Integrated ELA...it’s, well, integrated!
11/22/2019
Teachers have just completed first trimester progress reports which can be very challenging to compile. One of the main reasons it is challenging has to do with ELA (English Language Arts). From reading for information, to writing notes, to grammar, to reading literature, to speaking and listening, to spelling and punctuation, to research skills, to formatting, to…(the list goes on and on and on), teachers are awash with ELA information from every class! How can we take all that information and address it well in a progress report? The truth is, we can’t always distill every bit of evidence we have, every time. We have to pick and choose the main assessment focus to record for each assignment. For example, during a science test, a student might ask how to spell something, and I will reply, “This is a science test, not a spelling test.” Does this mean that I don’t care about spelling? Absolutely not! This just means that I am assessing the student’s knowledge of the science concepts in this test and will not count off for misspellings. And while I am not “scoring” their misspelling, I am making a mental note to follow up with this student on spelling strategies. This last week, 6th graders planned an investigation in science. They are well aware of the format of a science experiment write-up by now, following the process steps, question - hypothesis - materials - procedure - results - conclusion. Each of these steps has their own format. These are standard science formats that students will see in any science class they take. This is an assignment in which I am seriously looking at formatting, clarity, completeness of thought, punctuation, readability, order, and other ELA type standards. In fact, these write-ups have a final score of 10, but only 4 of those points count toward the science concept being taught. When I looked at the work that was being turned in, and spoke about it with Ms. Ferry, we decided that they needed a further lesson in following written directions (another ELA standard) before I score them. So Ms. Ferry worked with students to ensure that the conclusions they wrote met the assignment that was posted. See what I mean? ELA is everywhere. In fact, your reading and processing of this information further demonstrates the importance of understanding vocabulary, making connections, and relating to perspective. And, if you have made it this far, I will be quite impressed! Bring me a handwritten, signed note by Dec. 3 that says: “ELA is everywhere!” and you will get a gift back from me! Enjoy the photos of all the ELA work middle school students have been doing to move themselves forward! Learning By Doing
11/17/2019
"We educate students to be exceptional learners and independent thinkers of vision, courage, and integrity." We know our school’s vision. It’s printed on the walls of the school, handwritten by students on posters in our classrooms, and even woven into our school song. We often discuss the academic activities and teaching philosophies associated with how we aim to achieve our mission. We are a PBL focused school and much of our mission is exemplified through PBL projects. Something that I’ve been especially impressed with, in my short time at PNA, is how we consistently live our mission to be a hands-on school. In my own school experience as a student, I remember only going on two field trips a year and spending the majority of my time in school, at my desk. That is not how PNA rolls. In just this past week, our middle schoolers have been involved with some incredible hands-on learning experiences that are uniquely PNA. Miss Molly collaborated with some awesome people from the Ski Jumping Association to do a presentation at our school. They showed the kids some photos/videos and spoke to them about ski jumping. Then they put our students through a circuit with drills and simulations regarding ski jumping. The kids were super into it and had a blast, learning by doing. We took a field trip this week to see the Anchorage Symphony perform at the Performing Arts Center. Our very own music teacher, Mr. Kade Bissell, was playing percussion. The performance itself was impressive, interactive, and tailored for a young audience. However, the highlight of the day was hearing the kids cheer for Mr. Bissell on stage and then watching their eyes widen as they saw him back at school. It was a neat experience for everyone involved. On Friday, we had another unique, hands-on learning opportunity. Thanks to the Horn family, we were given a moose heart to do some dissection. Ms. Mariner led the charge and we all navigated the moose heart together. We had some excitable and slightly squeamish kids, but they did a wonderful job. Enjoy the photos of their reactions. PNA is currently doing a can drive for the Anchorage food bank’s community project. This upcoming week, please support your child and our cause by bringing in green bean cans. On Monday, November 25, I will be taking some Middle School students to the Mountain View Boys and Girls Club. There, we will help organize all the food for collection. Having our students get real volunteering experience for a local and significant cause is an excellent way to learn by doing. I feel lucky to be at a school that so heavily values hands-on learning. We are very proud of our Middle School students for their willing and positive attitude to try new things. Whether they are trying a new elective (currently basketball, video game design, or sewing), Skyping with an astronaut, or passing around a moose heart, our students are learning by doing and it's a privilege to experience. What is Standards-Based Grading?
