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Marcia Jensen

Schools, technology, test scores, and the New York Times | Dangerously Irrelevant - 1 views

dangerouslyirrelevant.org/...es-and-the-new-york-times.html

shared by Marcia Jensen on 13 Oct 11 - No Cached
  • Support ratios that are 3 to 10 times higher than in other sectors don’t result in meaningful, reliable technology usage.
    • Angie Hance
      Angie Hance on 13 Oct 11
       
      This seems to be true with all schools that I work with - a very small IT staff and, with perhaps 1 exception, the person is no a tech integration specialist - only working on the hardware and networking.
    • Marcia Jensen
      Marcia Jensen on 10 Jan 12
       
      I think the ratio of personnel to computer is a big problem at our school.
  • few teachers have been trained well to use digital technologies to improve learning outcomes
    • Angie Hance
      Angie Hance on 13 Oct 11
       
      Have seen this too. Districts purchasing smart boards and projectors, for example, and teachers not knowing the first thing about how to use them. They end up being used like older technologies! Get fired up about training!!!!
  • We still primarily see learning environments where teachers push out basic information to student recipients and then assess them on the kind of stuff that you can find on Google in 3 seconds
    • Angie Hance
      Angie Hance on 13 Oct 11
       
      how can we support teachers when there is so little time for training!
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Deep, rich technology integration training that has the potential to change educators’ pedagogy is rare.
  • In case we haven’t noticed, it’s a digital world out there (and will be even more so in the future). What’s the alternative to putting learning technologies in the hands of students? Is there one? Knowledge workers in the real world (i.e., outside of school) use computers to do their work. Can educators really claim to be relevant to life outside of schools while simultaneously ignoring the technological transformations that surround them, as if digital technologies were a fad that were going to go away?
  • Digital technologies and the Web WILL change education, teaching, and learning. Maybe not yet, at least not in the ways that we hope (and definitely not in the ways that we think). Maybe not until we get our collective act together and actually get serious about these technologies and start recognizing their learning potential and begin doing the things we should be doing to realize their affordances.
  • (“Learning also has come from the surprises I have found in the 1300-plus comments readers have posted. From those comments, I have received ideas I had not considered, sources sending me off to explore other topics, and counter-arguments I had overlooked.”).
Michael Panoch

Classroom Tech Learning, Education, PC, Mac, iPad, Bloom's Taxonomy - Techlearning.com - 1 views

www.techlearning.com/index

shared by Michael Panoch on 23 Oct 11 - No Cached
  • Michael Panoch on 23 Oct 11
     
    The Resource for Education Technology Leaders focusing on K-12 educators. Site contains a Software Reviews Database, articles from Technology & Learning Magazine, articles from Educators in Educators' eZine, Event and Contest listings, Reader suggested Web sites, and weekly news updates on education technology leaders.
Lora Lehmkuhl

Food Science - 1 views

www.clicker.com/food-science

moodle_iowa

shared by Lora Lehmkuhl on 23 Oct 11 - No Cached
  • Lora Lehmkuhl on 23 Oct 11
     
    Great videos for food science.
Marjorie Nash

QR Code Generator: QR Stuff Free Online QR Code Creator And Encoder For T-Shirts, Busin... - 1 views

www.qrstuff.com/index.html

moodle_iowa

shared by Marjorie Nash on 27 Oct 11 - Cached
  • Marjorie Nash on 27 Oct 11
     
    Great for students to be able to go to a site without having to type in URL
Robin Olberding

Top 50 Blogs for e-Learning Tools and Tips | The Digital Learning People - 1 views

toponlineuniversityreviews.com/...-for-e-learning-tools-and-tips

elearning blog

shared by Robin Olberding on 14 Nov 11 - Cached
  • Robin Olberding on 14 Nov 11
     
    I have read some of the teacher blogs in the past. I like to read things from teachers that you know have been tried and tested.
Ann Lupkes

Nontraditional Student Drop-out Rate Improved by Distance Learning? - 1 views

www.geteducated.com/...-improved-by-distance-learning

moodle_iowa

shared by Ann Lupkes on 15 Nov 11 - No Cached
  • Ann Lupkes on 15 Nov 11
     
    As we move into a new era of non-traditional students at the post-secondary level, is online learning a way to retain students through graduation?
  • Rachael Woodley on 15 Nov 11
     
    As a teacher that uses this method in high-school, I can honestly say it's amazing what some students will accomplish when we "remove barriers". We do our best to eliminate reasons or "excuses" why they are not being successful in "traditional" classes. It has impacted a great number of students. Like anything, it's not a best fit for all students, but with the right fit...amazing
keri bass

