518+Agenda+-+2.8.13

What we learned from LC

 * About student writing: **
 * varies based on student
 * academic and dry
 * supporting details
 * lots of personality
 * outlandish claims with no support
 * generalized claims - all, everyone
 * word usage - several vs. many
 * no punctuation vs. too much
 * sentence structure and grammar seemed to be equal to level of work
 * funny, imaginative, creative
 * lack of focus is common
 * grammar issues
 * handwriting issues
 * run-on sentences are common
 * some have very clear ideas, direction, organization - others do not
 * it starts with a strong thesis
 * some used "concede and counter" strategy well
 * task was boring and hard to write when you don't care
 * kids say what they want
 * every student has a unique voice
 * not judge writing by handwriting
 * difference of quality of writing - honors vs. non, practice of writing, language usage, formal address


 * About assessing writing: **
 * hard to be consistent when the papers were so inconsistent
 * organization and content vs. grammar
 * assess from one standard to one essay
 * align to standard
 * what are we grading? The prompt and rubric have to align
 * it's hard
 * easier to assess by comparison to other students
 * consistency and fairness? How do we judge different students?
 * desire to feel bad for/ go easy on poor writers
 * hard to know where to start with feedback
 * communicating feedback is difficult, possibly unclear
 * scaffold for feedback
 * grading and assessment method was arbitrary
 * tough to make consensus decisions about grading - a lot of us would have graded differently
 * we learned that those tests are designed to allow kids easiest possible path to passing - 8th grade level for 10th graders
 * hard to do blanket assessment - each kid is different
 * hard not to default to evaluative feedback
 * following the rubric to grade is hard when it's someone else's
 * how much time it took!


 * Giving Effective Feedback: **


 * What is the **message?**
 * What is the student trying to communicate? What is he/she saying?
 * **What does the student know** about writing and the content area? What linguistic and academic **strengths** does he/she have?
 * Are there any **conceptual understanding gaps?** Based on this writing sample, what is the **next step** in terms of deepening content understanding?
 * What are **1-3 areas of improvement** in terms of writing, English language use, and/or academic language?
 * Provide feedback that communicates these things:
 * Wow! You have something important to say! (Engage with the writer's IDEAS and offer sincere compliments)
 * Because I believe you're capable, I'm going to push you to think even harder. (Suggest 1-2 ways to deepen content knowledge)
 * Because I believe you're capable, I'm going to help you improve your English. (Suggest 1-2 very specific ways to improve academic language proficiency. Focus on areas that most profoundly affect communication and how the message is received.)
 * In most cases, it's a good idea to invite/allow the writer to **revise and resubmit** the writing.

12:45 - 1:45 - Five Foundational Principles for Working with English Language Learners
http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/immersion - "Immersion"



Adding ELL layer to your lesson plans. ..

> Watch for an email about Monday's class - We will probably be going to the English Language Center!
 * Housekeeping -**
 * Learning Journals
 * At least one lesson plan - by Monday - Writing Assignment Resources - http://gonzagateach.wikispaces.com/Writing+Assignments
 * ELL Module 1 - due by Monday