Cassandra Erkens...Excellent aussi !!!

Autre belle conférence ce matin avant le dîner... Ça va de mieux en mieux... Voici une copie de mes notes...

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Cassandra Erkens
Leading Change in Assessment Practices

Leading through change; “All my life, I assumed that somebody, somewhere knew the answer to the problem. I thought politicians knew but refused to do it…but now I realize that nobody knows the answer” (Senge, 1990)

Who are the leaders? We need to find time to collaborate and base our practices with research. We need to bullet the information, create posters, questions ourselves on our practices. For example make a pile of student who get it, which who don’t…A the beginning of the week, student know what they will need to work at. Leader makes a difference…

We need to “Provide an understandable vision of the learning target” (Stiggins, Arter, Chappuis, & Chappuis, 2004)

To manage complex change and get results, you need all of ;
- Rationale
- Vision
- Skills
- Incentives
- Resources
- Action Plans

http://www.fastteamsolutions.com/index.html

Staff must be able to vision what they need to do, to know, to create……

They need to ;
- Target for understanding and creating a quality assessment system:
- Products created if targets are mastered:
- Resources needed to understand and be able to address them:
- Identify learning targets within standards.
- Post list of essential ideas in room.
- Standards, provincial assessment, pacing charts…

“Use models of strong and weak work-anonymous strong and weak student work, published strong (and weak, if available) work, and your own work.” (Stiggins, Arter, Chappuis, & Chappuis, 2004)

We can for example use a frame letter to guide student in what we want them to develop.

“Offer descriptive feedback instead of grades, on in-class work as well as homework. Make your grading plan i.e., what work will be includes in the final grade, clear to them at the outset.” (Stiggins, Arter, Chappuis, & Chappuis, 2004)

“Teach students to self-assess, keep track of learning and set goals.” (Stiggins, Arter, Chappuis, & Chappuis, 2004)

Self-Assessment : Examining our beliefs

Currents practice
Use provided assessment
New practices:
Teachers create formative assessment. We work to increase assessment literacy.

Current Beliefs:
Tests align to standards; test writers are trained and know best.
Desired Beliefs:
Educators need to be assessment literate. Teacher language makes for the assessments

“Design mini-lessons to focus on one aspect of quality at a time” (Stiggins, Arter, Chappuis, & Chappuis, 2004)

How can we change development plans if we design mini-lesson focusing on one aspect of quality at a time? How could we empower teachers to present the mini-lessons?

“Teach students focused revision. Have them practice on other people’s work, on your work, and then on their own.” (Stiggins, Arter, Chappuis, & Chappuis, 2004)

“Engage students in self-reflection and sharing what they know” (Stiggins, Arter, Chappuis, & Chappuis, 2004)

The one doing the talking are the one doing the learning…

Trusted principal are public about what they want to do. There is no hidden plan or surprise. The engage a dialogue… They say it when they made a mistake and say how they are going to fix it.

An exercise in leadership: In a middle of the flip chart, there is a dot. Two persons get a marker and two rubber bands tied with a knot in the middle…each person place their marker in one side of the elastic….Your job is to always keep the knot over the center… If I wanted him to follow better…what I could have done differently: go slower, talk to him, and give him feedback. Leadership is an art but there is also an art to follow… What could he have done to follow better? He could have asked questions…. But if I want him to ask question…I have to let him know that it’s safe to ask question or to say slow down. It’s all in the culture and the one that we need to have in place. Where there is competition is not very safe… It’s the same for students…

For example : Cross your arms in a way and then try to cross them with your hands opposite or where they normally go. Change is not comfortable,,,

Leadership note:
- Remember that to lead means to go before.
- Take risks.
- Lead with “yes” for empowerment. “Yes. when we get the funding…”
- Ask ! (Ask the kids, the staff…what is the a problem…)
- Get focused and stay focused.
- Tight/Loose leadership.
- Accountability. (Hold others and self accountable)
- Study your craft.
- Study your impact.
- Remember that you are calling for change.
- Model, Model, Model ! (We must be the change we wish to see in the world, Gandhi)
- Break it in manageable chunks…
- How can I help you?
- Let try, back-off and watch…

Don’t forget : Formative assessment give students a second chance but specially to teachers so they also get a second chance to do it right the next time…