In my previous school district, I was the only teacher teaching a physics course with set, district-wide learning outcomes. These same outcomes were also taught in physics classrooms at the other high school in our district. But at our school, I was one of the 2 physics teachers. The other teacher taught the AP-level physics courses. So, in many ways, I had opportunities to incorporate strategies I believed were best for learners and that I found worked best for them without being seen as out of alignment with anyone in our building. My amazing friend and one of my teaching philosophy goddesses, Katie Novak, stated the following misconception about alignment: All teachers must deliver instruction in the exact same way. True alignment, she says, is about shared goals, rigor, and outcomes. Thank you, Katie! Katie has taught me to truly believe that learner variability is the rule, not the exception. I encourage you to take 10 minutes to listen to Katie Novak explain it in the ...
If you've read any of my previous posts, you know how I feel about the current state of student assessment.
Speaking and Language is one of the four areas of the Common Core Literacy Standards and anchor standard 4 in speaking and language ties specifically to the defense. Is reads as follows:
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
In addition the 1st anchor standard in writing is specifically about being able to present effective arguments.. The anchor standard reads as follows:
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
So you can give traditional paper and pen tests, but give students opportunities for retakes. You can have students demonstrate their mastery of objectives through a defense with a teacher led Q & A. So, why not try it out. Trust me, your students will thank you for the opportunity.
In my last post, I ended with the question "What makes a good assessment?" I have come to realize very quickly, and this is not an original idea, that the best assessment is one that the teacher doesn't write.
At the end of last term, I gave my AP physics students the option of taking a traditional paper and pencil test as we had been doing all term or completing something I've termed an Objective Mastery Defense. Turns out the students like it and some said that it was the best innovation I have brought to the classroom. What is it and why did they love it? I'll save myself some typing and let my students explain it all. I took all the video today and cut it on my phone during 4th block. So, please forgive the uneven audio levels. It's my hope to have a more complete video of the process with student examples by the end of the semester.
At the end of last term, I gave my AP physics students the option of taking a traditional paper and pencil test as we had been doing all term or completing something I've termed an Objective Mastery Defense. Turns out the students like it and some said that it was the best innovation I have brought to the classroom. What is it and why did they love it? I'll save myself some typing and let my students explain it all. I took all the video today and cut it on my phone during 4th block. So, please forgive the uneven audio levels. It's my hope to have a more complete video of the process with student examples by the end of the semester.
So, what does a teacher need to complete this? Not much, just clear objectives, willing students, and the flexibility to make time in class (or outside of class) to let your students speak.
How do I grade the defense? Well the rubric is pretty simple as you can see below. Just the learning objectives on a 0 - 4 scale.
How do I grade the defense? Well the rubric is pretty simple as you can see below. Just the learning objectives on a 0 - 4 scale.
Objective Mastery Defense Rubric
Objective 1: I can design an experimental test of an application of the principle of the conservation of linear momentum for a two-object interaction that is explosion, predict an outcome of the experiment using the principle, analyze data generated by that experiment, and evaluate the match between the prediction and the outcome.
4
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
All components meet completely and connections made beyond classroom
|
All components meet completely
|
One component is incomplete
|
Two components incomplete
|
1 component missing
|
Objective 2: I can classify a given situation as explosion and use conservation of linear momentum to solve for missing variables, and calculate their values.
4
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
All components meet completely and connections made beyond classroom
|
All components meet completely
|
One component is incomplete
|
Two components incomplete
|
1 component missing
|
The great thing about the Objective Mastery Defense is that it also ties in Common Core Literacy Standards.
Speaking and Language is one of the four areas of the Common Core Literacy Standards and anchor standard 4 in speaking and language ties specifically to the defense. Is reads as follows:
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
In addition the 1st anchor standard in writing is specifically about being able to present effective arguments.. The anchor standard reads as follows:
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
So you can give traditional paper and pen tests, but give students opportunities for retakes. You can have students demonstrate their mastery of objectives through a defense with a teacher led Q & A. So, why not try it out. Trust me, your students will thank you for the opportunity.
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