Friday, March 21, 2008

10. Make Assessments Count

I agree with Routman that looking at a student's work over time is more valid than some of the assessment writing being done today. I thought it was interesting that the changes we are currently seeing on the KS assessment(KS Writing Pilot 2008) reflect the 'beginning, developing, and proficient' language that she mentions on pg. 240.
I really like the thought by Tom Newkirk, "It's not what the writing has-it's what the writing does."
Pages 248-249 are invaluable to use before any high stakes test. I tabbed the pages.
What a cool idea to showcase students' work from K-6 in the school! This could be a neat celebration for students.

6 comments:

K Styes said...

I loved the "showcase" idea too. That would be a cool thing to do, and what a way to validate writing!

Sillin Spotlights said...

Ditto on the showcase idea also.
I think we can assess better now. This chapter was extremely insightful on reducing test anxiety and positive introductions to writing assessments.

janicegreen said...

I also liked the tips on reducing test anxiety. I'm really trying it since we are in the middle of testing and I get to help with every grade level.

Tammy Gilley said...

Patricia, at my school we have a writer's night every May. It is one of the most productive parent nights we have. It seems like everyone turns out for it. Every students in the building from k-6 writes and makes a book. Then on Author's Night students receive a bottle of water, a pencil, and a ribbon. Parents receive an autograph paper. They move from student to student and listen to kids read (not just their kid). Students sign the autograph paper, after they have read to the adult.

Vicky Richardson said...

I also loved the showcase idea. What a neat thing to do for students.

Brenda Dunning said...

I've done something called "Written and Illustrated" with my 5th grade students. It's a lot of hard work, but the student's take pride in their finished books. We also had an Author's Tea where the students' books were showcased and read by all who attended.