toward assessment literacy. He calls it the 7 actions for school leaders.
  • four assessment methods (selected-response, extended written response, performance assessment, and personal communication
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 26 Sep 11
       
      I'm not sure I've seen these four assessment methods listed like this. This is good information to have and to help in creating assessments.
    • lisa rasmussen
      lisa rasmussen on 18 Oct 11
       
      I have used all of these methods in my art class room, but not on a regular basis. Our 4th grade assessment assignment includes two methods. Students answer a written test with true/false and multiple choice answers to identify concepts the children know. Students make a drawing of a landscape and then go pack to paint the landscape. Teachers keep wanting to add the personal communication componant where the students discuss the choices they made in their landscape painting.
  • Do the results provide clear direction for what to do next?
  • Selecting an assessment method that is incapable of reflecting the intended learning will compromise the accuracy of the results.
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 27 Sep 11
       
      Selecting the best assessment method makes a difference. If we are using the data to guide our instruction, it's imperative we use the right assessment tool.
    • Judy Griffin
      Judy Griffin on 28 Sep 11
       
      I agree, Pam! So is ITBS or ITED ever the "right assessment tool"? Can they truly reflect the intended learning?
    • Nathan Fredericks
      Nathan Fredericks on 29 Sep 11
       
      We are told at my school that, at minimum, they are going to be better than what they were as the ITEDs are now supposed to be aligned with the Common/Iowa Core. We shall see how this will end up.
    • David Olson
      David Olson on 02 Oct 11
       
      We are so messed up on our standardized tests when it comes to 21st century skills and their measurement.
    • Gary Petersen
      Gary Petersen on 09 Oct 11
       
      So much seems to be a matter of alignment. A misalignment between assessment method and intended learning leads to inaccuracy of results.
  • What decisions will the assessment inform?
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 27 Sep 11
       
      The following paragraph highlights the way formative assessments should guide our instruction. Changes may not be immediate, but they certainly provide a way to plan for the future.
  • Use SAT scores to determine instructional effectiveness
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 27 Sep 11
       
      Just a sidebar....could this mean we need to be very careful when we use ITBS scores to measure teacher effectiveness?
    • Judy Griffin
      Judy Griffin on 28 Sep 11
       
      Oh, yeah!!
    • Mark McGaffin
      Mark McGaffin on 28 Sep 11
       
      Why doesn't NCLB consider the many other "X" factors that could influence ITBS scores when they make the SINA list or use data like this to determine teacher pay?  Great on paper but not in practice.
  • For instance, if students will be the users of the results because the assessment is formative, then teachers must provide the results in a way that helps students move forward. 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.
    • Amy Burns
      Amy Burns on 27 Sep 11
       
      I am going to play devil's advocate here.....how can we motivate students to take action in order to promote learning if that is not within their goals? I agree that descriptive feedback linked to targets will give more meaning to the assessment, but in all reality, don't we often deal with students who can't see the reason for the writing?
    • Maryann Angeroth
      Maryann Angeroth on 28 Sep 11
       
      Why do you think that is? How many K-2 students are not excited about coming to school and learning? What happens that kills thier love and devotion to learning?
    • linda vann
      linda vann on 28 Sep 11
       
      Do you see this attitude of "this doesn't fit my goals/needs" as more prevalent at the secondary level or the elementary level? I know I have seen this with adult learners until they understand they tune to WII-FM (What In It For Me?). Once they do, then the learning "takes off" like gangbusters when provided the specific type of feedback described here.
  • Teachers should design the assessment so students can use the results to self-assess and set goals. A mechanism should be in place for students to track their own progress on learning targets and communicate their status to others.
    • Amy Burns
      Amy Burns on 27 Sep 11
       
      Self-assessment is a vital step in setting personal goals. How many of our students have actually been asked to look deeply into their skill set? Would many students willingly "communicate their status to others?" Hmmmmm
    • Judy Griffin
      Judy Griffin on 28 Sep 11
       
      I think this is a great reason why students should have input into what is being assessed in a rubric... what is important and how will you know what you know?
    • Kathy Hageman
      Kathy Hageman on 01 Oct 11
       
      Well-designed rubrics not only set targets but also help students monitor their progress. It has been my experience that middle school students are quite honest and perceptive in self-evaluations when "communicate their status to others" means sharing the self-assessment exclusively with me (their instructor) or with me and their parents or guardians.
    • lisa rasmussen
      lisa rasmussen on 22 Oct 11
       
      Students would need to be guided through self-assessment at first.
  • data from these assessments
    • Judy Griffin
      Judy Griffin on 28 Sep 11
       
      It's all about data!! "What does the data say...?"
    • linda vann
      linda vann on 28 Sep 11
       
      The caution about data is using it appropriately. It is an intensely powerful tool if used to make decisions about instruction and assessment. The more data, the better!
    • Cheryl Carruthers
      Cheryl Carruthers on 29 Sep 11
       
      The more data, the better....this makes sense to me. We need to make sure we are using the right data in making decisions; making decisions based upon poor or incomplete data leads to poor decisions. Here lies another challenge...it sometimes seems like we are "drowning in data." How do we choose the data we use?
    • Natalie Smithhart
      Natalie Smithhart on 03 Oct 11
       
      It seems obvious...the data you get from assessing should show you what your students are learning and what you need to work on more. I like your comment Cheryl...it does seem like sometimes I have more data than I know how to organize or what to do with it!
  • Assess learning targets requiring the "doing" of science with a multiple-choice tes
    • Judy Griffin
      Judy Griffin on 28 Sep 11
       
      I've seen this many times - the assessment doesn't fit the learning expectations.
  • meeting student, teacher, and district information needs
  • a reading score from a state accountability test as a diagnostic instrument for reading group placement.
    • linda vann
      linda vann on 28 Sep 11
       
      Or expect that decisions regarding eligibility for special education is based on diagnostic assessments alone!
  • Using misinformation
  • his means that teachers need to write learning targets in terms that students will understand.
    • lisa rasmussen
      lisa rasmussen on 22 Oct 11
       
      Parent involvement is an important component when children are young. Parents help a child budget time. If they are not aware of what the child is involved in, or needs to set aside time for, then the child will not accomplish much. parents also need to be able to understand the terms involved and the intended outcome.
  • all assessment users have access to the data
    • lisa rasmussen
      lisa rasmussen on 17 Oct 11
       
      Our art department currently grades all children, but only assesses 4th grade students with a February drawing, painting, and multiple choice test. Children and Parents should have an idea before then about how their child is picking up one the curriculum.
  • From that foundation
  • groups of students
    • Deena Stanley-Dostart
      Deena Stanley-Dostart on 29 Sep 11
       
      Our distirct is really focused on SES and IEP students since that is where our lowest ITED scores are.
    • Lynne Devaney
      Lynne Devaney on 09 Oct 11
       
      We would have to add African-American in our district in addition to SES and IEP.
  • unprecedented overflow of testing
    • Deena Stanley-Dostart
      Deena Stanley-Dostart on 29 Sep 11
       
      Our department had to create a math assessment that would test what the average 10th grader should know. Then we were told the test should be about what all 10th graders should know. We have spent countless hours debating, rewriting and trying to come up with methods on how to help our students that are not proficient on the test.
    • Cheryl Carruthers
      Cheryl Carruthers on 29 Sep 11
       
      Today on the radio, I hear Jason Glass say that all 11th graders need to take the ACT and the state needs to help pay for this. I don't think I agree with adding another required assessment for our students...I do agree we need to provide a rigorous curriculum for our secondary students, but do they need to demonstrate their knowledge by taking the ACT??
    • Lynne Devaney
      Lynne Devaney on 09 Oct 11
       
      In response to Deena, I have struggled as the leader of the curriculum and assesment efforts on WHAT to ask people to do. I have hesitated developing any local assessments due to the movement from local standards...to Iowa Core and not the common core. Hope we have stopped changing because up to now it has been a moving target!
  • In math
    • Deena Stanley-Dostart
      Deena Stanley-Dostart on 29 Sep 11
       
      This is the first time I have actually seen a math example when discussing assessment. Usually the examples I see are for english or social studies.
    • Jean Van Gilder
      Jean Van Gilder on 03 Oct 11
       
      knowledge targets work pretty well in mathematics!
  • A grade of D+, on the other hand, may be sufficient to inform a decision about a student's athletic eligibility, but it is not capable of informing the student about the next steps in learning.
    • Cheryl Carruthers
      Cheryl Carruthers on 29 Sep 11
       
      Thus the term "assessment FOR learning." The intent is to provide guidance for improvement.
    • Gary Petersen
      Gary Petersen on 09 Oct 11
       
      It's amazing the number of assessments that I have received in my formal learning that involved only a grade or pass/fail. It makes me wonder if I retained very much from those learning opportunities.
  • Teachers have choices in the assessment methods they use, including selected-response formats, extended written response, performance assessment, and personal communication.
    • Kathy Hageman
      Kathy Hageman on 01 Oct 11
       
      Wouldn't matching method of assessment to method of practice be a consideration?
  • which require students to use their knowledge to reason and problem solve
    • Deena Stanley-Dostart
      Deena Stanley-Dostart on 01 Oct 11
       
      This is an area that I am currently working on. I am trying to come up with more projects so that students can apply what they are learning.
    • Gayle Olson
      Gayle Olson on 06 Oct 11
       
      When I took my first college stat class, I could follow the directions just fine and get the right answer, but I had no idea why we were using the particular statistic or what it actually meant. When I asked my stat lab instructor, he looked up my grade and said, "What do you care, you're getting an A." I cared because I wanted to know how to use the stuff, not just get through the class!
  • What information do the decision makers need
    • Nancy Peterman
      Nancy Peterman on 02 Oct 11
       
      This paragraph makes a distinction between decision makers that we might forget when edited our assessments. There is a definite difference in level and approach between classroom and school or community assessments.
    • Gayle Olson
      Gayle Olson on 06 Oct 11
       
      Agreed. I think not recognizing that distinction can lead to misuse of the data. For example, a school or community use of classroom level data when they don't know the circumstances or environment under which the data is collected can lead to some inappropriate conclusions.
  • use of clear curriculum maps for each standard
    • Nancy Peterman
      Nancy Peterman on 02 Oct 11
       
      Although time consuming, the importance of curriculum maps becomes clear when writing essential questions and revisiting the teaching strategies we use to improve student learning.
  • instructional hours sacrificed to testing will return dividends in the form of better instructional decisions and improved high-stakes test scores.
    • Jessica White
      Jessica White on 02 Oct 11
       
      This is our hope as educators. I truly hope that the valuable time spent testing will return dividends.
    • lisa rasmussen
      lisa rasmussen on 17 Oct 11
       
      I find the information gathered to be very useful to my teaching, and to the students and parents.
  • Ongoing classroom assessments serve both formative and summative purposes and meet students' as well as teachers' information needs.
  • provide information about student progress not typically available from student information systems
    • Jean Van Gilder
      Jean Van Gilder on 04 Oct 11
       
      Time involved is major...classroom teachers will tell you it is very labor intensive.
  • high-stakes tests were common in schools
    • Bruce Baedke
      Bruce Baedke on 03 Oct 11
       
      Seems like the public would say this isn't true. They would believe that there was no accountability before NCLB.
  • if the teacher wants to assess knowledge mastery of a certain item, both selected-response and extended written response methods are good matches
    • Bruce Baedke
      Bruce Baedke on 03 Oct 11
       
      At muy school our science assessment is of this variety with both extended response and multiple choice answers for teh questions asked.
    • lisa rasmussen
      lisa rasmussen on 22 Oct 11
       
      I agree that a variety should be used in accurate assessment. Students respond differently to different assesment methods. Some students have a very anxious response to timed tests, or written tests, but may do fine in showing their knowledge on multiple choice or matching.
  • Students learn best when they monitor and take responsibility for their own learning.
    • Gayle Olson
      Gayle Olson on 06 Oct 11
       
      Best parent teacher conference I ever attended was a student-led one for my 5th grader. Each student built their portfolio and was in charge of explaning it to their parents. Most honesty and responsibility I've ever seen in kids!
    • lisa rasmussen
      lisa rasmussen on 17 Oct 11
       
      I have been to the same kind of Open House led by students in the class. It really gives the students ownership to what happens in that classroom.
  • to triangulate on student needs defeats the purpose of bringing in more results to inform our decisions.
    • Gary Petersen
      Gary Petersen on 09 Oct 11
       
      Multiple measures have been used for years to establish whether assessments are valid. Very important to note that if the measures are not valid, multiple measures do not indicate validity.
  • For example, suppose we are preparing to teach 7th graders how to make inferences. After defining inference as "a conclusion drawn from the information available," we might put the learning target in student-friendly language: "I can make good inferences. This means I can use information from what I read to draw a reasonable conclusion." If we were working with 2nd graders, the student-friendly language might look like this: "I can make good inferences. This means I can make a guess that is based on clues."
  • Bias can also creep into assessments and erode accurate results. Examples of bias include poorly printed test forms, noise distractions, vague directions, and cultural insensitivity.
    • Lynne Devaney
      Lynne Devaney on 09 Oct 11
       
      I believe we are OK at reviewing materials with a "traditional" sense of bias but when it comes to cultural sensitivity...I'm not sure my district has a handle on the work.
    • lisa rasmussen
      lisa rasmussen on 17 Oct 11
       
      I agree. Some cultural sensitivity can't be easily understood by other people. I've been surprised often by what kids say about the way their family opperates.
  • What are the essential assessment conditions?
    • lisa rasmussen
      lisa rasmussen on 22 Oct 11
       
      When we do our annual assessment for 4th grade artists effort is made to provide clear instructions and visuals, with the same materials available to all teachers. The other factors that enter into a student's performance vary widely. Some teachers deliver the test in their own art room, others in the classroom because they teach there. There are many factors that affect performance.
  • No Child Left Behind
  • The assessor must plan to manage information from the assessment appropriately and report it in ways that will meet the needs of the intended users,
    • lisa rasmussen
      lisa rasmussen on 22 Oct 11
       
      i would assume this would mean that information should be shared in user-friendly language for parents and students, and be shared in a timely fashion.
  • Kevin McColley on 28 Sep 11
     
