Learning Circle
is available in a different blog post. CLICK HERE!
Graphic Organizers
I always considered myself as a visual learner. However, growing up and experiencing two different types of schooling (Philippines and Canada), I realized I could bounce from both writing notes in my notebook and filling up graphic organizers. I believe it is important to teach students how to write notes independently and organize them with graphic organizers. I have a feeling that if we teach on graphic organizers alone, we do not develop student’s independence because they depend on the graphic organizers as the only tool for them. If we teach note-taking only, we do not develop student’s visual thinking skills as well as their ability to organize their notes. These are essential skills in life that we must teach our students. I remember being a student in the Philippines, students had to write every note that their teacher provided. Teachers will check students’ notebooks to see if they actually wrote all the notes. It is also a part of our grade. I remember being out of the loop when I went to Canadian schooling because my notebook is filled with graphic organizers and note-taking is not forced as a rule.
Student-led Conferences (One-on-One Assessment)
I am going to compare my Philippines schooling to Canadian schooling again. As I go through my education path, I see more and more uniqueness among the two. When I was studying in the Philippines, the system worked solely on report cards without any explanation or comments from the teachers on why they gave me the grade. I remember being nervous whenever I came home with my report card, especially when my grades went down from the previous term. I am nervous because my parents will interrogate me about everything regarding my grades. This is the time I wish my teachers were here to explain the grades I received. Comparing this to my Canadian schooling, I remember having a student-parent-teacher conference and loving it because I got to show my evidence of learning. My parents are updated on the things I do in school and how well I am doing those things through the words of my teachers. I also would receive comments in my report cards that I still read occasionally. As a future educator, I will definitely engage in conferences with students and their peers because it is important that everyone is in the same boat when it comes to learning.
Miscue Analysis Process (One-on-One Assessment)
The Franklin Expedition – 4 (Print)_compressed
I experienced miscue analysis in my Canadian schooling, where I would read a story chosen by my teacher and they would put symbols on things as I read. They would even time me on how fast I read the story. After reading, they would ask me questions about the reading so I need to remember the details of the story versus just reading it. Lastly, they would ask me to define some words in the story. I remember struggling at first in 8th grade because it was my first time doing this miscue analysis. Multiple sessions and I was on a roll that when I entered high school, I did not need to be under an EAL program. I think this is a great tool to enhance student’s reading skills. However, reading in front of the teacher may make students nervous and end up not performing well versus when they read alone.
Descriptive Feedback
Referring back to the student-led conferences, I think it is important to master giving descriptive feedback. I remember rejoicing whenever I received feedback such as “Very good,” “Excellent,” “Great!,” and so on. However, I realized that it is not really helping me in which areas I did great and need improvement. Descriptive feedback is an important tool for teachers and students to master because it enhances our communication and critical thinking skills.
Dialogue Paper Draft and Self-Assessment
is available in a different blog post. CLICK HERE!
SYMBOL
The symbol that I have chosen for this week is a quote from Making Classroom Assessment Work (Third Edition) which states:
Even with the best maps and instruments, we can never fully chart our journeys – Gail Pool
I think this quote fully encapsulates graphic organizers and descriptive feedback. No matter how many graphic organizers we use, we may miss other information. I believe graphic organizers are usually for big ideas, and they may miss important keys in the information gathered. For descriptive feedback, no matter how much descriptive feedback we give or receive, there will always be room to improve on. It is always nice for students and teachers to be self-aware of their strengths and weaknesses because no one knows us fully but ourselves.