Student Conferences: Assessment Directions

Directions for Assessment, March 2009, written by Hattie, Flockton et al is the focus of this blog entry:I have outlined the major imperatives listed in their document and made comments about where we are at KMS in terms of these imperatives.

Introduction: Our assessment priority must be to strengthen the self-assessment skills of our students, with support from their teachers and whanau.Assessment capable students are able to assess, are motivated to assess, are able to interpret information from assessment opportunities and are able to use that information to inform learning pathways. "Where am I now, where do I want to get to, and how will I get there", are the fundamental questions our students must be able to frame and seek answers to. Reflect, across each learning area on the capabilities of your own students.

There are nine 'musts-unavoidables-imperatives' of assessment:

1. It must be purposeful: Because the front of the book (competencies, principles etc) are linked to the back of the book (learning areas), then the RANGE of purposes for assessment are greater. Think about assessing whether your students are on track to becoming thinkers; curious about their world, for example.

2. Assessment must attend to all needs: Assessment must be inclusive and informative. At KMS we plan with our specific student needs and interests at the heart of it all. How often, however, have we included the students in the planning?

3. Students must have a greater engagement with their assessment: This is achieved by giving students ownership for their assessment and by giving them the skills to allow them to assess well. When a student meets with their whanau and takes them along the learning journey, they are engaging fully with their assessment results and the learning related to those results.

4. Longer term outcomes: Our students must become life-long-learners. We must model this by learning alongside them...we must develop in them the competencies, values and skills that allow them to become life-long-learners. We model the excitement of learning new stuff when we plan together as academies for example.

5. There must be consequences of assessment: The feedback to students must highlight their strengths, there must be built-in accountability for assessments, and all assessment must benefit student learning. There's no use in an assessment with no follow up. The way we have been addressing the follow up is by having the students set goals for all of the main learning areas each term.

6. Schooling must be a partnership: At the heart of assessment is the child...whanau must be involved. Hence the importance of every family coming to end of term sharing of portfolios.

7. The assessment information must be clear: The authors recommend rich descriptions of progress which are built up over time...think about your Learning Journals in this light.

8. Assessment information goes to all stakeholders: We must collect data and share this data with BOT and community as well as teachers, students, school leaders. Rememeber that in order to do this effectively we have an asessment schedule for school wide assessments.Then... all school wide data is entered by you onto e-tap.

9. Finally...we as adults must also be learners. This requires an open and trusting professional development culture in our school. Teachers learn first and foremost when planning and teaching, but also in their academies with their colleagues. Then as a school, coming together every two weeks for professional learning, we must embrace this philosphy; all present, all engaged, all passionate learners, all needs being addressed and met.

Please read this before Wednesday Week 2: Our PL is: "Student Conferencing".

Next Steps: Look for next blog!

Each August for the past 11 years, Beloit College in the USA has released the Beloit College Mindset List. It provides a look at the cultural touchstones that shape the lives of the students we teach. Often we make assumprions about the life our students have led. This list is fascinating as it tells us about the frame of reference our students have; their view of he world. My favourite examples are:

They have never known the world without: Karaoke machines, nintendo, shampoo and conditioner in the same bottle or Harry Potter.

Professional Learning Term Three

Quality Teaching~Authentic Learning~E-Learning

E-Learning is one of our professional learning topics this term. Many teachers will have the opportunity to visit those schools where e-learning supports excellent pedagogy; where e-learning meets the needs of our students as 21st century learners.

At the RELLCo Cluster Conference on July 4th, we were privileged to listen to Dorothy Burt, e-learning advisor for Pt England School in Auckland. Teachers, she said, are often referred to as 'lead learners'. This is a powerful phrase; at KMS we excel at teaching because we love to learn ourselves. We understand that learning begins with 'not knowing'. We model 'lead learning' to each other and our students by embracing it in all aspects of professional development. The professional development meetings we hold bi-weekly embrace this kaupapa.

For your professional learning and motivation look at Room 18, Pt England's blog. These children recently advertised on-line for their own new teacher. The successful applicant was the one who replied in kind; on line!

Classrooms that embrace 21st Century have many 'cool tools' at their fingertips. Take a look at the selection of Web 2.o tools listed on our-pl-wiki. Many of these allow our students to publish their work in ways that are meaningful to them; in keeping with the world they are comfortably part of. Our primary means of engaging with our students is by understanding their world and all that is exciting to them from that world. It is on the world wide web that these children feel at home; their work can be published and comments invited.

The u-tube clip attached outlines three steps for creating a 21st Century classroom. In addition, we would emphasize the continuation our excellent teaching practices; the learners are at the centre, next steps in their learning are determined by formative assessment. All planning meets their explicit needs.