Today we continued working on the assessment of student writing.  Here’s what happened:

Four Box Synectics

As a means of processing our thoughts and experiences with the writing assessment process to this point, we engaged in a four box synectics activity.  The four common household objects we brainstormed to compare with Writing Assessment were:

• Fridge
• Garbage can
• Laundry detergent
• Blender [Thanks to Shab for reminding me of this one.]

Four Box Synectics is a great strategy that, as the linked strategy description explains, “promotes fluid and creative thinking by ‘making what is familiar strange,’or comparing two things that would not ordinarily be compared.”

Here’s the handout we used in class – Assessing Writing Four Box Synectics – and a PDF of the purpose, description, and procedure of the strategy – Four Box Synectics Instructional Strategy.

Assessing Student Writing Samples Using the Performance Standards

After some discussion on the complexities of assigning letter grades to student writing and planning instruction based on needs identified during assessment, we took a good chunk of time to assess the student writing samples you’d brought to class.  Here’s the process we used:

The In-Class Writing Sample Assessment is due on Thursday, 4 February 2010.  Here’s a copy of the task sheet:

LLED 320 In-Class Writing Sample Assessment Task

Please hand in the following 5 items as a part of this assignment:

1. Part 1: Anaysis

2. Part 2: Reflection

3. Generic Rubric for the Writing Performance Standard Quick Scale used to assess the writing pieces

4. Actual Writing Performance Standard Quick Scale used to assess the writing pieces

5. The two Student Writing Samples Analyzed in Part 1: Analysis

Here’s a sample task from last year to show you how each piece of the puzzle fits together:

EXAMPLE of an In-Class Writing Sample Assessment Task

Introduction to the Unit Plan Task

I handed out the assignment sheet for the Integrated Unit Plan. Here it is if you need a copy:

Integrated Unit Plan Assignment

and here’s a suggested UBD template for use in designing your unit plan:

LLED 320 UBD Unit Plan Template with WHERETO

I mentioned that two aspects of this assignment are different from the planning process we’ve already engaged in as per our EDUC 310/316 classes:

• Resource Evaluation

You are to evaluate five resources that you would consider using as a part of your unit.  The criteria sheet is included in the assignment handout.  Here’s a set of resource evaluation sheets from last year to give you an idea of how to approach the task of evaluating resources:

Integrated Unit Plan Resource Evaluation Sheets SAMPLE

• WHERETO

This is an acronym that summarizes the key elements to consider when designing an effective and engaging learning plan.  We will explore this acronym in a future LLED class.

Group Presentation Work Time

Seeing as the first set of Group Presentations are on the horizon, we took some class time to get them sorted.

That’s all for now.

– Lawrence