    Different assessment methods chart
Sharon Kurns

ollie1: Iowa Online Course Standards - 0 views

moodle.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by Sharon Kurns on 27 Sep 11 - No Cached
  • learning styles and preferences.
    • Evan McCormick
      Evan McCormick on 27 Sep 11
       
      How can you address multiple learning styles and preferences with a single technology? Are some tech standards idealistic?
    • Lynn Hockenberry
      Lynn Hockenberry on 30 Sep 11
       
      I agree with your question of how to do this. Perhaps we will learn more as the course progresses...
    • Ami Leath
      Ami Leath on 03 Oct 11
       
      I hope to learn more about this as well...
  • Instructions make clear how to get started and where to find various course components.
    • Evan McCormick
      Evan McCormick on 27 Sep 11
       
      Ideally accomplished by single entry points to information. When there are multiple ways to get to information, it leads to confusion.
  • The course instruction includes activities that engage students in active learning.
    • Lynn Hockenberry
      Lynn Hockenberry on 30 Sep 11
       
      Building in wikis, blogs, and opportunities for small group meetings will be an exciting and critically important part of the design of the class. Otherwise, online learning could be no different than reading a textbook (only on a computer screen)
    • Ami Leath
      Ami Leath on 03 Oct 11
       
      Agree 100%...now we just have to figure out how to do it!!
    • Sharon Irelan
      Sharon Irelan on 09 Oct 11
       
      Don't forget conversations on SKYPE. Great way to communicate in a visual way with others.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • • The course meets universal design principles, ADA compliance, Section 508 standards and W3C guidelines to ensure access for all students.
    • Lynn Hockenberry
      Lynn Hockenberry on 30 Sep 11
       
      Will we learn about these standards and how to ensure we are meeting them?
  • The course design provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student interaction, including timely and frequent feedback about student progress based on the learning targets.
    • Lynn Hockenberry
      Lynn Hockenberry on 30 Sep 11
       
      I will be curious to learn from others the amount of time that it takes for an instructor to teach an online class and respond to the needs of students.
    • Sharon Kurns
      Sharon Kurns on 11 Oct 11
       
      It seems that the instructor will be key in keeping learners engaged.
  • Sufficient learning resources and materials to increase student success are available to students
    • Sharon Irelan
      Sharon Irelan on 04 Oct 11
       
      Making resources and materials available to participants is an important component of the design of a class. Resources and materials supplied by the instructor support the learning that is intended. I think there should be a sufficient amount of resources and materials but not overwhelming amounts. The information provided needs to be useful, enhances understanding, and contains examples to support the expected outcomes. These resources and materials need to be easily accessible to the participants.
    • Sharon Kurns
      Sharon Kurns on 11 Oct 11
       
      Finding the right balance between sufficient resources and "not overwhelming" seems like the key
  • requirements for student work, including student interaction, are clearly articulated.
    • Ami Leath
      Ami Leath on 06 Oct 11
       
      Set the expectations at a high level.  Participants need to know what is expected of them each week.  This piece should be very clear and concise.
  • Information literacy and communication skills are incorporated and taught as an integral part of the curriculum.
    • Sharon Kurns
      Sharon Kurns on 11 Oct 11
       
      When teaching online we need to also focus on how the course contributes to the learners information literacy and communication skills, not just the content of the course.
  • Ongoing and frequent assessments are conducted to verify each student’s readiness for the next lesson.
    • Sharon Kurns
      Sharon Kurns on 11 Oct 11
       
      This is a challenge with face to face learning also. With the online environment, new tools and different methods to assess will need to be used. I have much to learn in this area.
Jamie Van Horn

ollie_4: Educational Leadership: The Quest for Quality--article - 5 views

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

shared by Jamie Van Horn on 16 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • multiple measures
    • Mary Trent
      Mary Trent on 16 Jan 13
       
      I think quality, multiple measures are important. Too often we give students one shot to get it beacuse we are so focused on covering the content or getting through the book that we miss the most important part....are the students learning the material?
    • Mary Overholtzer
      Mary Overholtzer on 19 Jan 13
       
      As an educator, I have found that I am expected to give multiple measures from directives "on high" only to find myself not able to look at the data,analyze it, and make decisions about it. Yes, we are all at different periods of our lives, yet we all have been given only so much time.
  • responsibility for their own learning
    • Mary Trent
      Mary Trent on 16 Jan 13
       
      Absolutely! Students should feel as though they are in control of their grades. They should be giving a clear picture of what is expected of them and offered options to get back on track if they fall to the way side.
    • Lorilee Hamel
      Lorilee Hamel on 18 Jan 13
       
      I so agree. Giving students power and knowledge about their own learning is extremely engaging and motivating for the student.
    • Brooke Maine
      Brooke Maine on 22 Jan 13
       
      I also agree- my best students have always been the ones who take responsibility for their learning and not just because they want to earn an A, but because they actually care about their learning.
    • Dan Jones
      Dan Jones on 20 Jan 14
       
      I will concur as well, when they have a clear picture of what is expected of them, they learn more and when the don't hit the target, they are still motivated to learn. Testing should promote learning
  • Effectively planning for the use of multiple measures means providing assessment balance throughout these three levels, meeting student, teacher, and district information needs.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 17 Jan 13
       
      It is so important to use many different measures to meet the needs of students, teachers and districts because of the large group at hand.  There needs to be a balanced use of these measures.  There are many things to consider with these assessments that the key is to find out what is important to know and how to go about presenting these assessments.
  • ...55 more annotations...
  • they can provide information about student progress not typically available from student information systems or standardized test results. 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.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 17 Jan 13
       
      Standardized test only give a certain amount of information for teachers to see.  Often times, it's a guessing game for kids.  In the classroom, students can be creative and add their style to the assessment with different opportunities to present the information.  
    • Dan Jones
      Dan Jones on 20 Jan 14
       
      I like seeing teachers use a combination of testing approaches. I think kids get burned out filling in ovals, students like to be creative and can show that better through other means beside multiple choice or darkening ovals.
  • demonstrate
  • Stephen Chappuis, Jan Chappuis and Rick Stiggins
    • Lorilee Hamel
      Lorilee Hamel on 18 Jan 13
       
      This is crazy--I have spent the entire day reading about assessment and this entire year have been working with Carol Commodore a colleague of Stiggins on this exact material. In fact, I am preparing it for professional development with my groups. Crazy!
  • Knowledge targets
    • Lorilee Hamel
      Lorilee Hamel on 18 Jan 13
       
      These are vital to know since when you (see below) are ready to assess these, it is important to link the correct type of  target with the type of assessment/s that is/are best for assessing the target.
  • Reasoning targets
  • Performance skill targets
  • Product targets
    • Lorilee Hamel
      Lorilee Hamel on 18 Jan 13
       
      I was unable to see the figures on this page regardless of the browser that I used. FYI.
    • Jason Martin-Hiner
      Jason Martin-Hiner on 18 Jan 13
       
      Same here....
    • Jodi Leimkuehler
      Jodi Leimkuehler on 20 Jan 13
       
      Same here...I tried both Firefox and Chrome.
  • Selecting an assessment method that is incapable of reflecting the intended learning will compromise the accuracy of the results.
    • Dan Jones
      Dan Jones on 20 Jan 14
       
      I think teachers create an assessment tool and think if they have a variety of response types, they have a good test. I think there needs to be an added emphasis on making sure the respones format matches the learning that has taken place.
  • This key ensures that the assessor has translated the learning targets into assessments that will yield accurate results. It calls attention to the proper assessment method and to the importance of minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
    • Lorilee Hamel
      Lorilee Hamel on 18 Jan 13
       
      This information aligns the assessment with the type of target that  is being assessed.
  • 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.
    • Lorilee Hamel
      Lorilee Hamel on 18 Jan 13
       
      I became very adept over the years as a writing teacher (and eventually began applying it to my teaching in general--reading and social studies) at descriptive feedback. I am an advocate and proponent because I have seen that feedback instead of scores/marks promotes learning. 
    • Jason Martin-Hiner
      Jason Martin-Hiner on 18 Jan 13
       
      This certainly aligns well with the information from last week and writing rubrics with "fix" correctives in order to promote student improvement. A great way to focus on the formative piece.
    • Holly Palmersheim
      Holly Palmersheim on 19 Jan 13
       
      I would like to see something added here about timely. Specific descriptive is great but if the student doesn't receive the feedback in a timely fashion it becomes more difficult for them.
  • 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.
    • Lorilee Hamel
      Lorilee Hamel on 18 Jan 13
       
      Our district is really moving in the direction of standards-based assessment and reporting. This really does present to all stakeholders the specific and most important data---how well is each student meeting the standards of the Iowa Core?
    • Jason Martin-Hiner
      Jason Martin-Hiner on 18 Jan 13
       
      I know one question that comes up frequently with groups when we discuss SBAR - how many times must students demonstrate they can meet a standard before they are "checked off"?
    • Mary Overholtzer
      Mary Overholtzer on 19 Jan 13
       
      This creates a concern for me because so many students have it today and it's gone tomorrow. The forgetful hormones set in- in middle school.
  • In such an intentionally designed and comprehensive system, a wealth of data emerges. 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.
    • Lorilee Hamel
      Lorilee Hamel on 18 Jan 13
       
      This really should be taught in pre-service courses--but is not. And now that the information exists--I wonder why it isn't taught. Why aren't new/pre-service teachers entering the workforce with this information in their tool box?
  • Sound Assessment Design
    • Jason Martin-Hiner
      Jason Martin-Hiner on 18 Jan 13
       
      This entire realm is both challenging and time-consuming. In order to have a high level of confidence, assessments usually need to be used many times and checked for validity and reliability…especially if they are being used as a summative assessment.This entire realm is both challenging and time-consuming.
  • Assess learning targets requiring the "doing" of science with a multiple-choice test.
    • Jason Martin-Hiner
      Jason Martin-Hiner on 18 Jan 13
       
      As obvious as this statement is, and even though "doing science" has been an expectation in the Iowa Core (and now the NGSS), there is a general lack of 'performance assessments' in science - especially at the elementary level.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 19 Jan 13
       
      I'm not typically in the classroom, so I'm asking... why is that? Is it because performance assessments aren't readily available, not easy to score, not easy to administer, messy to set up, time consuming? If these are true, I see lots of barriers in the way of performance testing. Even though they may be more authentic and reliable.
    • Mary Overholtzer
      Mary Overholtzer on 19 Jan 13
       
      I have found many districts concentrate on reading and math at the elementary level...as a result, science is on the back "burner".
    • Andrea Compton
      Andrea Compton on 30 Jan 13
       
      Mary, I absolutely agree! The publishers of the elementary reading series' are caught up in trying to include the required amount of non-fiction reading material for the students and so they have focused on material that is also grade level appropriate to what should be studied in the science and social studies curriculum at each grade level. Teachers are beginning to use the reading series' material as a substitute for real science and social studies lessons as a way to "save time" in their day and still cover all the required material. This does not bode well for the science and social studies learning of our younger students.
  • Figure 1 shows a 3rd grade math test plan
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 19 Jan 13
       
      Figure 1& 2: can be seen in this version of this article: ( http://goo.gl/9S26Q )
    • Jodi Leimkuehler
      Jodi Leimkuehler on 20 Jan 13
       
      Thanks Clair!
    • Sally Rigeman
      Sally Rigeman on 24 Jan 14
       
      Strange that only "Number Sense" has 4 items worth 10 points! Could one question be weighted or did they really assign each correct answer 2.5 points?
  • Effective Communication of Results
  • results communicated in tim
  • Will the users of the results understand them and see the connection to learning
    • Andrea Compton
      Andrea Compton on 30 Jan 13
       
      This is my contention with MAP testing. As an AEA consultant, I think it's wonderful for tracking student progress, and making instructional decisions for students, but I have found in more than one school I work with that the teachers receive this data from the testing and then have no idea what it means or what to do with it. It is so sad! They have received training on how to use the results, but by the time the test takes place and they receive the data, they have forgotten how to access it and what to do with it, so in essence the test was a waste of time because it's not going to bring about instructional change for the students in the classroom
  • results provide clear direction for what to do next?
  • Students learn best when they monitor
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 19 Jan 13
       
      I once read a study where students with behavior disabilities saw an improvement in their behavior when they began to track and chart their actions in a spreadsheet. When they could see the change in a chart it became a positive goal to make improvements and watch the trendline go up. Monitoring and taking responsibility.
  • Ongoing classroom assessments
  • Periodic interim/benchmark assessments
  • Annual state and local district standardized tests
  • betting
    • Holly Palmersheim
      Holly Palmersheim on 19 Jan 13
       
      It is difficult to think we are betting on these practices.
    • Mary Overholtzer
      Mary Overholtzer on 19 Jan 13
       
      Great point. I have always said, when we are assessing, we are not instructing. I have found as an educator, it's during the test that students will ask the most questions. I consider it low stakes testing when I can tutor them one on one and as a result, some of the best learning takes place.
  • summative tests, the reason for assessing is to document individual or group achievement or mastery of standards and measure achievement status at a point in time.
    • Mary Overholtzer
      Mary Overholtzer on 19 Jan 13
       
      I have found it interesting that we give semester tests, yet very few supervisors, parents, administrators, or students want to know the overall level of student performance....they just want to know the "grade". As a result, I see a need for doing summative testing a bit differently.
    • Jodi Leimkuehler
      Jodi Leimkuehler on 20 Jan 13
       
      How would you do summative testing differently? This makes me think about the cumulative projects I have my students complete. Very rarely do students come in to find out how they did. I think I need to move the end date of those projects up a couple of days so I can sit down with the student and go over the project before the last day of class.
  • Teachers should design the assessment so students can use the results to self-assess and set goals.
    • Mary Overholtzer
      Mary Overholtzer on 19 Jan 13
       
