Unit Assessments-One size does NOT always fit all

For some standards or subjects that are taught in our schools, we can give an end of unit assessment that allows for students to choose how they show their learning.  This is a great way to meet the needs of each learner, while assessing the learning at the same time.  I am going to share a couple of examples of how teachers in our district give choice on some assessments to show learning.  Edutopia is a great place to read about how choice boards improve engagement and help meet the needs of diverse learners. Laura Loder Buechel 's article talks about how and why choice boards work and she gives several great examples of different types of choice boards.  I want to use this space to share choice boards or assignments that give choice to show learning that you can find throughout our district.  This will help you become familar with possible options your child might come across during their learning journey.  

What you will see among these options is some provide a choice in the topic they zoom in on and share their learning, some show choice in the design or product of their learning, and some show a choice in the actual product itself.  

First is an example of a project the students do in social studies.  This project is after they have learned about the larger categories of Native Americans that were in North America before settler arrived.  Students will know a general description of what life was like living in each region as a person from this time period, but for their final product, will be asked to zoom in on one region and share specifics in an infographic.  The choice comes from the learner getting to select the region that interested them the most and learning more information about a specific tribe from that region and then share with others what they have learned.  While everyone is required to make an inforgraphic, they also get choice in the style and delivery of the infographic.  This is where their creativity and artistic abilities can shine.  There is a rubric or checklist of how it will be graded, and as long as those requirements are met, students are able to make their infographic how they choose.  These two ways learners get to choose for their final product increases engagement and they are proud and take ownership of thier hard work.  You will see an example of the requirements and a student's final work below.  

Grading Checklist                                                                                 Sample Infographics

 

Another example of a final product for a unit is when teaching geography, our teachers let the students show what they know about maps by creating a map of an island from their imagination.  Again, they get total design choice, as long as their map contains the required components to show their learning.  You will see below the checklist and an example of a final product.

The last example I will share is a way to give choice in what activity they will complete to extend their learning.  You can click on the image to see the details of each option.  Students love getting to choose the activity.  Then inside each activity there are several choices the learners get to make while working on the assignment.  Learners are in complete control of the assignment, fully engaged, and get excited about having a say and then working hard to complete the task at hand.  Most of the options allow for their peers to participate in their final product by reading the magazine they created or acting out the script they wrote.  This just adds to their excitement and how proud they feel when they accomplish something they can enjoy, as well as others.  

These were just a few of the many examples you will see throughout our district.  If you want to know specifically which ones your learner is exposed to, watch for those rubrics coming home graded or talk with your child's teacher.  Watch the video below for more on how choice boards work from Shake Up Learning:

Goal Setting with Learners

As individuals we set goals all the time.  The same happens in the classroom.  If a student is involved in understanding what they are SUPPOSED to learn and what they ALREADY know, then they can decide what piece or component they learn next to help close the gap between the two. This puts learners in the driver seat and gives them voice and choice in their learning.  While not every standard can be easily broken apart and then have resources readily available for students to learn, there are seveal standards that do fit this model.  Our school district has worked hard to implement standards-based learning in English Language Arts.  

In English Language Arts, we have designated priority standards at each grade.  There are key skills and vocabulary listed that are needed to learn and be successful at implementing each standard successfully.  This allows learners to look at those specific skills and vocabulary and take inventory of what they already know and what they need to learn.  Then, they set goals for themselves based on what they have left to learn.  They can typically prioritize those things and then start working on those skills themselves and with the help of the teacher.  Teachers in the district have been trained on how to facilitate the evaluation of the priority standard requirements and helping students set goals for themselves.  Then between independent activities, small group lessons with others that need that same skill/vocab, and teacher directives, students are able to master those skills they are lacking.  Some students have few and learn quickly, while others may be working on a standard for a while, as they need many components.  It is the teacher's job to know, along with the learner themselves, what each learners needs and help facilitate the learner in meeting those needs.  

Sample Student Version Priority Standard

The article from Edutopia by Victoriana Savas does a good job at explaining all the ins and outs of goal setting and progress monitoring.  

Help from Home

If you want to know how to support your child at home, I have included this short video to help you set goals with them or see what type of goals we are setting in the classroom.  You can also praise them for their hard work. A crucial part of goal setting is learning how to navigate setbacks and evaluate progress. [Goal setting resource and At home goal setting resource ]

• Focus on the Process: Instead of "I am proud of your A," shift praise to the effort they put in: "I am proud that you stuck with this math problem even though it was hard!" 

