Using Projects and Performances to Check for Understanding

Using Projects and Performances to Check for Understanding: "Projects and performances often demand a heavy investment of time and effort. Needless frustrations result when students have made that investment in good faith, only to discover that their end result misses the mark. More often than not, there were no systems in place to have work in progress assessed for revision.

We build incremental assessments into our project-based assignments to prevent these difficulties. For example, we assign a photo essay to our 9th grade writing class (Frey, 2003). This is quite an undertaking, and students' interest and enthusiasm run high. However, because we know the assignment is fraught with potential problems, we meet with each student several times over the course of the project. Students develop a storyboard, draft text, and assemble the final product. At each stage, we confer with them and complete a checklist (see Figure 5.1). In addition, we use a mutually constructed rubric at each stage so that they can gauge the level of completeness of their project (see Figure 5.2). These checklists and notes from our meetings are turned in with the final project. Of course, these tools can be modified for use with students with disabilities and for students who find school difficult.


Figure 5.1. Feedback for Draft Photo Essays

Feedback on Draft of Photo Essay

Student: _______________ Date: _________ Draft # _________

CATEGORY


RESPONSIBILITIES

Conventions


□ My paragraphs have more than one sentence.

□ Each of my paragraphs has one main idea.

□ I have used correct grammar.

□ I have used correct punctuation.

□ I have checked my spelling.

□ I have used capital letters correctly.

□ My handwriting is legible.

Organization


□ My introduction is interesting and inviting.

□ The sequence of ideas is logical.

□ My ideas flow from one to another.

□ I use helpful transitions between main points (e.g., “First of all” or “Similarly”).

□ I have a satisfying conclusion.

Flow


□ My sentences build logically upon the one(s) before.

□ My sentences are different lengths.

□ My sentences start in different ways.

□ There are no run-on sentences.

□ There are no incomplete sentences.

Punctuation


□ Commas separate items in a series.

□ A comma follows an introductory word or phrase.

□ A semicolon connects two sentences.

□ Closing quotation marks always follow commas or periods.

□ Apostrophes are used correctly to show possession or to create contractions.

□ A period, question mark, or exclamation point ends every sentence.

Word Choice


□ I use descriptive words (adjectives and adverbs) often.

□ I use strong, active verbs.

□ I use synonyms and different words to add variety.

□ My pronouns match the nouns to which they refer.

Next Steps:

From “A picture prompts a thousand words: Creating photo essays with struggling writers,” by N. Frey, 2003, California English, 8(5), 20.


Figure 5.2. Rubric for Photo Essay

Student Name: _____________________ Date:_____________

Title: _________________________

Category


4


3


2


1

Required Elements


Photo essay included all required elements as well as a few additional ones.


Photo essay included all required elements as well as one additional element.


Photo essay included all required elements.


One or more required elements were missing from the photo essay.

Spelling and Grammar


Few or no spelling or grammatical mistakes on a photo essay with lots of text.


Few or no spelling or grammatical mistakes on a photo essay with less text.


Several spelling or grammatical mistakes on a photo essay with lots of text.


Several spelling or grammatical mistakes on a photo essay with little text.

Use of Time


Used time well during each class period with no adult reminders.


Used time well during most class periods with no adult reminders.


Used time well but required adult reminders on one or more occasions.


Used time poorly in spite of several adult reminders.

Content


Photo essay uses both text and pictures to tell an imaginative story.


Photo essay uses mostly text, with some support from pictures, to tell an imaginative story.


Some pictures and text are not clearly related to one another.


Text and pictures have little connection with one another.

Required Elements:

□ 15–20 photographs used in photo essay.

□ Text is typed or written neatly.

□ Photo essay includes a cover with title, author, and illustration.

□ “About the Author” essay included.

From “A picture prompts a thousand words: Creating photo essays with struggling writers,” by N. Frey, 2003, California English, 8(5), 21.