      As an educator, I have found that having students self-assess is a lesson in itself. So many students think they are excellent, even after seeing many of their peers doing the same task with varying degrees.
    • Pam Rust
      Pam Rust on 19 Jan 13
       
      I agree that we must teach our students how to self-assess. In some classrooms we have never asked them to do this, so we can't expect them to fully grasp the concept unless we provide ongoing support while they learn to self-assess.
    • Mike Todd
      Mike Todd on 22 Jan 13
       
      I give a lot of written assessments in science, but have failed to make goal setting explicit. I think this could be really effective at getting students to view the feedback differently, especially if the student had to talk with the teacher about the goal.
  • Use a reading score from a state accountability test as a diagnostic instrument for reading group placement.
  • annual accountability purposes
    • Pam Rust
      Pam Rust on 19 Jan 13
       
      How do we get our students to care when taking these tests (i.e. Iowa Assessments) so we can truly monitor their knowledge?
  • sacrificed to testing
    • Jodi Leimkuehler
      Jodi Leimkuehler on 20 Jan 13
       
      Is it possible to over-assess? If new assessments are being added, will students get burned out from being tested?
    • Brooke Maine
      Brooke Maine on 22 Jan 13
       
      Yes! I definitely think students get burned out from testing. My district did away with a few non-required standardized tests and the students did better on what they were required to complete, because they felt it was more necessary and appreciated that they weren't being forced to do all of it.
  • students
    • Jodi Leimkuehler
      Jodi Leimkuehler on 20 Jan 13
       
      I think this is key - writing the learning targets in student/parent friendly language. I have started to transition mine into "I can" statements.
  • the use of multiple measures does not, by itself, translate into high-quality evidence. Using misinformation to triangulate on student needs defeats the purpose of bringing in more results to inform our decisions.
    • Brooke Maine
      Brooke Maine on 22 Jan 13
       
      I wish more people understood this! It seems like non-educators (and maybe some people in the education field) just think adding more measurements and assessments means that it is high quality evidence because they equate more evidence as high-quality evidence.
  • The 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?
    • Brooke Maine
      Brooke Maine on 22 Jan 13
       
      Unfortunately, I feel like this is not something I was ever taught in college and it took me several years of teaching to really think about this and understand it. I definitely feel like I (and my students) missed out on some things in class that could have been better because my knowledge was lacking in this area.
  • selected-response formats
    • Mike Todd
      Mike Todd on 22 Jan 13
       
      I would have liked to see more specific discussion about the creation of selected-response format questions. I know "concept inventory" type questions that were developed using student misconceptions from previous written assessments are extremely valuable at assessing student learning, especially when compared with traditional questions from a textbook publisher.
  • etter instructional decision
    • Andrea Compton
      Andrea Compton on 30 Jan 13
       
      I wish this were the case. So often I work with schools that are giving multiple forms of assessments in an attempt to insure that students are learning the core material and will do well on the Iowa Assessment only to find that the teachers have no idea how to interpret the scores and data they receive from the tests. This leads to no instructional decisions being made for the student after taking the tests and the testing being nothing but a waste of time.
  • it is not capable of informing the student about the next steps in learning.
    • Andrea Compton
      Andrea Compton on 30 Jan 13
       
      This is so true!! Unless a teacher provides feedback in some way - whether in a conference style or a written style - the student will have no idea how to improve. Too often high school students receive a composition paper back with a letter grade and no comments or only spelling corrections underlined. This does not help the student to know what it is that was done poorly - other than the spelling - or how to improve on the next paper. I firmly believe that even papers that are considered to be "A" papers need to have feedback given - what was done well, what areas might the student extend themselves in next time, what areas could be better even though they were sufficient for this assignment.
  • considered questioning the accuracy of these tests
    • Dan Jones
      Dan Jones on 20 Jan 14
       
      I create very few tests as I am in special education at the high school level. I am most often proctoring, administering or trying to interpret test results. I actually find myself questioning the accuracy of tests more often than you would think. The students are often asking me what a particular question means. Without giving any clue to the answer, I find myself trying to clarify when I am asking the same question. The way tests are framed and questions are asked can affect the accuracy of tests. I think creating a test that provides accurate results is an incredibly hard task. Kudos to those that are good at it, we need more of you
  • This means that teachers need to write learning targets in terms that students will understand.
  • This means that teachers need to write learning targets in terms that students will understand.
  • This means that teachers need to write learning targets in terms that students will understand.
  • This means that teachers need to write learning targets in terms that students will understand.
  • This means that teachers need to write learning targets in terms that students will understand.
  • The 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.
    • kellie kendrick
      kellie kendrick on 22 Jan 14
       
      This is very important to keep and mind, and is something that I had an issue with at the beginning of my teaching career. It is imperative that a teacher knows what the intended outcome of an assessment is going to be before writing that assessment, so that they can look to those outcomes for guidance when writing questions, creating rubrics, or deciding a number of points for the assessment.
  • and highlight crucial words (for instance, most, least, except, not).
  • and highlight crucial words (for instance, most, least, except, not).
  • and highlight crucial words (for instance, most, least, except, not).
  • and highlight crucial words (for instance, most, least, except, not).
    • kellie kendrick
      kellie kendrick on 22 Jan 14
       
      I have found that highlighting, bolding, or putting words in italics has really helped my students to pay closer attention to the directions or questions and has led to students increasingly getting answers correct.
  • , and highlight crucial words (for instance, most, least, except, not).
  • You can improve it by explaining why you think that will happen
    • Sally Rigeman
      Sally Rigeman on 24 Jan 14
       
      Better - ask the student, "How could this statement be more complete? Are you missing something in this component of the rubric?
  • effective feedback
    • Sally Rigeman
      Sally Rigeman on 24 Jan 14
       
      Resource: "The Power of Feedback" by John Hattie & Helen Timperley (2007) in Review of Educational Research.
  • 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.
  • Quality
  • the assessor should organize the learning targets represented in the assessment into a written test plan
    • Jamie Van Horn
      Jamie Van Horn on 09 Feb 14
       
      This seems necessary if we are to achieve the highest level of assessment making sure we are actually assessing the learning targets appropriately, but I struggle with the fact that teachers have the time in their busy schedules or will take the time to create a test plan for every assessment they give.
  • Assessment literacy is the foundation for a system that can take advantage of a wider use of multiple measures
    • Jamie Van Horn
      Jamie Van Horn on 09 Feb 14
       
      Sadly, I feel assessment literacy is lacking in education. We not only need to focus on the assessments we give our students but also on training our educators and classroom teachers on assessment creation and effective use of assessment results.
  • 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 students
    • Jamie Van Horn
      Jamie Van Horn on 09 Feb 14
       
      It's too bad that these tests are being used to make so many decisions in the education system when they are not fully assessing the students learning and mastery of skills.
Evan Abbey

Lesson: Articles on Visual Design - 4 views

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

shared by Evan Abbey on 27 Jun 14 - No Cached
  • Depending on how a texture is applied, it may be used strategically to attract or deter attention.
    • rmfredrickson
      rmfredrickson on 27 Jun 14
       
      I never thought about "texture" online; what would be an example of a repeated element? A simple picture, or maybe a repeated diagram?
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      Texture is an interesting element that I generally disregard. However, I remember a literature professor open poetry discussions with questions about texture and taste. He would use such responses to get to the tone of the work. What taste/texture/tone does this course have?
    • Linda Hoobin
      Linda Hoobin on 29 Jun 14
       
      Texture...not something I ever pay attention to or maybe even knew about.
  • Spacing makes things clearer.
    • rmfredrickson
      rmfredrickson on 27 Jun 14
       
      I have found this to be true since starting this class; less is more; and the idea of also adding an element of some kind to every page makes a lot of sense to me too. I think about this now as I create ANY kind of presentation page.
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      "Less is more." That sums up nicely what we've been learning.  I know that I have a tendency to be too wordy and thus the page seems way too cluttered. I need to make a concerted effort to utilize the Less is More rule of thumb. 
  • In the last year or so, I've switched to using CSS to make my buttons and have never looked back. Sure, it means my buttons don't always have the flexibility I might wish for, but the savings in build time from not having to make dozens of little button images are huge.
    • rmfredrickson
      rmfredrickson on 27 Jun 14
       
      What does this mean? That in CSS (which I think I missed what that means...) you don't need to give a direction to click on a button to do whatever it is you are wanting it to do? Rather, it is automatically an apparent clickable button?
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      Good question! What is CSS?  I think this is another rule of thumb we might want to add to our web-design rules: Don't assume the reader knows what the abbreviations or acronyms mean. Spell them out and define them so everyone is clear. 
  • ...49 more annotations...
  • Everything should be themed to make your design coherent between pages and on the same page.
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      Here's one element that we can control and that we should control; however, it is also an element that I sometimes have trouble with. Sometimes it takes me awhile to find my style.
  • Font Choices
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      What font should we be using? My journalism minor is quite dusty, but I was taught that body copy should be a serif typeface (e.g. Times New Roman, Georgia) and headlines should be a sans-serif typeface (e.g. Arial, Helvetica). Your choice of type might also give you a better grade: http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/19604/does-size-12-times-new-roman-font-receive-better-grades-in-school S
  • Squeaky wheels get the grease and prominent visuals get the attention. 
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      This is a potent quotable.
  • Pantheon
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      This is off topic, but I can't let it go. This is an image of the Parthenon. The Pantheon is in Rome.
  • it’s a good practice to never open links in new browser windows.
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      I'm going to give this some thought because this suggestion is opposite of what I generally try to do. I've always thought it was better for readers to close the new linked area. 
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      My too. I like new windows for new material. This seems contrary to my preferences. 
    • Linda Hoobin
      Linda Hoobin on 29 Jun 14
       
      It is not the way I think either. I tend to want to separate things so I am not distracted. New windows keep me focused.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      Same here. Especially with Moodle, I try to have it open in a different window so that they don't lose the original course.
  • A typical example from usability sessions is to translate the page in Japanese (assuming your web users don’t know Japanese, e.g. with Babelfish) and provide your usability testers with a task to find something in the page of different language. If conventions are well-applied, users will be able to achieve a not-too-specific objective, even if they can’t understand a word of it.
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      I saw a Tweet recently suggesting to do something similar: Turn on speech to see if you can navigate on your site without vision. Is the site usable for all?
  • The basic elements that combine to create visual designs include the following:
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      All of this is what is missing from the powerpoint I created for Mollie 3 in the week 2 lab section. 
    • Linda Hoobin
      Linda Hoobin on 29 Jun 14
       
      This could/should be my checklist for design!
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      To be clear, these elements are always present, even in their absence. That is, even when one has the ugliest colors imagineable, they still are using a color palette. If you are Picasso, you get paid a lot of money for having the absence of these basic elements.
  • and that the medium changes as frequently as the underlying technology does.
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      Oh no, so what I'm learning now will be different in 6 months or one year. I need a suggestion of a good blog or online resource I can use to keep up-do-date with all of the online design developments.
  • To achieve precedence you have many tools at your disposal:
  • To achieve precedence you have many tools at your disposal:
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      These make perfect sense to me. I'm thinking that if I can remember and use these 5 chunks of precedence I would be taken a giant step toward fine-tuning the online lessons I create. 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      One slight difference between the online lesson and the "webpage" this designer is talking about is that there is going to be more stuff on the webpage. An online lesson doesn't have as many elements vying for attention.
  • some pretty bad examples out there.
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      The DE website is a "pretty bad example" if you ask me. (Although there have been improvements made over time.)  There is just SO much there that is difficult for me to find what I want and need. I guess I could use that website as a non-example of effective navigation. 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      True. Of course, Heartland's old website was bad too. That is one of the occupational hazards of people like us who have our fingers in everything.
  • Adhering to Standards
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      So what are some other things people expect? Where might we learn more about these ideas? The one example here is a good one, but now I'm curious about other expectations that I should be aware of. 
  • good set of CSS stylesheets
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      Hmm. . . .what is a CSS style sheet?  So much unfamiliar content specific vocabulary in this article makes me wonder if I'm actually understanding what is being said. 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 03 Jul 14
       
      A CSS style sheet is a set of rules (in the shape of a bunch of code) that govern a website. It would look like this: All headlines are in Maroon, 24 point, centered All sidebars have a box that is 100 pixels by 80 pixels. Except... in a language we can't understand.
  • Here’s what the golden ratio looks like:
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      But, didn't we read somewhere earlier in the class to place pictures/photos on the left-hand side of  slide? Do these 2 ideas contradict each other? Someone please clarify for me. 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 03 Jul 14
       
      Well... in our lessons, we advocated for putting them on the right side, as it helps with wrapping of text. Though putting them on the left is not a design faux pas. The "golden ratio" layout is more beneficial for designing a website, where you have grids to place content.
  • This is similar to Paradox of Choice – the more choice you give people, the easier it is to choose nothing.
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      OK, i can see how too many choices is confusing in web design. But as an educator, I want to assure that my students have the freedom to make some choices regarding assignments and activities I ask them to complete in order to show their understanding. How will I balance these 2 ideas when creating online lessons/courses? 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 03 Jul 14
       
      I think you already answered your question. Design is different than learning choice. It's like the new textbooks that have so much sidebar information that students aren't reading the main text. Too much design choice. In a lesson, you can present students with different learning options (enrichment, accomodated assignments, etc), but keep the webpage consistent.
  • the right is more interesting?
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      I don't think the image on the right is more interesting? What am I missing? 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 03 Jul 14
       
      "Interesting" is of course subjective. Typically, the rule of thirds means if you move the subject over to the 3rd-line of the picture, the picture shows more dynamics. Instead of "here's this rock formation", it's "Here's the rock formation, in its habitat, and now your eyes are moving over to this side of the photo to examine what is around it"
  • provide an email address if they were asked for it after they’d seen the feature work, so they had some idea of what they were going to get in return.
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      I so agree. If I'm asked for email or other info to enter a site, I just close out. I want some hint of what the site has to offer me before I give them all my info.  Great tip!
    • Linda Hoobin
      Linda Hoobin on 29 Jun 14
       
