This I Believe Now

In this class, I've learned to be love the idea of being flexible with assessment tools and to understand that formative assessment is a key element, as things change rapidly in school, yearly, daily, and down to the minute. I've enjoyed having time to reflect upon my own ever-changing idea of what learning is and what we need to do, as teachers, to cultivate and appreciate our students' learning process. So, one might say, I've learned to "let it go" and let assessment be this wonderfully ongoing and enlightening process. 

Enjoy! And best wishes to my peers who are reading this and moving on to other things now that we have completed this course :)

Inquiry Project

Hi all! My project was to find out whether peer editing is a worthwhile in-class task during the writing process.

Click and see what I found out! Enjoy :)

http://present.me/view/174263-edit

But really...

“The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn't understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had.”- Eric Schmidt

Assessment is Everywhere: Both Awesome and Scary.

It's been a long week. One that feels like it was actually three weeks. I'm thankful to have a group of peers in this course that presented some wonderful questions and observations about the readings that brought me back to "normal" life after the tragedy that struck our region on Wednesday. 

Aside from the rough patch of days that we all faced as educators this past week, the content of the readings couldn't have come at a more perfect time in my semester of teaching. I just started teaching the college writing course this year, so I'm still making things my own and getting things organized, so to speak. So when I started reading the articles detailing the importance of the electronic portfolio, I immediately felt inspired to enhance the end-of-semester portfolio project I require for my seniors. Right now, they evaluate their writing style and the class structure and, in a sense, self-assess and teacher-assess (scary but useful!). This is all typed and printed and put into a three-ring binder, but, as I mentioned in the discussion, this has been done this way since I was in the same school. Hmm...what to do? Seems like an easy solution. So I hoped to get some guidance on this. But what I found to be so interesting was that the Hicks, et al, piece included so much information about the teaching portfolio. I had approached this week of readings thinking that this would be more focused on students, but here was a reading almost solely dedicated to how to approach the teaching aspect of the portfolio. And I learned that this wasn't entirely a bad thing. We do need to model and let students assess our work in order for them to be able to structure their own products. That's common sense. But I digress...

Now, if you'd ask any teacher in PA these days about their portfolios, they'd probably say, "What, from when I got hired?" Or...some in certain schools might grumble and sound frustrated as they explained that an end-of-year portfolio must be assessed, evaluated, and signed off on by a building principal, as per Pennsylvania Department of Education requirements. As if we have time for more paperwork, some might say. As if we need to re-interview for our jobs at the end of the school year, others might say.  It can be scary to be "graded," so to speak, but it can be humbling, as well, to put ourselves in the shoes of our students. But in reading these texts and reviewing the video, I feel like some frustration might be quelled. This isn't just busywork (although it might take some time); it's a celebration (excuse the cheese of that word choice) of our lives and what we spend x-amount of hours doing each week. If I can work to get behind the importance of creating a personal yet professional online teaching identity using the concepts of reflection (as explained in the video), then I feel that I can convey these feelings to students to help them understand the importance of this as related to their 21st century student lives. 

Of course, among these feelings of revelation, I also feel the same uneasiness that we discussed throughout the week: I just have to wonder how much I am willing to divulge about me and me being a teacher out there for the world to view. In the world of social media, we post things online that we hope others will "like" or even just read. But the problem really lies with those out there who want to look for the negative. Unfortunately, as educators, we are under constant scrutiny. So I'm just hesitant to be too wide open on anything. I hate to say this...but is it really worth it? I guess we have no choice in the matter--if something is going to be said about us, it's going to happen. But again, why should I put it out there for public knowledge if I don't have to? Certain circumstances might be useful, like if I was looking for a job in a different field or if I was a celebrity whose job description is being in the public eye. The idea of audience is so prevalent in this topic; we (the teacher) are NOT the only ones assessing these online designs (as Aram states, "I had to be" in relation to being aware of the idea of a wide cyber audience. Page 456). 

In terms of hesitation, I don't see my students having the same problem. In fact, I think they're almost leaning too far the other way. Their tweets are going to live forever, screenshotted on someone's phone, somewhere, and they don't seem to care. I'm generalizing, because not all teenagers are buying into this, and some are really starting to learn the consequences of their cyber decisions, but for the most part, they're just kids and consequence isn't part of them biologically yet. So I feel like for them, working on an electronic portfolio with them could be the answer...helping them cultivate and create an appropriate online identity that will aid them in furthering their future goals and plans could be a great send-off lesson as they enter the real world. I like that this is so tied in with reality, and the world is truly their oyster as they explore different modes and methods of digitization. They're worlds ahead of me, and I don't feel like I'm that far behind, technologically speaking (but I am...I so am). They could come up with some really great stuff, and like we talked about last week, it's important to differentiate the "stuff that looks cool" versus the important content information, and that's where we come in! Goodson relays the notable movement toward more online portfolios in teacher education and "periodic evaluation" (484), so the more we learn about this, the more this movement can trickle down to our lesson plans to help students do this, as well. 

