Leachman, G., Victor, D. "Student-Led Class Meetings."Educational Leadership. 60.6 (March 2003): 64-68. Web. 29 Sep. 2012.
Summary/Analysis:
This summary pertains to an article titled "Student-Led Class Meetings. Both Gayanee Leachman and Deanna Victor are classroom teachers with ten years of experience who grew frustrated with the ineffectiveness of extrinsic motivation. They conducted research and implemented strategies such as multiple intelligence research, project based learning, and student-developed rubrics. Although all of these strategies proved effective in their classrooms, the most effective method they found for increasing student empathy and resourcefulness in problem solving was student-led classroom meetings.
They implemented a process outlined by Paravision and developed by Karen Benson of the California State University, Sacramento. Her process outlines four steps:
"-The author of the issue shares the idea or concern.
-The class asks clarifying questions.
-Everyone brainstorms possible solutions.
-The author of the issue selects a resolution (not a punishment) that is consistent with the class constitution
and that the "offender", if one exists, consents to. "
Other strategies that they researched included putting desks in a circle, following up on old issues, and including complements and celebrations in the meetings.
Although students lead the meetings, teachers play an important role. Before using community meetings with your class, the teacher must explicitly teach problem solving and cooperation. They must also plan several community building activities so that the classroom is seen as a safe space. Even with this training, the authors assert that community meetings are not a "quick fix", but take time to implement and work. Issues often don't get resolved the first time, and the teacher must be willing to give up curriculum time to allow room for regular community meetings.
The authors go on to cite research from Dewy, Bowlby and Ainsworth, Glasser, and Kohn to support why community meetings work. All of these researchers assert that a student's needs must be met, including the feeling of safety and an attachment to others before learning can occur. In addition Kohn states that extrinsic motivation actually decreases the student's desire to do the right thing
The article concludes with various activities that you can use in your classroom to build the necessary community environment before your first meeting.
I found this article relevant to my teaching, because I am working with a very difficult group of students this year. In the first week of school, we had bullying, gossip, and cliques forming. We have tried many things, some successful, some not to help build community and safety on our team. I think community meetings may be a good way for my students to take ownership of the culture of our classroom and to become problem solvers. This article also struck me, because my team met in the beginning of the year to outline the skills we wanted students to leave sixth grade with. Two of the main skills we established were team work and resourcefulness. From this article, it seems that community meetings would help to foster both.
Relevant Quotes/Concepts:
~"With no demand to produce a product, class meetings propelled by student-generated issues offered practice in really hearing another person's point of view. As a result, students were more sensitive t one another and more willing to deal with and resolve issues--both during regular class time and during class meetings." (64-65)
~"Besides improving students' motivation, reliability, and involvement in class activities, the meetings increased our students' sensitivity, caring, and ability to cooperate with classmates. Student-led meetings became a vehicle for promoting many other positive characteristics as well: self-reliance, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, empathy, and a sense of community." (66)
Text Sources:
Child Development Project. (1996). Ways we want our class to be: Class meetings tat build commitment to
kindness and caring. Oakland, CA: Developmental Studies Center.
Child Development Project (1997). Among friends: Classrooms where caring and learning prevail. Oakland, CA:
Developmental Studies Center.
Kohn, A. (1993). Punishment by rewards: The trouble with gold stars, incentive plans, A's, praise, and other
bribes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Nelson, J. (1987). Positive discipline in the classroom. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Teaching Problems and The Problems of Teaching
Lampert, M. (2001). Teaching problems and the problems of teaching. New Haven, CT: Yale
University.
This book places you in a mathematics classroom. Lampert documents every aspect of her teaching, from how she chooses problems, to how she teaches about math discourse, to the actual conversations she has with students.
University.
This book places you in a mathematics classroom. Lampert documents every aspect of her teaching, from how she chooses problems, to how she teaches about math discourse, to the actual conversations she has with students.
