Education assistant

CHAPTER 7: TEACH TO ASSESS TALENT

This chapter develops six Key Understandings (p. 128). Use these to guide your reading, and review them again at the end of the chapter to check for understanding.

1. Formative assessment provides feedback “for learning” rather than “of learning” and encourages students to take ownership of their own learning. The Talent Aptitude Learning Progressions can be used for formative assessment and student self-assessment. See Figures 7.0, 7.1, 7.2.

Table 7.0 (p. 133) shows how the learning progressions can be use to create analytic rubrics to assess performances of understanding.

Table 7.1 (p. 134) shows how the teacher can use language from learning progressions to give constructive feedback for improvement.

Table 7.2 (p. 136) shows how the student versions of the learning progressions can be used to create a self-assessment rubric.

Table 7.3 (p. 137) shows the process students can use to accurately self-assess.

In what ways do these tools encourage self-efficacy so that students take charge of their own learning?

2. This chapter models the assessment development process for four aptitudes: 1. Creativity, p. 131; 2. Insight, p. 138; 3. Spatial Reasoning, p. 139; and 4. Communication, p. 143.

Choose ONE of these four aptitude sections to analyze. Examine the teacher and student rubrics.

Assume that you are the teacher: You rated a student’s demonstration of this aptitude at the “emerging” level. What is the formative feedback (assessment for learning) in this aptitude that you are giving to the student?

Assume that you are a student: You rated your work as progressing in that aptitude. What differentiates your progressing performance from the emerging level? What differentiates your progressing performance from the advancing level? Are you clear about what you can do to advance?

3. There are two other assessment strategies in this chapter: Structured observations, or “Kidwatching,” (pp. 151 – 156); and the Talent Portfolio, (pp. 156-161).

Choose ONE of these strategies to read about and review: In what ways does this assessment strategy empower the talent development process?

CHAPTER 8: TEACH TODAY TO DEVELOP TOMORROW’S INNOVATORS

This chapter develops seven Key Understandings (pp. 166-167). Use these to guide your reading, and review them again at the end of the chapter to check for understanding.

This chapter presents seven “Design Essentials” for a curriculum that develops the aptitudes of innovators. You will be choosing strategies from among these to develop your Differentiated Lesson Plan and Unit Plan.

1. Read the sections on Design Essentials 1 -3. These are requirements for the Differentiated Lesson and Unit Plan. As you read, think about the overarching concepts, essential questions, and problems you might explore in your chosen content area.

Organize content using overarching concepts.

Structure learning around open-ended problems.

Align for Acceleration.

SOME IDEAS I HAVE ARE:

2. Design Essentials 4 – 7 present strategies you can use to develop your Differentiated Lesson Plan. Review these strategies and the examples that are provided in order to identify one or more that you might like to use.

(Note that the sample Differentiated Lesson Plan uses #6 with an additional strategy, the hero’s journey.)

4. Develop expert thinking (Creative Problem Solving)

5. Engage differing perspectives (Divergent Questioning Model)

6. Analyze Patterns, Relationships, and Trends (Concept attainment, Mindmapping)

7. Consider Ethical Implications (Discussions of Moral Dilemmas)

Which of these strategies might you use in your Differentiated Lesson Plan? Why?