Social Organizations That Promote Participation and a Sense of Agency

Many projects and performances involve group collaboration, and these instructional arrangements can be a source of frustration when not carefully designed and monitored. A common element in the findings about successful cooperative learning groups is that there should be both group and individual accountability (Cohen, 1994; Johnson & Johnson, 1998). Therefore, it is wise to provide students with a mechanism for evaluating their own performance in the group. We have included a sample self-assessment in Figure 5.3.

Figure 5.3. Self-Assessment of Group Work
Language arts workshop: Purposeful reading and writing instruction

Projects that are completed individually may benefit from inviting peer feedback, which can be valuable for all students. Anyone engaged in a creative endeavor knows how useful it can be to run an idea past a trusted colleague. Peer response in the classroom can offer the same advantages, but the skills required for offering and accepting need to be taught. In particular, we remind our students of the following principles:

* Students determine when they need peer feedback. We don't construct an artificial schedule of when students are required to get peer feedback, only that they do so at some point during the project.
* Not everything needs peer feedback. Too much feedback can result in an overload of information.
* Teachers, not students, should offer feedback on the details and mechanics of the piece. Peer response should not turn classmates into miniature teachers. Instead, peers can provide reactions as a fellow reader, writer, or audience member related to what they understood and what might be confusing (Frey & Fisher, 2006).

Problem-Based and Project-Based Learning

Both problem-based and project-based learning (PBL) can be integrated into performances. These approaches seek to replicate an authentic experience or application that occurs outside the classroom. Most experiences are designed to be collaborative, resulting in social as well as academic learning. Both problem-based and project-based learning are intended to integrate skills and content across disciplines, resulting in a holistic experience.

Although the approaches are similar, there are some differences between the two. Project-based learning is more common to elementary and secondary classrooms; problem-based learning is used less frequently (Esch, 1998). Problem-based learning is used widely in the medical field, where case studies serve as an important method for developing the skills of novices (Hmelo, 1998). Because problem-based learning is, by design, authentic to the situation, young students are more limited in their ability to successfully complete these complex assignments. Therefore, project-based learning, where a multidimensional task is defined and supported, is used more frequently in K–12 classrooms.

Projects can extend from a few days in length to weeks or even a semester, with even young children finding success. For example, project-based learning has been used in inclusive 5th and 6th grade classrooms to teach historical understanding (Ferretti, MacArthur, & Okolo, 2001). While the potential of project-based learning is appealing, Meyer, Turner, and Spencer (1997) offer cautions regarding the design of such learning experiences. Having noted that some students have less capacity for dealing with setbacks and other challenges, they state that “typical classroom goals such as accuracy, speed, and completion dates may conflict with the project-based math goals of justification, thoughtfulness, and revision” (p. 517). Keep in mind some of the design principles discussed earlier, especially access to frequent formative assessments to guide revisions. These, along with structures such as timelines and intermediate goals, can be especially helpful for students who are less persistent or who like their work to be perfect before the teacher sees it.
Performance Learning

A third type of learning opportunity used frequently in the classroom is performance, which can be presented through public or other visual means. Many performances focus on the application and synthesis of knowledge to create novel products. Like project-based learning, there is an end product in mind (e.g., a poster, a Web-based project, a musical). Not all performances are as elaborate as problem- and project-based learning (PBL) assignments. Some are simpler and do not need all of the formal supports associated with PBL. For example, the creation of a graphic organizer to visually represent the influence of Muslim scholars on scientific processes, mathematics, and literature is not likely to require a series of formative assessments along the way.

The importance of performance opportunities lies in their potential for providing other outlets for students to demonstrate their mastery of different concepts in ways that are not limited to more traditional school-based demonstrations such as reading, writing, and computational tasks. In many ways, performance tasks lie at the heart of differentiated instruction because they afford learners with diverse needs creative ways to show competence (Tomlinson, 1999).

In the next section, we will discuss techniques for using performances and projects to check for understanding. All of them use principles of design discussed earlier, especially scaffolds and group interactions. Although many are public performances, some are transactions between the teacher and learner only."

