I chose to attempt the Performance Task (category D) for sink/float. Since this would be a bit chaotic in my classroom, I borrowed my little neighbor, Macey, who is in first grade.
The assessment is as follows...
Sink/Float Performance Task:
The teacher says:
Draw and design 2 different boats using the materials in your bag. Predict whether or not they will float. Build them. Test them. Circle the picture of your best boat.
Assessment Comments:
spatial visualization:
prediction skills:
observation skills:
I provided Macey with plastic eggs, small marbles/jewels, a big bowl of water, towels, and cotton balls. I asked her to construct 2 different types of boats with the eggs. She asked me if I wanted the boats to sink or float, and I told her she could experiment with the materials and see what happens. Attached is a video of the assessment and findings. http://youtu.be/mUn47cybCTE
The assessment strategy I used with my class was making a whole-class web. For reading, we use Scott Foresman’s curriculum, “Reading Street” (I’m sure many of you have seen this being used in your classrooms as well maybe). The reading curriculum is divided into units, which have an overarching essential question. Each story read and discussed throughout the unit has its own essential question as well, which all fit within their unit’s question. My cooperating teacher stresses the importance of going over the essential questions with the kids until they develop a solid sense of what each question means and possible ways that question can be answered. She is actually required to have these questions posted somewhere in her room and keep them up to date. Currently, our essential question for the unit we are on is, “How can we work together?” For the last two weeks we have been working on the first story in the unit, which asked the essential question, “What can we do in a dangerous situation?” During my take over week I discussed frequently with the kids what examples of dangerous situations were and what we could do in those various situations. We also read the first story in the unit, which was about a dog trainer who was saved by his two dogs when he fell through ice, a number of times. I felt confident by the end of the week that the class had a good understanding of the essential question that went along with the story, but I wanted to see what information they had gained from the week one’s work in the new unit that would help them answer the unit’s essential question. I made a big web on the white board and wrote the essential question, “How can we help each other?” in the center. Students came up with a lot of answers that made sense and answers that didn’t quite fit initially I helped students tweak so all student responses could be included in web. What I found was that most students didn’t refer back to the story we had read without my prompting. Instead, most responses sounded something like “You can share with a friend.” What this showed me was that I may have not given as much time and attention to the unit’s overarching essential question as I had the week’s question. The kids came up with some good answers that made sense, but if I want them to make more connections between the literature we’re reading and the unit’s essential question then I need to be bringing that question into the stories we are reading more. I actually feel I learned quite a bit from conducting such a simple assessment.
Great example, especially since you learned a great deal that will help the next time you do a similar lesson! Will you be able to use the strategy again with this class? Nancy
I choose to do a writing rubric with my class. We are currently working on Lucy Calking small moments writing but also focusing on periods at the ends of our sentences and capitals at the beginning. We have been reminding the children about this and incorporating it into the daily meeting and mini lessons. However, I wanted the children to be responsible for their own learning and see writing as a process where learning constantly takes place.
To do this, I created a rubric. The rubric was printed on a strip of paper. The heading said "I used capitals at the beginning of my sentences. Underneath there was a happy face, and indifferent face and a sad face. The children were instructed to go back to their stories and look through. They then were to circle, with pencil, the face that they thought resembled their work. I then conferenced with each child over the course of two days and reviewed their use of capitals WITH them.
I thought that this worked out really well. It was a simple rubric, with little reading that the children could complete themselves. They then had the opportunity to talk about their work with me, the teacher, so that I could address the point head on and see their ability first hand. I liked the simplicity of it and breaking it down to focus on one thing.
After looking through the readings, the one assessment strategy that I wanted to talk about that we use in our classroom was found in the article “A Collection of Assessment Strategies” by Alaska Department of Education & Early Development. In our classroom we like to use graphic organizers quite frequently and we’ve been using them a lot in our continent unit. So far we’ve used a KWL chart, a concept map and a compare/contrast matrix. These three graphic organizers are used to demonstrate the student’s background knowledge and how they understand and are able to interpret the information we provide/they learn and explore on their own through the various assignments that deal with the continents. Based on these organizers the teacher and I are able to see if the students are grasping the concepts and content we are trying to teach. It allows us the opportunity to see where if any we may have to go back and revisit any concepts. When using the KWL chart we hand this out for the students to work on a various steps during the unit. We had them work on the “K” part the “Know” so we could get a general idea of where most of our students were in their understanding of the continents. This was especially helpful because it showed us that many students in the class thought Massachusetts and the United States were continents. After learning this from their KWL chart the teacher and I knew where to start and made a note to specifically go over what Massachusetts and the United States were in relation to the seven continents. I’ve met a few teachers who use graphic organizers and worksheets as busy work but in this classroom the teacher and I use them as a form of assessment to see where the student’s knowledge is and what they have learned from our lessons. We are still working in the continent unit but so far each time we have used one of the three mentioned graphic organizers above, we are able to see where each students understanding is at, at that particular time of assessment and we have since been able to continuously reevaluate what lessons we are teaching and what in the lessons might we have to change or add in to make sure our content and concepts are being relayed properly.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI chose to attempt the Performance Task (category D) for sink/float. Since this would be a bit chaotic in my classroom, I borrowed my little neighbor, Macey, who is in first grade.
ReplyDeleteThe assessment is as follows...
