Although I may not be spending quite as much time blogging this year, I’ve been finding myself far more active elsewhere online, and in my travels, I’ve found much to recommend. I’ll still be reflecting on what I’m learning and discovering here, but much of that is happening on the ground inside of the classrooms that I get to work in and in some of these spaces:
I’ve enjoyed getting to know Jenny Luca and Mike Poluk better as we’ve been co-administering the Working Together to Make a Difference ning–an online forum where teachers and students invested in service learning, charity and philanthropy can connect with those who share their desire to give back. What I love most about this space is the easy engagement that happens within it. Even the most tech-wary teacher would feel at home here, and Mike, Jenny, and I stop in regularly to address questions and build connections. Alden High School teacher Rob Currin initiated the Global Poetry Project within this ning as well, and he continues to invite writers from all over the globe to connect with one another “expand upon their cultural views through the reading and writing of poetry.” We are careful not to pressure any of our members into long-term time commitments or taxing projects. Right now, it’s functioning as a place where people can showcase their work with students in ways that inspire others without overwhelming anyone.
I received an email this weekend that put a smile on my face, and since I was asked to pass along, I thought I’d blog about it here. A timely post and invitation for today–
I imagine that many schools will be brainstorming any number of ways to help. The simplicity of this fundraiser and the opportunity to be a part of a much larger effort might be a rewarding place to begin! If your school plans to participate, you can leave a quick comment here or let Adam know directly: acorry@lockport.wnyric.org. He would like to keep track of who has participated and how much money is raised.
Teaching writing can be scary, difficult stuff. The word teacher implies an awful lot, after all. For some, it suggests that they should “know all” before proceeding. But that’s impossible, isn’t it? I can’t imagine knowing everything about writing or writing instruction. Or teaching. Or literacy coaching. Or anything for that matter. I don’t recall who said it online or where, but I remember nodding my head when I stumbled upon this bit of wisdom:
“You don’t need to know everything about good writing or good instruction to begin teaching writing, but you must be willing to keep learning as you go….”
In my own experiences as a teacher of writing, and in my conversations with those who love to do the same, several practices have proven essential to this kind of learning:
Observing learners as they work, and capturing their strengths and their struggles in process
Talking with writers individually, and providing them targeted support
Continually exploring what good writing is and what good writers do, in order to accomplish this
Writing! And then….reflecting on our own strengths and struggles in process…and then…sharing what we’re learning with those we are teaching
Participating in collegial circles, learning communities, and personal learning networks: as teachers and as writers
I don’t know many GREAT teachers of writing who ever feel completely comfortable in their roles. Ironically, as the quality of student writing improves, providing meaningful feedback that supports their further growth seems to become more challenging as well. It’s tempting to merely strive for proficiency….in our own writing and in our work as teachers of writing as well. It’s tempting to seek or provide simple answers to wildly complex questions. It’s tempting to tell people what to think and do as they confront those questions, too. Often, the best writers and teachers that I know don’t pose questions because they are seeking fast answers. They pose questions because they are hungry for discourse and eager to gain a variety of perspectives before choosing their own courses of action.
Yeah, the word teacher implies an awful lot.
What does it mean, anyway? How do we fill that role responsibly and effectively? Anyone have a quick and easy answer?
This fall, I had the opportunity to talk with over 100 writing teachers about the instructional practices that made the most difference for their students. All of these teachers identified and articulated clear learning targets for their students, based upon their previous assessment of student needs. All of them documented what they did as teachers to support their students as they worked together to meet these objectives as well, and during our conversations together, they used this documentation as well evidence captured during the formative assessment process to reflect on the practices that seemed to help students best.
One of the striking trends was around the use of multiple models. Teachers who allowed students to read and explore a rich variety of writing models before asking students to produce their own work noticed similar things:
Students created pieces that were of higher quality
Students were better able to create unique pieces of writing and less inclined to merely mimic the models
Students were engaged in their work
Students were able to provide feedback to their peers that was criteria-specific, varied, and anchored in their experiences as readers
Students returned to the models without prompting during the process, as a means of studying writer’s craft
Teachers found that teaching in this way required more time, resulting in fewer but higher quality products
The majority of teachers who did not use multiple models questioned the effect of modeling on student performance as writers. In their experience, when students were provided their single models, the work produced was closely reflective of the model. These teachers wondered if modeling inhibited risk-taking and the creation of unique products and simply inspired copying. All food for thought. What are your experiences with this? What have you learned about modeling, relevant to writing instruction?