      I steer away if I am asked for identifying information before I can explore the site's information.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 03 Jul 14
       
      I hate it too. I have an email site dedicated to these throwaway signups that I never check (unless I need to confirm an account). I grumble every time.
  • he more options a user has when using your website, the more difficult it will be to use (or won’t be used at all).
    • rmfredrickson
      rmfredrickson on 29 Jun 14
       
      I agree with this Paradox of Choice; a few good options is better than a lot of medicore ones.
  • The best images follow the rule of thirds: an i
    • rmfredrickson
      rmfredrickson on 29 Jun 14
       
      I have never given this thought before, or had any idea how layout (in thirds) affects someone's perception of a page; fascinating, yet useful!!
  • Users don’t read, they scan. Analyzing a web-page, users search for some fixed points or anchors which would guide them through the content of the page.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      I admit, I was visualizing the scene from Clockwork Orange when thinking about this activity.
  • Unity has to do with all elements on a page visually or conceptually appearing to belong together. Visual design must strike a balance between unity and variety to avoid a dull or overwhelming design.
  • White space is used around text and between sections to allow the page to breath
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      I think white space is probably the most critical attribute for a teacher-designer to master. The simple adding of white space makes the whole thing breathe and makes it look a lot better.
  • Similarity refers to creating continuity throughout a design without direct duplication. Similarity is used to make pieces work together over an interface and help users learn the interface quicker.
  • 9 Essential Principles for Good Web Design
  • Good Web design, perhaps even more than other type of design, is about information.
  • Padding is the space between elements and text. The simple rule here is that you should always have space there.
  • Navigation — Where can you go?
  • Think about user tasks
  • Think about user tasks
  • At the end of the day, your Web design is a tool for people to use, and people don't like using annoying tools!
  • The simplest way to maintain consistency is to make early decisions and stick to them.
  • 8 Effective Web Design Principles You Should Know
  • Design is not just something designers do. Design is marketing. Design is your product and how it works. The more I’ve learned about design, the better results I’ve gotten.
  • So, if your layout width is 960px, divide it by 1.618 (=593px). Now you know that the content area should be 593px and sidebar 367px. If the website height is 760px tall, you can split it into 470px and 290px chunks (760/1.618=~470).
  • With effective web design, you need to make sure things that do NOT go together, are not perceived as one. Similarly, you want to group certain design elements together (navigation menu, footer etc) to communicate that they form a whole.
  • White space is all about the use of hierarchy. The hierarchy of information, be it type, colour or images.
  • Effective web design and art are not the same.
  • Web users are impatient and insist on instant gratification.
  • the web-page should be obvious and self-explanatory.
  • Avoid cute or clever names, marketing-induced names, company-specific names, and unfamiliar technical names.
  • The “keep it simple”-principle (KIS) should be the primary goal of site design.
  • testing one user is 100% better than testing none
  • if you want a great site, you’ve got to test.
  • Incorporating space into a design helps reduce noise, increase readability, and/or create illusion. White space is an important part of your layout strategy.
    • lwymore
      lwymore on 29 Jun 14
       
      The use of space can be often overlooked or just not something that we always pay attention to.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      Lisa, I agree. In fact, my opinion is its the best place to start, since it is one of the easier elements to understand (not sure I can identify what "good Gestalt" is) and one of the easiest to actually do.
  • White space is used to give balance, proportion and contrast to a page.
  • White space is used to give balance, proportion and contrast to a page.
    • lwymore
      lwymore on 29 Jun 14
       
      Using "white space" as a tool to balance, proportion and contrast on a page; also helps with readability; something to keep in mind when editing and trying to avoid text-heavy pages. Consider how can one use white space to prevent the text from looking too overwhelming.
  • You should direct the user’s eyes through a sequence
    • lwymore
      lwymore on 29 Jun 14
       
      This is the same thing we want to do with self-paced lessons.
  • Aligning makes your design more ordered and digestible, as well as making it seem more polished.
  • Simple, minimal design does not automatically mean the design works, or is effective. But in my experience simple is always better than the opposite
    • lwymore
      lwymore on 29 Jun 14
       
      Clean and simple design can help maintain the balance and consistency needed for effective lessons
aaronpals

Implementation in an Elementary Classroom (Articles) - 1 views

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

shared by aaronpals on 23 Feb 18 - No Cached
  • physical redesign of your classroom based on different examples of learning zones and flexible learning spaces
    • mriniker
      mriniker on 23 Feb 18
       
      I recently obtained my own room after sharing for several years. I finally could design learning zones and reevaluate our current flexible seating. It has definitely changed our learning for the better.
  • We introduce the different types of classroom learning environments.
    • jessicamotto
      jessicamotto on 25 Feb 18
       
      When trying to introduce different classroom environments we must sometimes deal with less enlightened administrators. We can not always get what we want/need.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 28 Feb 18
       
      I agree - more flexible learning environments is not always ideal in some situations. The resources needed to make Personalized Learning effective are not always available to us. What do we do then?
  • Inquiry-based instruction, a teaching technique rooted in questioning —
    • jessicamotto
      jessicamotto on 25 Feb 18
       
      I have always thought that this is the best form of education and have used it whenever possible, sometimes to the head shakes of administrators. It really works well with students of all ages and abilities.
  • ...18 more annotations...
  • Marcon tracked children from preschool through the third and fourth grades and found that those with “overly academic” preschool experiences struggled in their later elementary years when they were expected to “think more independently and take on greater responsibility for their own learning process.
    • jessicamotto
      jessicamotto on 25 Feb 18
       
      Agree, but we must be careful that academics are not forgotten completely. I have encountered students who have come into kindergarten very independent and lacking the ability to spell their pwn names.
    • aaronpals
      aaronpals on 03 Mar 18
       
      Definitely something to be wary of...guided play might be a better term that would make me more comfortable in this case. I think with the right prompts they can have freedom to play with an end in mind, as well.
  • In an ideal world, someone would tell you any important details from a child's school record before she arrives in your class. But in reality, you may need to do the research yourself.
    • jessicamotto
      jessicamotto on 25 Feb 18
       
      In an ideal world, someone would do the appropriate assessments and then include them in the student's file. Research is key, I try to observe my future students in their current class room whenever possible.
    • mriniker
      mriniker on 27 Feb 18
       
      Student PEP's (personalized education plans are a great tool to ensure the next teacher or school knows the most important things about a student. This means the teacher can better meet the needs of the student quickly instead of re-learning what another has already discovered. Unfortunately, it is rare to receive that kind of information and we must dig further which sometimes requires a lot of work and time to get answers.
    • ashleyteunissen
      ashleyteunissen on 01 Mar 18
       
      This is especially true for students with IEP's already in place from another district.  Reading it before can give you background and an idea of how to approach the student to assess where they are.  
  • Read students' files. In an ideal world, someone would tell you any important details from a child's school record before she arrives in your class. But in reality, you may need to do the research yourself.
    • mriniker
      mriniker on 25 Feb 18
       
      Creating personalized education plans for students or some sort of information that passes on from one school or teacher helps us get a better start with students. If we can start with a student knowing they do better in certain environments or with accommodations we do not need to re-learn over weeks what someone else has discovered. This allows us to meet students needs quickly. Unfortunately it is rare that we see that information without spending time digging for it.
  • inventory assessment of existing resources and from a repository of tools and apps that support learners in your classroom.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 27 Feb 18
       
      I have been wondering about this! It has been clear that students are supposed to have control over their learning topic and resources. Form an elementary perspective it is necessary to preteach about theses learning resources. I'm glad to finally read this.
  • Although her natural inclination is “to help my students when they’re stumped or confused, I need constantly to remind myself that when I supply an answer or even suggest a method for finding an answer, I’m not truly helping.”
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 27 Feb 18
       
      This is so true! I am constantly facing this challenge. Another important challenge faced with inquiry based learning is time... unfortunately it is a reality that lessons and units have time limits. It makes it hard to always follow your desire to use these practices.
  • “Giving them directions all the time takes away from the creative process and imagination, which a lot of my kids are lacking,” she says, “because they’re so used to being spoon-fed information that they can barely critically think.”
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 27 Feb 18
       
      Sadly, our traditional education system does take out this play time and creativity. I've been a teacher for 7 years and I started during the beginning implementation of the Common Core Standards. There has been such focus on rigor and DOK that learning experiences have become so bland and structured. Students have almost been trained to wait for instruction to do anything.
    • mriniker
      mriniker on 27 Feb 18
       
      I agree! When I began to let my students select some of their learning they had no idea how to approach it, they wanted me to tell them what to do. In a world with so many opportunities our students lack the ability to really begin outside the box thinking.
    • cgerbracht
      cgerbracht on 01 Mar 18
       
      I taught kindergarten for six years. Over that short amount of time, I saw a decline in critical thinking as we constantly pushed content on students. As a first grade teacher, I continue to see this decline, as well as a major lack of social/coping skills.
  • Practice procedures for independent and collaborative work. Forest Lake's rule of thumb is that each procedure needs to be practiced 28 times to stick. When you introduce a new activity, such as independently listening to an audio book, give students enough practice to become adept at it. Then add another. Eventually, you'll be able to work with a small group while the other children learn without your constant supervision.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 27 Feb 18
       
      This really emphasizes how long it takes to establish a learning environment that works for personalized learning. Especially in elementary everything needs to be pre-taught and prepared.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 01 Mar 18
       
      I'm still going back and forth on how I could even begin to structure my own classroom environment to implement personalized learning. It seems like so much work, not that it wouldn't be worth it, time and energy to teach expectations with no definite outcome. I don't know how my students will handle it. Will they take it and run with it? Will they struggle being self-directed learners and make it seem like I've restructured my classroom for nothing?!
    • cgerbracht
      cgerbracht on 01 Mar 18
       
      I'm also struggling on where to start. I'm trying to decide which "baby steps" will be the most beneficial for my students. Like you mentioned, it will be a lot of work, so you want to make sure that it will be beneficial.
  • Arrange desks into collaborative clusters or stations. The key is to give your classroom flexibility and enable varied work to go on at once. Include options for sitting on the floor, which is better for kids who don't learn as well while sitting still in a chair.
    • mriniker
      mriniker on 27 Feb 18
       
      This is something that really changes how students work. We have different types of learning areas and the kids can work together or in a quiet space if that is there preference. We also have a variety of flexible seating, students love having choices and seem to be more focused when they are comfortable. Days are long when sitting in a chair all day and they get squirmy.
    • ashleyteunissen
      ashleyteunissen on 01 Mar 18
       
      Absolutely agree!  Sometimes (especially with special education students in my experience) they just need to refocus and moving to a different area with different seating works so well! 
  • continually resist the temptation to lead her students through lessons
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 28 Feb 18
       
      I feel like this would be the hardest part of personalized learning for teachers new to the implementation process. Stepping back from leading students through how to do something and letting them explore/learn on their own. The teacher part of me would want to constantly interject to see where they need help or how they are doing!
  • If we don't give kids a chance to experiment, they may not know they're good at something or like it
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 01 Mar 18
       
      This statement is very interesting to me and I feel like this has happened to me several times before. For example, I've had several experiences when a student struggles with place value but then excels when we get to our multiplication unit. In place value I don't tend to use a lot of manipulatives but when we get to multiplication it is taught very visually to begin with. Maybe that's what a child needs in order to excel - a chance to manipulate and experiment. I need to look into ways other than base-ten blocks on how I can add in manipulatives with my place value unit.
  • s Thinking Maps,
    • cgerbracht
      cgerbracht on 01 Mar 18
       
      This is a new idea to me. After I looked into it, I realize many of the eight "Thinking Map" are graphic organizers I am familiar with, I am not using them with my first graders. This is something I want to begin to do.
  • if there’s no place for play in the classroom, “then there’s no place for children in the classroom
    • cgerbracht
      cgerbracht on 01 Mar 18
       
      What a powerful quote!! Something important for all educators to remember--no matter the age of the child!
  • With young children, you can have them draw a smiley or sad face in response to questions like, "Do you like drawing pictures?" Then you'll be better armed to play to their passions and strengths.
    • ashleyteunissen
      ashleyteunissen on 01 Mar 18
       
      I love this idea in order to survey younger children, I always struggle with how to give them more input for personalized learning.
  • You can check instantly using a simple thumbs-up/thumbs-down question-and-answer or, if you have them, electronic remote clickers. Forest Lake curriculum coordinator Marian Scullion suggests using an exit slip; after a lesson, have students write their answers to a quick question about what they've learned. Then, use that feedback to plan for the next day.
    • ashleyteunissen
      ashleyteunissen on 01 Mar 18
       
      These are examples of "Total participation techniques"- the AEA offers a class covering this technique in getting students more involved in their learning, and to help teachers better assess student progress in order to tailor teaching to reach all students.
  • Share planning duties with a fellow teacher. Find someone at your school who shares your passion for differentiated instruction and join forces. Divide up the work; each of you can devise different versions of a lesson for different learning styles and abilities. Plus, once you get a few people excited about this effort, it can be contagious.
    • ashleyteunissen
      ashleyteunissen on 01 Mar 18
       
      Such a great idea!  I see so much competition in some teacher relationships, when if they would work together it would benefit the both of them!  I also feel students can better collaborate when grade levels do similar activities, so even when friends or siblings are in different sections, they can still support one another because they are doing similar or the same skills.  Grade level sections who work together seem to be happier and have greater success with students.  Two heads are better than one! 
  • This is a simple chart on which each student writes what she already knows ("K") about a given topic, what she wants to know ("W"), and then -- to be filled out at the end of the lesson -- what she actually learned ("L"). You can use these charts like cheat sheets to spot strengths or gaps in students' base knowledge.
    • aaronpals
      aaronpals on 03 Mar 18
       