As my favorite Criminal Minds FBI agent, Prentiss, suggests, "The internet never forgets." This is both awesome and scary at the same time. Because it's not just us (the teacher)...assessment, in many forms, is truly everywhere. 

Art is Art is Art is English is Literacy

I like this, but it scares me. I'm no artist. However, I see myself as someone who thinks like an artist. We all have Bachelor of ARTS degrees...so hey, maybe the experts are right; English language is an art after all!

Of course there has been much research done out there to determine that literary thinking taps into the creative realm. Look at this--there's even a degree out there dedicated to the synthesis of art and literature! http://www.reading.ac.uk/Study/ug/ArtEnglishLitBA.aspx

So the connection is quite clear: there is much overlap in these worlds. But then, the problem arises, do we technically need to become experts in both in order to fairly and equally assess students when we deem it relevant and useful to incorporate one within the other for an assignment and performance of understanding? I took some time to read and think about this from the NCTE reading:

Literacy has always been a collection of cultural and communicative practices shared among members of particular groups. As society and technology change, so does literacy. Because technology has increased the intensity and complexity of literate environments, the 21st century demands that a literate person possess a wide range of abilities and competencies, many literacies. These literacies are multiple, dynamic, and malleable. As in the past, they are inextricably linked with particular histories, life possibilities, and social trajectories of individuals and groups. Active, successful participants in this 21st century global society must be able to

• Develop proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology;
  
• Build intentional cross-cultural connections and relationships with others so to pose and solve problems collaboratively and strengthen independent thought;
  
• Design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of purposes;
  
• Manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information;
  
• Create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multimedia texts;
  
• Attend to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments.

 
In the third bullet point, I think the language makes much sense to me... "...to meet a variety of purposes." It's pretty broad in terms of phrasing; I see it as open interpretation for the entire spectrum spanning from objective to subjective assessment. For example, if I have students create a podcast, the "purpose" might be to give a book talk on The Giver. My rubric might include just the understanding of the theme and plot. There is no getting around that subjectivity in the teaching of ELA, but just because one student understands enough technology to create a cool sound background and add some Giver-inspired sound effects (not even sure what those would be...?), does that mean they understood the book more? I don't know the answer to that. BUT what I DO know is that based on what I just explained, and on the purpose I originally gave, I'm not grading the podcast based on those sound effects. Cool? Yes. Necessary for this specific purpose of assignment? No.

I think if we present students with our guidelines in the beginning, that can certainly help. Not that we don't do that anyway, but for the incorporation of new media, I think we need to be even more explicit in terms of our expectations. They're used to the expectations we teachers have for essays. There is, of course, some varying degree of assessment with the different teachers students encounter, but basically it's on a somewhat similar level of framework. But this...this newer style of learning/teaching; the incorporation of new media technology and the understanding, for both teacher AND student, that learning literature (and all things ELA) has multimodal possibilities, is less ingrained in them in terms of the teacher's assessment procedures. If we say at the beginning, "I will be grading you on creativity. No pencil. All must be done using Adobe Photoshop. You must incorporate color. Must be aesthetically pleasing," yes, there is certainly some subjectivity in there, but at least the students know it's there.

It's also an ongoing process. I think we need to take time to make the new media assignments part of the classroom activities instead of assigning them and leaving students to their own devices. They need to learn these 21st century learner habits now so that they're prepared to utilize them in college and careers in the future. If we set them up with highly detailed expectations for the assignment and then work through it with them, it makes them more comfortable with the entire process. They end up seeing more value in it rather than just busywork that is "just another PowerPoint," which I do everything in my power to avoid! I think the basic explanation of the purpose is so valuable (in general) while teaching and assessing new media. The students' ownership is vital as we move forward with these new technologies.

.................Of course, they know it already; we're the ones who probably need to be taught to feel more comfortable with technology, right? Sigh. Full circle!

Is This A Redo? ;-)

I am working hard to avoid making a broken-record post based on last week’s. So instead I’ll take a cue from our fearless leader and base my rant/rave on my own personal issues and musings on the subject of differentiated instruction.

Oh, I remember a time when I did not know the phrase “differentiated instruction;” alas, it was a time when it did not roll off my tongue like the morning dew rolls off my windshield as I scurry my car along the cold, dismal highway to school before dawn. But then, hark, the principal at my very first teaching gig said something that resonated: “Differentiation is something that good teachers do without even realizing it.” Ok, cool. Now how do I make sure I’m a good teacher? I remember thinking. I’m not sure that I’m there yet, but I guess I see what he means: differentiation is natural. When I speak to others, I speak how they’ll understand me. For example, when I speak to my friends’ small children, I use different conversation and language than when I speak with my sarcastic adult friends. It’s about making others feel included and comfortable.

