Assessing+Literacy

media type="custom" key="9908421"

=Task 1: Read Article= = =
 * //Assessing Thinking// (from Intel)

=Task 2: Review Key Principles=


 * **Model, Model, Model **
 * Show students quality samples of writing and end products.
 * Analyze with students sample work of different qualities.
 * **Provide clear concept of learning goals and criteria**
 * Articulate the specific traits of quality work (for example: sound reasoning, quality evidence, clear explanations).
 * Create anchor charts with students to identify and make visible these traits.
 * Use student checklists listing traits for students to self-assess and peer assess.
 * Create rubrics (or co-construct with students) that separate **thinking** from **writing** and **project requirements**.
 * **Build in opportunities for LOTS of formative feedback. **
 * Break larger projects into smaller portions, checking student understanding along the way.
 * Use exit slips, admit slips, journals, quick writes, one-on-one and small group conferences to check student understanding and give specific feedback.
 * Make feedback specific, clarifying misconceptions and challenging or extending students' thinking.
 * **Use Self-Evaluation and Peer Evaluation **
 * Focus on students understanding what constituents quality work and learning to judge the quality of their own work.
 * Have students use checklists and rubrics to evaluation their own writing. Have students write short paragraph highlighting strengths and weaknesses of their work. Require them to score their work with rubric, providing rationale with supporting details from their work.
 * Avoid spending much time writing all over final product: give feedback throughout so that students can use it to improve their work.
 * **Avoid giving one grade at the end. **
 * Assess the PROCESS, not just the end PRODUCT. Give multiple grades--some formative (meant to inform your instruction--help you make adjustments based on what students know--to help students) and some summative (assess understanding at end of unit).

=Task 3: Small Groups Design Rubric=
 * On chart paper, create list of **thinking** and **writing** skills required in Model Lesson 1 from yesterday.
 * Share with whole class.

=Task 4: Independent Work=
 * Design a rubric for the task you've created.

=Sample Rubrics=
 * Link to a page with several links to rubrics from various content areas.

=Helpful Resources=
 * //How to Assess Student Performance in Science: Using Classroomli Assessments to Enhance Learning// (108 page PDF from SERVE Center at University of North Carolina at Greensboro)
 * Designing Rubrics for Assessing Higher Order Thinking (text version a workshop--good stuff!)
 * Two Rubrics for Critical Thinking Assessment