This past week's readings really got me talking. I was curious to see how my colleagues felt about and approached the use (and theories behind NOT using) of rubrics. I am constantly struck by how much I can relate to the concepts discussed in this course, and this week was no exception. I remember reading last week in Murray's piece that he told his students that every piece of writing is a draft. That stuck with me, and I aggressively highlighted the section in Spandel's "In Defense of Rubrics" that said, "Writing is revision" (20). How completely honest and true is that? She goes on to explain how she tries to encourage students to hit that "wow" moment when writing; when they create something so meaningful that people are moved by it and exclaim, "'You've got to see this'" (20). Those words kind of helped me in trying to construct a way of thinking where rubrics weren't the end all, be all, but instead worked as a piece of scaffolding for students to adhere to in terms of guidelines/benchmarks/checkmarks, but not so much as a rigid structure in which they had to follow exactly.
I do think that all students need some sort of guideline, though, because most of them have to work toward achieving success using the state mandated Keystone rubric. Problem is...right now this is simply a 4, 3, 2, or 1, and if you think about it, the way one of my English teacher friends put it, either an A, C, D, or F... As unfortunate as that is, how are we supposed to widen that to help them feel achievement and success if they make a few mistakes and all the sudden have a "C" grade on a piece of writing? This is what my friend and I talk about during prep period and lunch duty. I mean, once in awhile we slip in gossip of who is more authentic: Jay Gatsby or Nick Carraway...or why JK Rowling shouldn't have ended the HP series with an epilogue and just kept writing out the story instead...But this week I got her chatting about rubrics. She teaches 10th grade, smack dab in the middle of Keystone, dare I say..."training," and she had some interesting perspectives on this. She gives her kids more of a detailed rubric than this (from the PA Dept. of Education) so that they have more grading flexibility, because, and I agree, she feels that giving kids a "C" as the punishment for not being "perfect" with a "4" seems a bit intense.
That's where I believe rubrics [should] have some flexibility and be catered toward the prompt or assignment genre. There is almost no way, the way I see it, that I could be told to write an essay on a piece of literature with absolutely no guidelines and promise to be successful. And I'm an English Writing and Literature degree holder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had a big enough panic attack when I had to write a25-page lit analysis on Invisible Man during senior year of undergrad. And for that, I even talked through a basic rubric and scoring sequence with my advisor in order to get some sense of stability.
So I agree that rubrics need some work, some nurturing, some love...but I think that we can't abandon the idea altogether (or, like in Wilson's eyes, let them be a work in progress--that makes me think of chaos and mayhem, actually). I mean, realistically, this more of a conversation to have with the state than with teachers in the classroom who have basically no control over whether or not rubrics are used, because if we don't use them and get kids used to them, how-oh-how will they possibly be ready when they face them on the Keystones (which are required in order to graduate...............)???
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Color Analysis of Rough Draft Week
Like I mentioned in several comments throughout this week's discussion, I happened upon a coincidence of scheduling rough draft writing/conferencing for my students during the same time frame. So I am going to use this blog posting to kind of talk my way through my week and give you a play-by-play of what my thought processes and experiences were. (For a better frame of reference, my students' assignment is to write a scholarship essay, which parallels a personal statement, based on a prompt for a scholarship contest of their choosing.)
MONDAY:
I had read the articles by this point and was delighted that I could try some new things right away. By this day, students had chosen scholarship prompts and had outlined what they wanted to say. They were drafting today, so I gave them free reign to start typing from their outlines. Free reign, as I have learned, often scares students. So I spent most of my time talking through the prompts with students and trying to get them to come up with unique ways to answer them. I tried to employ some of Murray's techniques and just sit and listen as they posed their problems to me. This worked okay, but they really needed an adult to explain the expectations of a scholarship review committee. I wasn't completely sure, since I've never been on such a committee, but I think I lessened their confusion somewhat.
TUESDAY:
Still drafting. They were less nervous and spent more time just typing. I had to stop halfway through the first class period and make a quick announcement after addressing four or five students to not get hung up on creating some extraordinary hook intro right away. It made me think about how Kittle explained she doesn't give them a rubric right away...this might be a perfect opportunity, in the future, to make this part of a checklist that students help to create. (Vision: "Class, we are going to make a checklist and I'll keep a running tab of important things we talk about during our drafting week. We'll write ideas on the board in a list and by the time we finish the drafts, we'll have the framework of a rubric ready to go." Am I on the right track here?)
WEDNESDAY:
Last day to type before a printed rough draft is due tomorrow. Nothing exciting happens except for the paper jamming in the printer every other time.
