Half day In service: Creating a Narrative Rubric 11/22/13

Today we were presented plans for electronic portfolios to be assessed in the "Cloud" through a Google Apps Educator program.  When portfolio pieces are submitted, the ownership of the document will change so that the student may no longer make changes to the document.

After the short presentation, we finalized the language of our Narrative Rubric for grades 9-12.  The result is seen below:

Score	1 -- Novice	1.5	2 -- Apprentice	2.5	3 -- Proficient	3.5	4 – Above Proficient
Structure
Overall	Context/POV introduced		POV developed		POV effective		POV sophisticated
Lead	Action, setting, problem introduced		Action, setting, problem hint at a larger meeting		Context and POV navigate reader to a larger premise		Lead is essential to resolution
Transitions	Shows passage of time		Demonstrating passage of time with details		Contextualize direction		Reveals relationship between cause and effect
Ending	Gives a sense of closure		Develops reflection		Insightful reflection		Sophisticated/insightful reflection on what is experienced, observed, or resolved
Organization	Use paragraphs		Using paragraphs purposefully (with intent)		Progressive sequence and suspense		Creates a coherent whole
Development
Elaboration	Basic description, action, and characters		Descriptive details and sensory language		Details contribute to the characters’ internal live		Language conveys vivid and compelling experiences and events
Craft	Some variation in shape and tone		Applied literary conventions (tone, mood, POV, personification, irony, parody, dialogue, metaphor, etc…)		Effective use of applied literary conventions		Sophisticated use of conventions result in an individual style or voice.
Conventions
Spelling	Interferes with reader understanding		Does not interfere with reader understanding		Few spelling errors		All words spelled correctly
Punctuations	Punctuation errors interfere with reader understanding		Few errors do not interfere with reader understanding		Punctuation helps set a mood, convey meaning, and/or build tension in story		Sophisticated use of punctuation adds to the general meaning of the piece

Whoa.

http://youngcons.com/legit-tennessee-high-school-senior-decimates-common-core/

In service department rubric revision 11/5

Need I say more?

In-service department meeting 10/25

Lucy Calkins rubrics conflict with Collins writing practices (FCAs etc.) but make the most sense to be applied to completed portfolio pieces of the 4 writing types. 

Problems associated with expectations in writing related to block scheduling. Sarah's response was that in the other subjects these students should be learning writing cross-curricularly.  Scheduling is less important than school identity and how the staff is trained. I think that's a pretty good point.

Middle school English teachers decide to administer pre and post essay examples 2 in 7th grade, and 2 in 8th grade this year.

Sarah comes into tell us to score the essays and potentially change the rubric.  She validates that the rubrics are initially to be used to show growth but then will be later used for Type 5 portfolio pieces.

Digital portfolios are potentially being linked with Google Drive.  

5-7 minute break after Sarah leaves. About to grade narratives "in earnest."

After discussion, we find a lot of disagreement in scoring and a general distaste for this rubric.  Important question: Are we able to bring essay scores up with the way that we teach based on this rubric or not? 

Topic for further discussion.

The future of education?

“THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IF YOU’RE NOT THE ONE CONTROLLING YOUR LEARNING, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO LEARN AS WELL.”

This article focuses more on math and the sciences which makes me feel concerned for the humanities. However, I am fascinated by this concept. I have tried to model something like this in my room to varying degrees of success, but never for a prolonged period of time.  Students respond sometimes subconsciously to the stressors of public schooling which can at times sabotage creative teaching methods.  We can't separate our students from their cultural identity associated with technology, but we can set limits for creative collaboration with the support from administration (training, resources, trust) can't we?

--Joe

http://www.wired.com/business/2013/10/free-thinkers/all/