Tuesday, July 13, 2010
School Talk: Record Keeping
I think that no two classes/teachers will ever have the exact same record keeping model. We all have to figure out what works best for us. I learned last year that what I was doing wasn't very practical, and I have developed a new system this summer that incorporates both some of my old methods and some new methods that I have learned. It may work, and it may not work, but I won't know until I test the waters. Effective record keeping is so important in so many ways...we have to be able to keep track of where our students are and what we can do for them. We need to be able to show and label their growth. We have to be able to share with them, their parents, and other teachers/administrators what they are doing in their academic life. We are often called on to present data in cases of SAT or IEP meetings. One thing I did do and will continue to do is always make my notes and observations available to students. I keep my notes on each child in the same notebook as their notes, published works, etc. It is all in one location that can be accessed by me and the student. Allowing students to read and hear my language and understand what I am thinking gives them some ownership over their own educational plan. They have so much insight to offer about themselves, and talking about their reading and writing lives together helps them grow as learners. I find kidwatching to be extremely valuable. In college we were required to complete a VERY extensive kidwatching project on one student. It opened my eyes to the possibilities of sheer observation and note taking. It is a daunting task when you have a classroom full of children and not just one, but it is a task that is worthwhile. A sentence or two a day on a specific notice or observation can go a long way in monitoring progress and guiding instruction.
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I have never thought about having kidwatching notes available to the student. My first thought was "That's private information", but after rethinking, the student should undoubtedly have access to your notes. The student will know you are a team, they have specific strategies to work towards and it is not a guessing game for them. Students will be able to see their progression and build their confidence and a reader and writer. I struggle with keeping all of my kidwatching notes organized. I often observe several kids at once, and would like an easy way to separate my notes for individual students. One method I have heard is to write your kid watching notes on mailing labels, and remove the labels into a folder for each child. No matter the method of keeping and storing informal observations, it is vital to remember these assessments are crucial in the continual growth of a child.
ReplyDelete"Effective, continuous record keeping lies at the heart of our best teaching and learning." I agree. And I am again in awe of how much teachers do today to meet the individual needs of each student! It was a new idea to me to have the students share the responsibility of keeping these records, especially in the younger grades. But I can see how this helps them be more focused, and how it gives them ownership of their accomplishments.
ReplyDeleteI also but a big star by this statement: "Kidwatching is not something apart from the curriculum but rather what holds it together and pushes it forward into new and often unexplored territory". Looking deeply into what the students are doing, sitting with them and watching and listening carefully lets them know we care about them, and can help us build that trust that Katie Wood Ray emphasizes is so important in teaching!
I really liked the idea of posting your "kid-watching" notes on mailing labels. As I was reading the article, I was thinking that you would have to be very organized with your notetaking to make it effective. I thought it was great that the author shared how she had the students keep their own records, such as the books they have read and their thought processes about their writing. Over time they can view their accomplishments with a sense of personal responsibility.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Everyone has their own system of record keeping. I think Kid-watching is very important. I liked Tim O'Keefe's suggestion of making 1 note per child, per day. I think that suggestion, when followed would lend itself to some pretty powerful information on each child. I can think of many ways that this information can be used. I like the idea of doing the notes on mailing labels as well.
ReplyDeleteKidwatching is a refreshing tool using an old fashioned method of paper and pen...when was the last time you received or wrote a traditional letter with paper and pen? Perhaps, I am dating myself...but emails, texts, & excel spreadsheets have their place and serve as useful communicative tools in themselves...however, they can't replace the irreplaceable...Sitting down with the student... this gives pause to the practitioning teacher allowing observation time and thoughtful analysis. The teacher can ask guided questions to foster students' growth into self-analysis. Over repeated sessions, a trusted relationship between student and teacher has developed. I do make a habit of sitting down with each student once a quarter. We go over their progress report (grades) together and discuss improvements that I have noticed that quarter. We decide together what they have to work on next quarter and we write a goal. This goal for next quarter goes home on the progress report from last quarter. Yes, I will incorporate the mailing label idea, rather that stick notes which can get lost. We have classroom folders that I use for best practices....great spot for the mail labels
ReplyDeleteEffective, continuous record keeping "enables us to plan, to organzie, and to create the best learning environment for each child." Thus each teacher and each classroom will use the "best-fit" recording keeping system for them. I think taking concise and informative "kidwatching" notes and compiling an organized "list" for each child is a great way for the teacher and student alike to reflect on the student's/their own progress and accomplishments. I wish I had done more of this in my classroom. Having students keep a log of their reading keeps them actively involved and aware of their development as a reader. Definitely a neat way to assist in guiding instruction!
