Teaching With the End in Mind

In this weeks blog we are supposed to look at our students final performance task at the end of week 10. This is one that has been bouncing around in my head since we started talking about our end performance task. I have looked it up and haven't really been able to find exactly what I am picturing. After a lot of Google searching though last night and again today I finally found something similar to what I am wanting to do for my students final performance task. 

                                                      

It is a Circle Map about the Sun. The map can include all the connections that the students have made with the different lessons through out the ten days. This could even be included about it not being seen at night when we discuss the moon and stars. I do not have a rubric of any sort yet for it but I am really excited about the culmination that this performance task would provided.

Unit Lesson Plan Round 1

Tonight the first group of students stepped up and took one for the team.

Ali G. was the first to present. Of course computers never seem to work when you need them to but Ali was a trooper. She discussed what she would be doing to help students learn place value. 

Jessica was next to present and her Unit looked really nice. She will be doing her unit over recycling. I like the idea of finding ways of recycling all of the plastic bottles. It is a great way to make it relevant to the students as well. 

 

Angela went last I am afraid I missed a large part of hers because my computer kept on going in and out. I did here some discussion on how to write the Objective and how  to  write the modeling. This was all very helpful to me and information that I was needing. I am still impressed that these ladies were willing to step up and put themselves out there.  

I know that my biggest fear is that my lesson plan will not make since. I know where I want to go with it and I am excited about put it together but I am afraid of what it will all look like on paper. These ladies have given me faith that it will be okay. I will probable have mistakes this first time but this first time is to help me fix those mistakes and to make them better.

The Difference Between Performance Task and Formative Assessment

This was a very informative class. I ended up with about 6 pages of notes but the discussion was extremely helpful. I graduated high school back in 1995. All we did was text and quizzes. The discussion tonight allowed me to look at new and different ways to assess my future students.

Performance Task (Summative or at the End)
The Key is that Students take what you have taught them and bring it into the real world.

• Display board
• Something that the student has written and then reads aloud or performs to the class
• Thinking Maps
• Posters
• Diorama (built in class so that we don't just get the art work of the parents)  

Students could design a playground using Math

Students could create a display of the water cycle

Formative Assessment (As you go along)

Informs the teacher if the student is understanding the material they are being taught.

• Give me a green check if you understand
• Thumbs up Thumbs down
• Can include general questions and discussion
• Lets the teacher know if they need to go back over something
• Helps refine learning