11/9/2019
This blog is adapted from the Teacherease website and Educational Leadership October 2008 | Volume 66 | Number 2, Expecting Excellence Pages 70-74; Seven Reasons for Standards-Based Grading by Patricia L. Scriffiny For those of you who did not grow up with standards-based grading, this blog post is an attempt to help you understand this system and why PNA has adopted it as its measurement of learning. Instead of a single overall grade, a standards-based classroom breaks down the subject matter into smaller “learning targets.” Each target is a teachable concept that students should master by the end of the course. Throughout the reporting period, student learning on each target is recorded. Teachers track student progress, give appropriate feedback, and adapt instruction to meet student needs. PNA uses a scale of 1-4. 1's indicate that students have little understanding of a concept, and consequently cannot demonstrate any mastery. When starting a new target, many students have no prior knowledge, and begin at 1. As students learn, they can demonstrate partial mastery, and score 2. Once they meet a target, they score 3. 4's are used for students who exceed targets. Standards-based classrooms accelerate learning through better feedback. Instead of simply giving scores like 9/10 or 85%, teachers give feedback about the task performed and skills used. This helps students understand their current areas of improvement, and helps them reach the next level. Student scores go up as students learn. Final grades are reflective of mastery at the end of the course, so there’s little penalty for early mistakes. No event can “ruin” their grade. This helps to foster an emotionally safe environment where students are encouraged to stretch themselves, make mistakes, and learn. Imagine two different grade books for the same set of students, as shown below. Which one of the two better illustrates what students know and what they still need to learn? The standards-based grade book gives a wealth of information to help the teacher adjust instruction. In this example, the two objectives (1 and 3) may require more class instruction. The notations for Objective 2, on the other hand, suggest that the class only needs practice and one student needs some reteaching. Students can also see much more information about their learning. In the traditional grade book, Amanda would assume she is in great shape, but standards-based grading reveals that she has not mastered a crucial concept. Gifted and talented students can be truly challenged in a standards-based classroom because if they show early mastery of fundamental skills and concepts, they can then concentrate on more challenging work that is at higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy or that seeks connections among objectives. Students who struggle can continue to retest and use alternate assessments until they show proficiency, and they are not penalized for needing extended time. Student working styles can be easily accommodated in this system because modified assignments and assessments require no special adjustments in the grade book. The grade book simply shows where they are in meeting the standards, without reference to how they are demonstrating their learning or what modifications needed to be made. In the adult world, everything is a performance assessment. If adults on the job make poor decisions or cannot determine the quality of their own work, the results are generally undesirable. Quality matters, and the ability to measure the quality of one's own work is a learned skill. So how can we teach this essential skill? One way to teach quality is to demand it. We must create an environment where standards can and must be met and where students are not permitted to submit substandard work without being asked to revise. If we base our grades on standards rather than attendance, behavior, or extra credit (which often has nothing to do with course objectives), we can actually help students grapple with the idea of quality and walk away with a higher degree of self-sufficiency. We can and should report information about student performance in areas like attendance and effort, but we can report it separately from academic achievement (O'Connor, 2007; Tomlinson & McTighe, 2006). The trimester Progress Reports are right around the corner. We hope to provide you with the most complete academic and social picture of your PNA student through these reports. |
Sarah Mariner
Ms. Mariner earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science from Colorado State University, and was awarded a teaching certificate through the University of Alaska, Southeast. Her varied background includes being an environmental education field instructor in Massachusetts, Colorado, and Baja, Mexico. She also served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic. Archives
April 2021
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