#HSD1Chat will be a PLC based chat involving educators from Helena Public Schools. However, other educators are invited to participate. It will occur on the second Tuesday of every month.
A1. Even in 1st grade, having clear expectations, using a rubric (for writing), help the students know exactly what is required. They can use a rubric as a checklist. #hsd1chat
A1: My rubrics are co-authored with the other gov. teachers to ensure that all of the info we want communicated makes sense- we peer edit them.
Specific Feedback is often verbal and written to avoid confusion over phrasing/ I also maintain point-by-point score sheets
#hsd1chat
We decided to use the ones with our new writing but they don't make sense to our students and there are spelling errors which drive me crazy. #hsd1chat
A2:
I use rubrics for essays/ research papers and presentations.
The essay ones focus on content, grammar, and cohesion.
The presentation ones deal with content and visuals, with some points for creativity
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I like them, even when I don't have official ones, I tend to create little check boxes on the the assignments as I grade them so the kids can get some idea of why they got a 2/3 on a particular question. The more feedback, the better
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A2. Only our Informative Writing Assessment receives a formal rubric (And this is brand new) It is the only thing in 1st grade that requires a rubric from a district point of view. I have used "rubric - like" grading with science projects in past. #hsd1chat
A3:
if the students are working on projects, I do my best to steer them away from issues before they turn it in. Also, we do work days and drafts where I can give specific feedback. I also have times they can come in for help
#hsd1chat
A3: In the past I have met with Ss individually for a few minutes to review the success and struggles. It's just really time consuming and takes a long time. #hsd1chat
A3. If I can, I love to look over the Ss work in the moment, and have them correct, and meet one-on-one with me to give them instant feedback. When they're so young, if I wait too long, they've already forgotten &don't understand the feedback later. #hsd1chat
the time is always the biggest issue- I just spend ~16 hours correcting rough drafts this weekend and have another 1.5 days this week dedicated to helping them make changes to those drafts
#hsd1chat
A3: I find it difficult to not intervene before but for bigger writing assignments I will provide most of my feedback at the end for the next project. #hsd1chat
A4:
A number of the rubrics I use for gov. are inherited, which is great. So we go over those and then make minor changes to fit the class or the timetable with which we have to work- if we're doing it over 3 days instead of 5, standards will shift
#hsd1chat
A4. I haven't constructed my own rubric. Just barely starting to use the Writing Rubric. But I have done informal checklists that serve as a rubric. I think having scripted expectations for the students to use is great. #hsd1chat
it's a great aid early in the process; it's a reference point if nothing else when you're helping another student and ensures the question asker can stay on task
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we do way more projects than worksheets or the like, so they aren't weighted, per se, but the assignments with rubrics do tend to be worth more
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A5. I went to the summer training on Standards Based Reporting and I LOVED IT! I think it is very overwhelming but if the district could provide clear expectations and narrow it, they would be so awesome and consistent over time! #hsd1chat
A5:
I'm not really a fan; it strikes me as a needlessly confusing abstraction in the grading process for teachers and students. I keep my grading pretty simple: Projects, Writing, In-Class, and Assessments.
#hsd1chat
A5: #hsd1chat I like the idea of making the elementary grading simple. I think standards based reporting could be simple for parents if done correctly #hsd1chat
A5b: I think it will be a huge change for everyone if we decide to change our report cards. Elementary report cards are crazy long and subjective #hsd1chat
My fingers are crossed! That is what I imagine - It would definitely be a process. But it would have to be so scripted to work. Right now, there are too many cooks in the kitchen. But if we got there-It would be great! #hsd1chat
it doesn't sound like it's just us, I've heard from people in other states that they have the same issues with a lack of clarity and communication
#hsd1chat
Such a bummer- I would not want to be in charge of that movement! Haha. It is a great idea, I am 100% on board- but would definitely be a challenge. #hsd1chat
A6:
They do not and while I guess I /could/ implement them, I feel like it would only confuse things on the student/ parent front for no real gain.
#hsd1chat
A6. As a grade level, some assessments are slowly being tweaked to match our standards. But overall, our curriculum doesn't necessarily align with the standards-Therefore, our assessments don't always match either. #hsd1chat
A6: We are attempting to make the changes but I find it interesting that the new curriculums aren't even fully aligned with the standards. We found many standards taught aren't being assessed. #hsd1chat t
I agree. I also don't understand why it's not already done with the new curriculum adoptions. I would expect better from the assessments we are given. #hsd1chat t
A7:
if we use a more flexible definition of "standards", they help me determine how I want to present activities and projects; what I focus on. The standards drive my emphasis to ensure the kids can grow in different ways and shore up weaknesses
#hsd1chat
A7. Since I find it challenging to teach Science - I like to teach directly to the standards. I find that the reading and math standards get covered easily without thinking too hard about it. I need to do a better job teaching IEFA standards. #hsd1chat
A7: Our standards drive our teaching but I feel I do modify to provide the direction my students are going. I need to do a better job with my social studies standards. #hsd1chat
we're currently in the process of reworking our Year-at-a-glance to better align with standards; it's time consuming, but it does help us focus our work better
#hsd1chat
Great job tonight! Our next chat in February will be a little different. We are going to join in on #mtedchat for the night. Ask us if you have questions! #hsd1chat
