Damian Cooper...Excellent...lui aussi !!!

Talk about Assessment : 8 big ideas to improve learning (matin) et
Assessment for learning: Classroom Strategies to improve learning (après-midi)
Damian Cooper

J’ai eu la chance d’entendre aujourd’hui à Ottawa, Damian Cooper à deux occasions. Encore une fois, j’en ai eu pour un bon choc de neurones. Ce fut un coup de cœur instantané. Damian vulgarise très bien l’importance de l’évaluation des apprentissage et l’urgence que nous avons a passer plus de temps sur ce dossier. Je crois fortement que nous avons à prendre du temps pour brasser un peu plus nos pratiques et afin de rafraichir celles-ci. Nous avons comme pédagogues, à nous questionner sur nos pratiques et leurs effets sur les apprentissages. Par exemple, si une certaine pratique nuit à long terme à un élève en li donnant un sentiment d’échec constant, n’avons-nous pas intérêt à trouver d’autres moyens afin de le motiver ? On peut donc évaluer pour mieux apprendre et évaluer pour voir ce que l’on a appris.

On croit souvent que les notes par exemple, permettent de mettre en place des standards. Si on veut faire de l’enseignement une compétition entre les élèves celai fonctionne. Si à la place, nous préférons que tous les élèves réussissent, il faut trouver des moyens de faire de l’évaluation une pratique où l’élève comprend ce qu’on attend de lui… Il ne sert à rien d’enseigner des notions que l’élève ne pourra pas utiliser dans la vraie vie. Où dans la vraie vie doit-on remplir constamment des tirets sur une photocopie ? (à part peut-être lorsqu’on remplit une demande d’emploi…) 

Voici donc mes notes personnelles…

Assessment for learning VS Assessment of learning
Évaluer pour mieux apprendre VS Évaluer ce que l’on a apprit

Ce matin :

The Eight Big Ideas to improve learning :

1. Assessment serves different purposes at different times
2. Assessment must be planned and purposeful
3. Assessment must be balanced and flexible
4. Assessment and instruction are inseparable
5. For assessment to be helpful to students, it must inform them in words, not just numerical scores or letter grades
6. Assessment is a collaborative process
7. Performance standards are an essential component of effective assessment
8. Grading and reporting student achievement is a caring, sensitive process

If kids learn in different ways…shouldn’t’ we assess in different ways too? How many teachers when they return a test take the time to have the kids find their errors and give time to correct it in order to improve student learning? Kids want that the effort that they will put in place are worth it. We need to move from a model that defines learning as competition (learning bell) to success to all. Quality is non-negotiable. Do it until it’s quality work…..

If when a student turn in a paper that is crap and that you accept it…They will keep turning them in again and again… Who got their driving licence the first time… Sometime we need more time to learn something… We can’t have teacher scream “Go!” and run until the end of the year even if he loose students along the way… This doesn’t work anymore…

We need to work and to find ways in linking practices with the data collected. For example when a teacher gives a test back to the students…There should be no marks but indicators of missing or wrong information. He then should give more time to the students to work in group to enhance their learning before the test is marked. The goal is better learning….

No student left behind shouldn’t mean no teachers left standing… 
Visualisation could be use to help student see themselves in the future and to motivate them in putting the effort.

Driver test are a good indicator of driving knowledge bur not the ability to drive. We need more data; written test data, Oral defence/conference and performance task.

Assessment and instruction are inseparable because effective assessment informs learning.

There is a difference between:
- What is Einstein’s Relativity formula?
And
- Why is the Relativity theory important?

Students must be able to demonstrate that know how to use their learning in real life problems.

A good way to help them is to turn a rubric into a check list. The kids must see what the must do. Show a video if you have to…

En Après-midi

Assessment litteraty
- What you intend to asses and why?
- How to gather good assessment data?
- How to use assessment to improve learning?

Research on Effective Assessment
- The provision of effective feedback to students
- The active involvement of student in their own learning.
- Adjusting teaching to take account of the results of assessment.
- Recognition of the profound influence assessment has on motivation and self-esteem
- The need for students to be able to assess themselves and understand how to improve.

Start with was done right and find ways to reengage the student in learning. Students should be able to objectively evaluate themselves.

Assessment which is explicitly designed to promote learning is the single most powerful tool we have for both raising standards and empowering lifelong learners…

There is no need to learn a concept unless you can use it in a real life situation. Quality is nonnegotiable!

Our teaching must not be; Guess what I’m looking for…

Am I already doing this?
- Do I routinely share learning goals with my students so they know where we are heading?
- Do I routinely communicate to students the standards they are aiming for before they begin work on class?
- Do I routinely have students self and peer assess their work in ways that improve their learning?
- Do my questioning techniques includes all students and promote increased understanding? We must not have invisible in class… They are at risk…
- Do I routinely provide individual feedback to students that inform them how to improve?
- Do I routinely provide opportunities for students to make use of this feedback to improve specific piece of work?

Strategies to use in class:

Portfolios are the best way to link learning with assessment…. It’s also the best way to involve the student in that process. We need to hold the student accountable for that process…

Use a traffic light in the start of a lesson. It’s a stick with a stick with a circle green or a red circle… When ask whish student understand…Show me who understands… Mostly red must start over… Then not to forget to check in other ways to make sure that they have really learned.. Removes pressure…

Group discussion and let everyone have a chance to speak in specific language and feedback.

Snowball activity…Write an answer on a piece of paper. Put it a ball throw it in class pick on up read it add another answer…do it again… (Count up to 10…) crunch-up and throw one more time…Student have views from other students… Then present some of the question that will be on the exam and produce a sample of possible response…

Peer assessment guide …..The more they have done the better mark they get…It tell them what will be on the real exam…The goal is better preparation… Students use color to assess for learning and it doesn’t count for the assessment of learning.

Why involve students in the Assessment process?

Because students;
- Develop understanding of what quality work looks alike
- Become independent monitors of their own work
- Develop skills of metacognition
- Develop critical thinking skills
- Develop communication and interpersonal skills

En conclusion :
- Change is a process not an event… (Fullan)
- Don’t work alone. Collaboration will help you problem solve and will improve the quality of your initiatives.
- Be proactive – communicate with parents and students before changing your practice…