Sink/Float Performance Task:
The teacher says:
Draw and design 2 different boats using the materials in your bag. Predict whether or not they will float. Build them. Test them. Circle the picture of your best boat.
Assessment Comments:
spatial visualization:
prediction skills:
observation skills:
I provided Macey with plastic eggs, small marbles/jewels, a big bowl of water, towels, and cotton balls. I asked her to construct 2 different types of boats with the eggs. She asked me if I wanted the boats to sink or float, and I told her she could experiment with the materials and see what happens. Attached is a video of the assessment and findings.
http://youtu.be/mUn47cybCTE
You may need to copy and paste the youtube link into your browser since the blog changed the format! Thanks.
DeleteThat was excellent. What was your conclusion about Macey's knowledge of sink and float. What about the boy's understanding?
DeleteDo you think you should remove the video from youtube on Nov. 1?
For Ruth:
ReplyDeleteThe assessment strategy I used with my class was making a whole-class web. For reading, we use Scott Foresman’s curriculum, “Reading Street” (I’m sure many of you have seen this being used in your classrooms as well maybe). The reading curriculum is divided into units, which have an overarching essential question. Each story read and discussed throughout the unit has its own essential question as well, which all fit within their unit’s question. My cooperating teacher stresses the importance of going over the essential questions with the kids until they develop a solid sense of what each question means and possible ways that question can be answered. She is actually required to have these questions posted somewhere in her room and keep them up to date. Currently, our essential question for the unit we are on is, “How can we work together?” For the last two weeks we have been working on the first story in the unit, which asked the essential question, “What can we do in a dangerous situation?” During my take over week I discussed frequently with the kids what examples of dangerous situations were and what we could do in those various situations. We also read the first story in the unit, which was about a dog trainer who was saved by his two dogs when he fell through ice, a number of times. I felt confident by the end of the week that the class had a good understanding of the essential question that went along with the story, but I wanted to see what information they had gained from the week one’s work in the new unit that would help them answer the unit’s essential question. I made a big web on the white board and wrote the essential question, “How can we help each other?” in the center. Students came up with a lot of answers that made sense and answers that didn’t quite fit initially I helped students tweak so all student responses could be included in web. What I found was that most students didn’t refer back to the story we had read without my prompting. Instead, most responses sounded something like “You can share with a friend.” What this showed me was that I may have not given as much time and attention to the unit’s overarching essential question as I had the week’s question. The kids came up with some good answers that made sense, but if I want them to make more connections between the literature we’re reading and the unit’s essential question then I need to be bringing that question into the stories we are reading more. I actually feel I learned quite a bit from conducting such a simple assessment.
Great example, especially since you learned a great deal that will help the next time you do a similar lesson! Will you be able to use the strategy again with this class?
ReplyDeleteNancy
I choose to do a writing rubric with my class. We are currently working on Lucy Calking small moments writing but also focusing on periods at the ends of our sentences and capitals at the beginning. We have been reminding the children about this and incorporating it into the daily meeting and mini lessons. However, I wanted the children to be responsible for their own learning and see writing as a process where learning constantly takes place.
ReplyDeleteTo do this, I created a rubric. The rubric was printed on a strip of paper. The heading said "I used capitals at the beginning of my sentences. Underneath there was a happy face, and indifferent face and a sad face. The children were instructed to go back to their stories and look through. They then were to circle, with pencil, the face that they thought resembled their work. I then conferenced with each child over the course of two days and reviewed their use of capitals WITH them.
I thought that this worked out really well. It was a simple rubric, with little reading that the children could complete themselves. They then had the opportunity to talk about their work with me, the teacher, so that I could address the point head on and see their ability first hand. I liked the simplicity of it and breaking it down to focus on one thing.
This sounds excellent, especially the simplicity of it, as you said. Are you going to try it with other subjects?
DeleteFor Mary:
ReplyDeleteAfter looking through the readings, the one assessment strategy that I wanted to talk about that we use in our classroom was found in the article “A Collection of Assessment Strategies” by Alaska Department of Education & Early Development. In our classroom we like to use graphic organizers quite frequently and we’ve been using them a lot in our continent unit. So far we’ve used a KWL chart, a concept map and a compare/contrast matrix. These three graphic organizers are used to demonstrate the student’s background knowledge and how they understand and are able to interpret the information we provide/they learn and explore on their own through the various assignments that deal with the continents. Based on these organizers the teacher and I are able to see if the students are grasping the concepts and content we are trying to teach. It allows us the opportunity to see where if any we may have to go back and revisit any concepts. When using the KWL chart we hand this out for the students to work on a various steps during the unit. We had them work on the “K” part the “Know” so we could get a general idea of where most of our students were in their understanding of the continents. This was especially helpful because it showed us that many students in the class thought Massachusetts and the United States were continents. After learning this from their KWL chart the teacher and I knew where to start and made a note to specifically go over what Massachusetts and the United States were in relation to the seven continents.
I’ve met a few teachers who use graphic organizers and worksheets as busy work but in this classroom the teacher and I use them as a form of assessment to see where the student’s knowledge is and what they have learned from our lessons. We are still working in the continent unit but so far each time we have used one of the three mentioned graphic organizers above, we are able to see where each students understanding is at, at that particular time of assessment and we have since been able to continuously reevaluate what lessons we are teaching and what in the lessons might we have to change or add in to make sure our content and concepts are being relayed properly.