I have spent many hours researching and comparing resources form various schools I have found online over the last two years to come up with a VERY comprehensive (but National Standard wise - unconfirmed/verified) list of approximations for who all the different reading level measurement systems fit together.
This has been frustrating.
There was never a clear answer as to if a student reading a PM fiction book with excellent comprehension (including inference) and fluency/expression at level 30 meant they were above a Year 4 or 5 or 6 level.
However...having finally got a definitive word on the match up between PM reading levels, National Standard reading levels, Reading Age year levels (etc etc) - and the official word that our running record source is our official one - it turns out that my learning environment (which started out with many below and at risk readers) officially has NO BELOWS anymore for reading!
We have a number of ATs many ABOVES (including a few of the previous BELOWS) and a number of ABOVE ABOVES!
This is something I have been raving in celebration about in our room!
At this school the majority of our learners carry baggage that is not their own regarding their skills and abilities as learners and readers in particular. This is very frustrating as it impacts not only their current self perception but the aspirations they then neglect to envision for themselves.
Many will tell me they don't like reading - and I always respond with comments to clarify their thinking - when they are questioned it turns out it is not actually reading they don't like but the idea of being forced to read something they don't like (which means they had no input, choice or connection). Sometimes this is the situation created at home when they are tired, they have an instructional level book that they haven't connected with and reading has an aurora of chore rather than a positive-cuddle-sharing-fun-success time with caregivers.
Interestingly, this year many an attitude has changed as their awareness of what reading is has changed in their mind.
I often mention gaming as a powerful literacy environment - if your poppet is into Minecraft you can bet they have used their reading skills to sift through a ton of you tube video search results to find out how to make a certain thing or read an instruction text!
Please acknowledge these moments for what they are - the real world use of a valuable skill!
Showing posts with label assessment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label assessment. Show all posts
Saturday, 15 November 2014
Wednesday, 14 May 2014
Assessment Moderation
Today I attended a cluster for moderation.
The session was at St Jo's and I got to sit in one of my previous students desks (it was quite lovely for me!).
The gathering was for my colleagues teaching the same level as me so we could, as a group, try to gain some consistency between our various schools in assessing writing.
It was fun! We all provided samples for the group to score based on the current asTTle marking guide.
Interestingly for our first meeting we were mostly all very close in our marking with the non-majority scoring the mark below or above the majority.
A great result!
I must say I do like the new marking rubric - I think it is practical, has diverse application and provides a more accurate rating of students work.
it is also not to hard to adapt for student consumption.
On a side note - it is stressful for us to attend these things during school time as it means we are all out of our class because we are such a small staff!
The session was at St Jo's and I got to sit in one of my previous students desks (it was quite lovely for me!).
The gathering was for my colleagues teaching the same level as me so we could, as a group, try to gain some consistency between our various schools in assessing writing.
It was fun! We all provided samples for the group to score based on the current asTTle marking guide.
Interestingly for our first meeting we were mostly all very close in our marking with the non-majority scoring the mark below or above the majority.
A great result!
I must say I do like the new marking rubric - I think it is practical, has diverse application and provides a more accurate rating of students work.
it is also not to hard to adapt for student consumption.
On a side note - it is stressful for us to attend these things during school time as it means we are all out of our class because we are such a small staff!
Monday, 24 March 2014
Te Whāriki- because learning happens everywhere and all the time...
Have been having a quick re-look at Te Whāriki which came up as part of our change team work last year (to do with reviewing our use of assessment). The literal translation of Te Whāriki is 'The Woven Mat' - a holistic metaphor for what we do, indeed!
Te Whāriki is based on the aspirations that children grow up:
It is a surprising wee gem of a document - well done Early Childhood - thank goodness the government isn't interfering with this side of their professionalism ... yet (knock on wood!!!).
Te Whāriki principles are;
Te Whāriki is based on the aspirations that children grow up:
- as competent and confident learners and communicators
- healthy in mind, body and spirit
- secure in their sense of belonging
- secure in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society.
It is a surprising wee gem of a document - well done Early Childhood - thank goodness the government isn't interfering with this side of their professionalism ... yet (knock on wood!!!).
Te Whāriki principles are;
- Empowerment
- Holistic Development
- Family and Community
- Relationships
What an amazing foundation for our youngsters - it would be great if this could transition more into our primary curriculum ( not to mention our secondary!). These things are important to us all!!
Notes I made this time around
Empowerment - Feedback to students on their learning must enhance their sense of themselves to nurture esteem in their capability and competence
Holistic Development - assessing needs to take place in context - transparently meaningful/purposeful activities
Family and Community
The necessity and usefulness of having family integrated into assessment and evaluation of the curriculum AND student's learning and development.
Also I note the positives and negatives we deal with as educators in the reality of parental influence on learning (transferences of parents educational baggage to their children).
Relationships - adults as learners - life long learners whether they know it or not! Self awareness of this is key.
Five learning strands
Te Whāriki’s four principles are interwoven with these learning areas:- Mana atua wellbeing
- Mana tangata contribution
- Mana whenua belonging
- Mana reo communication
- Mana aotūroa exploration.
Thoughts on these another time...
Sunday, 8 September 2013
Quality Free Education for everyone...
Offering a top quality education to everyone around the world for free - this is an actuality thanks to the growing availability of internet access worldwide.
What will happen when;
It is exciting to think of anyone anywhere in the world being able to make a better life for themselves, their families and their communities - at any point in their life, not just when they are at school, high school or university.
What amazing innovations will come more often from places currently deemed unlikely...
I was especially drawn to the concepts of mass peer assessment - a creative, power sharing and (thanks to the studies sited) valid way to deal with 100, 000 students all submitting paper for the same course deadline.
This also links to my love of the value of crowd sourcing (and my deeper spiritual belief in the power of the Universal Unconscious; as a group we know everything - not to mention the educational mantra T.E.A.M - Together Everyone Achieves More...)
What will happen when;
- education is accepted as a fundamental human right
- life long learning for everyone at any point in their life
It is exciting to think of anyone anywhere in the world being able to make a better life for themselves, their families and their communities - at any point in their life, not just when they are at school, high school or university.
What amazing innovations will come more often from places currently deemed unlikely...
I was especially drawn to the concepts of mass peer assessment - a creative, power sharing and (thanks to the studies sited) valid way to deal with 100, 000 students all submitting paper for the same course deadline.
This also links to my love of the value of crowd sourcing (and my deeper spiritual belief in the power of the Universal Unconscious; as a group we know everything - not to mention the educational mantra T.E.A.M - Together Everyone Achieves More...)
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