THURSDAY:
No computer lab today; we are in the regular classroom, and about 95% of them roll up with a printed copy of their drafts. Not bad for second semester seniors. (The other 5% mysteriously all forgot their flash drives at home.) I think about the readings from this week and the discussion we've already been involved in, and I ask them, "Ok, be honest, who could tell me right now what is wrong with their draft and how they would like to fix it." Slowly, most of the hands are raised. They look a little satisfied with themselves. This is good. I go on: "Exactly. Just remember: every piece of writing is a draft. I bet if you put one of Stephen King's novels in front of him and asked him what he'd like to fix, he could tell you right away." They smile. They get it. On the editing sheet I give them, it asks them to read their own essay backwards, sentence by sentence, and they do this, reluctantly and quipping, "This is sooo weeeeird!" once in awhile. But success!!! They find "soooo many" more comma errors and flow inconsistencies. Cool. I also had them answer six of Murray's questions from page 151 of the article. The one that stumped them? "Where is this piece of writing taking you?" (most said "to pick up a check once it wins me the scholarship." Funny stuff.)
Then they all had to do a teacher conference ("I've never had to do a teacher conference before!" one student exclaimed. She seemed nervous. NERVOUS! To get one-on-one help from an English teacher. I was a little taken aback on this one...)
MONDAY:
I had read the articles by this point and was delighted that I could try some new things right away. By this day, students had chosen scholarship prompts and had outlined what they wanted to say. They were drafting today, so I gave them free reign to start typing from their outlines. Free reign, as I have learned, often scares students. So I spent most of my time talking through the prompts with students and trying to get them to come up with unique ways to answer them. I tried to employ some of Murray's techniques and just sit and listen as they posed their problems to me. This worked okay, but they really needed an adult to explain the expectations of a scholarship review committee. I wasn't completely sure, since I've never been on such a committee, but I think I lessened their confusion somewhat.
TUESDAY:
Still drafting. They were less nervous and spent more time just typing. I had to stop halfway through the first class period and make a quick announcement after addressing four or five students to not get hung up on creating some extraordinary hook intro right away. It made me think about how Kittle explained she doesn't give them a rubric right away...this might be a perfect opportunity, in the future, to make this part of a checklist that students help to create. (Vision: "Class, we are going to make a checklist and I'll keep a running tab of important things we talk about during our drafting week. We'll write ideas on the board in a list and by the time we finish the drafts, we'll have the framework of a rubric ready to go." Am I on the right track here?)
WEDNESDAY:
Last day to type before a printed rough draft is due tomorrow. Nothing exciting happens except for the paper jamming in the printer every other time.
THURSDAY:
No computer lab today; we are in the regular classroom, and about 95% of them roll up with a printed copy of their drafts. Not bad for second semester seniors. (The other 5% mysteriously all forgot their flash drives at home.) I think about the readings from this week and the discussion we've already been involved in, and I ask them, "Ok, be honest, who could tell me right now what is wrong with their draft and how they would like to fix it." Slowly, most of the hands are raised. They look a little satisfied with themselves. This is good. I go on: "Exactly. Just remember: every piece of writing is a draft. I bet if you put one of Stephen King's novels in front of him and asked him what he'd like to fix, he could tell you right away." They smile. They get it. On the editing sheet I give them, it asks them to read their own essay backwards, sentence by sentence, and they do this, reluctantly and quipping, "This is sooo weeeeird!" once in awhile. But success!!! They find "soooo many" more comma errors and flow inconsistencies. Cool. I also had them answer six of Murray's questions from page 151 of the article. The one that stumped them? "Where is this piece of writing taking you?" (most said "to pick up a check once it wins me the scholarship." Funny stuff.)
Then they all had to do a teacher conference ("I've never had to do a teacher conference before!" one student exclaimed. She seemed nervous. NERVOUS! To get one-on-one help from an English teacher. I was a little taken aback on this one...)
It was strange...they all seemed bored by the peer conferencing idea, but then so many of them said they were glad to get another pair of eyes on their essays. Kids. Can't figure that one out.
I also started a few teacher conferences today. Like I said, this was intimidating for the first ones on the (voluntary) list. But I was determined to try to be like Murray and Kittle and focus on the fact that they KNOW what's wrong with their drafts already...it's just about talking though the issues and guiding them in the right direction. But anyway, it went like this:
- Me: "Ok, tell me what you think about your draft."
- Student A: "Um...well............(pause)......I really don't like how I went from the intro to the first body paragraph."
- Me: "Why?"
- Student A: "Um....well...........(less of a pause this time) It's just, it goes right into why I should get the scholarship but I don't really talk about it up here much. What should I do?"
- Me: "What do you think you should do?"