Transforming Classroom Grading
Marzano, R. (2000). Transfoming classroom grading. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
In this book, Marzano outlines the need to change our grading policies. He takes the reader through the process of analyzing the purpose of grading, what should be included in grades, and different methods for recording and calculating grades. He also spends a chapter discussing a future without grades.
In this book, Marzano outlines the need to change our grading policies. He takes the reader through the process of analyzing the purpose of grading, what should be included in grades, and different methods for recording and calculating grades. He also spends a chapter discussing a future without grades.
The Negotiated Project Approach: Project-Based Learning without Leaving the Standards Behind
Mitchell, S., Foulger, T. S., Wetzel, K., & Rathkey, C. (2009). The negotiated project approach: Project-based learning without leaving the standards behind. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36(4), 339-346.
This looks at where projects and curriculum standards meet. It also looks at student involvement in project planning.
Challenge in a Mathematics Classroom: Students' Motivation and Strategies in Project-Based Learning
Meyer, D.K., Turner J.C., & Spencer, C.A. (1997). Challenge in a mathematics classroom: Students' motivation and strategies in project-based learning. The Elementary School Journal, 97(5), 501-521.
The article looks at providing challenges in math instruction and how children respond to the opportunity. They mention "challenge seekers" and "challenge avoiders." They also talk about students' willingness to fail, or as they put it "failure tolerance."
The article looks at providing challenges in math instruction and how children respond to the opportunity. They mention "challenge seekers" and "challenge avoiders." They also talk about students' willingness to fail, or as they put it "failure tolerance."
“If You Know Our Names It Helps!” Students’ Perspectives About “Good” Teaching
Robertson, J. (2006). If you know our names it helps!” Students’ perspectives about “good” teaching. Qualitative Inquiry, 12(4), 756-768.
I am looking forward to reading this article that looks at students' perspectives about what good teaching is. A large portion of the article is in the form of a transcript from a panel (that includes Alfie Kohn). The article fits well with my theme of communication as a resource.
I am looking forward to reading this article that looks at students' perspectives about what good teaching is. A large portion of the article is in the form of a transcript from a panel (that includes Alfie Kohn). The article fits well with my theme of communication as a resource.
School-wide Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation Programs: Experiences in Three Middle schools.
"School-wide Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation Programs:
Experiences in Three Middle schools"
This article was published in Intervention in Social Clinic
Journal. It appeared in November of
2000. It was an action research of which researchers looked at three different middle schools and attempted to find common
denominators of conflict resolution programs and peer mediation programs (CR
and PM). It is very helpful if someone
wishes to gain insight as a practical application to using Conflict resolution
and peer mediation.
It was
organized by different sub-topics. They were: Theories, Program Description, Program Implementation, Program Use and conclusion. The major focus of the article was implementation. However, I found the most useful section of Program Use. This, I believe, where the results of the implementation and more anecdotal based on student perceptions. One example of this from one case study:
“First, we found
that a majority of disputes referred to mediation involved sixth-grade girls.
Our interviews with mediators describe a process that may be inherently more
appealing to girls because boys may tend to perceive mediation as a sign of
weakness. For example, a peer mediator, in response to a question
regarding mediations social acceptability, stated that his peers might not use
mediation ‘because with friends they put up a front about how hard they are.
They are trying to boost up their reputation...They don’t use peer mediation
because they’ve got friends who will go out and tell others that you’re a punk
because you went to peer mediation instead of fighting.’ Some school staff
suggested that sixth graders are more open to their older classmates to
enlistment of peer support.” (Daunic, A., Smith , S. W., Robinson, T. R.,
Miler, D. M., & Landry, K., 98)
Daunic, A., Smith , S. W., Robinson, T. R., Miler, D. M., &
Landry, K.
(2000). School-wide conflict resolution
and peer mediation programs:
Experiences in three middle schools. Intervention
in Social Clinic, 94-100.
Teaching Against the Grain: One Title I School’s Journey Toward Project-Based Literacy Instruction
Parsons, S. A., Metzger, S., Askew, J., & Carswell, A. R. (2011). Teaching against the grain: One title I school's journey toward project-based literacy instruction. Literacy Research And Instruction, 50(1), 1-14.
