Ah! it's 2nd term Portfolio Time again. And for home school teachers, families and administrators that means The Questions start circulating again. Who are we writing report cards for? What is effective assessment in the unique, individualized setting of home school? What does 85% mean?
Last week, in his podcast, Greg Bitgood commented on the topic from the Ministry document on Change for the 21st Century: Constant Feedback and Assessment: "While the system will be more flexible, there is a need for assessment based standards that will be higher in the future than they are today. Technology can provide new options for assessment and improving learning outcomes. In particular it allows for timely assessment so that students, parents and teachers can be informed during, not after, learning and in ways that allow for correction and celebration."
Let's consider how the technology available to us can "allow for timely assessment"..."so that students, parents and teachers can be informed during, not after, learning and in ways that allow for correction and celebration.If I only assess my home school students every portfolio time, how "timely" and "informed" is that assessment?
How could we make assessment more meaningful, more relevant and more focussed on correction and celebration? How could I be helping you more?
Skype contact is immediate. It is so easy to send a word document, a photo a question by Skype! A student could have immediate teacher feedback and encouragement on a piece of writing, a Math problem, a Science lab write up. A Mum could have a "What do I do with this?" question answered. How informed and meaningful that would be!
Elluminate is interactive. It is so easy to send me a word document and set a time for us to meet on Elluminate. All you need is a headset! Elluminate is a virtual classroom where together student and teacher can look over a story or written report together and edit.
Continuous portfolios. The concept is simple. If, by portfolio time, I already have seen several samples of work and already have assessed that work in a "timely" manner, your portfolio is complete and our visit can focus on celebration, on planning 'where do we go from here?" We would be engaged in "constant feedback".
Why do I need a teacher's assessment anyway?
As I enter report card comments, I often wonder who I am writing them for. You already know what your children have done, learned, improved on, need to work on! On the other hand, assessment is not only about report card marks! Assessment for learning is about recognizing what has been accomplished, what skills or concepts are lacking, what the student's next unit, week, topic needs to look like. If we are discipling the next generation, they need to be equipped to take their place in the academic world, market place, trade school, or Missions organization God has purposed for their lives. Assessment ought to be missional-minded!
Last week, in his podcast, Greg Bitgood commented on the topic from the Ministry document on Change for the 21st Century: Constant Feedback and Assessment: "While the system will be more flexible, there is a need for assessment based standards that will be higher in the future than they are today. Technology can provide new options for assessment and improving learning outcomes. In particular it allows for timely assessment so that students, parents and teachers can be informed during, not after, learning and in ways that allow for correction and celebration."
Let's consider how the technology available to us can "allow for timely assessment"..."so that students, parents and teachers can be informed during, not after, learning and in ways that allow for correction and celebration.If I only assess my home school students every portfolio time, how "timely" and "informed" is that assessment?
How could we make assessment more meaningful, more relevant and more focussed on correction and celebration? How could I be helping you more?
Skype contact is immediate. It is so easy to send a word document, a photo a question by Skype! A student could have immediate teacher feedback and encouragement on a piece of writing, a Math problem, a Science lab write up. A Mum could have a "What do I do with this?" question answered. How informed and meaningful that would be!
Elluminate is interactive. It is so easy to send me a word document and set a time for us to meet on Elluminate. All you need is a headset! Elluminate is a virtual classroom where together student and teacher can look over a story or written report together and edit.
Continuous portfolios. The concept is simple. If, by portfolio time, I already have seen several samples of work and already have assessed that work in a "timely" manner, your portfolio is complete and our visit can focus on celebration, on planning 'where do we go from here?" We would be engaged in "constant feedback".
Why do I need a teacher's assessment anyway?
As I enter report card comments, I often wonder who I am writing them for. You already know what your children have done, learned, improved on, need to work on! On the other hand, assessment is not only about report card marks! Assessment for learning is about recognizing what has been accomplished, what skills or concepts are lacking, what the student's next unit, week, topic needs to look like. If we are discipling the next generation, they need to be equipped to take their place in the academic world, market place, trade school, or Missions organization God has purposed for their lives. Assessment ought to be missional-minded!
I agree, times are changing and so reflecting upon that way in which we embrace those changes makes sense. So what to do from here...
ReplyDeleteSubmitting a weekly report inclusive of all subjects can sometimes seem like a daunting task, the sheer amount of learning can be incredible. Undoubtedly, this is a good thing. However, for me this can often mean a dedicated 1 - 2 hours of uninterrupted time to complete this task. Typically, this may also mean a report being completed at a time of day usually meant for sleeping. I wonder then am I as "fresh" at 4am when my daughter wakes up ready to get on with her day.... is that a good trade off?
Having said that, I know the communication is essential & I understand that from a teachers point of view you must be able to accurately critique & grade the student according to their actual work.
So, I like the idea of being in continuous contact, submitting portfolio samples throughout the term. For me, this may not mean a lengthy dialogue about what we've done but actual samples, videos, pictures, recordings, scans, brief notes via Skype. I have recently learned that Skype is a very friendly app to install on my iphone so now I'm more mobile. Of course this isn't always an option, but imagine on a field trip just being able to IM a note to you, then that becomes part of our learning portfolio / report card. That is something you will begin to see from me & it's a wonderful time saver!
Continuous contact is also essential (I believe) for our children. Reminding the children that sending a Skype message is just like putting up your hand in class. Elluminate is another wonderful tool that could be used even more. Maybe even implementing class meetings within Skype or Elluminate? Some students could also be encouraged by teachers (providing it is ok with the parent) to send their own videos or photos electronically. As well, Skype in the hands of the children I suppose should be encouraged as also a comment or sharing tool, a way to be heard... not just for questions.
After all, in this wonderful age of technology we are raising a generation of children who will have different ways of serving God. Can we all reach more people, or do more for others, be more involved in our churches & other organizations by utilizing some of this technology... maybe... I think so? All this while encouraging this generation to not cocoon within technology, as home-schoolers we have the option to role model these skills.
We try to make sure that our children can be comfortable in many social situations, go volunteer with Grandma's & Grandpa's at the retirement home, help organize a younger persons birthday party, talk to the homeless.... talk to everyone you can there is always so much to be gained by this concept! Then when the time is right dive into technology & utilize all the online resources & networking tools in a healthy way that glorifies God!
I find great value in constant, weekly assessment of learning. How many times have I sat down to pen my weekly report, feeling low, only to find that the failure of a week that I thought we had, was actually quite rich in learning experiences and that my perception was way off? I use this time to ask for suggestions and to build a relationship with one of my most trusted allies, our teacher. It is much more relevant for my children to have direction and guidance on a regular basis than to have to wait for reporting time.
ReplyDeleteI am also trying to encourage one of my children to report directly to Pat. This can be done through skype, video, email or whatever is most effective at the time. He enjoys his relationship with his teacher and is most always now open to encouragement and/or correction from her.