Assessing Students through Reflections

and WritingPresented by Melissa Smith@edutechsmith

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Back Channeling

It is where your audience has the opportunity to ask questions, make comments, actively listen and participate in order to make deeper connections and demonstrate their understanding

Chatzy.com vs. EdmodoChatzy – True back channel – Room focused on topic – Bad feature = clear room content

Edmodo – Must spend time setting up student accounts. No posing as someone else. But conversations can’t be embedded and aren’t just for specific chat

Give students directions on what to back channel

“Ah ha” moments

Take notes

Ideas on how to integrate it

Share your knowledge or experience

Post / Ask questions

10 important skills that every student should obtain from

educators and school stakeholders perspective.

1. Read

2. Type

3. Write

4. Communicate effectively, and with respect

5. Questionhttp://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/08/11/ten-skills-every-student-should-

learn/?

6. Be resourceful

7. Be accountable

8. Know how to learn

9. Think critically

10.Be happy

Bloom’s Then and Now

Images from http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom%27s+-+Introduction

Let’s look at each level more closely and think:

What activity do you have your students do or could do to facilitate learning?

How can you tap into your students in order to assess them while

they apply their knowledge in an

authentic higher level way?

What is a Student Scriber?

A student who records what they are learning on a daily basis

A student who reteaches and posts the newest concept being explained in class

Students digitally scribing their learning experiences, archiving it electronically to give access to it later or continue the activity in a timeless way

Benefits of Student Scribers

Shifts control from teacher to student allowing for students to manage their own learning

Forces students to become more responsible

Causes students to take better notes

Improves social dynamics within the classroom

Gives every voice a chance to be heard

Extends the class day

Motivates students internally

Obtains the 21st Century life skill of digital communication

Where to put the scribes?

Blogger (Google’s Blog) – remove the “next” button

Posterous – easy to use

Word Press – only for the web savvy

KidBlog – excellent for the primary students

Wiki – Your own virtual 3 ring binder with as many sections as you want!

VoiceThread – Thread per student?

What Posts Will Show You

Students in charge of posting will more likely come to the teacher or peer expert to better understand concept if he/she has questions

Authentic assessment and better form of understanding what exactly students know and don’t know (Allow student scribers to actually scribe what they aren’t sure of themselves. Other students will comment with help!)

Scribing and commenting students will post external sites that correspond with the learning

Darren Kuropatwa’s Students Scribing Set up

The Assignment: Summarize or demonstrate what you learned well enough to have others be able to learn from you.

• Teacher assigns who will scribe.

• Think about:• Scribe per: concept? unit? chapter? class?• Class blog? Student blog?• Require everyone to comment at least x time(s) a week?• Give class time to look at post:

Morning message time? Before starting same subject lesson?

• (I and I wish routine)

How to Write Rich and Meaningful

CommentsIts purpose is to stimulate discussion

Gives an opinion with support

Application or mention of correct terminology or information from studies

Writes a reflection connecting with self or real world

Things to Address with Students Before

StartingDigital Citizenship

(having respect and patience of others)

2 types of writing: Formal and Informal(To text abbreviate or not, that is the

question.)

Positive and purposeful online attitude

Looking for effort

Teacher Expectations(Let it be known ahead of time

and incorporate it into your rubric!)

Participation (require they do their assignment + comment/respond to others "x" number of times)

On time

Rich comments

Grammar/spelling

Uniqueness

Correlates with topic

Changes Purpose of Work

Flow of student work without technology component.

Learning for the Grade

Student does work

Teacher comments and

grades

Students look at grade then throw away

work

Flow of student work with technology component.

Non Artificial Form of Learning

Student posts work

Teachers, Peers, and

Global Audience Comment

Student reviews

comments and makes

improvements

Brainstorm Forms of Scribing

Some Examples