Summary:
This article looks at a Title I school that had made progress with teaching literacy in a programmatic way focused on improving test scores, but that had reached a plateau. The school decided to implement a project-based literacy approach in the hopes to continue to raise scores. This research looks at the professional development side and teachers' implementation of and feelings towards project-based literacy, focusing on the following two questions:
1. How do the teachers involved in this professional development implement project-based literacy instruction?
2. What are these teachers’ views of using project-based literacy instruction?
Quotes:
"The final foundational activity was a “scavenger hunt” that occurred in December. In their common planning time, grade-level groups visited classrooms at each grade level. Each group member had a role during the scavenger hunt. Roles consisted of a data collector who completed an observation tool to document whole-group instruction, small-group instruction, students working in pairs, and students working independently. A recorder scripted dialogue that portrayed self-regulated learning. A photographer captured students in learning environments, and a collector gathered artifacts from classrooms such as student work. The scavenger hunt gave the staff an opportunity to see their colleagues and students at work."
I chose this quote because I thought it was such a cool idea! I would love to do something like this at my school, perhaps a WALO?
"Four themes emerged from the data concerning obstacles teachers faced when implementing project-based literacy instruction: time, resources, classroom management, and teacher restraint."
It was nice to see that I'm not the only one who struggles with these pieces of project-based learning, the next question is, how do we overcome these obstacles?
"This teacher research project suggests that when teachers are given the freedom and guidance to use high-level literacy instruction, such as project-based instruction, they design instruction that is in line with research on effective literacy instruction and they see positive outcomes in students."
This quote is the only thing I have against the article because the conclusion seems to be obvious to me (possibly because of working at High Tech High). I feel that the researchers went in knowing this, and the important conclusions were in the teachers' reflections on their experiences with implementing project-based instruction in a school that had not used it previously.
Reflection:
I like that it focuses on the professional development of the teachers, not just the strategies for the classroom. It makes me think of our WALOs. Even better, it focuses on how teachers view project-based learning. We know it's great for students, but it's hard for teachers!
This article is also a great example of what I would like my research to look like. It flows nicely and is very clear. When they used a term, they clearly defined it so there was no question of what they meant. Every time I was about to get bored with the article, there was a new subheading with exciting new info!
Further Reading:
Stead, T. (2006). Reality checks: Teaching reading comprehension with non-fiction writing, K-5. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Darling-Hammond, L. (Ed.). (2008). Powerful learning: What we know about teaching for understanding. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Parsons, S. A. (2008). Providing all students ACCESS to self-regulated literacy learning. The Reading Teacher, 61, 628-635.
Sam Comes to School: Including Students with Autism in Your Classroom
Friedlander, D. (2009). Sam comes to school: Including students with autism in your classroom. The Clearing House, January/February, 141-144.
Summary/Analysis:
This article focuses on some simple strategies for including students with autism in the general education classroom. It provides some basic background information on the challenges that students with autism face and some useful strategies for preparing students for the school year.
This article was less informational than I had hoped. While it was nicely written, my experiences working with autistic students in my classroom, I was already aware of most the information presented. There were a few pieces that I thought were useful. The idea of meeting with a student and their family prior to the start of school is a simple and effective strategy, especially if attention is paid to anticipating issues and coming up with solutions to avoid those potential pitfalls. Overall, it is a nice, brief article for some basic information on autism.
Summary/Analysis:
This article focuses on some simple strategies for including students with autism in the general education classroom. It provides some basic background information on the challenges that students with autism face and some useful strategies for preparing students for the school year.
This article was less informational than I had hoped. While it was nicely written, my experiences working with autistic students in my classroom, I was already aware of most the information presented. There were a few pieces that I thought were useful. The idea of meeting with a student and their family prior to the start of school is a simple and effective strategy, especially if attention is paid to anticipating issues and coming up with solutions to avoid those potential pitfalls. Overall, it is a nice, brief article for some basic information on autism.
