Larry is prompting a continuation to my last post, Process Assessment. It will actually be helpful if you check out Rules Verses Agreements, as well, to place this post in total context. Larry was having a conversation with a kindergarten teacher who felt the rubric we presented in my last post was not applicable to her students. I am sharing a variation on the process rubric using post-it notes. This is a strategy I have used quite often with kindergarten and primary students as a means to give informal feedback when they are engaged in collaborative conversations. I go through the same process as I do with older students, asking them, ‘What would I see or what would it look like if you are successful?” I guide them a bit more, but their responses may surprise you! Of course, the language can be different. I say, “can be,” because I am always trying to use the most sophisticated language possible with what prior knowledge students possess. For example, in the illustration below, the kindergarten group used the language, “team work” as opposed to “cooperation.” My guiding questions could not get them to cooperation, so we left it as is.
I want to emphasize that I have a chart with the actual columns and headings posted in the room, and we do call it a rubric for our process. Do not underestimate young children and their ability to understand and use critical vocabulary!
As you can see in my example below, I record tally marks for groups on the post-it notes as I observe the behaviors noted. I also interject verbally positive remarks about appropriate behaviors.
Three more points:
1. I like to give the class an attainable goal for tallies before we start. This serves a terrific motivation for all groups to persevere. Remember, it's not a competition!
2. There are no sympathy tallies! All tallies must be earned for appropriate behaviors.
3. Students or a designated student can put their names on the back of the post-it note so the notes may be collected easily and reviewed further at a later time.
Below is an example of what a typical primary post-it note might look like:
This is much more helpful to those of us who are only marginally versed in the use of any form of a process assessment tool.. Thanks for the clarifications and I am anxious to see your future posts.
ReplyDeleteIt is important we stay focused on the word, "process." Too often, teachers think only about assessment, or what I like to call gathering evidence of student learning, in terms of measuring a product. No surprise, student products become more proficient, when we set criteria for processes and follow-up with feedback.
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