2b Establishing a Culture for Learning, 3a Communicating with Students, 3d Using Assessment in Instruction with a Unit Learning Plan

     This year I have been going crazy with eDoctrina.

For those of you who haven't heard of eDoctrina before, I blogged about it here, but in a nutshell it is a data management system that was locally created in the Buffalo, NY area and I can see it being the next great tool in education.
     In the past teachers have been able to get item by item feedback about a test question by using scan forms such as Scantron and we have been able to see end of the year data correlated to the State Standards but that was it.  With eDoctrina the teacher can get feedback about each student individually, each class, each test or quiz question, all linked to the standards. I am a nut for data and helping my students so I am definitely hooked on this program.
     Don't get me wrong, this doesn't do the work for you. It still requires a LOT of work upfront on the part of the teacher but once the bulk of the work is put in, it is ready to use in future years and teachers can share with one another very easily.
     One of the first tasks is "unpacking the standards." I had never heard this term before last year but this is how I now understand it: when you "unpack the standards" you take the very wordy standards and put them into student-friendly terms.

For example this New York State Living Environment Standard:
     4.1f The structures and functions of the human female reproductive system, as in almost all other   mammals, are designed to produce gametes in ovaries, allow for internal fertilization, support the internal development of the embryo and fetus in the uterus,and provide essential materials through the placenta, and nutrition through milk for the newborn.

Would be unpacked into these student-friendly standards:

• I can identify the location of the ovaries.
• I can identify the location of the placenta. 
• I can identify the location of the uterus. 
• I can identify the function of the ovaries.
• I can identify the function of the placenta.
• I can identify the function of the uterus.
• I can list the materials that are exchanged at the placenta.
• I can explain the direction of the movements of certain materials across the placenta.

After the standards have been unpacked for a unit, a student learning plan can be created. Today as my students came into class they picked up the Learning Plan for the current unit and three different colored pencils a green, yellow, and red.

 Here is a link to My Reproduction and Development Learning Plan in my Google Drive

At their seats independently they went through each Standard or Skill and indicated their own level of knowledge for that skill.
          Green = I know this very well.
          Yellow = I know a little about this but I need to learn more.
          Red = I haven't learned this yet.

I also gave them where in the notes they would find each of these skills. This way they can be certain to fill in the gaps to their learning by the unit test.

I plan to create one for the next unit with a self assessment before the unit, and after the unit so the students can keep it in their binders and be able to compare the learning that occurred throughout the unit.

Originally posted on ballinwithballing.blogspot.com