Comprehension Going Forward
Daniels, H. (Ed.). (2011). Comprehension going forward. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Various authors discuss their thoughts on the next steps for reading comprehension instruction in this narrative book. You will not find studies here but you will explore new ways to assess how deeply students understood a text. The book may make you consider taking that scaffolding away sooner
and adding more focus to independent reading. Many updated strategies for teaching and learning about comprehension are laid out in an easy to read way. Lots of great ideas for getting students engaged in text.
Various authors discuss their thoughts on the next steps for reading comprehension instruction in this narrative book. You will not find studies here but you will explore new ways to assess how deeply students understood a text. The book may make you consider taking that scaffolding away sooner
and adding more focus to independent reading. Many updated strategies for teaching and learning about comprehension are laid out in an easy to read way. Lots of great ideas for getting students engaged in text.
Engaged Reading: Processes, Practices, and Policy Implications
Guthrie, J.T. & Alvermann, D. E. (Eds.). (1999). Engaged reading: Processes, practices, and policy implications. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Various reading topics are explored including the definition of "engagement in reading." What does it look and sound like? What reading goals should be set for elementary students and how does that affect motivation? How does social interactions affect motivation in middle and high school? How do opportunities at home foster reading engagement? Finally, what changes can be made on a national level to create school reform on this topic?
Various reading topics are explored including the definition of "engagement in reading." What does it look and sound like? What reading goals should be set for elementary students and how does that affect motivation? How does social interactions affect motivation in middle and high school? How do opportunities at home foster reading engagement? Finally, what changes can be made on a national level to create school reform on this topic?
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Motivating Reading Comprehension: Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction
Gunthrie, J. T., Wigfield, A., & Perencevich, K. C. (Eds.). (2004). Motivating reading comprehension: Concept-oriented reading instruction. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
This book explains the Concept Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI) method in great detail. This method of teaching reading attempts to link hands-on science activities, reading comprehension, and engagement but can be used in other disciplines as well. The CORI model emphasizes strategic reading, strategy instruction, and creating a motivating context for these to develop; such as hands-on activities, student choice, interesting text, and collaboration.
This book explains the Concept Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI) method in great detail. This method of teaching reading attempts to link hands-on science activities, reading comprehension, and engagement but can be used in other disciplines as well. The CORI model emphasizes strategic reading, strategy instruction, and creating a motivating context for these to develop; such as hands-on activities, student choice, interesting text, and collaboration.
A Student-Centered Approach to Teaching General Biology That Really Works
Burrowes, P. A. (2003). A Student-Centered Approach to Teaching General Biology That Really Works: Lord's Constructivist Model Put to a Test. The American Biology Teacher, 65(7), 491-502.
Summary:
The article begins with a discussion of traditional college science courses. Students in these courses often showed difficulty making connections between concepts and also in applying their knowledge since they never had an opportunity to discuss the content or engage in inquiry based learning. The author uses the teaching techniques of Thomas Lord, that are based on constructivism and cooperation, to improve her own biology class. Burrowes set up an experiment where one of her classes was a tradition teaching "control" group, and a second class was the "experimental" group where the "5 E" model was utilized. The 5 E's are engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. Within this model is opportunities for students to interact with the content and to discuss their thinking. Throughout the semester, Burrowes finds that students in the experimental group perform better than the control group on the exact same exams and that more students receive and A or B at the end of the semester.
Other than demonstrating the effectiveness of inquiry-based learning, the value from this article comes from some of the methods mentioned in the class for building accountability into collaborative groups. My interest is in group assessments as an addition to individual assessments. This article explores the idea of having a class group the whole semester that depend upon each other. The method Burrowes provides is assigning each team member a color and using random selection to determine which team member takes an assessment at the end of every class. Group members share this grade and encourages them to help each other out to understand the material. There are of course equity issues here and ethical issues with respect to a students grade being heavily influenced by the performance of another student, but the general idea is something that would be exciting to explore and refine.
