Research vs Research Projects

Just a few weeks ago, I attended a day with Mike Schmoker. His ideas caused quite a controversy in the room, after which he left to catch his plane back  home. The discussions that followed were most interesting. In summary (and please feel free to add to this if you were there) he stated that reading and writing were the goals and that all the projects we throw at our students are quite often a waste of time. He confirmed a few things that I have observed and quite admittedly become frustrated with in my own classroom. When students are working on a project I assign, a few have managed to  create a plan, have a list of questions to guide their research and have sources that will support or contradict their hypotheses. And let’s be honest, this description is very much an exception and not the rule. Most students will fool around, unless I am standing directly over them, and even then have no idea what to do despite a co-created list of criteria and expectations.

When I grade the project, I barely even glance at the product. The grade is based on my observations and most importantly on the process paper I require as the proof of their learning, which is often devoid of real learning and sources. So when Schmoker stated it (reading and writing) was what we should focus on, I was not appalled like most of the room. What I have noticed, however, is that the papers I have gotten this year (one grade younger than I am accustomed to) are beyond pathetic. This is not to criticize my students, but to bring into question the way I teach them how to research.

Because I have been blessed with the occasional fluke, I have begun to believe that most of my greatest “ideas” are a result of accidents. This week, because I have reached the end of my rope and I have moved into survival mode, I stumbled upon something and I think it may be the start of something for me. In my Social Studies class, I assigned a photo presentation. I asked the students to choose countries (aside from North America) and to identify things they do that are different from what they know from living in Canada. They collected a number of photos from the internet – no words allowed except for a title (with a flagrant lack of respect for copyright etc), but let’s focus on the important part here.

One of the groups presented a photo of citizens in Pakistan burning an American flag. This one photo inspired a heated discussion about why Pakistan hates the US. Many of the things the students said were obviously false and overheard from their parents and other sources – but this flood of thoughts and ideas was enough to get them asking great questions. We have a variety of nationalities in our school and I have students from various religious groups as well. Discussions on terrorism, religion sanctioned murder and other false stereotypes captured everyone’s attention! Now they REALLY wanted to know. Another group presented a photo of a matador in Spain and explained to the class that the colour red infuriated the bull and that is why they use red. Another student contradicted him and another discussion broke out about whether or not bulls were colour blind. A third group spoke about the coliseum in Italy and they shared how gladiators fought there for the amusement of the Romans. What they didn’t know is that the gladiators were slaves and how they were recruited. When one student shared this bit of knowledge, questions came flooding out about the powerful empire and its decline! Again, they REALLY wanted to know.

I think that assigning something (with a project) in order to get them to do research,  is putting the cart before the ox. (Does this expression work in English?) We need to create the curiosity to teach them how to ask questions first. We need to have these discussions to get them thinking beyond their four walls and to open their minds to the worlds which exist elsewhere on the planet. I don’t have the answer about the whole how-to, but these little discoveries (mostly by accident) have certainly gotten me to think about research in a whole different way.

The discussions which occurred in my classroom this week will certainly change the way I encourage students to find inspiration for their research. The project has become the least important part of it, but this is not to say that it has no value. I have begun to wonder if I should use it as an enrichment for those who are ready and willing to create something new – beyond the reading, writing, discussing and listening phase… The great part about this is that it is not limited to the strongest kids. A student who is not at that point in September, inspired by those who launch themselves into these projects may join in later in the year. The quality and authenticity of their work will be improved because it is truly theirs – at their pace and guided by their questions and ideas – even though it might not start out that way.

This piece is in response to an article forwarded to me by Syd Korsunsky. 

Research vs Projects

Real Learning

All over North America, we have curriculum documents to guide us in our attempt to cover various course content in every grade and in every subject. These documents are filled with more than content but when we refer to them, the most common reference seems to be to the next topic we are to cover. It is essential that we be on the same page and that we head in the same direction when it comes to the healthy and timely development of the minds of our children. Content is the means to develop the greater underlying skills with which we want our students to be equipped.

What I am trying to get at here, is that content is the least of our worries. What do we really want our kids to know and be able to do? Are the recommended concepts important or should we focus more on the skills and attitudes that lead to that lifelong learning we claim to strive for in all our students?

What does it matter if a child can memorize the name and location of each African country or that he or she knows the lakes of a given region? I'm not sure that I could do this. But I can use a map and other various research tools to find the information I need or want to learn. If we dig a little deeper into the resources that are available to us in the form of provincial guidelines, we would find that these attitudes and values are highly stressed as being the real learning outcomes.

I have always wondered why some students are required to memorize all the formulas used in a geometry unit. If you need this in the future, who will stop you from looking it up? My high school Physics teacher believed in this. Every test was an open book test. He told us we had to know where to find the information we needed or we would spend most of our test time looking for it. He was preparing us for an inquiry based future where questions trumped answers and the skill to find them prepared you for any subject, any job and any life situation.

