Reflect after reading Chapters 12-14:
How do we check for understanding in a thinking classroom? What might formative assessment look like?
Consider the following questions:
- What is resonating with you from the reading?
- What caused you to pause and think during this section?
Chapter 12 definitely gave me some food for thought. As teachers we are given and told to use rubrics in so many subjects. I think i see the biggest concern in writing while using the smarter balanced rubric given to me by TSD to grade my writing pieces. This looks like an area where a change could be made. Previously we just used the writing rubrics we have from Lucy C. I actually like the student facing rubrics as they have a column title not yet or starting to as a middle space. But i do wonder without seeing learning progressions held up to that rubric if my students use them to improve their writing. The lessons from Teachers College do not seem to really allow time to break down the learning progressions and so i don't believe that the rubrics are very useful at all. I really like the idea of the rubric structure in figure 12.4. I could see my students finding this manageable instead of an all or nothing approach. I'd like to try the How many 7's task with my kids first without using a rubric and then coconstructing a rubric with them. It makes me reflect on my recent math test that i graded. I had students not pay attention to the operation signs on a mixed addition and subtraction of three digit number page. While i know that precision is an important math practice, i also felt bad marking them wrong completely when they were demonstrating proper computation skills. The tests was on the unit focusing on addition ald subtraction within 1,000 and they demonstrated their understanding and proficiency of those skills but because they didn't pay attention to detail, i ended up with a lot of my students getting a 2 instead of a 3 for standard. That disheartens me a bit. This is something i will need to further stew about.
ReplyDeleteCh 13 REally made me think about how we use the formative assessments in the classroom. I feel fortunate that both reading and math have formative assessments (and they are mostly good-in my opinion). Using those to help kids understand what skills they are not yet at mastery will help. It is just so important for the students to see and understand the overall goal of the lesson and in context with the big picture of the unit. This practice can really help them to self-evaluate their thinking and then improves their content knowledge drastically.
Ch 14 about how best to assess resonated with me. I liked the idea of the learning target assessed over two points in time and not traditionally on a test. I think this practice will help kids to not demonstrate their knowledge 'just for the test' but will really have the content understood if they have to revisit it, no more regurgitating understanding or completing the unit in a vacuum- it now is about attaining understanding for proficiency.
I agree with your comment about learning in a vacuum and just learning for a test. I would much rather be teaching for understanding and proficiency as well. I think we get lost sometimes in making sure they can pass a test and not if they can understand the concept.
DeleteIn my small groups I do not do any testing or assessments that have any weight on their report cards. Our assessments are used to see if they qualify for help, then what they need help with. We use a program called MasterTrack, this requires many data points to be entered to show growth. It uses a simple 3 point scale, they have it: 3, they are close to understanding : 2, they still need work: 1. However, the process for me to make this happen is still in limbo, I like the idea of the charts with the pictures so the students can be a part of this. This will take time but I can see the benefit of something like this.
ReplyDeleteI did have a thought though around assuming that a student understands the basics if they can master an advanced level of math. They use the example on page 262 around fractions, if I understood what they are saying, if a student can show that they can add/subtract fractions with unlike denominators, then it is assumed they can add/subtract fractions with like denominators. I have seen more than a few times where this is not the case. I think sometimes the students learn the process, the procedure to solve a problem yet they actually do not understand what is happening in the problem. I always like to go back to the basics first and make sure they understand that level, before I assess them on the advanced level. My concern on this assumption is just that, it's an assumption, we need to make sure to do our due diligence with our students and make sure they understand the why of each level. Otherwise I think we are just grading them on if they know and understand the processes to do math, not what math really is.
The idea that resonates with me most is the idea of the continuous rubric, which provides a more functional way to evaluate students. In my opinion, the concept of co-constructing the Bad/Good T-chart (Chapter 12) is useful since I have seen students struggle to comprehend their evaluation rubrics for peer assessments. If students have a voice in what will be evaluated and how they will be evaluated, it will be easier for them to understand and act on the feedback that they are given. Additionally, when students see their thoughts and words in their evaluation rubrics, they will feel more valued.
ReplyDeleteA resource that has been a valuable tool for me in better understanding the progressions has been the Coherence Map from Achieve the Core. Check it out if you haven't seen it before --> https://achievethecore.org/coherence-map/
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 13, he talked about kids needing to know where they are and where they are going. This drew a line for me to our PLC+ work. That is what we are trying to do is make sure we know where we are where we are going, but also so our kids know this. I love the tool provided to help students see this. A teacher in my building has been using this with her students for a while now and is seeing some great benefit to it. While it is time consuming to create and adapt to, she has seen success with it.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that stuck with me after reading these chapters is the importance of students understanding both 'where they are and where they are going' in order to help them improve and learn to the best of their potential. I have used continuums in my classroom and know how impactful they can be. Finding the time to use them a lot, however, is challenging and something I definitely need to be more intentional about. I like that these chapters focused on the importance of involving students in the assessment process, creating rubrics that meet student needs and grading in a way that values the days to day learning...all things that caused me to pause, think and reflect about current systems in my classroom.
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