So, what were those SMART goals again?
So, to take this… Be intentional with planning formative assessments, develop and focus on vocab with roots-weekly system, and… more open questions in assignments & assessments. Are those measurable?
Elissa’s question – how do you measure intentionality? Hmmmm. If its a goal, I should be intentional with it right? So, how do I measure that? By asking someone to review my unit plans to ensure that I am including these in them? By weekly self-accountability?
All of these things are related to my planning – I constantly use formative assessments, they are just not formally documented in my plans as they should be. How do I know they are actually assessing the desired learning outcome?
At the beginning of each unit, I have a Words Worth Knowing Vocabulary Survey – that I modified from Sarah’s here. I walk around the room and observe students’ assessments of their knowledge of these terms. Towards the end of the unit, we revisit and they re-assess, hopefully being familiar and knowing more than they did in the beginning.
Yes, they are exposed to the terms within the unit, but do they have a deeper understanding of the words? When I taught geometry, I did a lot with the etymology of the words. I am wondering how I can develop a list of latin/greek roots, etc. relating to our intended vocabulary? And someone develop a weekly system like my science colleague to help students truly build a foundational understanding. I started a list just before Christmas Break, but have not spent much more time with this task.
I have included open questions often within a daily task, and tried to include in unit assessments. But not at the level to truly elicit student thinking and frequency I would like.
The focus of these goals will all be one section of Algebra I. My other Algebra I class uses the Springboard Curriculum – a completely different order of topics and pacing.
For the Spring 2018 Semester, in my 4th block Algebra I class, I will increase (currently, I do not link them in my plans) my planning of formative assessments for each learning target listed / linked in my unit lesson plans. Twice per week, I will take time to formally reflect (written) the student work and devise a plan for next steps. Currently, I only informally reflect / plan next steps, without formal documentation in my plans. I hope this work will lead to better quality formative assessments that are truly at the level and integrity of the standards.
Over the course of the Spring 2018 Semester, I will develop a list of common Latin / Greek roots as related to our content in Algebra I. Through the collaboration of my colleague, I will develop and implement a weekly system to help students learn and make connections within the content to the roots, etc. The list, weekly quiz results and study tools will be documented in lesson plans. At the end of each month (January – April), I will reflect on our progress, analyze the impact on student learning and adjust, continue. This list should grow throughout the semester. List to students, implement study tool, report student progress.
I will revisit Small & Lin’s book More Good Questions for ideas on creating Open Questions. As part of the formative assessment tools, I will begin to include these on a weekly basis in our lessons – for feedback only and incorporate on every unit assessment (after discussing with my content team teacher).
If I have a sheet in my planner for weekly reflection… Suggestions?
the radical rational... 