Quotes:
~ "To train students to become scientists, we must provide opportunities to participate in all aspects of the scientific method. By participating in the scientific process, students learn to think scientifically." (497)
~ ". . . the discussion that took place within groups was more lively and led students to challenge the way questions were written or the possibility of alternate answers much more frequently in the experimental section than in the control. This attitude difference can be explained by the fact that in the constructivist-active learning environment, the groups were established at the beginning of the semester and students had been given many opportunities to discuss and interact in a cooperative fashion. On the other hand, students taught in a teacher-centered traditional manner did not necessarily know their neighboring classmates and were not accustomed to discussing biology in a group." (499)
Cited Sources:
Lord, T. (1998). Cooperative learning that really works in biology teaching. Using constructivist-based activities to challenge student teams. The American Biology Teacher, 60(8), 580-588.
Pheeney, P. (1997). Hands on, minds on. Activities to engage our students. Science Scope, September 1997, 30-33.
Summary:
The article begins with a discussion of traditional college science courses. Students in these courses often showed difficulty making connections between concepts and also in applying their knowledge since they never had an opportunity to discuss the content or engage in inquiry based learning. The author uses the teaching techniques of Thomas Lord, that are based on constructivism and cooperation, to improve her own biology class. Burrowes set up an experiment where one of her classes was a tradition teaching "control" group, and a second class was the "experimental" group where the "5 E" model was utilized. The 5 E's are engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. Within this model is opportunities for students to interact with the content and to discuss their thinking. Throughout the semester, Burrowes finds that students in the experimental group perform better than the control group on the exact same exams and that more students receive and A or B at the end of the semester.
Other than demonstrating the effectiveness of inquiry-based learning, the value from this article comes from some of the methods mentioned in the class for building accountability into collaborative groups. My interest is in group assessments as an addition to individual assessments. This article explores the idea of having a class group the whole semester that depend upon each other. The method Burrowes provides is assigning each team member a color and using random selection to determine which team member takes an assessment at the end of every class. Group members share this grade and encourages them to help each other out to understand the material. There are of course equity issues here and ethical issues with respect to a students grade being heavily influenced by the performance of another student, but the general idea is something that would be exciting to explore and refine.
Quotes:
~ "To train students to become scientists, we must provide opportunities to participate in all aspects of the scientific method. By participating in the scientific process, students learn to think scientifically." (497)
~ ". . . the discussion that took place within groups was more lively and led students to challenge the way questions were written or the possibility of alternate answers much more frequently in the experimental section than in the control. This attitude difference can be explained by the fact that in the constructivist-active learning environment, the groups were established at the beginning of the semester and students had been given many opportunities to discuss and interact in a cooperative fashion. On the other hand, students taught in a teacher-centered traditional manner did not necessarily know their neighboring classmates and were not accustomed to discussing biology in a group." (499)
Cited Sources:
Lord, T. (1998). Cooperative learning that really works in biology teaching. Using constructivist-based activities to challenge student teams. The American Biology Teacher, 60(8), 580-588.
Pheeney, P. (1997). Hands on, minds on. Activities to engage our students. Science Scope, September 1997, 30-33.
Teaching Against the Grain: One Title I School's Journey Toward Project-Based Literacy Instruction
Parsons, S. A., Metzger, S. R. & Askew, J., Carswell, A. R., (2011). Teaching against the grain: One title I school's journey toward project-based literacy instruction. Literary Research and Instruction, 50 (1), 1-14.
One school took a project-based learning approach to raising test scores instead of teaching literacy in programmatic ways. Professional development emphasizing project-based literacy was provided to teachers and the types of implementation and teachers feelings about the instruction were examined. Student outcomes were not a part of the study; instead it focused on teacher implementation after receiving professional development.
One school took a project-based learning approach to raising test scores instead of teaching literacy in programmatic ways. Professional development emphasizing project-based literacy was provided to teachers and the types of implementation and teachers feelings about the instruction were examined. Student outcomes were not a part of the study; instead it focused on teacher implementation after receiving professional development.