Screencasting : Teaching Resources : Center for Teaching and Learning : University of V... - 1 views

ctl.uvm.edu/?Page=resources-teaching/screencasting/index.php&SM=m_resources-teaching.html

moodle_iowa

shared by keri bass on 15 Nov 11 - No Cached
  • keri bass on 15 Nov 11
     
    This is a nice resource for comparing screencasting tools and ideas on using screencasts in education.
Kim Swartz

TPCK - 1 views

www.tpck.org/

moodle_iowa Technology

shared by Kim Swartz on 18 Nov 11 - Cached
  • Kim Swartz on 18 Nov 11
     
    The three forms of knowledge teachers must have to successfully integrate technology into their classroom
misti linn

The Des Moines Register | Des Moines news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and c... - 1 views

www.desmoinesregister.com

moodle_iowa

shared by misti linn on 11 Dec 11 - Cached
  • misti linn on 11 Dec 11
     
    Site to use with students for current events.
Tim Blakeslee

Tech_Moodle TQ: Iowa Online Teaching Standards - 1 views

moodle.aea11.k12.ia.us/...view.php

shared by Tim Blakeslee on 22 Mar 12 - No Cached
  • Continuously uses data to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of instructional strategies
    • MaryAnn Strawhacker
      MaryAnn Strawhacker on 22 Mar 12
       
      Aside from course evaluations given at the end, I am wondering how to assess during the course. Perhaps polls?
    • MaryAnn Strawhacker
      MaryAnn Strawhacker on 22 Mar 12
       
      I think the continous improvement cycle is critical to grow and improve instruction.
    • Amber Crews
      Amber Crews on 02 Apr 12
       
      I think the word "continuously" will be very challenging for many teachers. I work with teachers who progress monitor on a weekly basis and they struggle to collect the data as specified in their students' paperwork. Then to use that data to guide instructional decision making and in a timely manner is even more problematic.
    • Nicole Craun
      Nicole Craun on 03 Apr 12
       
      The tool I'm going to focus on is Poll Everywhere, a site that allows instructors to embed polls within presentations. I think that could be a way to provide formative assessment. In addition, the online coursework I participated in for my BCBA required us to answer questions throughout our video lectures. We then had to answer the questions in the university's LMS and our instructors were able to use that to see how we were doing with the content prior to exams. Maybe these two tools could address on-going assessment?
    • Cathy Hansen
      Cathy Hansen on 11 Apr 12
       
      How would "continuously" be defined for "Online Learning"? Daily, weekly, monthly data collection through formative and summative assessments of instructional concepts and strategies is my assumption.
  • Understands student motivation and uses techniques to engage student
    • MaryAnn Strawhacker
      MaryAnn Strawhacker on 22 Mar 12
       
      I do understand the importance of student engagement but how do we do this online?!
    • MaryAnn Strawhacker
      MaryAnn Strawhacker on 22 Mar 12
       
      I think that online learning is much more challenging due to the limited human interaction. I want students to be engaged so that they not only benefit but contribute to the community.
  • Designs the structure of the course and the presentation of the content to best enhance student learning, including using unit/lesson overviews and reviews, using patterns in lesson sequencing, and using appropriate visual web design techniques (SREB C.14, Varvel V.F)
    • Cathy Hansen
      Cathy Hansen on 11 Apr 12
       
      The expectation of "on-line" learning such as a Wiki where special education documentation tools that are used daily by teachers are located as well as researched-based instructional strategies for interventions and the latest in Web 2.0 tools will enhance awareness in how to use them as well as the research behind the tool to enhance student learning, via an easily asessable learning method.
  • ...7 more annotations...
    • Amber Crews
      Amber Crews on 02 Apr 12
       
      Designing an online course which enhances student learning related to course structure and presentation may be the most challenging standard listed on this page. With students' various levels of access to technology and theri varying abilities and expreience with the tools used increase the challenge of differentitation ten fold.
    • Amber Crews
      Amber Crews on 02 Apr 12
       
      Designing an online course which enhances student learning related to course structure and presentation may be the most challenging standard listed on this page. With students' various levels of access to technology and their varying abilities and expreience with the tools used increase the challenge of differentitation ten fold.
  • • Creates a learning community that encourages collaboration and interaction, including student-teacher, student-student, and student-content (SREB D.2, Varvel VII.B, ITS 6.a)
    • Nicole Craun
      Nicole Craun on 03 Apr 12
       
