Assessment: Inquiry's Boogeyman

When something is difficult or outside of our comfort zone, we sometimes look for a reason not to do it. A barrier, an excuse or boogeyman. These barriers are real but sometimes they are self-imposed or misinterpreted and we perpetuate them to save us from having to change. Student inquiry is no different.

Our assessment practices can sometimes stifle innovation and keep us from embracing student inquiry. When people talk about the reasons why student inquiry won't work, they often point the finger at assessment. They don't have a problem with the self-directed learning or inquiry, their difficulty is with how they assess it. 

Applying traditional assessment techniques to student inquiry can be difficult, if not counterproductive. Assessment with static criteria and an emphasis on final answers and finished products doesn't support the learner who is involved in inquiry based learning. A balanced approach of triangulated assessment which focuses on feedback based on observations and conversations better supports the learner through the inquiry process. We get more of what we value and celebrate. A student focused on the final product or grade is less likely to take chances or create something new. 

So, how do we help students, teachers and parents to see that the assessment data collected from observations and conversations is more valuable to students when given during the learning process as feedback rather than at the end as a grade?

Change has to start somewhere

Why keep doing something, just because we have always done it? 

Today on my morning drive, I was listening to CBC radio. They were discussing daylight saving time and the movement to abolish it that is picking up in the United States. It is something I have never questioned. Because that is just what happens. In the fall, we fall back and in the spring, we spring forward. I discovered that Germany and its allies in World War I were the first countries to adopt daylight saving time as a way to conserve energy for the war effort. So this made me consider, how many other things are we doing, just because it is what we have always done? 

"At first they said it couldn't be done but some were doing it. Then they said it could only be done by a few under special conditions, but more were doing it. Then they said, why would you do it any other way?"- anonymous

I shared this quote today at our co-learning session about shifting assessment practices. We were discussing how to make changes within a system where the structures have not changed quickly enough to keep pace and stay relevant. Ann Davies talks in her book "Making Classroom Assessment Work" (2007) about compensating for the compulsory. We can't rewrite regulations, or change mindsets overnight, but we can start the conversation. We can think about how best to work within the framework on behalf of student learning. We can lean into the discomfort and the challenging questions in an effort to improve student learning. 

Maybe, it is time to start asking more questions!

Making Change in Education: We are Better Together

Today, I participated in professional learning with students, staff and parents.  More and more over the last year, I have facilitated and participated in this model of learning.  Although, depending on the topic,  it is not always appropriate, I find that I learn so much out of these rich discussions where multiple perspectives are represented in the dialogue...we truly are better together.    

Our topic today, “For the Love of Learning”, set the stage for discussion on learning and assessment practices.  We talked about how our current educational practices were established as norms during the industrial revolution and how this is an exciting time of change where educators are moving away from those outdated practices.  In the words of one of our wise students today, “we are able to do way more now than back then.”  At our school, the “6 C’s” of 21st century learning; citizenship, communication, critical thinking, collaboration, character education, creativity (and we often add “choice and voice” as a 7th C) are the underlying consideration in all that we do.  

Our opening activity today involved introducing ourselves and briefly discussing a favourite school memory.  At the end of the activity, we discussed the commonalities between our favourite memories...they all involved hands on, engaging active learning, not the time we got 83% on a test.   This brings me to my next points, as our teaching changes, so must our assessment, and as in any process where change is being made, it is best done with all voices at the table.  

I love this photo that illustrates the concept of “messy learning”.  

When we work through problems, as opposed to setting a structured beginning and end to learning, learners (and I say learners because it may be students, parents or staff that are in this role) will likely encounter roadblocks, problem solve, unlearn misconceptions, relearn, work through failures, experience frustration and excitement.  It is a far more complex process, however, in my opinion, a far more authentic and valuable process.  

A key component in this process involves feedback.  We discussed the concept of “feedback” vs. “feed forward”.  Looking at the two photos below.  In the older version of a report card, marks and comments are given, but with no suggestions or opportunity to make improvements.  Isn't that is what learning is all about?  In the second picture (a single point rubric), you will notice that there are no grades, but lots of excellent feedback based on a clearly defined learning goal and success criteria.  In the second example, it is clear what the student is expected to know/learn/do, what learning they have demonstrated and where they need to improve. Which is the more valuable assessment tool?

An area that I have noticed can often be challenging for teachers is not around giving feedback, but more about insuring that it is meaningful and acted upon by students.  A great next step in this area that we discussed today is to give feedback in the form of a question.  When you do this, students interact with the feedback and become naturally engaged in the process.  

