Standards-based Grading

Here is a VoiceThread narrated presentation I created about Standards-based grading. It describes the history and definition of it, what it looks like compared to traditional grading practices, the arguments for and against it, and how to implement it in your classroom.


Here is my recorded interview with an expert of Standards-based grading, Matt Townsley.

Here is a link to my Diigo shared bookmarks outliner for the most helpful and informative resources I found on Standards-based grading.

Thoughts on Inquiry-Based Learning

After taking the Master's class on Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) this summer, I am fully convinced of its effectiveness to help students develop a deeper understanding of not only science, but whatever they investigate. Compared to traditional learning, you can see from the picture below how much more engaged and responsible a student is during IBL.

Spirou, C. (2012). Inquiry based learning pl faculties. [Slide] Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/CherineSpirou1/inquiry-based-learning-pl-faculties

Wilkes University (2016), highlights the strengths of IBL in their summary of this course:

"Wilkes Inquiry-based instruction is a powerful way for students to learn through active engagement with their environment. Teachers who engage in this form of instruction orchestrate a learning environment that allows students to develop deep understanding and enriched knowledge about selected topics. Inquiry should be one of the methodologies that teachers employ in meeting the challenges of today's academic expectations. We live in an era of rapidly expanding knowledge, which highlights the need for students to be lifelong learners. Inquiry skills support students' abilities to question and methodically investigate a wide range of subject matter. This course will explore Inquiry as a teaching technique, utilizing technology to support the various stages of the process."

As far as what I will do with IBL in the future, I see myself as keeping it at the forefront of my teaching as much as possible, especially in science class. IBL makes so much sense because it encourages and facilitates a student's natural curiosity to investigate, which everyone is born with. I just want to make sure that I never take the fun away from them by telling them what I learned from my investigations if they can do it themselves! It should be my job to do give them opportunities to investigate the questions they have (related to the curriculum) and provide the time, materials, and structure necessary for them to do so. To help me remember more specifics about implementing IBL in my classroom, I've compiled some highlights from my notes taken during this class:

Highlights of IBL

• IBL's Process (for students to go through)
• Ask – question out of curiosity, identify problem
• Investigate – research, study, experiment, observe, re-question
• Create – make connections & synthesize info to create new ideas
• Discuss – share new ideas, give & receive feedback, compare
• Reflect – look at big picture, analyze what was learned/created, determine new questions to investigate…
• 
  
• Building Community - in order for students to have the confidence to question phenomena, experiment with trial and error, and effectively communicate their findings to a larger audience, there needs to be values upheld and taught to them...
• respect for one's self, each other, and property
• active listening
• empathy
• encouragement, especially during problems & challenges
• cooperation
• supporting ideas with evidence & data
• positive, persevering attitude
• quality before quantity
• everyone's contribution is valuable

• Process skills vs. Content - process skills are just as important as the content learned, because the process skills are the vehicle to reach the destination of knowledge
• observing
• questioning
• planning
• investigating
• formulating explanations
• making predictions
• analyzing data
• communicating

• Facts & Concepts - the difference is important to understand when planning for IBL
• Facts = very specific pieces of information (Frogs are amphibians)
• Concepts = big ideas that connect multiple facts together (How the life cycle of amphibians is affected by the environemnt)

• Useful Web 2.0 Tools - ways for students to show learning and participate in the investigations
• Presentation (VoiceThread, Prezi, Google Slides)
• Video (YouTube Video Creator, WeVideo, iMovie)
• Mobile (Kahoot, Quizlet Live)
• Community (TodaysMeet, Google Apps for Education - the collaborative aspect)

• Scientific Explanation - how a student should explain their investigation's findings
• Declare a hypothesis
• Provide evidence for the hypothesis from the investigation
• Explain how the evidence connects with the hypothesis

• Backward Design Lesson Plan Method - thinking with the end in mind first, then deciding on the means to get there
• Start with identifying what the standards or learning objectives are
• Decide what evidence is necessary for students to demonstrate understanding of content and/or mastery of a skill
• Plan facts, concepts & skills for students to develop; list of materials; description of learning activities

• 5E Instructional Design Method - research-proven way to empower and equip students in scientific investigations
• Engage
• Explore
• Explain
• Elaborate
• Evaluate

• Formative Assessments - feedback given/recorded during the learning process to help the teacher appropriately adjust instruction for maximum student progress, and to help the student see where they are at to be able to better manage and focus their learning
• Define & explain expectations; set learning goals
• Observations
• Discussions (various questions used to gauge student understanding)
• Self-assessments
• Informal quizzes
• Checklists
• Single-point rubrics

• Summative Assessments - grading students at the end of a unit/semester/year to determine what they learned compared to the learning goals
• Unit test
• Culminating presentation
• Standardized achievement test