I want to start out this week by saying, sometimes what you are looking for can be found right under your nose. I just want to say thank you to Sarah for her comments last week.
I have decided to poll my students for the real-world issue that is important to them, instead of searching far and near for what I think is important. This "a-ha" moment came from Sarah's suggestion and from our chapter on assessment this week. I realized that I do not plan to assess my students on the topic choice. That is theirs to own, not for me to give. After reading about authentic assessment I feel it is important for me to set up this project as if it were a real film team assigned to create a real public service announcement or to persuade public opinion (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). It would be my job as "the boss" to focus on how effectively they send the message, not what the message was. I have definitely learned the importance of planning out the assessment while planning out the project, and the importance of setting clear expectations for performance.
When we get back from Turkey Day break, I plan to survey the students and continue on from there. The holidays and all of the activities that pull teachers and children away from the regular schedule may slow me down a bit on my progress so please be patient. In the meantime, I think I will modify my action plan to accommodate some time for linking assessment strategies into my lesson plan before I attempt to begin the process of implementation. Which brings up the question what types of assessment would be best? I am leaning towards an analytical rubric but would love to hear some suggestions for some formative assessments to provide feedback to my students along the way.
My other goal is sort of on hold right know as I await the arrival of my collaborative group members. Maybe by next week's post I can give you an update on that progress. I hope everyone enjoys a restful Thanksgiving holiday.
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P., (2009) Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
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Karen,
ReplyDeleteI am glad I was able to help! I think that allowing students to choose the topics may allow you to get better projects because they will take a personal interest in their topic and hopefully take pride in their ownership of the project.
As for assessment, I think the rubric is a great way to set the expectations up front and allow students to monitor themselves throughout the process. Are you planning to assign roles to the group members in order to make sure everyone takes an equal part in completion of the project? Another option is to have students complete a journal or blog posts throughout the project reflecting on their progress and what they are learning.
Karen,
ReplyDeleteIn response to your decision to poll your students, which I believe is a great one, have you ever tried polleverywhere.com? It allows you to poll your students with their very cell phones that they always have on them (even though it's against school rules). Try it one time, I'm sure you will like the website's ease of use and features.