Comments on: Conversation as Assessment http://ateachersthoughts.com/assessment/conversation-as-assessment/ Learning and Science in the 21st Century Sat, 17 Apr 2010 18:59:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Paul Bogush http://ateachersthoughts.com/assessment/conversation-as-assessment/comment-page-1/#comment-234 Paul Bogush Wed, 09 Jan 2008 23:02:12 +0000 http://ateachersthoughts.com/assessment/conversation-as-assessment/#comment-234 Love this post. After every unit each student comes back with a self-assessment page and we conference. That conversation that we have is worth more than any paper "test." I love it because I get to ask the question "What would you have done differently?" So even if a kid screws up on something, if they recognized it and can tell me what they should have done instead they will get mucho credit for that. Love this post. After every unit each student comes back with a self-assessment page and we conference. That conversation that we have is worth more than any paper “test.” I love it because I get to ask the question “What would you have done differently?” So even if a kid screws up on something, if they recognized it and can tell me what they should have done instead they will get mucho credit for that.

]]> By: Rick Biche http://ateachersthoughts.com/assessment/conversation-as-assessment/comment-page-1/#comment-231 Rick Biche Tue, 08 Jan 2008 01:21:26 +0000 http://ateachersthoughts.com/assessment/conversation-as-assessment/#comment-231 Exactly, and I think its the learning about the conversation of science that is so engaging right now for me and my students. When my students see that the process of science is also the thinking and discussion that goes on around the experiment, data or concept they realize more, for example, what a "body of evidence" really means. Really my students are novices here. For me the exciting part is to leverage the conversation to cause them to go back and rethink or to think more deeply about assumptions. While they do this, I don't think it is transparent to them, and that is something I need to work on. Exactly, and I think its the learning about the conversation of science that is so engaging right now for me and my students. When my students see that the process of science is also the thinking and discussion that goes on around the experiment, data or concept they realize more, for example, what a “body of evidence” really means. Really my students are novices here. For me the exciting part is to leverage the conversation to cause them to go back and rethink or to think more deeply about assumptions. While they do this, I don’t think it is transparent to them, and that is something I need to work on.

]]> By: Brad http://ateachersthoughts.com/assessment/conversation-as-assessment/comment-page-1/#comment-230 Brad Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:16:44 +0000 http://ateachersthoughts.com/assessment/conversation-as-assessment/#comment-230 Conversation is the best tool out there for assessment on all levels. After all Socrates and Plato used it as the only means of learning. What is important to remember though is that students need to be given these tools before they can be expected to use them. They have to be shown how to engage in academic discussion and then given opportunity to practice and refine the skill. We should also model some reflective conversation and thinking as well. Just like anything else- to use something effectively- time is needed to practice without fear of failure. I enjoyed reading your post Cheers Brad Conversation is the best tool out there for assessment on all levels. After all Socrates and Plato used it as the only means of learning. What is important to remember though is that students need to be given these tools before they can be expected to use them. They have to be shown how to engage in academic discussion and then given opportunity to practice and refine the skill.

We should also model some reflective conversation and thinking as well. Just like anything else- to use something effectively- time is needed to practice without fear of failure.

I enjoyed reading your post

Cheers

Brad

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