As an administrator, the concept of using effective feedback as a high yield strategy to support student achievement  is an area that I will continue to explore through this process, both as a learner and as a leader within my school community.  If you have a great example of feedback methods that you are using, I encourage you to share to #SCDSBttog   We truly are better together!  

Why Feedback is Important

Feedback is important because feedback helps you know how to improve on your work. It helps you improve because if you get good feedback you can know your next step to make your work better. When I know what to do so I can show my learning. Id like to tell teachers to not just focus on the mark and to focus more on the feedback.

Written by Carson Draper at Alliston Union Public School gr5

Genius Hour and the School Library

There are so many learning opportunities in the School Library or Learning Commons as it is now known to many. It is the "hub" of the school where students are able to inquire, explore, investigate, problem solve, brainstorm and create without the constant fear and worry of assessment and evaluation.

I am currently facilitating Genius Hour project with two junior/intermediate classes. Genius Hour projects provide students with the opportunity to research something they are "passionate" about. It allows students to drive their own learning and helps to foster a growth mindset.

When I was introducing Genius Hour to one of the classes, a student asked me, "Are we getting marked on this project?" My response was, "Would you like to be marked on this project?" I was shocked when a majority of them said no. I didn't think they would have any interest completing a project for "free" if they weren't going to be receiving a final grade at the end.

I am excited to see how their Genius Hour projects flourish knowing that the pressure of being graded is off so to speak. Grades aside, this project will provide students with many opportunities to reflect on their learning, particularly in the areas of learning skills and work habits. Students will also have the opportunity to give peer feedback during our Genius Hour journey. On-going teacher feedback/conferencing will also occur.

There are so many reasons why I love Genius Hour. Most of all, I love how this project inspires student creativity and pushes boundaries. There is so much excitement and enthusiasm these days in the library. To me, this is what learning is all about!

"It's not the letter grade or the percent the inspires growth. It's the follow up conversations between teacher and student that opens the door to opportunities"  

-Charity Stevens

Good Teachers and Good Coaches - Is there a difference?

It's every parent's right to brag. My daughter Sydney has proven, over the last few years, to be quite an accomplished little ski racer and basketball player. Her success certainly can't be attributed to her genes as neither of her parents have skied around gates, and only one has ever played on a basketball team. So who gets the credit? I'll argue with anyone that without a doubt, it is her coaches. And it is not because they are nice people, who care about her development. Not because they go to great lengths to provide her with opportunities. It is not because they've surrounded her with other like minded individuals. It is because of the feedback they constantly provide.

So this got me thinking, is there a difference between what good coaches do with feedback and what good teachers do?

- Good coaches give constant feedback that is appropriate to the athletes ability. It is precise and attainable and evolves as the athlete does.

- Good coaches talk less and observe more. They provide time for athletes to apply the feedback already given and make minor adjustments as needed.

- Good coaches provide opportunities for self-assessment. The competition situations they create allow athletes to reflect on strengths and areas for improvement.

- Good coaches integrate learning. Initially skills are taught in isolation and then gradually integrated with other skills in game like situations. This provides athletes with opportunities for self, peer, and coach feedback.

- Good coaches use meta-cognition strategies. Coaches ask athletes to verbalize their thinking process which allows for them to self-regulate. Coaches take lots of time to have their athletes reflect on their performance and use this to provide feedback.

Is there a difference, I don't think so. Good teachers are good coaches. And good teachers provide opportunities for parents to brag!

Imagine if Teacher's College was called Feedback School.

Student Voice from Admiral Collingwood

Don’t be upset with your mark!

Our names are Owen and Sylvia. We go to Admiral and we would like to test you about how much you know about feedback!

You need feedback to know what you need to get better at and what you have done well at. Feedback helps you know how to improve and learn new goals. Good feedback looks like specific information. So instead of “Good Job”, how about…”Good job at (this)”. And  instead of “Try Harder”, how about…”Try doing (this) next”.

If you get a bad mark, don’t get upset … Get Feedback!  Marks can sometimes make you think straight away that you’ve done a good job or a bad job or you don’t even know.

BE HAPPY TOO!!!!!

Let's take grades out of language learning

Language learning is an inherently confidence-shaking enterprise. It is commonplace to work really hard, practicing every day for months, only to see someone else achieve the same level as you in weeks. We get our students to come to school and face this tangible reality every day. It is true that everyone can learn a language, and they can do it by applying the same natural language-learning skills. While those skills are universal, every learner has a heuristic that works best for them, and progress is never equal.