In my own words, here is how I break it all down:

• Students will feel more comfortable.
• The kids can do what they’re capable of without feeling pressure.
• They can work at their own pace.
• They can have fun! (Because they can choose to do things they like)
• I can see lightbulbs go off above the kids’ heads. even the shy, unsure kids.

But then...I have an entire chapter (ten) marked from Wormeli’s book to add to my syllabus next year. This is surprising to me. I have always thought of myself as an anti-redo teacher.  This chapter covers the concepts of redos, an issue with which I have many, many questions. But when I started the chapter and read the quote at the beginning, I suddenly felt differently: “Yes, I had a lot of paperwork at first [from grading and re-grading, etc.], but after awhile, it actually decreased. Students began analyzing their mistakes before turning in their tests” (131). I think that I really like this. My problem as a whole, though, is that I almost don’t see this as differentiating instruction; in fact, I almost see it as a cop-out. But Wormeli presents some ways to fix this and adapt our way of thinking. For example, on page 132, he says, “If it’s a charcter issue, such as integrity, self-discipline, maturity, and honesty, the greater gift may be to deny the redo option.” So if students slack off for the entire essay unit because they know they “have an extra week and can redo it,” this won’t apply to them. I also appreciated Wormeli’s comment: “Do not allow any work to be redone during the last week of the grading period” (135). He added that just to help with teacher sanity. Thank you, sir. I need to incorporate this into my life asap. I am currently still chasing two students down for essays that they didn’t turn in during the LAST quarter! Why am I doing this? And further, on the subject of DI, is this really any kind of DI? These students just did NOT do their work. How am I being fair and/or equal to the other kids in my classes then? Sigh.

Truly, though, what resonated more than anything else in this book, was Wormeli’s paragraph at the end of this chapter on page 136:

“Our world is full of redos. Sure, most adults don’t make as many mistakes requiring redos as students do, but that’s just it--our students are not adults and as such, they can be afforded a merciful disposition from their teachers as we move them toward adult competency.”

And this is not just letting them do what they want with no consequences or sense of independence; this is just making them feel like they are cared for; like we, their teachers, want them to succeed; like we aren’t trying to trick them into harsh grades with any kind of demotivational spirit. Strike a balance with this...and THIS is differentation.

Differentiating my Differentiation.

I have run a small gamut in the world of education so far. It's not overly impressive, but as far as my certification goes, it stretches. I started by teaching 7th grade language arts five years ago, which covered reading, writing, and grammar in one curriculum and it was c-r-a-m-m-e-d but I loved every second of it. Now I'm teaching college prep seniors in a semester-long four-essay base module writing course in which students can earn college credit.  When I saw that this and next week's readings would encompass the thoughts of differentiation as it pertains to assessment, I started to think back to my teacher cert program and how much we learned about this. I thought back to my student teaching experience, where my wonderful cooperating teacher modeled many examples of this, from the simple to the quite complex. I thought about my lovely co-teacher from my years in 7th grade who would do anything for her learning support students in my inclusion class. I thought back to when I taught 8th grade gifted language arts (a class of 12) and how I had to come up with frequent ways to differentiate in order to make it more challenging. And I thought about how now I don't noticeably differentiate. 

But then I read.

And I let myself breathe; I let myself take it all in and I finally felt my footing for this new year of teaching. (If you're doing the math, yes, I have taught something new four of the five years I've been a teacher. I'm assuming many new teachers go through this, yes? Please? Anyone?) 

I felt at ease reading about the definition(s) presented to us by both Wormeli and Moon-- they made sense; I had seen this and done this many times. But seeing some new tactics and thoughts behind these things was comforting. I hadn't, pardon me, crapped out at doing Think-Pair-Shares and the like. The nicest thing I came to understand from Moon's text is that now that I'm more comfortable in my teaching and have relaxed  a little (well, as much as we can relax in this profession...), I'm able to really utilize the data that I create with the assessments that I give, either formative or summative (or pre-). I noticed that I'm just starting to really dig in and change things up for the better. 

I learned from Wormeli that it's okay to question and discuss our methods of differentiation. I really pondered over his theories and thoughts on mastery. I think this is such a hot-button issue in education right now. Well, at least for ELA. Perhaps other content areas have it easier, but in all honesty, how do we judge mastery in English class?! I know we've talked about this in previous discussions, but I liked seeing it alongside the idea of differentiation. Whew---mind blown, I'm totally scattered now. Is mastery different for each student out there? And where do standardized tests fit in? 

Annnnnnnnd now I'm having English teacher anxiety. It's a good time to pause and grade some essays, right?