- Student A: "Welllll maybe fix the introduction. I guess it doesn't really make sense. Does it?"
- Me: "I like the meaning behind it; I like that you are telling a story, but you're right, you could work on cleaning up the wording."
- Student A: "Yeah! Ok!" (Scribbles down some quick changes)
....and so it goes on for about five more minutes. He leaves and says, "This is the best help I've ever gotten on an essay." I can't make that stuff up. Class ends and I feel victorious. They're actually improving using their own knowledge! Wheee!
FRIDAY:
Despite yesterday's successes, and probably due to shortened periods, students aren't as excited about teacher conferencing as I am. They wait...and wait...to sign up. Blank sign up sheet. Blank. I'm offended! C'mon, didn't you talk to Student A yesterday about how rewarding the experience was?! I reiterate that the teacher conference is required. One saunters up.
- Me: "Hi, so, what do you think needs work?"
- Student B: "Idunno, you tell me (nervous laughter)! I don't like it...I'm confused."
- Me: "Ok, show me specifically what you don't like."
- Student B: "Ok, ok...I don't think I'm answering the prompt, but I really like how I told the story about what inspires me, and I don't want to lose that part."
- Me: "So how can you incorporate the answer to the prompt within the story? A sentence maybe?"
- Student B: "Ummmmm.........idunno, what do you think?
It was clear he wasn't going to respond like Murray's students did. He needed more guidance. He wanted me to just tell him how to fix it. I knew how to...and I told him that arguably, I could go around and "fix" everyone's essay and win them all. I mean, I should be able to: I have an English writing degree, journalism degree, and English teaching certificate. I remember reading about that this week. But that's not the point, I tell him; the point is for him to identify and learn how to improve his own writing. I don't want to take from his "voice," I say. I want his own style to shine through.
Aha! He likes this! He smiles. "Thanks. yeah..imean, I worked really hard to tell this story...ilikeit, ido. So yeah." And he goes to work. "Mayyyybeee....I need to add this sentence and move this over here...." and he's off. It took a little longer, but he gets it.
Success.
OVERALL...
I like this method so much and saw so much success in just a few days. I highly recommend you all give it a try. Students want to do it themselves. It's the generation of "gimme it. now" and this allows them to own their education, not just borrow what I tell them and forget it again by tomorrow. Kudos to the authors this week, Gardner, Kittle, and Murray, for instilling some great theories in my mind and allowing my students to benefit from them.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Inspiration!!!!!!!!!!
I'm wondering if anyone out there is feeling like I am. Being an English teacher, I'm a reader and writer at heart and chose to pursue a career where I could encourage these loves unto students. So when I read this book and perused the samples within, I felt a deep sense of guilt for not writing more myself and pursuing my original life's dream of becoming a published author.
I saw the way that Rief structured her Writer's-Reader's Notebook and immediately felt an urge to get out one of my many 3% full journals from a plastic bin buried deep within my closet and start writing (again). Forgive me for getting existential here for a bit, but in reality, when we leave this earth, all that will be left is the memories of us, and if we are so inclined, lucky, and motivated, our written word. (And the way things are going, an in-depth timeline on social media!) I feel it is irresponsible of me to neglect a daily journal for future generations to peruse. This may border on way too sentimental and even macabre, but in reality, I enjoy the thought that someday, my great-great-great grandchildren could read about my day, the way things were, and how I felt.
I think that, in the case of the W-RN, this is a small step toward achieving the goal of making a memory and truly making an impact on a student's life. When we get our students to dig deep and just write about their feelings, about a novel, article, event during lunchtime, birthday present, whatever, they are actually becoming skilled at writing, even if we aren't explicitly teaching this. I know that for me, the more I write, the better it becomes. Might I say "duh" to this. Because it's an age-old practice in ELA teachings to give students many opportunities to improve their written pieces with drafts, conferences, edits, you name it, so obviously the idea of writing--a LOT--can be so beneficial not only in writing skill/ability/quality, but in expressing oneself in all basic areas of communication. (Which, as we know and have discussed, translates to all subject areas and interests.)
My concluding feelings are thus: writing often is very important to me, even if I haven't been disciplined lately. I want to portray why I feel that writing is important in a way that won't scare off my students, or bore them, annoy them, etc...and I think that some version of the W-RN is a great way to do this.
I'm feeling the urge to model this importance, much like how Rief shows us with her own examples at the end of the Appendix. As a graduate student reading this, I'm overtly inspired to the point where I want to curl up on this chilly February Saturday and write until my fingers are numb. I think something similar might happen if my own students say my own writing modeled in such a way, so I am formulating ways to do this. No more "Ok, start writing your response," while I use that "quiet time" to check make-up homework and reply to an email or two. Why not show them my though processes while I write? Give them some inspiration, like Rief gave to me?