This being said, what should rubrics look like? What portion of the rubric should focus on content and what portion should we devote to skills? If we can come to an agreement on this point, how do we implement such a system in a way that all students are being equally prepared to have the survival skills needed in an ever changing world? I am not preparing my students for a future job. Most of them will end up in jobs that don't even exist yet - so what could I possibly have to offer them that would be of use? The answer: Adaptable skills such as questioning, reading for information, reading for pleasure, synthesis, analysis, and evaluation of everything they see and hear.

I need to teach my students to think for themselves so that when they are faced with challenges, they will have the courage and competence to accept them and know how to address them. I know what I want to do. I know what I need to do. I need to figure out HOW to do it right so that students understand the outcomes as well as the usefulness of the skill they are developing as they explore a wide variety of topics. Armed with this information, they become equal partners in their learning. They then are more likely to become engaged in their learning and accountable for the progress they make.

Isn't that what real learning means after all?

Destinations and Road Blocks

About a year and a half ago, I heard the first whispers of the impending provincial report cards. Mixed emotions abound when the word "mandate" is combined with any kind of government-inspired initiative. Some say nothing good can come of decision-makers stepping outside their field of expertise and dabbling in someone else's pond, but here we are, nearly two years later, knee deep in the thick of things, and planning the next steps of the journey.

I have been fortunate enough to have been invited to pilot the recommended report cards this year. Many would not see this as a stroke of good fortune. The demands it places on your time and your teaching philosophy can be taxing, but with an open spirit, many new learning opportunities present themselves. I immediately volunteered to sit on the committee to learn more about sound evaluation practices and the best way to implement what was non-negotiable at any rate.

Eventually, I was accepted and my learning curve has spiked. This is largely due to the fact that I have had a very supportive administration team and professional development opportunities to deepen my understanding of assessment and evaluation in order to put these new methods into practice. The freedom they accorded me allowed me to test the waters and to bring my students along on this journey of discovery. They have benefited from it greatly. It is only with the opportunity to dive in that we can learn to swim.

This year is now half done and I am already thinking of those that will follow. Next September, the remaining 22 schools in our division will join the ranks of participating in the mandated initiative. I accepted the challenge willingly because I am at a point in my career where I have knowledge, experience and great leaders to guide me.

Many of the teachers who will now have this thrust upon them are not at the same place in their professional development. Some work in schools where sound evaluation practices are not even on their radar. They have adopted the "It was good enough for me, it'll be good enough for them" mentality. Many are not even aware that some of their practices are working against progress and can even be detrimental to their students.

A solution has been proposed for this impending problem. Guidance must be provided and teachers must be accountable for their professional practices. If what we are doing is known to be wrong, then why are we allowing it to continue? How can we defend our professional integrity when we are doing nothing to strengthen the foundation as it crumbles?

Unfortunately, politics play a big part in all this and much of what is desperately needed is held up by decision-makers who have the interest of dollars over the interest of the children who stand to shape the future. Let's think investment here. The sooner we start - the stronger we become. And isn't this what we are always trying to encourage in our students.

When we ignore what we know is problematic and stick a bandaid on it that does not allow us to see through the coverup, we lose sight of the problem and it is consequently never addressed. This is our responsibility. This is our duty. This is our real mandate!

Assessment Training Institute Summer Conference

Here I am on my last night in Portland, Oregon, after spending a week with some of the great minds in the field of evaluation and assessment in education. What a rush this has been. The week has flown by and I have had the opportunity to engage in dialogue with Rick Stiggins, who is unfortunately retiring at the end of this year, Janet Malone, Ken O'Connor, Jay McTighe, and Tom Schimmer, among others.

The thing that has really resonated for me during this conference is the fact that I am definitely headed in the right direction. The theme was Classroom Assessment for Learning. I already believe in the sound practices advocated by the speakers we had the privilege to learn from. The message is not to encourage us to adopt yet another new procedure, but to analyze what we do and ensure that we are working in the best interest of the success of the child.

I am anxious to review my notes and start posting entries about the ideas and practices I can and will use in my own classroom. I love that this conference was offered in the beginning of July. This way, my work is still fresh in my mind and I also have a number of weeks to process the information before embarking on a new school year composed of great assessment practices that are research-based and proven to be effective for all students.

La motivation des notes

Les bulletins provinciaux viennent finalement cogner à notre porte. Certains voient cette nouvelle demande comme un intrus, d'autre comme un invité longuement attendu. Je ne vois pas une fin à ce débat dans le futur proche, mais la réalité (au moins pour le moment) est qu'on ne peut pas le mettre à la porte.