      This goes along with what MaryAnn highlighted above on motivation and engagement. I've participated in several online courses and I came up with a list of ways my instructors helped make the course more engaging and interactive. Here's my list: polls, quizzes on content, requiring discussion posts/comments on others' posts, face-to-face time through ICN/Adobe Connect, and interactive activities.
  • Creates or selects multiple assessment instruments that are appropriate for online learning
    • Cathy Hansen
      Cathy Hansen on 11 Apr 12
       
      Assessments need to be created with the learning modalities of students in mind.
  • not limited to) age and ability level, multiple intelligences, didactic conversation, student
  • Tailors instruction to meet the different needs of students, including different learning styles, different interests and backgrounds, and students with special needs or whom are language learners
  • Has experienced online learning from the perspective of a student (SREB F.1, Varvel II.E)
    • Tim Blakeslee
      Tim Blakeslee on 13 Apr 12
       
      Experiencing a variety of well-oranized classes from a variety of topic areas would help immensely to get sense of how pieces come together before attempting to put own class together.
jquandahl

ollie4_1: Educational Leadership: The Quest for Quality - 1 views

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

shared by jquandahl on 11 Jun 12 - No Cached
  • students can use the results to self-assess and set goals
    • Peggy Steinbronn
      Peggy Steinbronn on 11 Jun 12
       
      This is an important part of making students responsible for their own learning (in my opinion).
    • jquandahl
      jquandahl on 14 Jun 12
       
      I agree! I feel it is so important for us to givve students continued opportunities to learn and meet learning targets.
  • But NCLB has exposed students to an unprecedented overflow of testing. In response to the accountability movement, schools have added new levels of testing that include benchmark, interim, and common assessments. Using data from these assessments, schools now make decisions about individual students, groups of students, instructional programs, resource allocation, and more. 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.
    • Kay Durfey
      Kay Durfey on 11 Jun 12
       
      I agree that often we as teachers get "hung-up" on completing all the district and state requirements for assessment reporting that sometimes we lose focus on what is really important. One thing that has been most helpful to our building is having a common vision with our Course Level Expectations clearly identified and a plan for how to get there including both formative and summative assessments along with differentiated instruction for getting there. It is not perfect but the planning, processing and implementing has been effective
    • Aaron Evans
      Aaron Evans on 15 Jun 12
       
      I would agree that having a common vision does help this process, especially for larger schools. We went through that fight several years ago in getting all the elementary teachers in the different buildings to meet the same expectations for certain subject areas. How has the Iowa Core changed your course level expectations or have you got there yet?
  • Clear Learning TargetsThe assessor needs to have a clear picture of what achievement he or she intends to measure. If we don't begin with clear statements of the intended learning—clear and understandable to everyone, including students—we won't end up with sound assessments
    • Kay Durfey
      Kay Durfey on 11 Jun 12
       
      This article really gets at the heart of how important it is to have "focus lessons" both daily and longer term so that teacher and students know the learning targets.
    • Bob Pauk
      Bob Pauk on 11 Jun 12
       
      I think this is not only one of the keys to effective assessment, but it is also one that many teachers struggle with. I have seen many teachers who asssess because it is Friday or it is the end of the chapter and they have a certain number of questions because that is what they had on the last test. These and many other very unsound reasons for testing when and how we do are common among teachers. Let's face it, making really good assessments is very challenging and often very time consuming.
    • Aaron Evans
      Aaron Evans on 15 Jun 12
       
      I don't think that individual teachers are the only people guilty of this. When NCLB was enacted. many of the assessments used for measuring proficiency were designed for completely different purposes and were thus not sound proficiency assessments. I am eager to see the new Smarter Balanced Assessments and the new Iowa Assessments to see the changes that have been made.
  • ...11 more annotations...
  • At the level of ongoing classroom assessments, formative applications involve what students have mastered and what they still need to learn. At the level of periodic interim/benchmark assessments, they involve which standards students are not mastering and where teachers can improve instruction right away. At the level of annual state/district standardized assessments, they involve where and how teachers can improve instruction—next year.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 12 Jun 12
       
      We spent some PD time last year studying formative assessments, but didn't really go far enough to see how they fit into a whole balanced system of assessment. I like this description of how a balanced assessment system should work. It makes more sense to me now than it was before.
  • 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.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 12 Jun 12
       
      I don't think I have done a good job of having my assessments inform the student about the next steps in learning. I hadn't even really thought about the next steps until taking this class. As I've thought about it, I think I've done a better job with this step in terms of formative assessment, but not with summative assessment.
  • Students learn best when they monitor and take responsibility for their own learning. This means that teachers need to write learning targets in terms that students will understand.
    • A Hughes
      A Hughes on 12 Jun 12
       
