Last week I wrote a lesson plan. I think it was a successful one. However, as the pro-backwards planning folks have cautioned, it's very difficult to create a unit from the start to the end. The lesson plan I created focuses on a skill, sure, but to what end? When I sat down this weekend to complete the next chunk of my unit (there's something satisfying about creating a 'chunk,' isn't there?) I realized that I could not go on like this. I needed to know where I wanted my students to end up first before I start creating lessons that work on specific skills. What's worse than a lesson on a skill that will never be used again during that unit?
So, I decided I would write my culminating activity and assessment tool. These are kind of fun to write, especially the whole part about writing from the perspective of myself as teacher toward an audience of actual students. It gets us to work on our teaching voice. Anyways, I wanted to create something that would allow students with different interests and skills to be able to complete the assignment, to some degree, in their own way. So for those who like the more traditional analytical paper, that option is there. But for those who are more into exploring different genres and creative writing, that option is there too. However, then comes creating rubrics for that somewhat open-ended second option. Once the student can dictate their approach to the assignment, creating a universal rubric becomes a challenge. In other words, I thought initially, "I'm going to need a separate rubric for each student."
I'm still a little unsure about how to go about doing this, but I have made an attempt. I made one rubric for the traditional paper, which was pretty easy since the requirements were already listed in the description I created. Then, I created a separate rubric for the creative option that focuses on a number of requirements that they must complete within their chosen approach. In other words, what they choose to do is more or less not going to be the thing I assess them on because that would be an impossible task to prepare for. What I can assess on are specific skills and applications of skills within the freedom of the assignment. I don't think that will upset too many students in the end. This is school after all.
Cheers
So, I decided I would write my culminating activity and assessment tool. These are kind of fun to write, especially the whole part about writing from the perspective of myself as teacher toward an audience of actual students. It gets us to work on our teaching voice. Anyways, I wanted to create something that would allow students with different interests and skills to be able to complete the assignment, to some degree, in their own way. So for those who like the more traditional analytical paper, that option is there. But for those who are more into exploring different genres and creative writing, that option is there too. However, then comes creating rubrics for that somewhat open-ended second option. Once the student can dictate their approach to the assignment, creating a universal rubric becomes a challenge. In other words, I thought initially, "I'm going to need a separate rubric for each student."
I'm still a little unsure about how to go about doing this, but I have made an attempt. I made one rubric for the traditional paper, which was pretty easy since the requirements were already listed in the description I created. Then, I created a separate rubric for the creative option that focuses on a number of requirements that they must complete within their chosen approach. In other words, what they choose to do is more or less not going to be the thing I assess them on because that would be an impossible task to prepare for. What I can assess on are specific skills and applications of skills within the freedom of the assignment. I don't think that will upset too many students in the end. This is school after all.
Cheers
Ah! After all! Line 87:
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