      Or a pre-test, especially if you might be work on an adaptive OLP. One of the programs I was looking at allowed teachers to assign targeted lessons as starting points if they knew what their student's skills were.
  • You can also provide struggling students with leveled text -- less difficult reading that contains the same content."
    • aaronpals
      aaronpals on 03 Mar 18
       
      This reminded me of something you could put in The Google. A quick search of non-lingual representations could provide useful ideas for ESL and students with IEPs.
  • gives them a lot more than what I can give them teaching straight from a textbook all day.”
    • aaronpals
      aaronpals on 03 Mar 18
       
      And a chance to exercise social skills beyond a completely structured set up.
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.
    • anonymous
      anonymous 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.
    • anonymous
      anonymous 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.
    • anonymous
      anonymous 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
    • anonymous
      anonymous 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?
hansenn

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  • 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.
    • anonymous
      anonymous 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.
    • anonymous
      anonymous 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.
    • anonymous
      anonymous 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?
    • anonymous
      anonymous 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.
LaRae Arment

PLE Articles - 2 views

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

shared by LaRae Arment on 14 Jun 17 - No Cached
  • The concept of PLE is not a way to replace classroom learning, but to enhance it.
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      I think this is important to point out at the beginning. At first, personalized learning (I believe) makes the teacher feel irrelevant. That's not true, but it seems like it.
  • PLEs place a large amount of responsibility on students and thus requires a high level of self-management and awareness
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      I think this is good to point out. These skills aren't often turned over to the kids, so they must be explicitly taught. I think self-reflection is probably the best way to instill this in students.
    • heidimeyer
      heidimeyer on 15 Jun 17
       
      Teaching students how to self-manage is critical. I wonder how successful this is with younger elementary students.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Jun 17
       
      I was wondering the same thing, Heidi, about how this would work for elementary students. I know we want this to be as student focused as possible, but I wonder if at first PLEs are modeled with students creating a basic one that has resources they have used before and are the same as the ones the teacher modeled and as students begin to work more with it, they can add their own resources. I slow work in progress.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 16 Jun 17
       
      This is a major shift - it is a change in the culture of the school and the classroom as well for the individual. We have to support this transition.
    • efabscha
      efabscha on 17 Jun 17
       
      Heidi, I am also wondering the same thing. Do they have certain ages where personalized learning works best?
    • jhenning40
      jhenning40 on 20 Jun 17
       
      ckeninger, I think your idea of a modeled and guided first round is essential. That would help them see and understand the process before trying a "true" PLE.
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 21 Jun 17
       
      YES! Digital citizenship and message etiquette cross curricular ideas!!
    • rmeyer1130
      rmeyer1130 on 28 Jun 17
       
      Great uses for teaching media etiquette!
    • rmeyer1130
      rmeyer1130 on 28 Jun 17
       
      But you do have to wonder about those kids who are not engaged and responsible... will a PLE make school harder? Or will you feel like you still invest lots of individual attention to kids who need it?
  • The idea of having one site to log into daily and then a pre-constructed  dashboard of all the learning tools and spaces available to us seemed appealing
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      That seems like a good way to let groups do research on their own but still with some facilitation. Throwing lots of resources on there, teaching them how to use them and skills required (as they come up), and then turn them loose.
    • heidimeyer
      heidimeyer on 15 Jun 17
       
      Wow! This is my first time learning about Symbaloo. What a great tool that allows students to quickly access what they need.
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 16 Jun 17
       
      We set up a Symbaloo for my daughter's college search to keep all the websites handy for both of us. In a way, I felt like it was the same of just having bookmarks in a folder, but it looked cool.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 16 Jun 17
       
      I think it is a great tool if you learn to use it. I have helped people create it, but so many go to the same page every time they log in and then google everything as needed. It could be a great way to focus students and avoid surfing.
    • katieconnolly20
      katieconnolly20 on 17 Jun 17
       
      I also have never used symbaloo but find it to be very appealing. I think in the upper grade levels students would get a lot of use out of it. A question I have is how can it be successfully utilized in lower elementary classrooms? I think I could add sites that we use on computers but a lot of these sites require reading and my students are just learning how to read. Any ideas?
    • LaRae Arment
      LaRae Arment on 05 Jul 17
       
      I am unfamiliar with Symbaloo, but can see how it would be benefical to my students as an organization tool. I also see it as a time saver for students that are researching.
  • ...37 more annotations...
  • I only wish that students could edit the webmix in their own accounts (and if they can, I haven’t discovered how yet), but that is really a minor wrinkle for us at this point; I also wish I could publish the webmix with a public URL accessible to non-Symbaloo users.
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      These seem like the types of things I was going to have them do with this. Maybe not, but at the very least these are things to look into as I explore this resources.
  • A PLE is the method students use to organize their self-directed online learning, including the tools they employ to gather information, conduct research, and present their findings.    As the name implies, PLEs give learners a high degree of control over their work by allowing them to customize the learning experience and connect to others, including experts in the field.
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      That's a great definition, so I marked it. It sort of encompasses what it is and why it's important, in addition to providing some ideas.
    • heidimeyer
      heidimeyer on 15 Jun 17
       
      Love this definition!
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 16 Jun 17
       
      saving this definition to share with my students this fall....
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 16 Jun 17
       
      I think something like this is helpful to get everyone on the same page.
    • rmeyer1130
      rmeyer1130 on 28 Jun 17
       
      This is a great definition, as others have posted... but I just continue to see pros and cons to all this self-directed online learning for so many of our kids. Good for many... not the best fit for many others.
  • our work must increasingly attend to supporting students in developing their skills and motivations for becoming themselves networked and sophisticated online learners
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      Nice! As an instructional coach, I've constantly been saying "the person talking is the person learning" (for two years!) in order to have the teachers understand that if they talk for the entire period (i.e. are the holder of all knowledge, content, and skills), all the students are getting is short term learning and dependence on the teacher. I feel like this is the same idea.
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 16 Jun 17
       
      Indeed, working with students to become not only savvy consumers of media and information ("fake news?"), but working with students to sharpen the skill of organization of said information is key to their navigating an increasingly complex information-world.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 16 Jun 17
       
      I agree - however I don't know how many of my colleagues do. This all goes back to being student centered and student driven.
  • ou can provide a tile linking to a web page describing a number  of exploratory activities a student will need to engage in, but make the path for accomplishing these activities (e.g., the numbers and types of tiles used) up to the student.
    • arieux1
      arieux1 on 14 Jun 17
       
      Now that's a good idea!
  • teachers’ provision of the right balance between structured lessons and autonomy; let’s never forget it is an ongoing balancing act.
    • heidimeyer
      heidimeyer on 15 Jun 17
       
      I love this and want to strive for this but this also terrifies me. I'm in the "awareness" stage of learning about PL. My concerns are, How will I truly balance this? Is it the right balance?
    • jhenning40
      jhenning40 on 20 Jun 17
       
      I'm also concerned about balance for each individual student. Some students will naturally blossom with independent learning, but others will need more consistent help until they have the skills or confidence to do more independent work (hopefully only at first, I anticipate some will need continuous support)
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 21 Jun 17
       
      I love opening a highlighted section to make a comment...and there's more than just ME thinking about the "perfect balance." It means I'm not alone in being anxious about it. Part of me believes that, like SBG and common core, students will adapt and this will become second nature to them if we present it in a positive manner like we do know what's best for them- because we do. :)
  • as an instructor, you can make a webmix quite interactive.
    • heidimeyer
      heidimeyer on 15 Jun 17
       
      I like that the instructor can still play a role in students' Symbaloo. The examples given are a great way to engage students.
  • Learning Management Systems (LMS)
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Jun 17
       
      There is great information describing the differences between LMS and PLE but what is a specifc example of a LMS? Would this be like our school library reference page that has specific links that students use for the states projects year after year?
  • Teachers are challenged to provide the appropriate balance between structured lessons and learner autonomy in order to facilitate self-directed learning
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Jun 17
       
      Where is this balance? Is there is a suggested ratio of teacher input/lesson to student directed learning? Does it depend on the age of the student?
    • katieconnolly20
      katieconnolly20 on 17 Jun 17
       
      These are great questions. I have found myself wondering the same thing. For me, allowing my students to be their own learners and not depend on me is a hard concept for me to grasp. I am a kindergarten teacher. It make me question at what age is this all appropriate and how can I set up my students to be able to be successful learners on their own. Many of my students are not responsible enough to handle facilitating their own learning. Does anyone have ideas on how I can prepare them for this?
    • eswartzendruber
      eswartzendruber on 17 Jun 17
       
      I agree. I keep reading that there's a balance or strategies, but I'm unsure of what those are.
    • jhenning40
      jhenning40 on 20 Jun 17
       
      I also wonder: does it have to be an equal balance? What I mean is does the process start with a more teacher-heavy interaction, where the teacher frontloads, teaches strategies, and models; once students have that background knowledge, does the balance shift to student-centered? The balance may not always be equal, but on the whole both groups play an equal part -- just something I"m curious about as I think about how I might create this type of learning in my own class.
    • rmeyer1130
      rmeyer1130 on 28 Jun 17
       
      Agreed. The balance between human contact and online learning. Life skills learned through working and playing with each other cannot take a backseat to online skill progress.
    • LaRae Arment
      LaRae Arment on 05 Jul 17
       
      I agree with the balance. From experience with our students and using online programs. Communication and soft skills are some of those skills that can't be learned online.
  • The gallery view allows you to preview webmixes before adding them to your Symbaloo dashboard.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Jun 17
       
      Wow! I didn't know you could search for webmixes and then add them to your dashboard. I wonder if other teachers have created webmixes for their students to reference. A teacher could make a webmix to share with students on their personal dashboards to get them started. What a great example of the collaboration of online tools.
    • LaRae Arment
      LaRae Arment on 05 Jul 17
       
      It would be nice if there are already created webmixes out there to help get a start in learning how to utilize Symbaloo.
  • on.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 16 Jun 17
       
      Wow! There are a lot of components to the Networked Student in the image below. My concern is ensuring students have the foundation for these components before they start PL. Practicing digital responsibility is an important piece. When we provide students with technology, we are giving them access to a lot of information and responsibilty. This can be positive or negative.
  • chart
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 16 Jun 17
       
      Ah ha! I was just wondering whether NTN's "Echo" system would be my students' PLE...nope. I'm curious to keep reading to see how Echo can blend with a PLE for my PBL students next year...
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 16 Jun 17
       
      Also...I'm saving these images throughout the class to my Pinterest Board for further reference!
  • social media platform
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 16 Jun 17
       
      Could a Google Classroom or Google Hangout that students create be considered a PLE?
    • LaRae Arment
      LaRae Arment on 05 Jul 17
       
      I also wondered this as I was reading the article. I use Google classroom but more as an information board for student organization.
  • learner controlled
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 16 Jun 17
       
      In this way, PLEs seem to mirror one defining component of PL: learned controlled. But, I would assume the "facilitator" (teacher) would also have access....
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 16 Jun 17
       
      I think as we learn about how to be the facilitators in courses like this, we also need to think about how we will train our students to be this type of learner.
  • Netvibes
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 16 Jun 17
       
      Okay - I've never heard of Netvibes...I'll check it out as a possibility for my pbl students this fall.
  • the aggregato
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 16 Jun 17
       
      catchy name: the aggregator!
  • A collection of resources related to a problem-based learning challenge
    • julie_carroll
      julie_carroll on 16 Jun 17
       
      And here is the "fit" for New Tech...we will definitely be offering Symbaloo as a PLE option for our PBL students!
  • These tools provide a medium for students to create their own learning space that is more natural and unique to their interests and learning styles
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 16 Jun 17
       
      The only problem is when a student doesn't want to use the tech - rare, but it happens.
    • katieconnolly20
      katieconnolly20 on 17 Jun 17
       
      Do you have this happen in your classroom? How do you handle this situation if so?
  • The development of PLEs represents a shift in focus from teacher centered classrooms to more learner centered classrooms.
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 16 Jun 17
       
      I think this is difficult because it shifts not only the center, but the ownership and control. The fear is what might happen if the teacher gives up control or the teacher giving up their pet project or unit that they enjoy. It is hard not to be selfish sometimes when you invest so much of yourself into something.
    • efabscha
      efabscha on 17 Jun 17
       
      I truly wonder what this might look like for teachers. Would there be way more preparation or maybe less preparation is needed? The thought makes me nervous!
    • katieconnolly20
      katieconnolly20 on 17 Jun 17
       
      I agree! I feel that as students take charge of their own learning, it will mean less work for us as teachers. I am also curious of what this looks like. As a kindergarten teacher, I feel that there will need to front load what personalized learning looks like. I will still need to make sure my students are being responsible learners.
    • annabrousard
      annabrousard on 19 Jun 17
       
      In DMPS we are moving to schools for rigor which is all about creating student centered classrooms so I wonder if this will be something that DMPS looks into as well.
    • rmeyer1130
      rmeyer1130 on 28 Jun 17
       
      I feel like it would create MORE work, but in a different way. You have to always be aware of what all of your kids are working on and touch base and provide supports as needed. Less in control of their learning, means you're less in control of what you'll be expected to do each day.
  • begin developing their Symbaloo webmixes
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 16 Jun 17
       
      I see myself having a menu for students to put in their own webmix and then having additions as we go along.
    • efabscha
      efabscha on 17 Jun 17
       
      What types of sources would you require students to put in their menu?
  •  I also encourage you to check out the videos and blog posts at SymbalooEDU
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 16 Jun 17
       
      These are really helpful
  • grounding them intentionally in an environment of information tools and productive applications
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 16 Jun 17
       
      I like the line 'productive applications' - I think this connects back to training our students to be successful in the PLE
  • An eportfolio
    • trgriffin1
      trgriffin1 on 16 Jun 17
       