It is through ownership and cognizance of their learning that students can discover the correct recipe that will consistently lead to progress (at any rate). So, how best to provide them with guidance in this endeavor, and, in this setting?

In Ontario, with our new focus on CEFR-inspired, action-oriented tasks in the French classroom, it is of paramount importance to foster classroom environments conducive to taking risks. It is what you can do in the target language that counts. And, to get students doing things in French, you need them to take risks. I see grades as an impediment in fostering risk-taking and metacognition. Students need to focus on the increments of progress native to their own language-learning heuristic, and that can be best helped along by receiving judgement-free feedback based in observations and conversations. What do you think?

Really, what do grades mean in language-learning, anyway? Language is fluid. If you do not use it, you lose it. If a student receives an A+ for French in grade 9, for example, then proceeds to not use French for 10 years, would the A+ have any value to an employer? Would it in any way tell anyone about their current language ability? Even thinking of the mark as a “snapshot” of this hypothetical student’s potential is erroneous, I think. But, at this point, I want to know what others think.

Please, leave a comment with your thoughts about this blog post.

12 Alternatives to Letter Grades In Education

I found this to be very interesting and I really liked #4.  In my music classes the students are always demonstrating their knowledge/understanding and ability to apply what they have learned.

http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/12-alternatives-to-letter-grades-in-education/

But what about math?

So, I have been trying to increase the amount of descriptive feedback that I give my students.  They work on a short piece of writing.  I collect it and give them some feedback (next steps).  At that point they do another short piece of writing and I once again give some feedback.  And the cycle continues.  The result, each time the students complete the work the majority of them are adjusting their writing based on the feedback.  Awesome!

But what about math?  A math unit has to end.  The feedback-implement loop has to end at some point (doesn't it?), so that I can move on to the next unit.  My struggle now is that some students are still progressing in a unit...  and I have specific feedback that I want to give them an opportunity to address.  It is harder to move on for the rest of the class.  Not a new issue I know, the same issue was there before, but a unit test with a grade seemed to give a defined end point to a unit.  I find myself trying to come up with ways to move on to the next unit and at the same time allow some students time to address next steps from the previous unit.  I'm trying different structures that allow me to do both, but not quite there...   yet.

How do I word/explain this?

Hi Everyone, as the 'newbie' to this group, I am wondering if anyone has a short little explanation that they may have used in a course outline (secondary) that they would be willing to share.  I would like to do this in all of my classes next semester but feel there needs to be something added to my course outline to explain.  Thanks for any ideas/assistance you can provide

Tracking of Feedback

I'm looking for some effective ways to track all of the feedback that is given to students.  As a music teacher I don't have a desk in my classroom and therefore I don't have my computer available all the time as I'm often playing with my classes to demonstrate and model and also to share in their hands-on learning.    While I have some checklists that I have used in the past, I wonder if someone has something they can share in terms of tracking ther feedback given.

Does it Count?

“Does this count?”

This is a powerful statement statement when we are thinking about the importance of removing grades or marks from the ‘evaluation’ process. The idea of, “does this count’ indicates that at this point the student is valuing the grade over the learning.  I have seen it many times over, the motivation becomes I need to get an A overrides the original intention of the assignment or learning.  Nothing makes that more clear than when the student gets the assignment back they look at the Grade and immediately move on. If you were to ask the student a few days later, “What did you learn from that assignment?” The answer quite often, “Umm, I don’t know.”

“Does this count?”

When the intention of assignments is learning, then everything counts and it counts for authentic reasons. Students become engaged in the learning. The process and the journey are what’s important because that is the learning. The final product is the way to communicate what the student has learned but it is not the goal or the end point. The communication of the thinking becomes the launch pad for what comes next. When we remove the number or the value, it takes away that extrinsic reward or punishment and allows students and teachers the freedom to focus on the learning. After all, we are in the business of learning. Learning should not be the bi-product on the way to an A, it’s the learning that is the goal.

Learning or Achievement?

What is our purpose? Our why?

Most people want to say learning. Student learning that carries on beyond the classroom. But the further you get from the student desk, the harder it is to say that, and mean it. Get far enough away from the student desk and it sometimes becomes less about learning and more about achievement. More about standardized scores, grades and averages. When you can't see and hear and experience student learning directly, it is easy (and understandable) to look for measures to know how well our children are learning. The trouble is that these measures are limited in what they can tell you, just as they are limited in what they can tell the student.

Achievement is about yesterday.       

Learning is about now and tomorrow.

