Sunday, June 19, 2011
chapter 10
Before I read chapter 10 I thought to myself how oftend did a create a writing assessment? Over the course of the year I only used rubrics to assess student writing. What else could I have used? In the reading they gave a variety of ways to use rubrics and how to create kid-friendly rubrics. On the other hand every piece of writing does not have to be scored. Students can simply write for fun without having limitations. In the state of Florida 4th and 8th grade students have take a state writing exam. I had the oppurtunity to watch a 4th grade teacher teach writing lesson. I took several notes, but what stuck with me the most was when she clearly noted and modeled a clear difference between scoring a 5 or 3 on a paper according to the district rubric. I became so engaged in the lesson I lost track of time. She did a wonderful job of breaking each part of the rubric down using fun interactive mini lessons. I was in such awe when I left, I actually used comp time to go back into her classroom to see another lesson on elaboration being taught. I love to write and I used her energy to find ways in classroom to engage my students. Just as students learn from one another, educators can also learn a lot from our fellow peers.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Finding an outstanding teacher of writing is definitely a gift! There is a teacher in Topeka who is a superb writing teacher, and I have had the pleasure of visiting her classroom often. It's a joy to watch! I know just how you feel Ashlay.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree! Teachers get a lot out of seeing a great model to follow and adapt for our own classrooms.
ReplyDeleteI agree, also about using rubrics. They can be a great guideline and scoring tool, but they can also be intimidating to writers. Go back and check that you've all those marks, but don't try to keep the whole thing in your head while writing! Let it flow, then re-read and revise.
I also noticed in the chapter the author mentioned sometimes a student will do a great creative piece but ignore a crucial bit of the instructions. That is hard to break to a child who has worked hard and is proud of their achievement. I guess it's a tough lesson to learn!