Correcting frequent wrong turns when involving students in classroom assessment
This presentation gave a lot more examples relating to the "Leading the Way to Quality Classroom Assessment" keynote (below). It will probably make more sense if you read that one first.
Why should we co-construct criteria with our students?
- Ask students how they would feel if they received a test or exam with a grade but no explanation as to WHY they got that grade. This process will help them understand exactly what goes into their grade -- and it allows them to choose what that is.
- Show students the state standard they will be working on. Have them come up with synonyms for each word in the standard. Breaking it down on a semantic level will help them understand exactly what the standard is asking for.
Tip for making rubrics:
- When making the "Does not meet standards" column, use POSITIVE language. Instead of writing "uses vague language," write "should use more descriptive language." Tell them what they should be doing, not what they're doing wrong.
- After making a co-constructed rubric, do NOT type it up using teacher language. Use their words. It will make more sense to them.
My opinion:
Like I wrote in the post below, I like the idea of making a rubric with the students and I'm currently trying it out. I also really like the positive language piece -- it seems so obvious to me now that I should be telling them how to get better, not just explaining what they did wrong. I'm definitely going to try to use that in my future rubrics.
I'm going to try this on a small-scale with short, simple rubrics. I don't feel confident enough to try to lay out a new rubric for a final essay with students. I'll be interested to see how Elyse did it! Won't you??
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned in a different comment, I don't see the value of having students break down state standards. The language of state standards suck, and are widely open to interpretation. I think teachers should collaborate to break down these standards and present them to students in language they understand. I do understand the value in involving the students in the process, but I don't think it's their job to define the standards. They should be involved in defining how they meet the standards, they should be allowed a choice in how they demonstrate the standard.
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