What has been your experience using the Class Assessment Notes in the Being a Writer program? What did you learn about your students during the assessment? What instructional decisions did you make based on the information you gathered from the assessment?
I am a reading specialist but am helping to teach/introduce the program in a 1/2 day Kindergarten setting.
I find the assessment notes to be helpful since they are right there for you. It's interesting to see the different levels in Kindergarten at the beginning of the year. We have kids that can write a sentence and some who do not even know how to write a letter. One common thread, is that they all lack the confidence they need to write. Even the students who were able to write a complete sentence, need that boost in confidence.
I found the assessment to be very helpful in undering my students and where they are developmently. I am interested to see how they progress by the time I do the next assessment.
The assessments thus far are very basic for my grade, but beneficial to see which students are confident in their writing and who already has certain skills. It will make it easy during coference time as well, having done some of these assessments along the way.,
The assessments help me see where students are and what skill lessons are needed.
I used the class assessment record. They helped to keep me focused and what I needed to be looking for in their writing. If some are having trouble with a skill, I can provide extra practice in a small group. I like how I'm able to write down notes on students. It helps me remember what I need to help them with during conference time.
The assessments have been a valuable tool. The data was used to help me form flex groups to improve skills.
I find the assessments to be a great thing to have on hand. I know that we give our students DRA tests in the fall, winter, and spring, and that being able to track their writing in the same manner will be very beneficial. I also like to know explicitly what the students should be able to do at each step. The assessment guide helps me to realize what the kids should be able to do, who is doing it, who is going beyond, and who needs extra help.
I am looking forward to being able to use the assessment checklist in the next few weeks. My students have worked very hard at following the expectations for the writing community through the Making Meaning Process. Once my grade level has started to implement the program, we will take time to share samples of student writing to make sure that we are all assessing the same way. We are a very cohesive grade level and this is just the program we need to help us become better writing teachers.
I expect that as we progress through the program I will be able to use the class assessment tool to adjust my instruction for teh stduents. It seems that i will be able to identify areas needing additional instruction and practice.
The assessment notes show me what to look for in student writing and will help me locate areas needing further instruction.
It seems like a common theme here is "focus." Assessing writing can be so overwhelming: content, conventions, organization, ideas...the list goes on and on. The Class Assessment Notes in Being a Writer help us focus on what we should look for in students' writing on that day, at that moment. Then we can use that to help us focus our instruction for the next lesson and continue to build from there.
I used the Class Assessment Note to assess my class' work. I learned which students are self-starters and which students I have to provide more support to. The questions to ask myself really helped me to know what to look for each week. It also helps me to plan instruction in flex groups for certain skills.
I learned that my students at this time need more practice writing with complete sentences. They tried to be descriptive and elaborate. Some of them will need help organizing their thoughts as well.
The assessments showed me where my student's were successful and where they were struggling. I can focus on particular writing skills...lack of puncutuaion, etc. instead of being all over the place. No sutdent will be missed and passed under the radar. Corrections to their writing as it is assessed. Hopefully, the next time that skill is needed, the students are familiar with it and can correct it.
When I was in the classroom one thing I dreaded doing was assessing writing. I wish I had thought to do a quick, whole class assessment like those in Being a Writer to use as a spot check for refocusing instruction. It's amazing how something so simple can really tune you in to your students' strengths and weaknesses.
I love the student and class assessment records. I can walk around and jot down quick notes as I observe students as well as keep on top of how they are doing. I find that this keeps me focused. It also helped me to know what direction I needed to move in next for instruction. Sometimes I might need to do whole group instruction, and at other times I might need to pull a small group to my table. It is helping me to get to know my classes' writing habits---good or bad. I can also make a note about a particular student on the class assessment page if I need to. I can write it on the student's individual assessment record later. I like how these assessments allow me to zero in on strengths and weaknesses of the class.
I am a special ed. teacher and I am interested in how I can utilize this with 1-3 students.
I learned that most of my students are doing very well using the word wall for spelling and effectively using approximated spelling. Their illustrations successfully correspond with their writing. I feel that the shared writing component of the program has benefited the students in these two areas. I will need to provide more practice with using varied and descriptive vocabulary.
I learned that most of my students are doing very well using the word wall for spelling and effectively using approximated spelling. Their illustrations successfully correspond with their writing. I feel that the shared writing component of the program has benefited the students in these two areas. I will need to provide more practice with using varied and descriptive vocabulary.
I learned that my students can generate Ideas fairly well. I like how the checklist helps me focus on strengths and weaknesses of the class.
The assessments helped me see where my students were at with the skills learned and what they need to improve on.
This has helped me form groups better according to the skills they need.
I especially liked the observation assessments in the "Building a Community" lessons. We charted what went well, what we could improve on, and clarified expectations when working as a whole group or with a partner. Practicing how we should interact with a peer writer really eased students who were unsure of their abilities.
I like the focus of what I should be looking for that day in their writing. It also helps me determine some flex groups to provide additional support to those students that need it.
The class assessment notes have really helped me evaluate how I am teaching effectively, and what I should would on with my students. It is amazing how focused the class is when they begin writing in the Being a writer curriculum.
I have already realized from an assessment given that some students have mastered some of the skills being taught but others still need 1st grade skills reviewed before moving further,