      We were discussing writing rubrics in student language last week. Students need to understand not only what they are being assessed on but why.
    • Aaron Evans
      Aaron Evans on 15 Jun 12
       
      This has been a point of emphasis our PD for the last several years. Starting with the learning targets and posting them so students can have a way the focus on finding the important material during instruciton and practice.
  • 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.
    • A Hughes
      A Hughes on 12 Jun 12
       
      I studied formative assessment in professional development in our district this year. The purpose of the assessment is "specific, descriptive feedback" so students can learn.
    • jquandahl
      jquandahl on 14 Jun 12
       
      this also should allow for opportunities to revise work - or prove in other ways - that they have, in fact, met the learning target.
    • keri bass
      keri bass on 15 Jun 12
       
      Some of the assignments that I have learned the most from are ones that I have had descriptive feedback on, and the ability to go back and correct my mistakes. The feedback in and of itself become an additional lesson.
  • assessor has translated the learning targets into assessments that will yield accurate results.
    • jquandahl
      jquandahl on 14 Jun 12
       
      when assessing student learning, teacher must always take in to consideration the BEST way to have studnets show that they have met the learning target. Multiple choice & true false tests are not always the answer.
  • Ongoing classroom assessments serve both formative and summative purposes and meet students' as well as teachers' information needs
    • Aaron Evans
      Aaron Evans on 15 Jun 12
       
      I think that often teachers fail to think about both groups when designing assessments and using results. Oftentimes I think that teachers use the results to adapt their instruction, but fail to provide the student with the information necessary to adapt their learning.
  • Although it may seem as though having more assessments will mean we are more accurately estimating student achievement, the use of multiple measures does not, by itself, translate into high-quality evidence.
    • keri bass
      keri bass on 15 Jun 12
       
      This statement couldn't be more true. I think that people assume that all assessments are created equal and that just because you have gathered data means that the data is relevant and measuring what you want in to measure. This is not always the case, but people get distracted by numbers and forget that even though it is a number, it is still open for interpretation and analysis.
    • Lisa Jacobs
      Lisa Jacobs on 18 Jun 12
       
      I agree often there is not enough consideration if the data collected is the "right" data needed to inform important decisions.
  • 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.
    • keri bass
      keri bass on 15 Jun 12
       
      I think the hardest thing about testing bias is realizing it is a problem. Typically it creeps in when you aren't aware. Bias will often enter a question out of ignorance rather than intention.
  • 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.
    • Lisa Jacobs
      Lisa Jacobs on 18 Jun 12
       
      It is critical that people have access to the right data "when" it is needed to make important decisions.
  • Who will use the results to inform what decisions?
    • Lisa Jacobs
      Lisa Jacobs on 18 Jun 12
       
      It is important to know who needs the data to make decisions.
  • have considered questioning the accuracy of
Aaron Evans

Changing Iowa: Call for Action: Get Rid of Grades - 1 views

eabbey.blogspot.com/...-action-get-rid-of-grades.html

shared by Aaron Evans on 15 Jun 12 - Cached
  • A grade (is)... an inadequate report of an imprecise judment of a biased and variable judge of the extent to which a student has attained an undefined level of mastery of an unknown proportion of an indefinite amount of materials.
    • Aaron Evans
      Aaron Evans on 15 Jun 12
       
      I would add to this, "..at a specific moment in time." One of my coworkers always brought this up during our PD meetings when we were covering grading philosophy. There is nothing to say that the student would recieve the same grade on the same assessment on a different day, or even at a different time that day.
Peggy Steinbronn

ollie4_1: Article: Attributes from Effective Formative Assessment (CCSSO) - 1 views

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

shared by Peggy Steinbronn on 25 Jun 12 - No Cached
  • Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes.
    • Kay Durfey
      Kay Durfey on 25 Jun 12
       
      I can get on board with this definition!
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 26 Jun 12
       
      Yes, I agree. I cannot imagine how many hours went into this one short sentence. :)
    • Aaron Evans
      Aaron Evans on 28 Jun 12
       
      Agreed. We had to do this for an Iowa Core training and it was a lot harder than it looked.
  • Learning Goals and Criteria for Success: Learning goals and criteria for success should be clearly identified and communicated to students.
    • Kay Durfey
      Kay Durfey on 25 Jun 12
       