Teaching Children to Read
National Reading Panel (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. Bethseda, MD: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
This report is the outcome of a congressional charge to assess the status of research-based knowledge around the effectiveness of various approaches to teaching children to read. The National Reading Panel sorted through thousands of studies and chose to focus the report on the following topics: alphabetics, fluency, comprehension, teacher education and reading instruction, and computer technology and reading instruction. The report goes into great detail explaining the key findings of scientific research in each of the above sections. There is also an extensive references section for each topic.
New Wine in Old Bottles? The Challenge of Change for Educational Assessment
Broadfoot, P. (2001). Editorial: New wine in old bottles? The challenge of change for educational assessment. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 8(2), 109-112.
In this editorial piece, Broadfoot looks at the transition in schools to use assessment as a tool for learning rather than merely a test of a student's knowledge. She celebrates the attempts of many teachers to use assessments daily to see where their kids are with their understanding of the knowledge and to inform teaching, but she expresses concern of the continued focus on achievement on standards as the measure of a student's success. Teachers using more experimental or alternative assessments constantly feel pressure to show that these assessments are "as good" as more traditional assessment. This pressure has forced many teachers to bring progressive techniques back towards more traditional assessments. Very few methods are discussed in this piece but it does reference other articles that may have more useful information.
In this editorial piece, Broadfoot looks at the transition in schools to use assessment as a tool for learning rather than merely a test of a student's knowledge. She celebrates the attempts of many teachers to use assessments daily to see where their kids are with their understanding of the knowledge and to inform teaching, but she expresses concern of the continued focus on achievement on standards as the measure of a student's success. Teachers using more experimental or alternative assessments constantly feel pressure to show that these assessments are "as good" as more traditional assessment. This pressure has forced many teachers to bring progressive techniques back towards more traditional assessments. Very few methods are discussed in this piece but it does reference other articles that may have more useful information.
Sustained Silent Reading: Exploring the Value of Literature Discussions with Three Non-Engaged Readers
Bryan, G., Fawson, P. C., Reutzel, D. R. (2003). Sustained silent reading: Exploring the value of literature discussion with three non-engaged readers. Reading Research and Instruction, 43(1), 47-73.
Summary/Analysis:
The authors of this study understand that many teachers across the country incorporate some form of independent reading in their classroom but worry that just providing time to read does not engage all readers. During the course of the study, researchers observed three fourth grade students who were previously determined to be non-engaged in reading during silent sustained reading time. After 5-15 days of silent observation (depending of the student), the researchers engaged in literature discussions with each student separately about the books they had chosen to read. "Off-task behaviors" continued to be recorded during the literature discussion for five days and for 5-15 days after to see if students were more engaged in reading and to what degree.
The number of off-task behaviors did go down during the literature discussion period for all three students; more drastically for two of them. After the literature discussions were stopped, students still had less off-task behaviors than the baseline period but more than the literature discussion period.
Although this study is limited by only using three fourth grade students, I still found it applicable to issues I am having in my 8th grade classroom. I notice that in my quest to help students develop a love of reading, my current Reading Workshop format is missing accountability. Even a short discussion or exit card may help those unengaged readers have a purpose to read. The article also discusses the value of making reading a social activity. I wonder if the non-engaged readers will even want to talk to their friends about a book? Will they feel intimidated or will this help them engage? Although the study does not include students discussing books with each other, the authors do cite many other studies that show how book clubs or literature circles could engage the non-engaged reader.
Relevant quotes:
"They (non-engaged readers) are readers who are passive, inactive, and seldom see reading as pleasurable. They are often unwilling to take risks and rarely venture beyond their limited reading comfort zone. They avoid reading." (53).
"One prominent feature of SSR as described in the literature and as implemented in many classrooms across the nation is the conspicuous absence of interaction around or accountability for what students read." (48).
"...students who participate in conversations about what they read are more active readers." (51).
Text sources:
Gunning, T.G. (2000). Creating literacy instruction for all children (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
National Reading Panel (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. Bethseda, MD: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Turner, J., & Paris, S. G. (1995). How literacy tasks influence children's motivation for literacy. The Reading Teacher, 48, 662-673.