Students often see grades as an end point. Grades are history. Whether it's an A or a D, a grade says "That's it for me. All done. Nothing left to learn here." Student learning motivated by a grade is artificial. Deep learning for a purpose is powerful. Self reflection and feedback from educators, peers, parents and the global community make learning iterative and meaningful. 

If a student asks themselves, "What did I take away from that assignment/task/project/experience?" and the answer is "A 72." then what do they do with that? However, if the answer includes statements like, "I want to learn more about..." or "I discovered that I need..." or "Now I see a connection to..." then the learning continues.

So, why do we still have grades? Grades are good for measuring student achievement, streaming students and university admissions. It's much easier to look at a data set and see how students have done over time or decide on a student's pathway or admit students to university programs. Much easier than observing them learn and demonstrate, easier than talking to them about what they are learning and easier than looking at a portfolio of work. Are we giving grades because it is good for students or because it is easier for us? Easier for parents? Easier for universities? 

What new information does a report card tell a parent who has been an active partner in their child's learning process? Not much. In fact, that parent could likely have written the report themselves. But, we are not there yet. Generally, parents aren't active partners. Not yet. The conditions for genuine active parent partnerships aren't widely in place yet. People want grades because grades are all we have ever given them to let them know how our children are doing.

I am interested in seeing how #TTOG can help change that.

Isn't Growth More Important than a Grade

Over the last number of years, I've often thought as an educator that we should be more concerned with the growth of a student (where did they start and how far they have come) rather than the result of a test/quiz or assignment.  As a music educator, I am all about the progress and the growth of the student rather than the mark on the page.  To develop skill, which music develops so many different skills, one must gradually and continually work towards the smaller goals. Students and adults all learn at different paces, so someone may demonstrate huge progress for them as an individual, but it won't result in them demonstrating this on a test/evaluation.  This will also get the students to further develop a growth mindset with them looking at how they can improve rather than the % grade.  It would also have them look more at the progression of learning, self-awareness and individual goal setting.

Rethinking Assessment: An Administrator's Perspective

I recently led a book study on Carol Dweck's "Mindset" that created a lot of discussion around assessment, feedback and the mixed messaging that staff are feeling about priorities at this time. With the current focus on innovative instructional practices, my goal is to investigate how assessment can be better aligned with 21st Century instruction to promote student achievement while meeting provincial requirements. 

One of my goals for students is to help them develop independent problem solving ability and a love of the process of persevering through challenges.   The research of Alfie Kohn suggests that there are three consistent effects of giving students grades:

1) When focusing on grades instead of growth, the learning diminishes.

2) In order to be "successful", students come to avoid taking risks and choose easier tasks. 

3) Students think in a more superficial fashion and do not retain information. This reminds me of when, as a student, I would do well on a spelling tests, but would forget the correct spelling of most of the words within a few days.  

As a school administrator, I have the unique opportunity see what feedback and assessment look like in multiple classrooms each and every day.   I look forward to co-learning as we explore this topic together! 

Suggested Reading

Kohn, Alfie, "The Trouble with Rubrics"   

Kohn, Alfie, "Turning Children into Data" 

Kohn, Alfie, "The Case Against Grades" 

Just an opinion piece.

Just an opinion piece. My thoughts are my own.

Recently, I wanted to know about the history of grades.

I googled the letter A. My search revealed nothing of value. In fact, the phrase “waste of time” came up more than once in the top sites (along with several articles about TTC rate hikes by John Tory). This result is likely an indicator that my search term is inaccurate. I know that because of the feedback with which Google has provided me. Thank goodness for feedback!

On my next attempt, I googled “grade A”. Now, I’ve gotten somewhere. The second hit is to this wikipedia article. Turns out grades may or may not have come from a professor at Cambridge named William Farish who used them with his students in 1792. He is also known for having given the first written university exam. Thanks, William.

Other results suggest that grading is borrowed from shoe factories in industrial England, where the best quality shoes were given an A grade (an “F” meant the workers weren’t getting paid).

Grades are great for meat and shoes, but what about for helping our children learn? I know that a large F appearing on my computer screen after my initial search (for the letter A) would definitely tell me my search skills needed work, but without any additional information I might not have determined a more accurate term was needed.

The conversation about the usefulness of grades in learning is well worth having. A good look at that wikipedia article led me to the most recent research on grading and learning. Check it out here. The abstract for the article reads as follows:

Parents do not send their children to school to learn how to speak. How then do children learn to speak? The objective becomes obvious to children due to the frustration of being unable to communicate. Learning tasks allow for practice. Feedback is immediate and clear because adults love to help young learners. Applications of new knowledge are made so as to continue learning. Children take responsibility for all aspects of this “natural learning process.” Natural learning obviously works.