      I plan to use Google Sites for the portfolio in my course, but I see Symbaloo as their dashboard/launchpad. We will use Moodle, an online textbook, and myriad online resources.
    • efabscha
      efabscha on 17 Jun 17
       
      When students create an eportfolio is this something that can be shared with parents as well? Does it follow them all through school?
  • support learning anywhere
    • eswartzendruber
      eswartzendruber on 17 Jun 17
       
      This is a huge benefit considering one of our biggest goals of teaching is to make students lifelong learners. However, what happens when students don't have access to resources outside of school?
    • annabrousard
      annabrousard on 19 Jun 17
       
      This is a really great idea so that the learning does not stop just because the school day does.
    • rmeyer1130
      rmeyer1130 on 28 Jun 17
       
      Of course, it also makes the gap bigger between children who have support and resources at home, and those students who do not.
  • strategies in place to guide and support these learners
    • eswartzendruber
      eswartzendruber on 17 Jun 17
       
      What are these strategies? As a 4th grade teacher, I have a handful of students who struggle to work independently and trust themselves while taking control of their learning.
    • annabrousard
      annabrousard on 19 Jun 17
       
      I also would like to see some strategies to help with these students.
    • jhenning40
      jhenning40 on 20 Jun 17
       
      I agree some strategies would be helpful. I can anticipate that many students will need some frontloading or strategies in order to be successful with their first PLE.
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 21 Jun 17
       
      Agreed! I would love some ideas as well.
  • Symbaloo
    • eswartzendruber
      eswartzendruber on 17 Jun 17
       
      As an elementary teacher, I think Symbaloo allows for more management. When meeting with students regarding their PL, we can find/add websites to Symbaloo together especially if they can't edit the "webmix" in their own accounts.
  • photo collages
  • Some instructors empower students to use their own mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones as a means to create PLEs.
  • Symbaloo,
  • tiles
  • It’s easy to use
  • Students can extend their learning into questions to parents, email conversations, Facebook posts or even twitter hashtags.
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 21 Jun 17
       
      Great ideas for book sharing instead of journaling! This helps in reference to my PLP for this course.
  • set usage parameters
  • so that they can collaborate and discover information
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 21 Jun 17
       
      LOVE this idea for collaboration and opportunity to teach each other!
  • she explains, are no longer the primary or even the best source of information available to students
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 21 Jun 17
       
      This is scary and exciting all at once! I can't help but wonder what teachers who have been in the trade for 25+ years must think about this.
  • webmixes
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 21 Jun 17
       
      I hope I get a better idea of what a "webmix" is as I start the tour of Symbaloo; can't find a definition so I'm guessing it is a term used with this database.
  • select group of individuals (via email).
    • nthurm
      nthurm on 21 Jun 17
       
      This would be good for class sharing that you don't necessarily want others to have access to.
    • LaRae Arment
      LaRae Arment on 05 Jul 17
       
      Great to know!
  • collaborating and sharing with others
    • LaRae Arment
      LaRae Arment on 05 Jul 17
       
      Collaboration is key for students to get the experience of working with others especially if it is a situation that they are not in a regular education classroom environment.
  • heidimeyer on 15 Jun 17
     
    "PLEs place a large amount of responsibility on students and thus requires a high level of self-management and awareness"
lisa rasmussen

ollie4: Article: Attributes from Effective Formative Assessment (CCSSO) - 14 views

moodle.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by lisa rasmussen on 16 Jun 11 - No Cached
  • One key feature of this definition is its requirement that formative assessment be regarded as a process rather than a particular kind of assessment. In other words, there is no such thing as “a formative test.”
    • Peggy Christensen
      Peggy Christensen on 16 Jun 11
       
      I often times hear teacher speak of formative assessment as a noun instead of a verb. (e.g. They gave their students a formative assessment today.)
    • Cindy Blinkinsop
      Cindy Blinkinsop on 21 Jun 11
       
      You hit the nail on the head.
    • Maryann Angeroth
      Maryann Angeroth on 13 Oct 11
       
      What role does homework have in formative assessment?
    • Deena Stanley-Dostart
      Deena Stanley-Dostart on 14 Oct 11
       
      Our administrators are telling us to do more formative assessments, they are also treating it like a noun.
    • Nancy Peterman
      Nancy Peterman on 15 Oct 11
       
      These courses have helped me recognize the difference in using the formative assessment as a "process" rather than a type of test. It makes a big difference in when and why a teacher uses the strategy.
    • Perry Bekkerus
      Perry Bekkerus on 16 Nov 11
       
      Ours are as well. I think formative assessment is any kind of data that helps a teacher decide what to do next in the classroom. For instance, as a music teacher, I can listen to kids sing a particular passage as a formative assessment; if they all sing it well, they are ready for another passage. If no one is getting it, then I need to slow down the passage until they have a better handle on it. If some are getting it and others aren't, then I usually try to improve another aspect of the passage (dynamics, diction, etc.) so that the strugglers get more practice on the pitches without boring the kids who already know the notes. In essence, by differentiating, I kill two birds with one stone. The formative assessment (i.e. listening to them sing it the first time) is the crucial piece here...if I just assume that they know it (or don't know it), then I have made assumptions about their background knowledge. That is the purpose of formative assessment: an assessment that formulates some further action or inaction.
  • there are a number of formative assessment strategies that can be implemented during classroom instruction.
    • Peggy Christensen
      Peggy Christensen on 16 Jun 11
       
      In Science CABs we have shared the book, "Science Formative Assessment: 75 Practical Strategies for Linking Assessment, Instruction, and Learning," by Page Keeley. The teachers seem to really like a lot of these strategies and plan on using them in their classrooms.
    • Cindy Blinkinsop
      Cindy Blinkinsop on 21 Jun 11
       
      Teachers don't want to know the theory and research behind a strategy...they just want the strategy or strategies that will help them help their students. I'm not a science teacher but the book you refer to sounds like a great resource for science teachers.
    • Lynne Devaney
      Lynne Devaney on 16 Oct 11
       
      Thanks for the resource.
  • Learning Goals and Criteria for Success: Learning goals and criteria for success should be clearly identified and communicated to students.
    • Peggy Christensen
      Peggy Christensen on 16 Jun 11
       
      This year in Science CAB, we have started using Learning Goals and Success Criteria with the participants. We try to post these on the PowerPoint, so everyone can see them. However, our learning goals . . . and possibly even our success criteria need work.
    • Linda Hoobin
      Linda Hoobin on 20 Jun 11
       
      Throught my work with Margaret Heritage and the Iowa Core, I found this to take much more time than I thought it would. I am still learning about how to write clear learning goals and success criteria. Practice will eventually make perfect, but I have a long ways to go!
    • jalfaro
      jalfaro on 26 Jun 11
       
      The first principal I worked for required that all of us clearly post the learning objectives for the day or week on our white boards. He wanted the students to know at the beginning of class what the goal was for the day and what they were expected to do. Transparency shows that we'd thought about our lesson and that the students were a part of the equation. Thinking back to my own education, I know there were too many moment when I was left wondering what we were really trying to do and why it was important!
    • Dirk Troutman
      Dirk Troutman on 22 Jul 11
       
      Any lesson or course with clear learning objectives will be a success, any without it is unlikely to succeed.
    • Kathy Hageman
      Kathy Hageman on 12 Oct 11
       
      Is it really just a matter of "communicating" goals and criteria to students? Wouldn't students benefit from being involved in the process of identifying goals and criteria?
    • Mark McGaffin
      Mark McGaffin on 12 Oct 11
       
      Purpose for the lesson and outcomes for the students (what they will be able to do).  The students need to understand what they will be learning and how they will show it (rubrics).
    • Jean Van Gilder
      Jean Van Gilder on 13 Oct 11
       
      Also we need to communicate as instructors with our students as to how what they are learning applies in their "real" lives.
    • Gayle Olson
      Gayle Olson on 20 Oct 11
       
      A technique that I have used lots when starting a new topic is to ask the students what they hope to gain from it. That helps me call their attention to specific spots when we learn the new info. It also gives me their language, so I know better what words to use so they will be able to understand the concepts by connecting them to what is already familiar to them. It's powerful, especially when they see me referring to the list to see if we have met everyone's goals.
  • ...64 more annotations...
    • Cheryl Merical
      Cheryl Merical on 16 Jun 11
       
      The "and students" is important here. I often observe formative assessement being referred to as primarily for the teacher and not about how useful it is for students.
    • Gary Petersen
      Gary Petersen on 18 Oct 11
       
      I would agree. Most often I think of "informing instruction" as helping the teacher and do not look at "informing learning" as part of the process to help students.
  • used by teachers and students to inform instruction and learning during the teaching/learning process.
    • Jean Van Gilder
      Jean Van Gilder on 13 Oct 11
       
      I hate to say it; but we were using formative assessment long before the conference that defined it came about...but we can all work on improvement.
    • Lynne Devaney
      Lynne Devaney on 16 Oct 11
       
      I agree that teachers are (were) very good at using formative assessment. Sometimes I wonder if when the standardized and accountability measures were put in place, teachers stepped away from their good prtactice because someone else was telling them that NCLB was the "real" measurement. Maybe we lost something?
    • David Olson
      David Olson on 18 Oct 11
       
      I like that this definition is to provide evidence. This shows we are really doing it.
  • The process requires the teacher to share learning goals with students and provide opportunities for students to monitor their ongoing progress.
    • Cheryl Merical
      Cheryl Merical on 17 Jun 11
       
      Again, so important to include the student in the process, which is something that is often overlooked.
    • Linda Hoobin
      Linda Hoobin on 20 Jun 11
       
      With user friendly, clearly stated targets for the students.
    • Sandy Kluver
      Sandy Kluver on 20 Jun 11
       
      Giving students time to reflect and learn about themselves.
    • Kathy Hageman
      Kathy Hageman on 12 Oct 11
       
      It would be appropriate to add one more thought to this sentence: rather than teachers merely sharing learning goals, students should be involved in determining their goals.
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 12 Oct 11
       
      Haven't we learned that using rubrics to share expectations for students aids in learning. I've been learning the SINA process this past week. One of the focuses of the school in this process was making sure students and also parents knew and understood the standards and benchmarks used in their instruction. Sounds like they chose something that will increase student achievement!
    • Jean Van Gilder
      Jean Van Gilder on 13 Oct 11
       
      All important to involve the students; they can't just sit and absorb learning they have to actively particiapate in all facets!
    • Nancy Peterman
      Nancy Peterman on 15 Oct 11
       
      For "experienced" teachers it is a big shift from the teacher-controlled lecture to student-led learning. It is exciting to see the students actively engaged, but hard at first to "facilitate" and utilize the "teachable moments". It requires extra preparation, constantly evaluation of habits, and patience to wait for students to take ownership of the discussions and learning.
    • Gayle Olson
      Gayle Olson on 20 Oct 11
       
      I agree with Kathy - having the students involved in helping to set the learning goals would be great! Either way, having the students clued in to what the learning goals are is a big step to help them sort out the important pieces.
  • Learning progressions describe how concepts and skills build in a domain
    • Lori Pearson
      Lori Pearson on 20 Jun 11
       
      This section makes me think about the Iowa Core and how it really builds from kindergarten. Teachers are often made more aware of how a skill is "built" from the ground up.
    • Denise Krefting
      Denise Krefting on 20 Jun 11
       
      Lori- the Iowa Core needs to be in the front of our thought process! :)
    • Linda Hoobin
      Linda Hoobin on 20 Jun 11
       
      Our biggest Iowa Core question may be, who develops learning progressions. Given the amount of time they take to develop, how can the state/AEAs/LEA work toward accomplishing this very important task?
    • Deb Versteeg
      Deb Versteeg on 13 Jul 11
       
      We have done some learning progression work as a state through some of our state content teams, but much more needs to be done in light of the Iowa Core and a broader audience needs to be involved.
    • Becky Hinze
      Becky Hinze on 14 Oct 11
       
      Learing progressions must be understood by all teachers. Margaret Heritage talks extensively about this being a major problem. If teachers don't understand these progressions, they won't know how to go backwards or forwards if students don't understand or have mastered concepts. IC helps some with this, but not perfectly.
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 16 Oct 11
       
      I feel like we barely got started with this process at our last meeting. I hope we spend more time on it, as I feel that learning progressions are an important part of formative assessment, and we may not get the results we want without them.
    • Lynne Devaney
      Lynne Devaney on 16 Oct 11
       
      We have spent a lot of time talking about who should develop learning progressions. In our district we use the phrase "unpacking the standard". We go back and forth. In some cases, it seems as though the teacher and student should own that learning. But sometimes, teachers, particularly in the elementary school where teachers are more generalists, they do not have the depth of content knowledge to develop rigorous learning progressions.
  • Descriptive
    • Lori Pearson
      Lori Pearson on 20 Jun 11
       
      I also think of the word "constructive."
    • terri lamb
      terri lamb on 21 Jun 11
       
      Constructive would be a great addition to this and is implied but should be evident.
  • Helping students think meta-cognitively
    • Lori Pearson
      Lori Pearson on 20 Jun 11
       
      Many points in this article are connected to not only effective formative assessment, but also in the bigger realm of effective instruction.
    • Cindy Blinkinsop
      Cindy Blinkinsop on 20 Jun 11
       
      Totally agree - we need to teach students to intuitively know when and how to use a variety of learning and/or problem solving strategies. Schools need to focus on 1 - 2 strategies in every content area (Cornell Notetaking or Kansas Strategies) so the students really apply every day the learning strategies to help them learn all content, vocabulary, etc.
    • Lisa Buss
      Lisa Buss on 17 Jul 11
       
      Students have to 'see' the value in learning. If they are accountable for their own, it'll have much more meaning to them.
    • Jessica White
      Jessica White on 16 Oct 11
       
      Yes, that metacognition piece is so vital. Students really need to start thinking about their thinking.
    • Gayle Olson
      Gayle Olson on 20 Oct 11
       
