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http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2010/11/formative_assessment_or_format.html
This article is an interesting springboard. As you know as of late I have been obesssed with assessment and how to do this in a constructivism design.
The key messages being put forth were these: Don't let the push for new-age assessments mess with formative assessment, and don't forget what formative assessment really is.
And what is it, exactly? According to Margaret Heritage of the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing, it's a reciprocal feedback loop of students and teachers, figuring out together whether deep learning has taken place. Her very pointed point here was that you can't get there with a pop quiz. (Gewertz, 2010)
It has been an interesting process through the obesity project. How to measure progress? The kids are obessed on how they are going to get a grade.
1. Collection of information about Obesity (definition, what causes it, what happens as a result of it, etc.)
We did a group check to see if they were headed in the right direction - then after several weeks - we asked for a self evaluation on their own individual participation and contribution to the group (Scale of 1-10 - with explanation) I felt the responses were very honest and candid. But as soon as we posted their grade in PowerSchool...I felt from the conversation that from here on out they would give themselves a better grade. So the self-evaluation has now lost its true worth. ( Am I being to pesismistic????) They are learning how to play the game for the A..
2. In the explanation we asked what they thought they could do to improve as an individual...and we thought that we would evaluate them next on that aspect.
3. I had them respond to an article on the moodle and give their opinions and comments. As I read their comments - I asked them questions about their opinions and now they have some individual questions to answer. All of this will eventually contribute to the group work down the road.
I am definitely looking for some input here...on forms of assessment about the journey. Ideas? New territory for me as well...so a lot of design is developing out of each turn of events. It is sort of progressing as we go along. I could go on forever, but I will end with this final comment from the article:
Can such a process be designed, formatted and distributed widely? If not, how can—or should—it be employed in the era of numbers-driven accountability?(Gewertz, 2010)
Gewertz, C. (11, November 2010). Formative Assessment or Formative Instruction? Education WEek Curriculum Matters. Retreived from: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2010/11/formative_assessment_or_format.html
You state that they are learning how to play the game for an A. That IS the game, isn't it? haha On one level, that's why I'm pestering Lowell for feedback, grades, anything. We want to be approved, we want our ideas, our powerpoints, our essays, blogs, etc approved by whatever pedagogical long-arm MSU (or any educational institution) is adjuncting to oversee us for the fourteen weeks we are filing through this course. Because at the end of the course there is something awarded and we want to make sure we get whatever is coming to us, whatever we've paid for.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking along these lines -- how does assessment occur during real learning? When I am learning how to play an instrument, for example, everytime I pick it up and I can't hold a chord correctly or I haven't mastered a song or even the kind of fluidity necessary to play a song, that's assessment - it's information (mostly in the negative form) that I haven't mastered the skill that I'm trying to master.
What do your kids want to master? Ask them if they've mastered it yet. Ask them how will they know when they've mastered it. That seems to be the most congruent or organic to real learning.
Otherwise we owuld all be
"The kids are obessed on how they are going to get a grade."
ReplyDeleteSounds familiar...
I did give the kids the open-ended question. How do you solve obesity in middle school students? Pretty industrious yes? And they are finding their own answers with a little scaffolding on our part...
ReplyDeleteI do realize that eventually they will pick some solution and we will have them go with it...but accessing the journey is difficult. Since they have caught onto the traditional game. Just trying to think of other forms of assessment along the process..that is fair and respresetative of their effort individually and group wise. A puzzlement???
Liz...as usual you make the point slide down a little smoother. I have really come to the conclusion that Prof. Lowell practices Humanistic practices. The quote from Lisa's article:"This theory of person-centered model of instruction works well in the online classroom where learners are expected to take an active role in constructing their own learning path and experience." We have actively been doing this. No external link articles..so we have jumped in and accepted "Google" as our best friend..(I think I heard that somewhere???. We have taken the responsibility for our own learning. I feel more self-actualized every minute.
ReplyDeleteWe are the "students in a person-centered instructional classroom and we are motivated by our own interest in the subject or sub-topic and have actively engaged in seeking knowledge on that subject, utilizing our own prior knowledge and interests to lead ourselves toward new knowledge and a higher level of understanding on the chosen topic."
I have come to the conclusion that there are no right or wrong answers at this level...as always you guys get me to think, with some minimal scaffoling from our instructors. You provoke thought on your question of " What do I want the kids to master? Research on their own...developing their own solutions...carrying those solutions out in the real world..."What do your kids want to master? Ask them if they've mastered it yet. Ask them how will they know when they've mastered it. That seems to be the most congruent or organic to real learning." One of the best quotes ever...and I am going to put this into play this Friday! The responses will be most interesting..and another great way to see how far they have come on the journey...as for us...
we can only hope that Prof. Lowell will evaluate us in the same manner, asking the same questions.I have been trying to find out more about POI (from Lisa's article) At this stage in the game we actually value our own journey...and each one of us is making the experience good for us individually. I let go of the grade a bit ago (remember when I went insane?)..when I realized that the only person that is really going to benefit from this journey is me.(of course I am dragging everyone along with me)..the quality of my work is a reflection of my own integrity. The only person I would cheat is myself...and for this much money and opportunity...THAT ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN!
I already know so much more and the residuals from this has already been worth the whole semester tuition....Animoto, Second Life, Constructivism, a group of intellectuals who actually talk, etc. etc. All this did not exist in my little land of PE. I had no one to really bounce ideas off! This entire experience is "Saving my life"...SO..go ahead and strum that guitar little girl...by just having the courage to pick it up is half of the battle. Those sour chords don't sound so bad to me...sounds like you are trying to make your own music.