Conclusions?

The traditional teacher-responsible design for education in universities conflicts with what we know about how people learn.

I found this research compelling. Grades are artificial; a valiant attempt, during the industrial revolution, to measure the learning of a vast number of pupils filling new educational institutions. But, they do not model how learning occurs, nor do they promote learning. Rather, some say they end learning. 

Are the findings of this article the end all and be all of pedagogical research? Of course not, but there’s a conversation to be had, and it needs to be evidence-based. 

This blog post is my personal opinion, based on some of the evidence I've come across. I know I’ve made errors. If I want to increase my knowledge base and learn more about the issue, I have to keep researching the topic, keep refining my search, but I can also rely on the feedback of others. I know that if the comment section for this entry simply reads “A” or “D” or even “F”(Thanks, William), I will learn very little, but if you prod me, ask questions, or point me to facts supporting an alternative view, I will learn.

Parent Partners!

Last night we shared our #scdsbTTOG project at the central PIC (Parent Involvement Committee) meeting. The conversation was rich and the questions valuable! Working with parents as partners to support our inquiry is crucial as we make changes to classroom assessment practices that support learning. It is through discourse, both challenging and supportive that we strengthen our beliefs. 

Students First

Students First.

I once had an administrator ask me "why do you do what you do?"  It was a powerful question that I've used to guide my learning and teaching ever since.  I wrote down a statement on the front of my day planner that has been my mantra ever since: IT'S ABOUT THEM.  This leads into my curiosity about TTOG.  My current thinking and knowledge tells me that when I show my kids that I value what they know and what I know they are capable of then I'm telling them that they matter. They matter more than the end of the task or unit. That I value their learning so much that I want them to continue to learn, search and discover long after the task is over - the learning is more important than the task.  I am excited to think more deeply about what grades really mean and what really drives learning forward. As a kindergarten educator, I know that the foundations we set in the early years impact the attitudes and learning of students onwards and look forwarding to exploring TTOG in this particular context. 

A new mindset

I have been teaching for over a decade and thought I had a good understanding of assessment. This year I was given the challenge of teaching grade 4 (after 11 years in primary) and felt like I was starting over again. Not being able to rely on a filing cabinet full of resources I decided to jump in to the inquiry process with both feet. During an inquiry session that I attended at BIT14 I heard that we need to shift our mindset from making our students' learning fit into the curriculum to making the curriculum fit in with the students' learning.  This statement made so much sense to me and has made such a difference in level of engagement and understanding of my students. This new way of learning demands a new way of assessing, but what does that look like?

#TTOG MEME Challenge- Expressing Ideas Through Images

5 Meme's in 15 minutes.

Pick a cartoon. Collect images. Create Memes. Blog about it.

#Canyouhandleit? #TTOG

Assessing through Experience and Conversation

Education has continued to roll on for centuries. A machine that goes with little overall  change. During our first meeting of #scdsbTTOG, there now may be some light. I am an artist and a teacher, but am I critically reflective within these roles?  Cole & Knowles’s (2000) idea of becoming a teacher or educator is being rooted in the personal. According to Mezirow (1990) to understand and create meaning we must make sense of an experience. It is through personal conversations that true meanings and understanding can occur. It is during a process of deconstruction of experiences and learning that I am, along with my students, able to interpret the true meaning. Can these conversations occur through numerical assessment?? Hmmm....  

References:

Cole, A.L. & Knowles, G.J. (2000). Teaching as autobiographical inquiry. Researching  Teaching: Exploring teacher development through reflective inquiry. (14–24). Toronto: Allyn and Bacon.

Mezirow, J. (1990). How critical reflection triggers transformative learning.  Fostering critical reflection in adulthood: a guide to transforformative and emancipatory learning. (1-20). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

One night in the Sheraton Parkway Hotel

Still buzzing with excitement after our initial meeting with the #scdsbTTOG assessment inquiry group. It is hard to believe only a few months ago at the Sheraton Parkway Hotel, Lisa and I dreamed up a plan to make changes to assessment practices in Simcoe County. We had lengthy discussions into the night and during our breaks at the Fall SIM session about how to make changes to an education system in desperate need of modernization.

Today, I had the hounour of sharing a room with a group of educators all interested in helping to improve the quality of learning for our students. We want to shift the focus from simply earning grades to valuing learning and growth. Great discourse, questioning, and challenging conversations!

1960's? What are we doing differently?

Stay tuned as this adventure unfolds.