• Celebrate Milestones: Break large, overwhelming goals (like a big end-of-term project) into smaller pieces and celebrate each step to maintain motivation.

• Model Goal Setting: Talk about your own goals out loud. Share what you are working on, what struggles you face, and how you adjust when things don't go as planned.

I would strongly encourage you to get with your child and/or their teacher.  They will be able to share with you the goals they are currently working on.  Some of those things can be practiced at home.  Many can be supported with quick vocab review, basic skills practice or reinforcement, or simply reading a little bit each night. 

Another huge help for the learner to be successful in class but also just in life, talk about and instill in them a growth mindset.  This video does a good job of helping understand and giving ideas on growth mindset and what you can do at home. 

Flip the Learning-Extension Opportunities

One way we differentiate the learning to engage students is finding a way to take the learner beyond what they already know.  If they come into their classroom ahead of their peers, it could be a boring year and they could become easily distracted, which usually means some kind of behavior issue.  However, if we give some kind of assessment tool (which we do) to know what are learners already know, then we can take the ones who know a skill and build on that with a harder skill.  Our district has really honed in with some options in math to meet those needs for the variety of skill level that comes into our classroom.  After assessing their current level, if we see they do not need to be taught a certain skill because they already know it, we move them into a flipped learning scenario.  

Flipped learning is where student will independently watch a video explanation of a skill or concept being taught. The video will typically teach them the skill and give them some kind of independent practice.  By implementing the flipped model, students are able to watch this while the teacher is with those that do need the on grade level lesson.  So the learning is happening simultaneously, but at the level each learner needs.  Then, when the teacher meets with the learner, they will be ready for the next step.  Students can choose to show their learning or apply what they learned with some kind of project or by solving a problem involving what they've learned.  By giving choice, this increases student engagement and shows what they just learned.  It's a win/win situation for the teacher and the student.  

You can read the article by Eric Carbaugh and Kristina Doubet about flipped instruction to get further insite on how this works.  

From Dr. Leslie Owen Wilson's article on Flipped Classrooms

Below are some examples of problems or projects a student might work on to show their new learning.

Example Extension Activities (4th Grade)

Standard	Extension Activity
Multi-digit multiplication	Design a school fundraiser budget
Fractions	Create a recipe conversion challenge
Geometry	Design a playground using geometric principles
Data analysis	Conduct a class survey and create graphs
Measurement	Build a miniature classroom blueprint

25 years of teaching and no two kids are the same...How do we do it?

As an educator, we are constantly learning and growing ourselves.  We are in the business of growing minds.  Each year we are blessed with about 25 little minds ready to learn at the elementary level and many more in older grades.  I always get asked, how do you do it.  The most impactful strategies I have learned over the years centers around differentiated instruction techiniques.  By teachers getting to know the learner, we can use their interests, background, and various levels to engage their minds to help them grow.  A great article that explains how this works is actually found in the National Library of Medicine.  The basics of the article include several ways that learners are different and how teachers can use those differences to help them grow.  I will give you a quick run down, but then the rest of the blog will go in to specific strategies or ideas used in the classrooms at our school.  

The Basics:

Educators will get to the know the learner and then customize the learning around that learners likes, strengths, or learning styles to help the learner stay engaged and grow.  This helps the learner feel valued, successful, and engaged in the learning process to keep working hard.  

Classroom examples:

4th graders might be required to learn information about the American Revolution.  That information might come in the form of reading, lectures, videos, notes, partner work, reinactments or simulations, evaluating art, etc.  Each one of those options is a different way someone learns.  So teachers will provide a variety of learning opportunites to help meet those different types of learners.  Then, to show the learning has taken place, there could be some choice in the final assignment.  Students might pick from a list of options like writing a journal entry, creating a newspaper article, recording a video, drawing a poster, etc.  This allows students whose minds work differently show their understanding in a variety of ways.  

My Goal:

By posting about different strategies teachers are using, I hope to help parents understand what their child might be experiencing in the classroom.  It will also help parents be able to talk with their child about their strengths and weaknesses and goal setting for themselves as learners.  As an educator, we have so many requirements to teach and so many learners that are different, that I hope to give you a little insight into how we make that happen and why sometimes it is trial and error.  Sometimes we are not successful.  But, according to Thomas Edison, "I have not failed.  I have just found 10,000 ways that will not work."  Educators will keep trying until we find something that works.  

Graphic by Carol Ann Tomlinson