I vow to start this on Monday. I'll keep you posted.
I saw the way that Rief structured her Writer's-Reader's Notebook and immediately felt an urge to get out one of my many 3% full journals from a plastic bin buried deep within my closet and start writing (again). Forgive me for getting existential here for a bit, but in reality, when we leave this earth, all that will be left is the memories of us, and if we are so inclined, lucky, and motivated, our written word. (And the way things are going, an in-depth timeline on social media!) I feel it is irresponsible of me to neglect a daily journal for future generations to peruse. This may border on way too sentimental and even macabre, but in reality, I enjoy the thought that someday, my great-great-great grandchildren could read about my day, the way things were, and how I felt.
I think that, in the case of the W-RN, this is a small step toward achieving the goal of making a memory and truly making an impact on a student's life. When we get our students to dig deep and just write about their feelings, about a novel, article, event during lunchtime, birthday present, whatever, they are actually becoming skilled at writing, even if we aren't explicitly teaching this. I know that for me, the more I write, the better it becomes. Might I say "duh" to this. Because it's an age-old practice in ELA teachings to give students many opportunities to improve their written pieces with drafts, conferences, edits, you name it, so obviously the idea of writing--a LOT--can be so beneficial not only in writing skill/ability/quality, but in expressing oneself in all basic areas of communication. (Which, as we know and have discussed, translates to all subject areas and interests.)
My concluding feelings are thus: writing often is very important to me, even if I haven't been disciplined lately. I want to portray why I feel that writing is important in a way that won't scare off my students, or bore them, annoy them, etc...and I think that some version of the W-RN is a great way to do this.
I'm feeling the urge to model this importance, much like how Rief shows us with her own examples at the end of the Appendix. As a graduate student reading this, I'm overtly inspired to the point where I want to curl up on this chilly February Saturday and write until my fingers are numb. I think something similar might happen if my own students say my own writing modeled in such a way, so I am formulating ways to do this. No more "Ok, start writing your response," while I use that "quiet time" to check make-up homework and reply to an email or two. Why not show them my though processes while I write? Give them some inspiration, like Rief gave to me?
I vow to start this on Monday. I'll keep you posted.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Jago is my Homegirl
This week, I immediately fell in love with Jago's "Testing That Teaches," and I know this because I put little smiley faces, stars, and "YES!" exclamations all over the text. In fact, the actual book this excerpt is from is now sitting on my Amazon wish list. Something about the way the author spoke really hit close to home for me. I found a lot of similarities in how she thinks about ELA assessment with that of my own opinions, and I just feel so strongly that each subject area has its own perspective on assessment so this was much appreciated.
My favorite part is when she was talking about how hypocritical it is for us to teach students about literature as there being a right or wrong answer. My favorite English class in high school (and incidentally the one that inspired me to go on to major in English) was 12th grade AP where we sat in a circle the entire year and discussed the literature we read. I had never before felt my opinion to be so nurtured and loved; this was finally a chance for me to dig in and really show my feelings for what we were reading. I had this class with my "bff" who is still my "bff" today, and we often talk about how much we adored our teacher and the way she got us to open up about these books and stories. In fact, get this, I am now her colleague and see and work with her every day, as I'm back working at my own high school! I now have the very unique opportunity to chat with her about that same literature, plus so many more things, like essays, creative writing pieces, behavior in the classroom...I'm in my dream world, truly, and she gives me such wonderful insight unto my own teaching practices.
Lately, she and a few other colleagues and I got caught up talking about giving those objective tests that have such a bad stigma in our subject area. (I love the English teacher nerd conversations we have after school!!!) We all kind of admitted that we just HAVE to give those tests so that students can demonstrate that they have read and NOT just "Spark Noted" the major themes and symbols. It's unfortunate, but that's really one of the only ways. But we also all agreed that we enjoy reading the written responses so much more; the ones where students tend to bounce around and ramble on about the text, and even though the answer might not be perfect, we can work to help them get there eventually, and the next test (or essay, etc.) will have the chance to be improved upon. And that is why we all love teaching English-- for those lessons and discussions about literature or any topic, really, that get students motivated.
And by insisting that there is a right or wrong answer, we are basically saying that their opinions don't matter; that they must have thought incorrectly somewhere along the way. It's tough for students (especially seniors in high school........) to be told what to do and how to think, so this might be a chance, in the ELA classroom, for them to really branch out and say what they want to say (ahem, to a certain degree, of course!). So why should we discourage this?
Preach on, Carol Jago!
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