      I think this is an area that has gotten a lot of attention in the last five years, and teachers have become more efficient at this.
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 26 Jun 12
       
      We have been working on this as well. I hope students see why we are doing it. I remember asking a geometry teacher when will I ever use this or why are we doing it. He never did answer me, and I was already confused by the subject. It may have helped me to know why we were doing it.
    • kangas
      kangas on 30 Jun 12
       
      I try to give my students a unit plan/overview at the start of the unit, that lists my goals, the activities we are going to do and a tentative schedule. As we get to projects/assessments, we've already practiced skills and work on fine tuning the rubric together. I hope they are able to see how things fit together but, I am not always sure they get why they need to retain the knowledge for future use. Foreign Language requires you to use prior knowledge of Spanish and English Grammar. This year we will add the references to the national foreign language standards and competency based grading to the mix. Should be interesting action research.
    • Lisa Jacobs
      Lisa Jacobs on 02 Jul 12
       
      Yes, teachers need to be very clear about learning goals and success criteria. A part of our Gradual Release classroom walk throughs including interviewing students to see if they can state in their own words what they are learning.
  • Descriptive Feedback: Students should be provided with evidence-based feedback that is linked to the intended instructional outcomes and criteria for success.
    • Kay Durfey
      Kay Durfey on 25 Jun 12
       
      Specific and evidence-based feedback is most effective for everyone involved.
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 26 Jun 12
       
      It is the biggest bang for the buck to improve learning compared to any other strategy. This does need to be our focus.
    • Bob Pauk
      Bob Pauk on 26 Jun 12
       
      I agree that this should be our focus. Unfortunately this is more time consuming so for many teachers this can get put on the back burner.
  • ...16 more annotations...
  • The primary purpose of the formative assessment process, as conceived in this definition, is to provide evidence that is used by teachers and students to inform instruction and learning during the teaching/learning process.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 26 Jun 12
       
      This makes such perfect sense and sounds like it would be so easy.
    • kangas
      kangas on 30 Jun 12
       
      Using google forms and the flubaroo script (add-in) makes quick feedback an easy part of my class. 10 quick questions on the iPad and feedback almost immediately. I wait until everyone is done then send it to them. Then we can look at it again as a whole group.
    • Lisa Jacobs
      Lisa Jacobs on 02 Jul 12
       
      It seems important to me that the evidence is for both students AND teachers.
    • Peggy Steinbronn
      Peggy Steinbronn on 10 Jul 12
       
      Thanks for sharing about the Google add-in, flubaroo. It seems like it provides quick, easy feedback that would be useful to students.
  • The students must be actively involved in the systematic process intended to improve their learning. The process requires the teacher to share learning goals with students and provide opportunities for students to monitor their ongoing progress.
    • Bob Pauk
      Bob Pauk on 26 Jun 12
       
      I think too often we do not involve the students in even formative assessment. A test, quiz or any other assessment is usually seen by the student as something that is done to them. The teacher gives it to them, grades it and show the grade, rather than it being more of a cooperative project involving both student and teacher with the clear goal of finding out what is being learned in order to improve future learning opportunitites.
    • Aaron Evans
      Aaron Evans on 28 Jun 12
       
      This goes back to the argument of how and why we grade. Why do students expect a grade for everything they do? Because we, as teachers and society, have taught them that the grade is important. Lost in that approach was the idea that the learning is the important aspect of school.
    • kangas
      kangas on 30 Jun 12
       
      I had students tell me that they don't try as hard if it is not graded. So I tell them everything is graded (some is completion, some is accuracy. If it's going to be like the real world/a job, all the things you do are looked at in your performance review, not just one assignment/project. It shows me a lot about work ethic and accountability for my own learning if they don't take the activities seriously. Some are meant to be fun, but they are also educational and chosen for a purpose.
    • Lisa Jacobs
      Lisa Jacobs on 02 Jul 12
       
      Good point comparing quality school work to job performance. In the world of work, each day contributes to a person's performance evaluation.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 26 Jun 12
       
      This seems to be a part that is skipped sometimes. Teacher are actively involved in formative assessments, but are kids always involved? Do the kids know when they need further instruction or reteaching?
  • Helping students think meta-cognitively about their own learning fosters the idea that learning is their responsibility and that they can take an active role in planning, monitoring, and evaluating their own progress.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 26 Jun 12
       
      This sometimes seems like the hardest part to me - getting kids to realize that they are responsible for their own learning. Sometimes students want to take a more passive role and it becomes quite a challenge to engage and motivate them to become active participants.
    • Aaron Evans
      Aaron Evans on 28 Jun 12
       
