learning project day ela

LEARNING PROJECT DAYELA

April 6, 2011

WHAT IS OUR PURPOSE TODAY? Refine our understanding of ELA Engage with student exemplars

and rubrics and designing constructive feedback

Plan – put knowledge into action

AGENDA9:00-10:15 Exemplars and

feedback10:15 – 10:30 Coffee break10:30 – 11:00 Reviewing the pieces11:00 – 12:00 Working together12:00 – 12:45 Lunch12:45 – 2:00 Working together2:00 – 2:10 Coffee break2:10 – 2:45 Gradebook and

reporting2:45 – 3:00 Parking lot and

reflection

DIGGING INFeedback and exemplars

GENERATING FEEDBACK Find a partner who teaches in a different school

Read the student exemplars together

Generate feedback or questions you might share with students (20 minutes)

DIGGING DEEPER In your pairing, consider the following

questions:What is important when offering

feedback?What makes the process most

successful?When is feedback ineffective?What additional information is

important when crafting feedback? (10 minutes)

OBSERVATIONS AND WONDERS

CONSIDER…

Timely and specific feedback is the greatest contributing factor to growth in learning and skills.

THE LEARNING CONTINUUM These exemplars are from grade

five and six students. The grade five samples were written in the fall and the grade six were written in April. They represent both males and females.

Can you sort the samples into grade levels? (5 minutes)

ENHANCING OUR FEEDBACK The rubrics you have been given

articulate the criteria for this writing assignment at each grade level.

With your partner, consider:How will your feedback change now that

you have more information?How and when can you imagine delivering

feedback to the students?How could you use the rubrics as

Assessment as Learning, Assessment for Learning and Assessment of Learning? (20 minutes)

GROUPS OF FOUR Combine with another group and share your thoughts, findings and feedback.

Consider: How can we use feedback to move every student forward?

(10 minutes)

FEEDBACK… Comes before, during, as well as after the learning Is easily understood and relates directly to the learning Is specific, so performance can improve – not simply

“do more” or “do better” Is not simply “making corrections” which is an

ineffective practice Involves choice on the part of the learner as to the

type of feedback and how to receive it Is part of an ongoing conversation about the learning

(timely) Is in comparison to models, exemplars, samples, or

descriptions Originates from both teachers and learners Is about the characteristics of learning and not about

characteristics of the student

FEEDBACK IDEAS Traffic lights/ coloured cards (red,

yellow, green, orange and blue) Dart boards (bulls eye, getting there,

working on it, needs improvement) Highlighter (Pink – Tickled pink, Yellow –

Goal area) Error analysis – 3 wrongs and a right Conversations, journal entries, rubrics,

emails, peer feedback sessions Sharing writing – group revision

HOW RUBRICS CAN BE USED IN THE CLASSROOM: Before students are introduced to rubrics, they share

what they already know about quality in the skill or product you are focusing on.

Students use the rubric to practice judging the quality of anonymous work.

Some assignments come home marked with descriptions of strengths and areas for improvement, rather than grades. The wording reflects the concepts in the rubrics.

Students use the rubric to judge the quality of their own work: they identify strengths and set goals for improvement.

Comments may focus on one or two features of quality rather than all criteria represented on the rubric.

Students have the opportunity to track their achievement and share their progress with their parents.

REVIEWING THE PIECES

Unit planners, BDA charts, rubrics, etc.

GOAL AREAS Compose and create -

expressive strand and includes speaking, representing and writing

Comprehend and respond – receptive strand and includes listening, viewing and reading

Assess and reflect – reflecting on self and others and setting goals for language learning

EMPHASIS In the C and C goal area, the greatest emphasis rests on the work students do before producing a product

In C and R, this emphasis shifts to the work students do during their interaction with texts

MINIMUM OF FIVE UNITS IN FIVE CONTEXTS

Five Contexts:1. Personal and Philosophical2. Social, cultural and historical3. Imaginative and literary4. Communicative5. Environmental and technological

TYPE OF UNIT NUMBER OF UNITS per YEAR

Multi-genre thematic 3 (minimum)

Multi-genre inquiry and/or interdisciplinary

1 (minimum)

Author or genre study 1 (maximum)

What we do with students before, during and after engaging in a text will determine their growth, engagement and success.

HOW DO THESE SUPPORTS HELP? Unit planner and/or pacing guide – 6

strands BDA charts – focus on learning

strategies, essential questions, enduring understandings and knowledge

Sorting documents – menu for tracking learning; tasks, strategies and criteria

Completed rubrics and task sheets – what do the rubrics tell us?

RUBRIC EXPLORATION With a partner, choose a rubric

at your grade level and explore it. What does it tell us about our BDA charts? Our Learning Plans?

How can we use them formatively? Summatively?

How do we make them clear to students?

WORKING TOGETHERWhat do we have left to do? Sharing the load…

and using what we already have

GRADE BOOK AND REPORTING

RUBRIC TEMPLATES IN ELA

Comprehend & Respond

Specific Criteria

Compose & Create

Specific Criteria

1. Information & Ideas

2. Text Structure & Features

3. Respond to & Interpret Text

1. Message & Meaning

2. Organization & Coherence

3. Style & Language Choices

RUBRIC FOR NARRATIVE TEXT – GRADE 5

Great work! This is going extra well for you!

You did it and you did it on your own!

Good start. You are beginning to make sense of this on your own.

You can do it. Spend some extra time with the criteria and ask for help.

Mes

sage

/Mea

ning

Focus on central idea or topic

The topic for the narrative was established early on, was immediately engaging, and was developed skillfully throughout.

The topic for the narrative was established early on and developed clearly throughout.

The topic for the narrative was established but, at times, was lost in the story. More time should be spent in the ‘before’ stage, clarifying the intent of the narrative.

Despite assistance, the narrative’s topic was never fully developed and therefore, the message was lost. Much more time needs to be spent in the ‘before’ stage.

Develops a point of view

First person point of view was developed and maintained throughout the essay. The point of view added compelling relevance to the story.

First person point of view was developed and maintained throughout the essay. The point of view was convincing and relevant.

Some help is needed to develop a first person point of view which is maintained throughout the essay.

Much more attention needs to be given to considering and developing a point of view.

A Awareness of audience and purpose

The topic, language and organization are extremely well-suit to the intended audience and purpose. There is clear understanding of the reason for the narrative.

The topic and language and are appropriate for the audience and purpose.

There are aspects of the topic, language and/or organization that do not suit the audience and purpose. More time should be spent considering who will be reading the narrative and why the story is being told.

Despite assistance, there is clear difficulty with writing to match the audience and purpose. More clarification of criteria would help.

GRADE BOOK

REPORT CARD

PARKING LOT AND

REFLECTION

3 things I have learned about ELA and planning

2 things I feel great about

1 thing I still need to continue to practice

THANK YOU AND SAFE TRAVELS!!