      I agree with all of you. Effective instruction means knowing where your students are. Formative assessment is one of the main ways that you know that. It's difficult to imagine truly effective instruction without formative assessment.
  • process used by teachers and students
    • Denise Krefting
      Denise Krefting on 20 Jun 11
       
      I like that students are a part of this process! We need to remember to have them assess themselves and each other as well.
    • Deborah Ausborn
      Deborah Ausborn on 25 Jun 11
       
      I agree. When students take ownership of their own learning, there are so many more positive results.
    • Darin Johnson
      Darin Johnson on 29 Jun 11
       
      Thinking of formative assessment as a process is helpful for me. Like the writing process, it needs to become a highly personalized and organic activity for every teacher.
    • Lisa Buss
      Lisa Buss on 17 Jul 11
       
      I agree that it is a process, an on-going instruction that provides feedback. In one of my other classes, there was a lot of discussion about how the Google calendar allows us to use formative assessment and allows us to better know our students. I think the confusion was because they think we have to have a completed project to assess when in reality, all we are assessing is the 'process.'
    • Amy Burns
      Amy Burns on 11 Oct 11
       
      The word "process" should be bold and scream out at us, as a reminder that assessment is not a one-shot deal, yet how often is that the case? We do ourselves and our students a disservice if we base our assessments on a single observavation or task.
    • Cheryl Carruthers
      Cheryl Carruthers on 13 Oct 11
       
      yes, I think of the research process absolutely needing formative assessment embedded throughout the process. Too often, students proceed through a research project, getting all the way through to the final product with no feedback and then both the teacher and the student are disappointed by a poor grade. With formative assessment embedded within the research process, students are given the opportunity to gauge their own progress and success and make adjustments as needed. End result - a positive experience for both teacher and student.
    • Lynne Devaney
      Lynne Devaney on 16 Oct 11
       
      Must agree with others on the use of the word "process". As a district administrator, I often hear about students being over-tested. The possibilities of assessments being used formatively AND/or summatively is a process. Not everyone has made the shift.
    • Kevin McColley
      Kevin McColley on 16 Oct 11
       
      Amy, I love your comment on Google calendar! I truly think you nailed it on the head with your response. Verbatum I agree with you 100% and hope that things start backing the process rather than an assignment.
    • Gary Petersen
      Gary Petersen on 18 Oct 11
       
      I have heard some look at formative assessment as a product or test vs. the broader "interactive process."
  • partners
    • Denise Krefting
      Denise Krefting on 20 Jun 11
       
      Working as partners allows us to model better for our students and they to model for each other.
    • Linda Hoobin
      Linda Hoobin on 20 Jun 11
       
      And the teacher has to work on modeling so that the students can best see how this works. The culture of the classroom is something that must be nutured, it does not always occur naturally.
    • Cindy Blinkinsop
      Cindy Blinkinsop on 20 Jun 11
       
      I have found that teachers do not like to be vulnerable and have someone critique their teaching. The team must first establish trust with the peers they will be working with and understand that it is not to critique but to share ideas for improving teaching and learning for all.
    • Julie Townsend
      Julie Townsend on 27 Jun 11
       
      Collaboration is a difficult thing to create, because it takes the entire crew to effectively do so! 
    • Maryann Angeroth
      Maryann Angeroth on 14 Oct 11
       
      The AIw process has a perfect venue to allow teachers to score each others instruction based on a series of rubrics.
    • Tim Brickley
      Tim Brickley on 17 Oct 11
       
      The trust factor between teachers and students is so important to establish the partnership.  But it is hard to maintain classroom management and show vulnerability.
  • sense of trust between and among students
    • Denise Krefting
      Denise Krefting on 20 Jun 11
       
      This will take time for students to trust each other. What scaffolding steps should teacher take before collaboration can be effective?
    • Cindy Blinkinsop
      Cindy Blinkinsop on 20 Jun 11
       
      The classroom culture is set by the teacher - a place where there is mutual respect, only use positive statements, encourage one another to do and be their best at all times, confront and discuss obstables, and have rules posted for working together so all students know what behavior is exptected of them.
    • Deborah Ausborn
      Deborah Ausborn on 25 Jun 11
       
      It is so important to build that trust and sense of teamwork. In choir, it may have been easier to see how we all needed to support and encourage each other, since the end result, the choir sound, included the sum of all members. A complicating, but perhaps helpful factor in a choir is the multiple grade levels represented. I always assign older, more experienced students and mentors for younger students. Most of the time this has worked well to build a team spirit within the group. The students do critique themselves and each other live and through recordings. Emphasis is always placed on encouraging and positive criticisms.
    • lisa rasmussen
      lisa rasmussen on 22 Oct 11
       
      The sense of trust among students must come from a teacher who models this in the classroom on a regular basis.
  • adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes.
    • Linda Hoobin
      Linda Hoobin on 20 Jun 11
       
      This is what seems to be most often missed--using the feedback to adjust both teaching AND learning.
    • Cindy Blinkinsop
      Cindy Blinkinsop on 20 Jun 11
       
      We've had Lead & Learn out several times over the pasts three years to present to Data Teams. Consultants were assigned to buildings to work one-on-one with building Data Teams as well. It is a new concept for most of us - using data to drive instruction. Through the help of their awesome materials, our Data Team uses their 5 step process to collect and evaluate student data.
    • jalfaro
      jalfaro on 26 Jun 11
       
      Oh, Cindy! I'm so glad you mentioned those data teams (since we've been trained for the past 3 years). Data really is a key to classroom success...too many teachers just keep teaching even though students are begin left behind. Universities need to do a better job training new teachers how to NOT teach the way we've been teaching for the past century.
    • Nathan Fredericks
      Nathan Fredericks on 12 Oct 11
       
      I whole heartedly agree here. Too often I see this happening. It is amazing have often both teachers and students have been turned into technophobes in classrooms. I still have some students that dread doing things on the computers and all but refuse to do things with technology because they've never done it any other way.
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 12 Oct 11
       
      The word adjust is a huge word in this definition as well. Formative assessesment allows us to make changes in our teaching if what we are doing isn't having the desired result. These past two years I've spent a little time learning about the General Education Plan. If one intervention doesn't work, we need to adjust or change what we're trying. I think this is difficult for teachers as well. We get inpatient and we want to see results sooner rather than later. Yet, we need continue adjusting our instruction using the data to drive our teaching.
    • Becky Hinze
      Becky Hinze on 14 Oct 11
       
      Change instruction...that is what is missing!!!! Not just putting it into the grade book and moving on.
    • Nancy Peterman
      Nancy Peterman on 15 Oct 11
       
      I am in agreement with most on the point in the past teachers see the data, but keep on teaching "to cover the content". We are beginning to recognize the need to change but it requires a change in techniques and mental approach. Similar to letting Standards drive what is taught instead of the lessons identifying which Standards are covered.
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 16 Oct 11
       
      If teachers would use the feedback to adjust their instruction, I believe we would have fewer frustrated students! These two parts of the definition--process and using feedback to adjust teaching--are critically important in the whole school improvement process.
    • Gary Petersen
      Gary Petersen on 18 Oct 11
       
      This issue of ongoing adjustment is such a powerful concept.
  • integrated into instruction
    • Linda Hoobin
      Linda Hoobin on 20 Jun 11
       
      My big learning in my study of formative assessment is that it must be planned, even informal assessment must be planned.
    • Sandy Kluver
      Sandy Kluver on 20 Jun 11
       
      I agree. Purposeful teaching leads to better teaching and more learning by students.
    • Peggy Christensen
      Peggy Christensen on 27 Jun 11
       
      This was an ah-ha for me too. It was during our Every Learner Inquires meetings that I first realized this. I worked with a teacher who write down the key questions he wanted to ask students during the lesson I observed him teaching. He addressed all the questions he had listed. However, just remember that you don't need massive quantiies of quality questions. A few well-thought out questions can go a long way.
    • Deb Versteeg
      Deb Versteeg on 13 Jul 11
       
      Peggy, I appreciated your comment about just needing a few well-thought out questions. As educators we tend to overplan, which is fine, but we need to pull back the reigns when extended questioning etc. just isn't needed for thelearning to occur.
    • Mark McGaffin
      Mark McGaffin on 12 Oct 11
       
      My district has worked extensively with teachers to identify a purpose and the measures we will use to assess their progress.  These key questions can be the measures along with a number of other strategies.  I agree that many teachers over plan, we need to realize it that some students will not get it and that we need to plan for some enrichment opportunities during the lesson.  This will help students stay on track.
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 12 Oct 11
       
      I agree that planning is important. Formative assessment must be a deliberate part of instruction.
    • Becky Hinze
      Becky Hinze on 14 Oct 11
       
      Integrated into instruction.....not taking away from instruction to teach!
    • lisa rasmussen
      lisa rasmussen on 22 Oct 11
       
      It is so important that it be a part of the instruction process, and that students be informed of the importance of their role in this process.
  • the individual students.
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 16 Oct 11
       
      And that's where differentiated instruction comes in, as well as differentiated assessment!
  • 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.
    • Sandy Kluver
      Sandy Kluver on 20 Jun 11
       
      Explicit and communicate are the two words that jumped out at me in this sentence. Teachers need to be explicit and thoughtful with their planning and then students need to know what the intended goals are. It's hard to hit a moving target but if we do these two things our students should have success!
    • terri lamb
      terri lamb on 21 Jun 11
       
      I agree, explicit and communicated expectations and criteria need to be given for the student to reach the intended goals.
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 27 Jun 11
       
      In my work I'm frequently puzzled by the number of teachers that do not embrace the importance of clearly communicating expecations to their students
    • Deena Stanley-Dostart
      Deena Stanley-Dostart on 14 Oct 11
       
      I also agree that criteria should be clear, otherwise a student does not know what direction they are heading.
    • Tim Brickley
      Tim Brickley on 17 Oct 11
       
      I think that sometimes the criteria and expectations are clear in my head but it is the communication that doesn't always follow through.  This happens to me the first time I assign a project or paper.  I learn after that first time.
  • Students then need time to reflect on the feedback they have received to make changes or improvements.
    • Sandy Kluver
      Sandy Kluver on 20 Jun 11
       
      I think it's easy to hand back our papers with our feedback on it and then we move on to the next topic. But we need to go one step further and ask students to think about how they can improve the assignment based on the feedback. This might just be a quick write to get the students thinking about improving their learning.
    • terri lamb
      terri lamb on 21 Jun 11
       
      I agree, we often don't give time for this and it is an important process.
    • Cheryl Merical
      Cheryl Merical on 27 Jun 11
       
      I also agree. And if a student hasn't mastered a skill/concept how (and why) would a teacher want to move on to a higher level skill?
    • lisa rasmussen
      lisa rasmussen on 22 Oct 11
       
      An art portfolio with past work shows this growth, but students need to be shown what to look for.
  • about the particular qualities of student learning with discussion or suggestions about what the student can do to improve.
    • terri lamb
      terri lamb on 21 Jun 11
       
      Since improvement is the desired goal in formative assessment, this should be a priority.
    • Cheryl Merical
      Cheryl Merical on 27 Jun 11
       
      Agree! And "disscussion or suggestions about what the student can do to improve" is key. Too many times students are given non-descriptive feedback and true learning and/or improvement does not occur.
  • that the interpretations reflect the intentions of those who make them (e.g., writers, archaeologists, historians, and filmmakers).
    • Deborah Ausborn
      Deborah Ausborn on 25 Jun 11
       
      It is very important to remember that the interpretations of historical facts never happen in a vacuum, but always reflect the worldview of the interpreter. Our students need to learn to research the background of their sources and not just take everything presented to them at face value.
    • Cheryl Carruthers
      Cheryl Carruthers on 13 Oct 11
       
      The American Memory web site (Library of Congress) has many historical artifacts that can be used in such a process. Historical inquiry is so powerful when students are able to make the connections that Deborah mentions above.
  • Where am I going? Where am I now? How can I close the gap?
    • Deborah Ausborn
      Deborah Ausborn on 25 Jun 11
       
      Nice, concise questions for us to keep in mind as we plan objectives, goals, and formative assessment of the same.
    • Julie Townsend
      Julie Townsend on 27 Jun 11
       
      These are great questions! Sort of like the 'so what and who cares' questions I keep in mind when planning curriculum. Why am I teaching this and how will my students use it?
    • Darin Johnson
      Darin Johnson on 29 Jun 11
       
      These are awesome questions. I might have to make some posters!
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 13 Oct 11
       
      I agree that these are wonderful questions for anyone attempting to reach a goal. These questions are useful not only for feedback from a teacher but also provide a structure for student reflection
    • jalfaro
      jalfaro on 26 Jun 11
       
      We must respect our students and involve them in all of the past mysteries regarding teaching and learning. It should not be an I/you situation--"we" is the pronoun of choice for classroom success.
  • 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.
    • jalfaro
      jalfaro on 26 Jun 11
       
      Too often we use "I" and "you" when we should be using "we."
    • Gary Petersen
      Gary Petersen on 18 Oct 11
       
      This principle of being partners seems to start with the respect and trust of each role, (i.e., instructor and learner) in the assesssment process. If the process is interactive, then the teacher will be both instructor and learner as well as the student being instructor (during constructive feedback to the teacher) and learner.
    • Gayle Olson
      Gayle Olson on 20 Oct 11
       
      This is such a short paragraph with so many critical pieces in it! So much of what we know about how social/emotional factors impact learning gets shoved to the back of the agenda under the pressures of better test scores, etc., when it makes all the difference in the world, for exactly the reasons listed here.
    • lisa rasmussen
      lisa rasmussen on 22 Oct 11
       
      The person who has the biggest investment in the student's learning is the student. Students who understand this have the best outcome as life-long learners.
  • by realistic examples of those that meet and do not meet the criteria.
    • Cheryl Merical
      Cheryl Merical on 27 Jun 11
       
      Like the emphasis on not only examples, but also non-examples. So important when teaching moving away from concrete to more abstract concepts (e.g., strengths and weaknesses of arguments). Along with discussion of the "whys" and "why nots".
    • Darin Johnson
      Darin Johnson on 29 Jun 11
       
