RETHINKING STUDENT LEARNING

and COMMUNICATING STUDENT

LEARNING TO PARENTS

How many countries in the world?

• 1900: 53• Today: 196South Sudan– formed in 2011

How many words in the English Language?

• Changes EVERY year.• Expanding by 8,500 words per year

Obsolete or New?

• GROAK:

• OBSOLETE

• To silently watch someone while they are eating, hoping to be invited to join them.

Obsolete or New?

• OMNISHAMBLES:

• NEW

• A situation that has been comprehensively mismanaged, characterized by a string of

blunder and miscalculations.

Obsolete or New?

• APRICITY:

• OBSOLETE

• The sun’s warmth on a cold winter’s day.

Obsolete or New?

• HUGGER MUGGER:

• OBSOLETE

• To act in a secretive manner.

Obsolete or New?

• SQUEE:

• NEW

• Used to express great excitement.

FACT:

• Rate of CHANGE

• Students don’t need more FACTS, they need SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES that will allow them to succeed.

Slide by Bill FerriterThe Tempered Radicalblog.williamferriter.com@plugusin

BC’s New CurriculumSKILLS and COMPETENCIES

Creative and Critical ThinkingCommunicationPositive personal and cultural identityPersonal and Social awareness and responsibility

OUTCOMESExample: Grade 4 Math15 Concepts – Down from 24 Learning Outcomes

SUMMATIVE FORMATIVE

Measure Purpose Improve Learning

Public/Parent/Student Audience Student

% # Symbol Form Descriptive

Event Timing Minute-by-Minute Day-by-Day

Judge Role Coach

Thinking about Assessment…

Activity:• In groups, discuss the following problem. Record your

thinking on the whiteboards. Be prepared to share your thinking.

• You would like to make a garden in your back yard. You have enough material to make a border around your garden that is 24 metres in length. How many ways can you design your garden? Which is the best design? Why?

Performance Standard

Letter Grades:• Do Not inform learning.• Tend to reduce students’ interest

in the learning itself. • Tend to reduce students’

preference for challenging tasks.• Tend to reduce the quality of

students’ thinking. (Kohn, 1999)

MYTH: If we don’t give letter grades, students will not be motivated or engaged.

Slide by Bill FerriterThe Tempered Radicalblog.williamferriter.com@plugusin

Is There Another Way? …WikiseatSome of the best instances of STUDENT ENGAGEMENT has been when students were not given traditional grades but rather when they were completely focusedon their learning. Here are some examples…

Is There Another Way? … KIVA

Is There Another Way?

Questions?