Today was a chance for the cohort to show off its creative side as it was the due date for the Artifact Speech Reflection Task. The task was simple but not easy. It involved 3 steps:
- View the videotape of your Artifact Speech
- Consider your strengths, challenges, and goals as a public speaker
- Present that content in any format you see fit.
Giving you choices related to product and performance is a tenet of Differentiated Instruction and is responsive to your needs as a learner. As Carol Ann Tomlinson writes in her book, Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design:
“Just as students differ in their preferred ways of taking in and processing information, so do they vary in the manner by which they best show what they have learned. Some students need to “do”, whereas others thrive on oral explanations. Some excel at visual representations; others are adept at writing. To make valid inferences about learning, teachers need to allow students to work to their strengths. A totally standardized, one-size-fits-all approach to classroom assessment may be efficient , but it is not “fair,” because any chosen format will favor some students and penalize others.”
On the whole, the completed assignments demonstrated a remarkable combination of thoughtful reflection and creative presentation. The end products included such things as:
- Songs
- A set of “keys” to public speaking
- Models
- A poster
- A scrapbook
- An alphabet book
- A children’s story
- A universal law
- A set of drawings
- PowerPoint presentations
- A crossword puzzle
Thanks to all who presented their handiwork to the class.
To end class, we took some time to organize the upcoming Middle School Tours. Here’s the tour info sheet if you need one:
Middle Years School Tours Information Sheet
That’s all for now.
– Lawrence