Today our Superintendent, Greg Bass, came to speak with us about the "big picture" for our school division. I am very glad he did for a couple of reasons.
It was good to hear the rationale behind some of the directional decisions that are made at the School Board level. Having previously played a part in rolling out some of these decisions, it was good for me to 're-hear' the why behind the what. I recognize in myself the need to know the big picture ideas before I get caught up in the details and I am beginning to realize that sometimes I can lose sight of the forest when the trees threaten to overwhelm me. I need to be more mindful of the big picture as I grapple with the details.
As Mr. Bass was speaking, I pondered the need to continually revisit our long-term educational goals, as outlined in the School Education Plan (SEP). While I know that I should be able to speak to this document, I realize I have not spent enough quality time with it or discussed it enough so that it makes sense to me and plays a part in the instructional decisions I make on a daily basis. The onus is, of course, on me as a professional to ensure that I have read and understand the direction and goals of my school. However, I also need the opportunity to discuss these ideas in both formal and informal ways. We learn best when we think about and discuss big ideas with others.
Some of the best professional learning takes place in the hallway when we stand together and talk about what we are doing in our classrooms.
It was also affirming to hear that my thinking and work with creativity is worth the struggle. As educational thinking attempts to move away for knowing the facts to remixing information and experiences so I can DO something with these facts, it is important for me to continue discussing these ideas with my colleagues. (The idea that we construct our own knowledge of the world is not new and
had the political will of the day followed Progressive Education's rationale instead of
rejecting it, we might be in a very different place in education.)
Hearing the big picture vision for our school division also made me reflect on some of the habits I have fallen back into because my trees are interfering with the forest! It was humbling to realize that I have, in some ways, let myself back-slide into what was easy and worked in the past when things get busy. However, what worked with my last group of students (which was 5 years ago!) is perhaps not what is best for the children who are in my classroom today. My teaching needs to adjust to them and not the other way round.
Friday, 18 May 2012
Monday, 14 May 2012
Please Explain...
Today I did something I never thought I would. I emailed the Premier of Alberta.
Why?
Well, it seems to me that Alberta Education is engaging in very unsound assessment practices. I refer, of course, to our Provincial Achievement Tests (PAT). Now, I do not really have an issue with the tests. I understand their purpose and agree that we can glean some good information from the data they provide. I do take issue with the removal of all writing resources during Part A of the ELA PAT.
Next time you have to write anything that is to be submitted for evaluation (a report, a proposal), please do not use spell check, do not consult a dictionary or a thesaurus, or your neighbour, or any other tool you might have. Seems silly, doesn't it? Well, that is exactly what Alberta Education wants our students to do when they write.
My grade 3 students have many different strategies to help them during independent writing. These strategies have been gathered over time and are used EVERY TIME we sit down to write something.
1. They know that they can look up words in a commercially produced dictionary. They admittedly choose this as their last option because they find this to be an onerous task... seeing as they're not always sure how the word begins, so looking it up in a dictionary...I'm sure you've heard it before.
2. They also have a personal dictionary in which they have been collecting "good" words all year. Words they have needed in the past and might like to use again.
3. We also have a very extensive word wall, which encompasses high-frequency words, adjective lists, strong verb lists and other juicy words that help us write. These lists have been generated by the students and posted for all to see. This is their favourite writing tool. They own these words because they are words they know how to say, but not necessarily how to spell.
4. They know that if they can say it, they can spell it. We call this "bubble gum spelling". It is an effective strategy, but one still fraught with errors as we continue to learn how the English language is put together.
Tomorrow they will write their first PAT--a daunting task for any 8-year old. They must do so without ANY of the tools they have learned to use and depend on to help their writing make sense. I really need someone to explain to me why this must be done without any of the resources we use on a regular basis. I just don't understand how this is good assessment.
We teach our students that when it counts they should use all the tools at their disposal to do their best work. Well, does the PAT not count? If not, why are we bothering to do them?
So, I decided that the Premier needed to know. I wrote her in an attempt to vent some of my frustration and, hopefully, have her ask similar questions to the Assessment Branch.
Why?
Well, it seems to me that Alberta Education is engaging in very unsound assessment practices. I refer, of course, to our Provincial Achievement Tests (PAT). Now, I do not really have an issue with the tests. I understand their purpose and agree that we can glean some good information from the data they provide. I do take issue with the removal of all writing resources during Part A of the ELA PAT.
Next time you have to write anything that is to be submitted for evaluation (a report, a proposal), please do not use spell check, do not consult a dictionary or a thesaurus, or your neighbour, or any other tool you might have. Seems silly, doesn't it? Well, that is exactly what Alberta Education wants our students to do when they write.
My grade 3 students have many different strategies to help them during independent writing. These strategies have been gathered over time and are used EVERY TIME we sit down to write something.
1. They know that they can look up words in a commercially produced dictionary. They admittedly choose this as their last option because they find this to be an onerous task... seeing as they're not always sure how the word begins, so looking it up in a dictionary...I'm sure you've heard it before.
2. They also have a personal dictionary in which they have been collecting "good" words all year. Words they have needed in the past and might like to use again.
3. We also have a very extensive word wall, which encompasses high-frequency words, adjective lists, strong verb lists and other juicy words that help us write. These lists have been generated by the students and posted for all to see. This is their favourite writing tool. They own these words because they are words they know how to say, but not necessarily how to spell.
4. They know that if they can say it, they can spell it. We call this "bubble gum spelling". It is an effective strategy, but one still fraught with errors as we continue to learn how the English language is put together.
Tomorrow they will write their first PAT--a daunting task for any 8-year old. They must do so without ANY of the tools they have learned to use and depend on to help their writing make sense. I really need someone to explain to me why this must be done without any of the resources we use on a regular basis. I just don't understand how this is good assessment.
We teach our students that when it counts they should use all the tools at their disposal to do their best work. Well, does the PAT not count? If not, why are we bothering to do them?
So, I decided that the Premier needed to know. I wrote her in an attempt to vent some of my frustration and, hopefully, have her ask similar questions to the Assessment Branch.
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