Using Projects and Performances to Check for Understanding

Using Projects and Performances to Check for Understanding: "Problem-Based and Project-Based Learning

Both problem-based and project-based learning (PBL) can be integrated into performances. These approaches seek to replicate an authentic experience or application that occurs outside the classroom. Most experiences are designed to be collaborative, resulting in social as well as academic learning. Both problem-based and project-based learning are intended to integrate skills and content across disciplines, resulting in a holistic experience.

Although the approaches are similar, there are some differences between the two. Project-based learning is more common to elementary and secondary classrooms; problem-based learning is used less frequently (Esch, 1998). Problem-based learning is used widely in the medical field, where case studies serve as an important method for developing the skills of novices (Hmelo, 1998). Because problem-based learning is, by design, authentic to the situation, young students are more limited in their ability to successfully complete these complex assignments. Therefore, project-based learning, where a multidimensional task is defined and supported, is used more frequently in K–12 classrooms."

Integrating Windows' Movie Maker into the classroom!

My Video Project titled “Technology in the classroom” as a project idea to integrate technology into the classroom by creating a digital movie with the Windows’ Movie Maker Software. While the project is meant for a college level class, it can also be used in all levels of education. I can see a use for creating short movies to help keep instruction fun, and educational in my theater class. The movies created with this software can also be used to display student work at a kiosk or presented at a PTSA event.

I would eventually see my class presenting a movie before a performance of a play showing the behind the scenes work that was put into the final production. The desired outcome for using video projects in the classroom could include a communication tool for expressing information and ideas to multiple audiences. This would be a fun activity for all school aged children with a desire to learn by being creative.

This digital video assignment would allow for all students in my classes to be able to present by displaying their own media content but it could also be used for all educational disciplines. It is an excellent project for individuals but, could be even more fun in a collaborative effort between 3-4 students as they learn by sharing with each other.

Challenges

I have learned a lot about using the software in a short amount of time and hope to get better with practice. In my critique, I must remember that the point of doing projects is to learn and I have tried not to compare my work with others that possibly had more experience. As with any new project or practice, there are some challenges. I had difficulty with learning the timing of the particular video and coinciding this with audio is an even more difficult challenge. I do hope to improve and add more audio to my next movie. Also, I realize now that the image resolution is an important factor on the final outcome. I selected images with low resolution which became unclear in the movie. It would be more beneficial to use relevant picture from my own library than to search for them on the web. This is also a way I can control the picture quality and make it more personal.

Follow this link to my video on:

Technology in the classroom

Post: Integrating Web 2.0 project idea and challenges

Given the need to strongly support student learning, I would like to create a project where my students share information through collaborative studies using web 2.0 tools including Google Docs.

This project could involve a collaboration from other local Atlanta Public School Theater classes. It would be great to set up Google Docs with other schools to support discussions based on theater topics and other projects. Each group can be assigned a specific theater topic ( Monologues, Improvisations, Theater History, Performance Ideas) and share discussions and ideas.

This could eventually be done with other high schools from different counties or even other countries. The student could really get a feel for how other schools and performers work toward the same common theater goals.

One of the main challenges that I will face in trying to incorporate a project with other schools in theater collaboration is the initial set-up and continued maintanance of the Google Documents as a communication tool.

According to Egbert (2009), "learning results from the interaction that takes place during these oopportunities, regardless of the task goal (pg.83).


Although this may be a challenge, especially when dealing with another teacher and their technology issues, it is important to create the collaboration as it should teach the students about managing issues and working out specific problems that could arise.

Another challenge that should be addressed is the issues of safety. This may be more of an issue if we chose to work with other classes outside the country.

Egbert list three aspects of safety that must be considered to ensure that my theater students are not harmed during these colaboration projects (pg 75).

This could be a challenge when working with online tools.

1. Use classroom and school safety policy.
2- Understand Who is interacting and what they are interacting about!
3- Always minimize risks to students when online when it comes to sharing personal information.

This is very important to me because I understand that students may not always think about the possible hazards when working with others through the internet.

Egbert, J. (2009). Supporting learning with technology: Essentials of classroom practice. Columbus, OH: Pearson.