My head is spinning! I am thinking about so many things that happened today. However, what really spoke to me is this idea of assessing writing in the classroom. Is it even possible to come up with a rubric or formula in order to grade students fairly on their writing? Do I bring the students' thoughts and opinions into this process? Will what I think about assessing writing match my co-workers? Principal? District? How do we get to a place of reflection where we are better thinking of this idea of assessment and doing something about changing or improving the way we assess writing? It is one of the reasons why I HATE to give writing assignments because I have to determine a way to give a letter grade to a piece.
However, after reading Peter Elbow's article, I can at least feel better about the conference and the responding to my students' work. I am so much more mindful about what I will say and do during this process. I felt as if he was talking about me when he mentioned the vague comments and not using "I" statements when responding to our students' writing. I LOVED the idea of having the students write a letter in which they will put their writing in context, also called "process writing." He is so thoughtful in many aspects of commenting on the work. I am definitely building up a great arsenal of tools to use with my kids on improving writing instruction. I've only been here a total of 4 days (including orientation) and I feel that I have gotten so much of what I signed up for. Go UNCCWP!!!
This was a great moment for me as well!! I struggle with assessment, especially for my classes' "daybooks." They write everyday at the beginning of class and without a participation grade, the kids probably won't write. What's my new approach? I assess playwriting, but I simply look for required formatting, which is simple. I worry for the days when I start teaching Language Arts and I don't know how to design my assignments!
ReplyDeleteI am wondering-will you switch your concentration from Theater to Language Arts? Do you work for CMS? Let's talk about this tomorrow.
DeleteSummer Institute time is truly the happiest time of all--time to think and to share ideas. My ideas about working with student writing often clashes with my peers and my district, but I don't care. I can build rapport with the kids and talk with them writer-to-writer and that's all that counts for me.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I admire most about you-you don't give a hoot about the background noise. You just focus on what is important. I can't wait to grow up and be just like you!
DeleteI share your concerns about how to assess student writing---and I know that you are working under constraints that, as a university instructor, I am not. Still, I also struggle with how to give grades to writing. I don't have a magic answer. But I will say that using a portfolio is a great way to assess writing because it allows the students a lot of room for trial and error, so to speak. In fact, you can even have them include a piece of "bad" writing and have them tell you what's bad about it, and how they might revise it to make it stronger. I think that's a great strategy for students -- you can find out a lot about what they know and are getting about your writing instruction by how they talk about revising a piece.
ReplyDeleteHow many pieces do you typically ask your students to compile in their portfolios? I'm really curious about this because this is a great idea! Can I be your student?!?
DeleteI wobble with rubrics. On the one hand, students need to know the genre conventions they are working within. But on the other hand, rubrics can blind us to really interesting work that students are doing/might do. So I'm thinking right now, that I'm going to immerse my students in the genre they are writing and have them figure out with me the genre conventions and then tell me what they are doing within and against that genre--to help me notice what is working in their writing for them.
ReplyDeleteI love this Lil! Will you have them grade themselves against the genre examples?
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