Summary/Analysis:
The authors of this study understand that many teachers across the country incorporate some form of independent reading in their classroom but worry that just providing time to read does not engage all readers. During the course of the study, researchers observed three fourth grade students who were previously determined to be non-engaged in reading during silent sustained reading time. After 5-15 days of silent observation (depending of the student), the researchers engaged in literature discussions with each student separately about the books they had chosen to read. "Off-task behaviors" continued to be recorded during the literature discussion for five days and for 5-15 days after to see if students were more engaged in reading and to what degree.
The number of off-task behaviors did go down during the literature discussion period for all three students; more drastically for two of them. After the literature discussions were stopped, students still had less off-task behaviors than the baseline period but more than the literature discussion period.
Although this study is limited by only using three fourth grade students, I still found it applicable to issues I am having in my 8th grade classroom. I notice that in my quest to help students develop a love of reading, my current Reading Workshop format is missing accountability. Even a short discussion or exit card may help those unengaged readers have a purpose to read. The article also discusses the value of making reading a social activity. I wonder if the non-engaged readers will even want to talk to their friends about a book? Will they feel intimidated or will this help them engage? Although the study does not include students discussing books with each other, the authors do cite many other studies that show how book clubs or literature circles could engage the non-engaged reader.
Relevant quotes:
"They (non-engaged readers) are readers who are passive, inactive, and seldom see reading as pleasurable. They are often unwilling to take risks and rarely venture beyond their limited reading comfort zone. They avoid reading." (53).
"One prominent feature of SSR as described in the literature and as implemented in many classrooms across the nation is the conspicuous absence of interaction around or accountability for what students read." (48).
"...students who participate in conversations about what they read are more active readers." (51).
Text sources:
Gunning, T.G. (2000). Creating literacy instruction for all children (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
National Reading Panel (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. Bethseda, MD: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Turner, J., & Paris, S. G. (1995). How literacy tasks influence children's motivation for literacy. The Reading Teacher, 48, 662-673.
Assessment As Learning: Using Classroom Assessment to Maximize Student Learning
Earl, L. M. (2003) Assessment as Learning: Using Classroom Assessment to Maximize Student Learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Traditional tests are considered assessment of learning. These tests reflect the understanding of a student. Assessment for learning gives a teacher insight into a student's current understanding to inform what changes need to be made in what and how content is delivered to better serve that student. Earl's book focuses on assessment as learning. This involves a student growing through an assessment and using the experience as a learning opportunity. Assessments can be used to help students reflect, get motivated, make connections, and extend learning. Throughout the book are real world examples of the methods presented in use with detailed discussion of each.
A quality of this book that I love is the focus on the importance of learning. As a teacher I hope to use every chance I get to have the kids “learn” something. This something does not have to be the class topic content, but could be so many other skills. The book does a great job of summarizing work by Costa (1996) which breaks down all of the human qualities that provide a basis for learning:
Chapter 7 of this book really got me thinking. It talks about how to use assessment to motivate students. The techniques they suggest are exactly what I think about when planning a project. I plan my project to be relevant to the students. I build into my projects opportunities for the kids to be creative. I also scaffold project work so that all students get the support they need to make progress. Why don’t I have these qualities in my assessments? If an assessment is relevant to the students’, they will be drawn in and will want to engage with the content. If the assessment allows for creativity, students may be able to express their understanding in unique and valuable ways. Assessments should also be an opportunity to gauge where a student may need extra support so that they can progress through the material.
Chapter 8 has some very useful tools and tips for giving written feedback to the students. I have not had much time to delve deap into this chapter though. One thing to note is the Ice approach (Ideas, Connections, and Extensions). It is a tool for breaking a project down into different types of learning goals.