ReplyDeleteHey...who is Jeanne?...Jeanne is my mother-in-law who has a google account and used this computer last!!!! I forgot to log in! LOL LOL I wrote the Blog that says "Jeanne" said...HaHaHaHa...
ReplyDeleteKidwatching is a refreshing tool using an old fashioned method of paper and pen...when was the last time you received or wrote a traditional letter with paper and pen? Perhaps, I am dating myself...but emails, texts, & excel spreadsheets have their place and serve as useful communicative tools in themselves...however, they can't replace the irreplaceable...Sitting down with the student... this gives pause to the practitioning teacher allowing observation time and thoughtful analysis. The teacher can ask guided questions to foster students' growth into self-analysis. Over repeated sessions, a trusted relationship between student and teacher has developed. I do make a habit of sitting down with each student once a quarter. We go over their progress report (grades) together and discuss improvements that I have noticed that quarter. We decide together what they have to work on next quarter and we write a goal. This goal for next quarter goes home on the progress report from last quarter. Yes, I will incorporate the mailing label idea, rather that stick notes which can get lost. We have classroom folders that I use for best practices....great spot for the mail labels
ReplyDeleteIn 'Classroom Practices That Monitor and Inform Learning' I love the idea of sharing record-keeping with the student. Allowing the student to read my thoughts on their work reinforces what I believe they are doing very well, areas they may need to improve upon and suggestions for further learning. In addition, how beneficial will it be for me to see what they are thinking about their own work. The ownership is doubled. I will say it seems like a daunting task when we have so many students in our class and so many areas in which to report on but the benefits will far out way the struggles of the initial set up. Both authors offered various ways of managing the kid-watching/record keeping process. I love to see it in place.
ReplyDeleteI also really like the mailing labels idea!
ReplyDeleteThe biggest thing I took from this article was the part about student record keeping. I think that is such a great idea to have the students monitor their progress. By students monitoring and tracking their progress they become responsible for their learning. Being able to track their own growth and see their strengths and weakness s such a powerful thing for a students.
Along with student record keeping I like the suggestion that students can include their goal for what they will try next in order to grow further as a writer or reader. Having the children listen to a tape of themselves reading and giving feedback to the question,"what did you notice about yourself as a reader?" seems like an excellent way for them to consider new goals for themselves also. They can also celebrate improvement as they go back and compare a new recording to an old one!
ReplyDeleteThree quotes stood out to me from this article. "Using these observations and records, we can then build on the strengths of the children, deal effectively with their needs, and extend their learning." That's what the purpose of recordkeeping is...sometimes when you're immersed in the process of assessment and keeping up with everything you may lose sight of what's REALLY important...the students! The most important focus is student learning.
ReplyDeleteI also loved these two quotes by Tim O'Keefe:
"...I find that looking deeply into fewer interactions and samples makes much more sense..." I really want to work smarter this coming year to not be overwhelmed by data, but to bite off smaller, essential pieces and focus primarily on those in order to better target the specific needs of students that are most vital. This last quote by Tim is a good overall statement about quality assessment. "Sitting with a child and watching and listening carefully may be the best thing we can do to get to know our students as readers."
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ReplyDeleteI am glad to see that the literature we are looking out is magnifying the power of informal/formative assessments---especially since standardized, summative assessments seem to have such an overwhelming and not all together postive influence on current education. Anyway, at the heart of kid-watching is PAYING ATTENTION to your students and truly getting to know them as thinkers--strengths, growth, and needs.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of placing record keeping responsibilities on students regarding work and progress. Record keeping is so difficult, but if it is not done managing the educational process becomes so stressful. A student needs to assume some of that responsibility.
Better record keeping is a goal for me, this article got my wheels going for a detailed plan regarding the upcoming year.