Les bulletins pour le cycle primaire (et jusqu'à la 6e année) ne changent pas beaucoup la façon de faire dans notre école. Les sujets sont divisés en compétences exigées par les programmes d'étude et on prend note des habitudes de travail et de comportement de l'enfant. On avait déjà la bonne idée. Cette démarche appuie la recherche qui nous démontre que l'évaluation de l'enfant nécessite une mesure de la progression de ces compétences et que le niveau de rendement se mesure uniquement sur son atteinte (ou non) et à quel point, des compétences mesurées.

Le secondaire semblait être le seul regroupement qui ne suivait pas la recherche de pratiques exemplaires en évaluation (ou plus spécifiquement dans le rapportage de l'évaluation). On donnait un pourcentage (qui représente la somme collective des travaux, tests, examens, et tout autre forme d'évaluation) pour identifier l'élève à ses parents. On ne décrivait pas l'élève, ses forces, ses faiblesses, ni les suivis à faire. Le sujet n'était pas décomposé en compétences mesurées, donc je questionnait la signifiance du nombre. Le nouveau bulletin n'a presque pas changé pour le niveau secondaire. On ajoute quelques points de comportement, mais autre que cela il demeure vague et faible en communication du vrai profil de l'élève.

La plus grande contraverse, cependant, était aux niveaux 7 et 8. Dans les quelques dernières années, on avait vraiment fait du chemin. On avait aboli les notes en pourcentages, selon la recherche, et on avait embarqué dans un système d'évaluation qui appuie le développement non seulement de l'enfant, mais aussi de l'enseignment de cet enfant selon ses besoins.
Les pourcentages offrent une motivation externe (donc moins valable). Le plus grand défi qui se présente à ce niveau est celui de la motivation. Les élèves ont arrêté de poser la question de la valeur des travaux. Au lieu de la fameuse, "Est-ce que ça compte?" on entend, "J'apprécie les commentaires. Je sais comment améliorer mon travail." Ils sont moins inquiets de l'étiquette et plus axé sur l'apprentissage. Je croyais que c'était notre but.

Mon plus gros problème avec ceci est que nous sommes les professionnels dans le domaine de l'éducation. J'ai fait ma recherche. J'ai appliqué les pratiques fondées dans cette recherche et j'ai aidé à mes élèves à cheminer dans leur apprentissage au lieu de se concentrer sur une étiquette numérique. C'est intéressant que ce soit ceux qui ne sont pas formés dans le domaine de l'évaluation qui me disent comment la faire.

Alors la prochaine fois qu'ils auront besoin d'un médecin, est-ce qu'ils diront au médecin comment procéder ou lui feront-ils confiance en raison de son expertise?

Seven Practices for Effective Learning by Jay McTighe and Ken O'Connor




November 2005,
Volume 63, Number 3

  This article is a must read for all teachers. One of the biggest problems I face as a teacher is the amount of professional reading I would like to do versus the time I have to get it done. I would love to see more articles like this one, where the essential points are made in a short article that gives a clear picture of what effective teaching looks like.

The practices described in this article list principles of what education is meant to be. I believe most teachers are in agreement with what is proposed here, but many become overwhelmed with the other demands we face (lesson preparation, assessment and evaluation, parent communication, coaching, report writing, extra-curricular activities) and experience real challenges when it comes to putting them into effect.

To begin with, the article defines the three types of evaluation used throughout the course of the teaching and learning process. Each has a role to play in assessment.

• Diagnostic assessments: are primarily used to get to know your students. Once we know who we are teaching, lessons can be created to meet their needs. By using diagnostic assessments, we discover what the students already know, what they understand correctly, what they misunderstand, and what their interests are, among other important facts.
• Formative assessments: are used to provide the necessary feedback to give direction to learning. This is the part the student does or understands well and this is what needs to be done next to continue on the path towards mastery. It also provides the teacher with information about the progress of the students in order to offer individualized guidance in the learning process.
• Summative assessments: give a portrait of what the student has learned by the end of an instructional segment. It defines the student's standing after instruction, practice and collection of summative evidence has taken place.

The Seven practices for effective learning are listed as follows:

1. Use summative assessments to frame meaningful learning goals.
2. Show criteria and models in advance.
3. Assess before teaching.
4. Offer appropriate choices.
5. Provide feedback early and often.
6. Encourage self-assessment and goal setting.
7. Allow new evidence of achievement to replace old evidence.

Each of these practices are described in such a way that the reader can see it as a living thing in the classroom. The examples provided are real and believable. I found it easy to visualize each of these practices in my classroom. They are not really a new way of thinking, but a reminder of what we all know to be true.

If I had to recommend an article on exemplary teaching practices and effective use of evaluation and assessment, this one would be it.