      Agree! Especially second semester of senior year!
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 29 Jun 12
       
      I do not feel that education has done a great job of making learning relevant to THEIR lives. I am hopeful the Core will push us to give projects, assessments, etc. where the kids see their connection (relevant now- not when they are 25) to the world & learning- not just something a teacher assigns.
    • A Hughes
      A Hughes on 29 Jun 12
       
      I went to the AEA 11 TIC/TOC presentation on Project Based learning. It was eye opening to see teachers really challenging their students with a project. I do know some students that just want the easy grade of an objective test instead of projects.
  • Descriptive feedback should be about the particular qualities of student learning with discussion or suggestions about what the student can do to improve. It should avoid comparisons with other pupils
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 26 Jun 12
       
      This is a big statement. It requires a solid rubric, checklist, or whatever the assessment may be in order to have students see exactly what they did and keep us from comparing it to other students.
    • Aaron Evans
      Aaron Evans on 28 Jun 12
       
      I think that with the grade removed, the ease (and temptation) to compare students to each other is reduced. Summative assessments for a grade almost mandates comparisons since you have to rank students, either to each other or to a pre-existing scale. Providing feedback for each individual to do better doesn't have this built in competitive dimension.
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 26 Jun 12
       
      I did this in the writing process. It was difficult for students but powerful. I know now that I needed to model what suggestions for improvements & positives looked like besides, "spell better" or "it was good."
  • there is clearly no one best way to carry out formative assessment.
    • Heather Whitman
      Heather Whitman on 26 Jun 12
       
      And this is what making teaching so difficult yet makes it so awesome at the same time.
    • keri bass
      keri bass on 01 Jul 12
       
      I think this also supports the idea that you need to vary the assessment as well to make sure that an accurate picture of the the students' learning is assessed.
  • In peer-assessment, students analyze each others’ work using guidelines or rubrics and provide descriptive feedback that supports continued improvement.
    • A Hughes
      A Hughes on 29 Jun 12
       
      How does the teacher get the students to give positive descriptive feedback? I would be concerned that students would just give their friends the "ok you did great" kind of feedback.
    • kangas
      kangas on 30 Jun 12
       
      I think that this is particularly challenging in foreign language, where students are still acquiring skills of writing. To do this effectively, I think you need to scaffold it, and then have the student look at his/her work with a definitive list of criteria and then have a peer look at it with the same list and ultimately have them compare it. I am not sure how to account for kids who don't have the skills to do the task....
  • Formative assessment is not an adjunct to teaching but, rather, integrated into instruction and learning with teachers and students receiving frequent feedback.
    • Aaron Evans
      Aaron Evans on 28 Jun 12
       
      This is the important part for teachers to understand. We often think, or hear other complain, about every new idea being somethign new added to their workload. This is actually a purposeful planning of many concepts that you already employ, just being used for a more structured and planned purpose.
  • Collaboration: A classroom culture in which teachers and students are partners in le
    • A Hughes
      A Hughes on 29 Jun 12
       
      Collaboration between the teacher and students takes time to establish. As a librarian, this is extremely difficult for me to do. I drop in and collaborate with the classroom teacher for a short lesson.
  • teachers must provide the criteria by which learning will be assessed so that students will know whether they are successfully progressing toward the goal
    • jquandahl
      jquandahl on 30 Jun 12
       
      This is such an important point. Teachers and students need to be "on the same page" - understanding where they they are going, why, and how they will get there.
  • A teacher needs to have modeled good feedback with students and talked about what acceptable and unacceptable comments look like in order to have created a safe learning environment.
    • jquandahl
      jquandahl on 30 Jun 12
       
      Another important thing to remember. Sometimes, as teachers, we can lose sight of how important it is to MODEL MODEL MODEL in order for students to truly understand and be successful.
  • formative assessment be regarded as a process rather than a particular kind of assessment.
    • keri bass
      keri bass on 01 Jul 12
       
      I like that it repeats the importance of the process here. I noticed that in the official definition it does not mention a means of ranking students, but rather a process intended to improve student achievement. I think too much emphasis gets place on the grade by both students and the teacher and not enough emphasis on the learning.
    • Peggy Steinbronn
      Peggy Steinbronn on 10 Jul 12
       
      I agree with your comment about emphasis on the grade--parents seem to be in the same "boat". How can we get that turned around?
  • A further benefit of providing feedback to a peer is that it can help deepen the student’s own learning. However, student- and peer-assessment should not be used in the formal grading process.
    • keri bass
      keri bass on 01 Jul 12
       
