Day #4

Essential Question: How do we measure student progress and growth?

After three days of intense whole body OWL immersion, our facilitatertots were sensitive to the low energy in the room and kindly adjusted the day's plans accordingly! OWL is often active and today's activities reminded us that it can be quieter and introspective as well while still engaging students in meaningful thought and communication. Every activity, transition, and grouping we experience in the workshop can be translated into our language classrooms too!

First, we learned how to use the ATLAS "Learning from Student Work" protocol with samples several participants brought in to share. Through focusing on describing and interpreting student work we were able to discuss the implications the sample might have for the type of teaching and assessing in that particular classroom. Below are some of the key questions we considered in our conversation.

1. What steps could the teacher take next with this student?

2. What teaching strategies might be most effective?

3. What else would you like to see in the student work?

Later we examined even more student work in a gallery walk and reflected upon what the data told us about what the student could do, what we were asking them to do, their performance/proficiency level, and whether or not the students were using real language. This activity transitioned smoothly into a closer examination of a collection of different assessment rubrics.  

Most exciting of all... we all ran our own mini circles today!! It was so much fun to finally put into use everything we have been learning these past few days. All our different personalities, past experiences, and interests made for over fifty interesting circles! Afterwards, Ricardo led us all in a fabulous demo that showed us how rhythm and formative assessments play a role in the circle. Video to come!  

Major take-away: Authentic, unrehearsed, and spontaneous documentation gives us real data! 

Major take-away: Teach your students how to assess each other. Are they speaking in lists, chunks, memorized phrases, or sentences? 

Quotable OWL Moments 

* "You have to recognize the moment in which a transition is needed. Know your students!" ~ Participant

* "Students are going to be scared and frustrated and forget everything they know and they have to get through it! Classrooms have to be scary places with a lot of support." ~ Darcy

* "Choose transitions that fit your personality. If you get stuck thinking of a transition, turn to your vocabulary lists and the words around you." ~ Annie

* "Educate your students and parents about the importance of a proficiency-based model. They can help push for change!" ~ Participant

* "Bring your true self to the classroom. What are your own strengths and passions? Be authentic! Be you! Your students will love you!" ~ Darcy