I don’t think it has stopped snowing here for at least a week. When I left the house this morning, I had no idea what awaited me, and by the time I hit the thruway, I realized that any time I had set aside for blogging here would be devoted to expanding my drive time in an effort to ensure that my car didn’t careen off the road. But I made promise in this new year–that I’d be getting back into some kind of blogging groove–and so I don’t plan to start the weekend without posting.
I have had all sorts of ideas for posts rolling around in my head for a while now, and I know I need to finish up a series I started on formative assessment, but all of this has overwhelmed me in this first working week of the new year. Plus, I’ve been spending some time thinking about what my intentions were for blogging to begin with…and what the reality has been over the last eighteen months. I’m not quite sure who creates the “rules” for better blogging, and sometimes, I’ll run into posts in other places where people suggest what everyone should or shouldn’t do as bloggers, but I’ve never really paid much attention to all of that. I blog because writing helps me learn and forces me to be reflective. Sometimes, the stuff I blog about resonates with others in some small way or provokes a bit of good dialogue. I’m still figuring things out as I go along here. I think I always will be.
I like the fact that Theresa Gray is back online again, and her new approach is simple and inspiring. She’s sharing short posts featuring writing strategies and resources in her space, and I know that a lot of the people who read me here will appreciate what she’s up to as well. So, go take a peek and say hello. Great way to wrap up the week!
I’m very excited to be spending this evening with local teachers, administrators, and literacy coaches at a meet and greet session of WNYLIT–a new forum for current and potential literacy coaches in Western New York. If you are interested in joining us at the Carrier Center in Angola, New York tonight or in the future, please contact me to register. There is no cost for participation. I’m grateful to Theresa Gray and her colleagues at Erie 2 BOCES for hosting us!
I’m looking forward to many new adventures and learning opportunities in the coming year, some of which are documented inside of this month’s Coaching Connection. These newsletters are designed specifically for the WNY teachers that I coach, but others might enjoy them as well. Glad to be back! Here’s to a happy, healthy, and productive new year!
Like most, I’ve been run over by the freight train that is December! I hope everyone is enjoying the very best of what this season has to offer. I miss being here, and I plan to return to posting regularly in the new year. Best wishes for a healthy, happy, and rewarding 2010!
Thanks to the support I’ve received from various members of my learning community (particularly Julie Kopp, Theresa Gray, and Jennifer Borgioli), I’ve discovered much more about the power of formative assessment practices in recent years. Reflecting on questions like these helped me begin shaping a vision for the sort of assessment work that I wanted to begin myself and support other educators around.
The realizations below guided much of that thinking. Next week, I’ll share some of the findings from the work I’ve been able to do with teachers and students in a variety of schools and settings.
Formative assessment is a practice that immediately informs teachers about each student’s progress toward clear learning targets.
In order for formative assessment to provide meaningful information, it’s important to align the type of assessment we give to the selected learning targets.
Formative assessment happens during instruction.
Beginning this work inside of classrooms, using practices and tools that teachers and students currently value could help to establish the fact that ownership lies with them, not inside of district offices, with coaches, or with staff developers. As teachers begin to participate in inquiry relevant to improving student learning, the evidence they gather can begin to guide their decision-making. In my experience, this helps alignment happen in a natural and meaningful way that connects with past practice while improving future practice.
When teachers capture data during instruction, this enables them to speak to students’ strengths and struggles as learners with a far greater level of specificity than other measures might allow. Using tools like checklists, annotated records, rubrics, transcripts, conference logs, and documented feedback empowers teachers and learners to notice, reflect upon, and document trends that can be responded to immediately and shared in a variety of other settings.
Formative assessment should provide a level of information that has not been previously captured by state assessments, benchmarks, or other measures.
Formative assessment that works improves teacher practice and student learning in ways that engage and empower them. It does not add to the “testing mess” or the stress and confusion stirred up in the wake of it. In fact, it inspires the understanding that assessment and testing are two different things.
When assessment is working, the power is not in a tool or a test. It lies within teachers and students. They use their expertise to define goals collaboratively, identify learning targets, establish the criteria for what quality work might look like or achieve, and most importantly….study the effects of their efforts and intervene appropriately. This work not only improves practice–it enriches their expertise as well.