I need to hit refresh.
I’ve enjoyed the Dobbs Cohort experience tremendously, and up to this point, I’ve handled it very well. I enjoyed the firehose of information at the beginning. I was already familiar with some of the tech elements, so I was able to dive into the pedagogical end of the pool. I started researching rubrics and alternative assessments methods, and enjoyed doing so through September and October. But then we introduced (and I got hooked on) some new tech elements. As happens so often, I immediately embarked on workshopping with my department colleagues, and as happens so rarely, I actually put them into practice in my own class, to delightful results!
However, I’m nearing the end of the first semester, and I have somewhere on my hard drive, school drive, a Google Doc, a flash drive, or in a Delicious bookmark a half-dozen incomplete rubrics for everything from collaborative student projects to performance-based assessments. And recent conversations about formative assessments in our blog chatter makes me really want to look into scaling my summative assessments with more formative ones. But do I further fragment, or get back to rubrics. But then again, I’m looking forward to reading the Wagner book over the holidays, and goodness only knows what delightful distractions that will bring.
And as all of this is going through my mind (I had to do something during the five hour drive from Nashville yesterday), it occurs to me that I envisioned as my main takeaway from this cohort the know-who and know-how to facilitate a PLC for the foreign language teachers next year. And since hiring (and therefore scheduling) probably starts in the winter, I will probably want to have a substantive conversation with my Principal sooner rather than later.
So, I’d like to hit F5 and get focused on something. Just what that something is, I’m afraid I’ll need some F1 in that area. Hee hee!
¡Inglés fatal! 
Ted,
What’s the issue with looking at formative assessments and rubrics? Both are forms of assessment, and the rubrics may be particulary helpful as you help your students understand what skills you are looking for in their projects. Have you taken a look at the rubrics on Andrew Churches’ site?
As for formative assessments–those touchpoints along the way that either a)let you know your students are learning or b)whether your teaching is influencing that learning (or not)–why not dig into that “firehose” of delicious bookmarks I’ve got on the wiki. You may find one person in my network who is really focused on formative assessment and can dig further in their tags.
I know it is easy to get pulled in lots of directions, and I think the work you are doing towards a PLC next year is key as well as building (and reflecting on) your own practice. It will be that work you do in the classroom and lab this year that will help your colleagues when you all do launch the FL PLC next year.
All this to say, you’ve got five more months (plus break). Seems like PLC and the assessment pieces (formative and rubrics for summative) are focal points…
Let me know how I can help.
No issue, per se, except that I have let the rubrics fall by the wayside and need to pick up that research again. I may have perused Churches’ site, but the name does not ring any bells.
I’m sure I’ll regain focus, but there are so many interesting conversations going on, it’s difficult for me to hold a train of thought, which is contrary to my nature. My MO is usually to get somewhat tunnel-visioned and move full-bore to the exclusion of other things.
Welcome to the 21st century…lots of questions, lots of discovery, and it’s not linear…sounds like you’re adjusting your MO quite nicely 😉