      While I believe that teaching the subject encourages deeper understanding, the counselor me is more cautious about the potential harm in pairing the wrong students. I think it would be imperative to choose the right partners to insure optimal learning.
  • feedback
  • However, for students to be actively and successfully involved in their own learning, they must feel that they are bona fide partners in the learning process. This feeling is dependent on a classroom culture characterized by a sense of trust between and among students and their teachers; by norms of respect, transparency, and appreciation of differences; and by a non-threatening environment.
Susie Peterson

Assessing Student Learning - five practical guides - 1 views

www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/...online.html

moodle_iowa

shared by Susie Peterson on 25 Jul 12 - Cached
  • Susie Peterson on 25 Jul 12
     
    Great resource for looking at online assessments.
Peggy Steinbronn

ollie_4: Building a Better Mousetrap - 3 views

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

shared by Peggy Steinbronn on 31 Jul 12 - No Cached
  • “In short, explicit performance criteria, along with supporting models of work, make it possible for students to use the attributes of exemplary work to monitor their own performance.”
    • keyna day
      keyna day on 31 Jul 12
       
      In my own experience, giving and reviewing the rubric to the students beforehand, analyzing their progress along with the rubric, and students self-assessing as they work on their projects have produced higher quality projects and upper level learning skills. Students have also felt better about the process of doing projects since they know what is being graded and they can see improvement in what they are learning.
    • Tina Wahlert
      Tina Wahlert on 02 Aug 12
       
      I agree, Kenya. When the criteria and processes are shared before the student start the assignment it leaves the door open for most of the time to go to great thinking about the concepts they are learning about, not worrying about the processes of completing the assignment.
    • Marcia Jensen
      Marcia Jensen on 04 Aug 12
       
      I think it also helps to have some model work that is anonymous and do some group assessment using the rubric so they will truly understand what is meant by "assessment."
  • More conceptually, critics claim that rubrics, in effect, dehumanize the act of writing.
  • While many educators make a compelling argument for sharing rubrics with students, others worry that doing so will encourage formulaic writing.
  • ...36 more annotations...
  • most state issued rubrics used in secondary school standardized testing are poorly designed rubrics that list specific static elements encouraging students to simply make sure their essays have those features.
    • keyna day
      keyna day on 31 Jul 12
       
      A poorly written rubric can be just as detrimental in students' learning as poorly structured tests/quizzes. It would lead to confusion for the student and frustration for the teacher.
    • Marcia Jensen
      Marcia Jensen on 04 Aug 12
       
      I can see a place for formula, however. I think as a student gets started with a type of writing, for example, a persuasive expository type, it might be a good reminder of what is needed in that format. Maybe a checklist would work better than a rubric.
  • 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”
  • when rubrics are published in the classroom, students striving to achieve the descriptions at the higher end of the scale in effect guide their own learning.
  • I once gave extra credit to a student who realized that without providing a shred of meaningful content she could meet all the requirements of a state writing rubric he posted in his classroom. As required she used the word “persuade” and two synonyms, composed a clear topic sentence and closing sentence, and made no spelling or grammatical errors. But she did it without saying anything coherent.
  • General rubrics can be applied to various assignments; for example, one rubric can be used to assess all of the different papers assigned in a freshman composition course. Specific rubrics, on the other hand, are particular to a given assignment—one rubric for a narrative essay, another one for an argumentative essay.
  • student grows to understand fundamental standards in writing—like form and coherence—exist across the board
  • Write a definition of each of the dimensions
  • examples of student work
  • you may choose to develop a holistic scale or a checklist on which you will record the presence or absence of the attributes of a quality product/performance
  • purpose of assessment
  • deciding who your audience
  • “Is the assessment responsive to what we know about how [students] learn?” and “Does the assessment help students become the kinds of [citizens] we want them to be?”
    • keyna day
      keyna day on 31 Jul 12
       
      These and other included questions are excellent to ask when assessing rubrics.
    • Marcia Jensen
      Marcia Jensen on 04 Aug 12
       
      I also liked the guiding questions in the preceeding paragraphs.
  • 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.
    • Tina Wahlert
      Tina Wahlert on 01 Aug 12
       
      I believe strongly in this statement. If we do not share the criteria with students in a clear way, it is like they are supposed to guess what is in our heads.
  • When instructors do not explicitly delineate the qualities of thought that they are looking for while grading, they reduce learning to a hit or miss endeavor, where “assessment remains an isolated […] activity and the success of the learner is mostly incidental
    • Susie Peterson
      Susie Peterson on 01 Aug 12
       