Quotes:
“The predominant kind of assessment in schools is Assessment of Learning. Its purpose is summative, intended to certify learning and report to parents and students about students’ progress in school, usually by signaling students’ relative position compared to other students (. . .) This is the kind of assessment that still dominates most classroom activities, (. . .) and feedback to students comes in the form of marks or grades, with little direction or advice for improvement.” (p. 22)
“Simply put, Assessment for Learning shifts emphasis from summative to formative assessment, from making judgments to creating description that can be used in the service of the next stage of learning. (. . . Teachers) craft assessment tasks that open a window on what students know and can do already and use the insights that come from the process to design the next steps in instruction.” (p. 23-24)
“By introducing the notion of Assessment as Learning, I intend to reinforce and extend the role of formative assessment for learning by emphasizing the role of the student, not only as a contributor to the assessment and learning process, but also as the critical connector between them.” (p. 25)
“Assessment can (. . .) enhance motivation by being relevant, appealing to students’ imagination, and providing the scaffolding they need to genuinely succeed.” (p. 68)
Notable Citations:
Costa, A. (1996). Prologue. In D. Hyerle (Ed.), Visual tools for constructing knowledge. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Young, S., & Wilson, R. (2000). Assessment and learning: The ICE approach. Winnipeg, MB: Portage & Main Press.
Traditional tests are considered assessment of learning. These tests reflect the understanding of a student. Assessment for learning gives a teacher insight into a student's current understanding to inform what changes need to be made in what and how content is delivered to better serve that student. Earl's book focuses on assessment as learning. This involves a student growing through an assessment and using the experience as a learning opportunity. Assessments can be used to help students reflect, get motivated, make connections, and extend learning. Throughout the book are real world examples of the methods presented in use with detailed discussion of each.
A quality of this book that I love is the focus on the importance of learning. As a teacher I hope to use every chance I get to have the kids “learn” something. This something does not have to be the class topic content, but could be so many other skills. The book does a great job of summarizing work by Costa (1996) which breaks down all of the human qualities that provide a basis for learning:
- Metacognition
- Constructing Abstraction
- Storing Information Outside the Body
- Systems Thinking
- Problem Finding
- Reciprocal Learning
- Inventing
- Deriving Meaning from Experience
- Altering Response Patterns
Chapter 7 of this book really got me thinking. It talks about how to use assessment to motivate students. The techniques they suggest are exactly what I think about when planning a project. I plan my project to be relevant to the students. I build into my projects opportunities for the kids to be creative. I also scaffold project work so that all students get the support they need to make progress. Why don’t I have these qualities in my assessments? If an assessment is relevant to the students’, they will be drawn in and will want to engage with the content. If the assessment allows for creativity, students may be able to express their understanding in unique and valuable ways. Assessments should also be an opportunity to gauge where a student may need extra support so that they can progress through the material.
Chapter 8 has some very useful tools and tips for giving written feedback to the students. I have not had much time to delve deap into this chapter though. One thing to note is the Ice approach (Ideas, Connections, and Extensions). It is a tool for breaking a project down into different types of learning goals.
Quotes:
“The predominant kind of assessment in schools is Assessment of Learning. Its purpose is summative, intended to certify learning and report to parents and students about students’ progress in school, usually by signaling students’ relative position compared to other students (. . .) This is the kind of assessment that still dominates most classroom activities, (. . .) and feedback to students comes in the form of marks or grades, with little direction or advice for improvement.” (p. 22)
“Simply put, Assessment for Learning shifts emphasis from summative to formative assessment, from making judgments to creating description that can be used in the service of the next stage of learning. (. . . Teachers) craft assessment tasks that open a window on what students know and can do already and use the insights that come from the process to design the next steps in instruction.” (p. 23-24)
“By introducing the notion of Assessment as Learning, I intend to reinforce and extend the role of formative assessment for learning by emphasizing the role of the student, not only as a contributor to the assessment and learning process, but also as the critical connector between them.” (p. 25)
“Assessment can (. . .) enhance motivation by being relevant, appealing to students’ imagination, and providing the scaffolding they need to genuinely succeed.” (p. 68)
Notable Citations:
Costa, A. (1996). Prologue. In D. Hyerle (Ed.), Visual tools for constructing knowledge. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Young, S., & Wilson, R. (2000). Assessment and learning: The ICE approach. Winnipeg, MB: Portage & Main Press.