      I sometimes use a college writing textbook with my students because every chapter has "professional" examples of the topic followed by two essays written by college freshmen. My "gifted and talented" students quite often attack the more realistic student essays. I have had some of the most interesting discussions as I push students to fairly and honestly identify the good qualities and areas still to improve in their own writing and in the writing of others.
  • Sharing learning goals and criteria for success with students, support
  • nvolving students
    • Julie Townsend
      Julie Townsend on 27 Jun 11
       
      Involvement--getting students to talk about what matters to them...how are they going to apply the lesson...asking them what else they might want to know1
  • appreciation of differences
    • Julie Townsend
      Julie Townsend on 27 Jun 11
       
      Showing students you appreciate their differences is a personality trait some teachers have more of than others. Cultivating this acceptance can improve the culture and climate of the classroom, and sometimes teachers can encourage with success, this trait in other teachers.
  • The teacher might first offer students a paraphrased version of that goal such as
  • n self-assessment, students reflect on and monitor their learning using clearly explicated criteria for success.
    • Lisa Buss
      Lisa Buss on 17 Jul 11
       
      Students learn best when they are responsible for their own learning.
  • 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.
    • Darin Johnson
      Darin Johnson on 29 Jun 11
       
      This reminds me of the British expression "Mind the gap." This is a compelling argument, but I wonder about the simplicity of application. Is it feasible for a teacher to give "frequent feedback" of such a high quality that s/he is making sure that every students is in his/her zone of proximal development and then adjusting instruction accordingly. If teachers are to move away from industrialized models of education, then changes in the learning environment need to occur as well. I'm feeling like a Detroit auto executive in the late 1980s.
  • However, student- and peer-assessment should not be used in the formal grading process.
    • Darin Johnson
      Darin Johnson on 29 Jun 11
       
      Should teachers ever grade peer feedback? Students flock around Student A because she gives in-depth and insightful comments to their work. Student B finds to comma errors and tells his single partner that the essay is "good." Should these students be evaluated? Should they evaluate themselves? Or is this just punishing them with rewards? (I can't think of the title that I'm attempting to steal here.)
  • In this type of classroom culture, students will more likely feel they are collaborators with their teacher and peers in the learning process.
    • Jean Van Gilder
      Jean Van Gilder on 13 Oct 11
       
      I like the word collaborators used in describing the students in what we are working toward for all classrooms.
  • n addition to teacher feedback, when students and their peers are involved there are many more opportunities to share and receive feedback.
    • Amy Burns
      Amy Burns on 11 Oct 11
       
      I think we leave peer and self-assessment behind in the quest to accomplish all that is required in a 45 minute class period. There are so many online tools and formats that might fill the need for increased peer and self-assessment. Why not encourage backchannel reflections during a presentation? A site such as http://www.chatzy.com/advanced.htm might be one way for this to be accomplished.
    • Kathy Hageman
      Kathy Hageman on 12 Oct 11
       
      Do you like Chatzy better than TodaysMeet?
  • in an eighth grade writing class the students are learning how to construct an argument. They are focusing specifically on speech-writing and have examined several effective speeches, both from prominent speech-makers in history and from previous years’ eighth grade students.
    • Joletta Yoder
      Joletta Yoder on 11 Oct 11
       
      Like this lesson idea. I wonder what speeches they are listening to or viewing. I wonder how one can get these to share in class.
  • What can you do to improve or strengthen your opening paragraph?”
    • Joletta Yoder
      Joletta Yoder on 11 Oct 11
       
      This is a great way to give feeback on a weak element in writing because it causes interaction with the student, dialogue, reflection, and revision. One can be sure that with this simple question the student will revise and, in turn, grow as a writer.
    • Natalie Smithhart
      Natalie Smithhart on 14 Oct 11
       
      I agree, this is a great questin for students to think about their work and revise it on thier own, without being told what to write.
  • purposefully planned
    • David Olson
      David Olson on 18 Oct 11
       
      The key si PLANNED, not just incidental
  • In addition to communicating the nature of the instructional goal, 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
    • Kathy Hageman
      Kathy Hageman on 12 Oct 11
       
      This section brings to mind last week's discussion of rubrics - clear expectations expressed in student-friendly language. While I think of rubrics as guides for students, I also think of them as summative assessment tools. Is there a blurring of summative and formative assessment?
    • Lynne Devaney
      Lynne Devaney on 16 Oct 11
       
      I think they can be blurred. Once the purpose of an assessment is identified, it can be used a number of different ways. ITBS can be formative if data is examined with a formative task in mind just as much as it can be summative. Not?
    • David Olson
      David Olson on 18 Oct 11
       
      Sometimes criteria is better than a rubric.
  • Learning goals and criteria for success should be clearly identified
  • 4. Self- and Peer-Assessment: Both self- and peer-assessment are important for providing students an opportunity to think meta-cognitively about their learning.
  • close the gap between students’ current understanding and the desired goals
  • goals
  • goals
  • goals
    • Nathan Fredericks
      Nathan Fredericks on 12 Oct 11
       
      I definitely think this is very important to look at in the big picture. There are school SMART goals that need reached as well as individual student goals. The two cannot be mutually exclusive and too often they are thought to be so.
    • David Olson
      David Olson on 16 Oct 11
       
      It should say best used by educators AND LEARNERS, since it is all about how students learn, as well as, how we teach
    • David Olson
      David Olson on 16 Oct 11
       
      and used by students, too.
    • David Olson
      David Olson on 16 Oct 11
       
      Students are also important
    • David Olson
      David Olson on 16 Oct 11
       
      Students are also important
    • David Olson
      David Olson on 16 Oct 11
       
      The importance of students is not mentioned
    • David Olson
      David Olson on 16 Oct 11
       
      Students are important also.
    • David Olson
      David Olson on 16 Oct 11
       
      Studetn involvement is important
    • Lynne Devaney
      Lynne Devaney on 17 Oct 11
       
      Students are important.
  • instruction. A second important part of the definition is its unequivocal requirement that the formative assessment process involve both teachers
  • There are five attributes that have been identified from the literature as critical features of effective formative assessment
    • Lynne Devaney
      Lynne Devaney on 16 Oct 11
       
      This outline of 5 attributes is very powerful! Easy for any teacher to get their hands around this. I could see PLCs spenind an entire year talking about even on eor two of these or a principal developing walk-through with these. Thanks for including this article in our reading.
  • 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.
    • Kathy Hageman
      Kathy Hageman on 12 Oct 11
       
      A former colleague had her students use MovieMaker to record messages to their parents for conferences. She reported that students were thoughtful and sincere as they described accomplishments as well as goal areas.
    • Gary Petersen
      Gary Petersen on 18 Oct 11
       
      Students are not automatically reflective. Providing support and feedback to the student on how they are utilizing formative assessment makes sense.
    • Nathan Fredericks
      Nathan Fredericks on 12 Oct 11
       
      I think it is important to make sure that students have the structure and organization necessary to help assist their learning. The management piece of this cannot be forgotten.
  • students can be encouraged to be self-reflective by thinking about their own work based on what they learned from giving feedback to others
    • Kathy Hageman
      Kathy Hageman on 12 Oct 11
       
      Perhaps this would help students learn to provide better feedback to peers. Even after teacher modeling, many students have difficulty moving beyond superficial compliments to provide thoughtful, constructive comments.
    • Jean Van Gilder
      Jean Van Gilder on 13 Oct 11
       
      This does take alot of practice for students.
  • two stars and a wish
    • Natalie Smithhart
      Natalie Smithhart on 12 Oct 11
       
      I like this idea! It seems like a good (friendly and safe) way for peers to evaluate each other. Since each student is required to give a "wish" nobdy should get upset about providing or receiving a suggestion for improvment.
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 13 Oct 11
       
      I like this as well. Phrasing can be so important. This puts everything in a very positive light. Instead of this is what you did wrong, the wish looks at what you could do better. The outcome is the same, however.
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 16 Oct 11
       
      I have seen this in action before, and it really does help the feedback to be constructive and not offensive.
  • non-threatening environment
    • Natalie Smithhart
      Natalie Smithhart on 12 Oct 11
       
      I like this part best! As early childhood teachers we understand the importance of a "safe" learning environmnet. Children need to feel secure in thier environment in order to be able to give and accept feedback and learn to the best of thier abilities! :)
    • Maryann Angeroth
      Maryann Angeroth on 14 Oct 11
       
      Have we taught students that feedback is punative and not for encouragement and to extend the learning/
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 16 Oct 11
       
      I agree that this has to be established, first. I often encourage teachers to take those first couple of weeks of school to establish that atmosphere of trust--not just between the teacher and students, but also between students and students. Then the focus can be on learning!
  • Formative assessment is not an adjunct to teaching
    • Pam Buysman
      Pam Buysman on 12 Oct 11
       
      Formative assessment is essential to learning. It's something that is NOT supplementary or something that might be nice to do. Formative assessment imust be part of teaching and learning. Yet as I consider my educational career, it seems that formative assessment has become a buzz word in education only relatively recently. As we continue to look at ways to increase student achievement, formative assessment is something that needs to become a permanent part of our "educational vocabulary."
    • David Olson
      David Olson on 18 Oct 11
       
      It is part of teaching, and has been, but it is an important new focus, and is being explained more explicitly than ever before.
  • they monitor and take responsibility for their own learning
    • Judy Griffin
      Judy Griffin on 13 Oct 11
       
      Students have to take ownership of their learning, and learn to monitor themselves. It's hard for teachers to let go of the reins!
    • Jean Van Gilder
      Jean Van Gilder on 13 Oct 11
       
      I agree that is one of the most difficult things; as we like to be in total control.
    • Maryann Angeroth
      Maryann Angeroth on 14 Oct 11
       
      Maybe it is time to let the students do the heavy lifting.
  • should avoid comparisons with other pupils
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 16 Oct 11
       
      This is a really important statement, as I still remember being compared (not favorably) to other students in front of the entire class when in 6th grade.
    • Kevin McColley
      Kevin McColley on 16 Oct 11
       
      Too often I see kids comparing themself to their peers and if we can get away from this and focus on an assessment that underlines what the individual child is doing and improving off of year-to-year showing this to the student hopefully they will get a sense of fulfillment in knowing their is growth in their cognitive development.
  • teachers and students receiving frequent feedback
    • Deena Stanley-Dostart
      Deena Stanley-Dostart on 14 Oct 11
       
      Sometimes feedback has a tendency to be one sided. It is good to see that both teacher and student should have feedback so that both can adjust.
    • David Olson
      David Olson on 16 Oct 11
       
      This two way feedback is really an enhancement of the Madeleine Hunter model and goes beyond just the teacher checking for understanding.
    • Jessica White
      Jessica White on 16 Oct 11
       
      I like that it is stated that formative assessment is not an adjunct to learning, but integrated. It is part of our instructional process.
  • the teacher clarifies the goal for the student, provides specific information about where the student is in relation to meeting the criteria,
    • Deena Stanley-Dostart
      Deena Stanley-Dostart on 14 Oct 11
       
      Just saying "good job" or "needs work" does not help a student. Specifics are important.
  • their responsibility and that they can take an active role in planning, monitoring, and evaluating their own progress
    • Deena Stanley-Dostart
      Deena Stanley-Dostart on 14 Oct 11
       
      I think that this ties in with a student centered classroom. Students are responsible for their learning and not just relying on the teacher to be the sole provider of feedback.
  • For example, students can work in pairs to review each other’s work to give feedback.
    • Natalie Smithhart
      Natalie Smithhart on 14 Oct 11
       
      I like this idea, students can learn a lot from providing postive or constructive feedback for their peers. I would think it also helps them improve their own writing when they learn ideas from their peers.
    • lisa rasmussen
      lisa rasmussen on 22 Oct 11
       
      I agree. With the teacher's guidance this is one of the best learning environments.
  • determine how formative assessment may best be used by the nation’s educators.
    • Nancy Peterman
      Nancy Peterman on 15 Oct 11
       
      This states "best used by" tells me that it should be a useful tool that reduces the daily tasks of the classroom teacher and not documentation tasks that sit on the bookshelf.
  • informal observations
    • Judy Sweetman
      Judy Sweetman on 16 Oct 11
       
      Often the informal observations yield just as much information as the purposefully planned techniques. Walking around small groups and jotting down snippets of conversation gives a lot of information.
  • In the year following, the FAST SCASS and FA Advisory Group isolated the attributes that, based on the research and current literature, would render formative assessment most effective.
    • Lynne Devaney
      Lynne Devaney on 16 Oct 11
       
      Our district has been working with AfL for several years, but I have not had the opportunity to read this article before. It is great! Great synthesis and easily difenstible. Would love to (and intend to) use with principals and teachers.
  • itions of formative assessment and related research. The FA Advisory Group and FAST SCASS devoted substantial effort to clarify the meaning of “fo
  • the individual teacher
  • evidence
  • A teacher needs to have modeled good feedback
  • sufficient detail
    • Gary Petersen
      Gary Petersen on 18 Oct 11
       
      I often wonder how much I miss in my instruction or learning due to not enough specificity in many areas of the process. For examle, are the learning outcomes stated in enough detail; do the assessments provide enough detail, etc.?
  • 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.
    • Gayle Olson
      Gayle Olson on 20 Oct 11
       
      I think this is important for the students to know, also. Some learning styles have a difficult time learning one piece unless they can see how it fits into the bigger picture. Helping the students understand how the short term goals all fit together would be so helpful for these students. And formative assessment is a great way for both teacher and student to make sure they are on track.
  • through pictures, plays, films, reconstructions, museum displays, and fiction and nonfiction accounts
    • lisa rasmussen
      lisa rasmussen on 22 Oct 11
       
      These creative activities for students use so many excellent questioning techniques as students compare and contrast, and in the evaluation and synthesis of ideas.
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