      I don't believe that other forms of assessment tools are "nebulous". Teachers can use checklists, detailed expectations, or whatever as long as we can help eliminate the "hit or miss" part of assessment!
  • sound pedagogy would dictate that rubrics should be used in conjunction with other strategies, such as the letter writing/dialogic approach to assessment that Halden-Sullivan describes as preferable to the rubric.
    • Susie Peterson
      Susie Peterson on 01 Aug 12
       
      While I can understand the concerns about formulaic writing, the rubrics themselves don't have to be prescriptive. And shouldn't instructors always use multiple measures to insure that students get the guidance they need?
    • Marcia Jensen
      Marcia Jensen on 04 Aug 12
       
      I would assume there would be conferencing done in connection with the rubric.
  • However, these critics of rubrics, while their critiques should be considered, mistake the design of specific rubrics with the concept of rubrics in general. Rubrics that are prescriptive rather than descriptive will promote thoughtless and perfunctory writing; such rubrics are as limiting to the development of rhetorical mastery as the five-paragraph essay.
    • Tina Wahlert
      Tina Wahlert on 02 Aug 12
       
      Great point - critics of rubrics mistake the design of specific rubrics with the concept of rubrics.
    • Marcia Jensen
      Marcia Jensen on 04 Aug 12
       
      Prescriptive rather than descriptive...design becomes ever more important.
  • we ought to illicit student input when constructing rubrics:
    • Marcia Jensen
      Marcia Jensen on 04 Aug 12
       
      I am going to give this a try in my fall Drake class. I am teaching a class that will basically involve guided research into the topic of tech integration, and I want students to think about qualities of the topics we discuss.
    • Peggy Steinbronn
      Peggy Steinbronn on 14 Aug 12
       
      Marica, What is the name of your Drake course? I am also teaching a course at Drake this fall semester.
  • they tend to “think more deeply about their learning.”
    • Marcia Jensen
      Marcia Jensen on 04 Aug 12
       
      This is what I am hoping for with my students.
  • “deep learning,” which implies a kind of learning that is beyond measurement, an elusive hard to describe enlightenment, but identifiable in the same way good art is: teachers know deep learning when they see it.
    • Marcia Jensen
      Marcia Jensen on 08 Aug 12
       
      At least we hope they recognize it. I have found rubrics helpful to my own thinking process as I try to articulate what I am looking for.
  • a complaint about rubric design
    • Marcia Jensen
      Marcia Jensen on 08 Aug 12
       
      Ha!
  • mitagate both teacher bias and the perception of teacher bias (Mathews).
    • Marcia Jensen
      Marcia Jensen on 04 Aug 12
       
      Double "Ha!"
  • faculty need a shared vocabulary and a basic understanding of how rubrics operate.
  • rubrics that are outside of the students “zone of proximal development” are useless to the students.
    • Marcia Jensen
      Marcia Jensen on 04 Aug 12
       
      So rubrics can be a form of scaffolding, but only if they speak to the next step needed by students to grow in knowledge or improve performance.
  • 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
    • Marcia Jensen
      Marcia Jensen on 04 Aug 12
       
      Or ask the student what area he/she wants to focus on improving.
  • If the outcomes you wish to measure are multi-dimensional, chances are you need a rubric whatever the purpose of assessment is.
  • Clearly defining the purpose of assessment and what you want to assess is the first step in developing a quality rubric.
  • we need a rubric to judge our performance—that is, we need a meta-rubric to assess our rubric.
    • Marcia Jensen
      Marcia Jensen on 04 Aug 12
       
      I can see why so many iffy rubrics are created...this seems to be a VERY time-consuming process.
  • “Each score category should be defined using description of the work rather than judgments about the work.”
  • Be prepared to evaluate your rubric, using your meta-rubric and feedback—direct feedback from the students and indirect feedback from the quality of their work. Modify accordingly.
  • well-designed rubrics help instructors in all disciplines meaningfully assess the outcomes of the more complicated assignments that are the basis of the problem-solving, inquiry-based, student-centered pedagogy replacing the traditional lecture-based, teacher-centered approach in tertiary education.
  • when we discuss scoring or grading rubrics in the Teaching Center, we are talking about a system designed to measure the key qualities (also referred to as “traits” or “dimensions”) vital to the process and/or product of a given assignment, a system which some educators see as stultifying and others see as empowering.
  • consistently and accurately
  • “filtering”
  • scaffolding
  • “latticing,
  • habits of mind practiced in the act of self-assessment.
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