For lack of better words I have to say that David Theune's presentation was AWESOME. I thought the ideas he had for helping students learn how to write were fantastic. I thought the concept of teaching students to write for certain audiences, instead of writing for a rubric, was a great way to hopefully help students learn the process of writing. I'm really hoping that I can implement the idea he had about writing for your community. I thought this idea was fantastic because it gives the students a sense of agency in who they are writing for and why. This project seems like way more fun than the typical 5-paragraph argumentative essay. It doesn't help that this type of essay is typically extremely formulaic and not the most exciting piece of writing you'll ever create. This project also takes the boring, tired prompt that is usually along the lines of, "Do you think students should wear uniforms" and changes it. Having the students argue for a charity of their choice makes every decision made regarding the paper the student's own. I say this because often the argumentative essay comes down to which side I can support better, even if I don't personally agree with the side I'm arguing for. With this prompt for the essay, I've made the decision on which charity to argue for, and I've chosen the evidence that I want to use to support my claim of why you should vote for my charity.
Finally, the ending to this project is what really has me psyched to try it in my own class. I think that having the students vote on the best essay, and then having the winners give the money to the charity of their choice is the ultimate embodiment of empowerment. This gives the students the power to see the effect that their writing had on other people, which is an opportunity we typically don't get. This project does a fantastic job of putting the agency into the student's hands, and this is something I want to strive to do with my teaching practice.
I thought that most of what Theune had to say was great, but I struggle with the idea of not using rubrics. I agree with him in the fact that students will typically only write for what will give them an "A". I myself am guilty of doing this. I'm all for scrapping the rubric, but then I find myself wondering, "If I don't have a rubric, then how do I set expectations for myself and my students?" Currently I don't have an answer to this issue, and I don't expect to have an answer any time soon, but I will keep my eyes open for better options.
Holly,
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed his presentation and wish that I could sit down and pick his brain with more awesome ideas. This idea of not having a rubric is something that I have thought a lot about and am still thinking about. I think we need to push students to do their best work rather than earn an ‘A’ on assignments. The question is, how do we do this?!
I think you, Holly, and Stephen below bring up great points about flaws within our education system. We are constantly stressing grades or telling students what they need to do to get a good grade instead of just saying try your hardest and see what happens. I have had a student say to me, "How did you grade me down, I got the right answer!" And I looked at her right in the eyes and said "So? You showed very little work and what little work you did show was incorrect. Math (and other subjects as well) isn't just about getting right answers, but about the process, and being able to logically deduce answers, and that is what I am looking for. Not just an answer, but a defense with why that answer is correct." I have stressed this with so many students, but it sends a mixed message when some graders use objective measures and others don't and some use something in between and it's all context and prior experience. Many of my students have mental models saying that what is important in math is the right answer, so for me to abrubtly change this won't work in the short term, but hopefully in the long term it will. I guess, to sum up, we need to get more innovative then we have been getting in terms of assessment, even if that means losing a little bit of objectivity (which might feel safe for us).
DeleteI think our entire cohort loves David Thuene. He’s beyond amazing. It’s hard to get away from rubrics because they certainly are a useful tool. But, I can’t possibly imagine grading a poem with a rubric. As I mentioned in my blog, it would be like using the measuring system in the induction of the textbook from Dead Poets Society. I find the use of rubrics abhorrent in this regard. Rubrics can never truly get away from the subjectivity of grading written work. Inevitably though, your question remains: if not rubrics then what? I think that’s what makes David’s methods all the more unique and great. The work is most likely excellent because the students have to perform for an audience of their parents. I’m not a fan of grades in general. It might sound surprising to hear, but I’m actually an advocate for the growth trajectory type assessment that Deanna uses. But, it’s still technically a rubric sadly. There’s maybe no way out of rubrics.
ReplyDeleteAs you've mentioned Holly, I think the overall idea of what David Theune was presenting was really innovative and beneficial for all in a classroom. The students would hopefully get out of the mindset that their work in school has no real impact, and would hopefully begin to have some intrinsic motivation to complete really strong work, because things like philanthropy and writing for a real audience are now in play. The major struggle I had throughout listening to Theune, and most of our other presenters for that matter, was the possibility that these techniques won't work so well in higher-need schools. Both Thuene and Tom Ward work in pretty well off schools, where students come in being already high achievers with a lot of support, but what if that isn't the case? I'd argue that the writing to an audience piece might have some effect, but not as much as was shown in his school
ReplyDeleteI was delighted to see everyone respond so positively to Dave's ideas, and his marvelous spirit, but I also appreciated your raising questions about his comments regarding rubrics (and Kareem's concerns about the feasibility of Dave's ideas in a high needs school).
ReplyDeleteI was frankly a bit concerned about his raising the matter of dispensing with rubrics, even though the argument he made was cogent and persuasive. I think that it's asking a lot of a young teacher, even one who is philosophically sympathetic to Dave's arguments, to dispense with rubrics. I'm just fine with even a strong novice teacher using rubrics, in part to clarify for herself what she's looking for in response to the assignment that she created. My feeling is that moving away from rubrics is something that can come as a teacher gains the kind of experience that allows her to comfortably articulate why she's created a given assignment, and to what end.
Kareem's point is a useful one, and I honor the concern. Kareem may well be right in saying that the conditions for this kind of innovation may be more conducive in a wealthier community. The spirit of the work that Theune does is even more important in a higher needs school where kids may struggle even more to see the value of their learning.
This is a good thing for me to think about, too.