Rubrics

What is a Rubric?

Rubric is not a form of assessment but are criteria for making an  assessment. It is a scoring method that list the criteria for a piece of work. It also articulates gradation of quality for each criterion a guide for assigning  scores to alternative assessment products. It encourage clear assessment targets and clear expectations. 

What questions do rubrics answer? 

1. By what criteria should the performance be judged? 
2. Where should you look and what should you look for to judge a  successful performance? 
3. What does the range in quality performance look like? 
4. How do you determine validly, reliably, and fairly what score should be given to a student and what that score means? 
5. How should the different levels of    quality be described and distinguished from one another? 

Types of Rubrics

1. General Rubric
• contains criteria that are general across tasks

• it can be used across similar performances
• Advantage: can use the same rubric across different tasks
• Disadvantage: feedback may not be specific enough.
2. Task Specific Rubric

• contains criteria that are unique to a specific task
• Advantage: more reliable assessment of performance on the task. 
• Disadvantage: difficult to construct rubrics for all specific tasks 
3. Holistic Rubric

• provide a single score based on an overall impression of a student’s performance on a task. 
• it does not list separate levels of performance for each criterion
• Advantages: quick scoring, provides overview of student achievement. 
• Disadvantages: does not provide detailed information, may be difficult  to provide one overall score. 
4. Analytic Rubric
• provide specific feedback along several dimensions
• it articulates levels of performance for each criterion
  
• Advantages: more detailed feedback, scoring more consistent across students and graders. 
• Disadvantage: time consuming to score

Reasons why use Rubrics

1. It is a useful tool for both teaching and evaluation of learning outcomes
2. It allow students to acquire wisdom in judging and evaluating the quality of their work in relation to the quality of the work of other students
3. Rubrics are quite efficient and tend to require less time for the teachers in evaluating student performance
4. It is easy to understand

Steps in creating Rubrics

1. Survey Models - show examples of good and not so good work
2. Define Criteria - identify qualities that define good work
3. Agree on the levels of quality - describe the best and worst level of quality
4. Practice on models - using the agreed criteria and levels of quality, evaluate the models presented in step 1
5. Use self and peer assessment - give student their task and occasionally stop them for self and peer assessment
6. Revise - always give students time to revise their work based on the feedback they get in step 5
7. Use teacher assessment - use the same rubric students used to assess

Tips in Designing Rubrics

1. use clear, precise and concise language 
   
2. specify the levels of quality through the responses: “yes,” “yes but,” “no but,” and “no”

Well designed rubrics includes:

• performance dimensions that are critical to successful task completion
• criteria that reflect all the important outcomes of the performance task
• a rating  scale that provide a usable, easily interpreted score
• criteria that reflect concrete references, in clear language understandable to students, parent, and other teachers

Writing Anecdotal Record

An anecdotal record is an observational strategy utilized every now and again in classroom settings in which the onlooker condenses a solitary formative episode after the occasion has happened. Composed from memory, the anecdotal record archives the student's development and patterns.

Teachers generally make use of anecdotal records because its easy to utilize and quick to write. It permit teachers to record qualitative data such as child's particular behavior or the discussion between two learners. These information can help teachers design classroom activities and interventions. This will also supplement classroom assessment of teachers such as oral questioning and performance test.

Anecdotal records allow teachers to:

• assess development in physical, social, cognitive, and emotional areas;
• learn more about  the child as an individual;
• identify interests for the group or the individual;
• remember information;
• show progress and share information;
• assess the curriculum;
• gather data to drive various decisions
• provide information regarding a child's development over a period of time
• provide ongoing records about individual instructional needs
• capture observations of significant behaviors that might otherwise be lost
• provide ongoing documentation of learning that may be shared with students, parents and teachers

Some Guidelines for Writing Anecdotal Records:

1. Start with a statement, setting, date, time of day, name, and age of child
2. Describe the child's behavior NOT what you think of the behaviors
3. Use details of the child's behavior such as actions or comments
4. Write down the exact words used in the conversation
5. Being positive and objective, and using descriptive language are also important things to keep in mind when writing your anecdotal records. 

Different Areas that can be observed by Teachers

1. Physical Domain
• refers to behaviours involving the body
• can be grouped into gross-motor (large muscles) and fine-motor (small muscles) behaviours, as well as sensory skills (hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling, touching)
• Some examples of skills from the physical domain:
• runs with control over speed 
• draws straight lines 
• catches a large ball
2. Language Domain:
• refers to behaviours involving communicating (listening, talking, non-verbal communication)
• Some examples of skills from the language domain: 
• names familiar objects 
• enjoys looking at books
• uses two- word sentences
3. Aesthetic Domain
• refers to skills and behaviours used to perceive, respond to and evaluate beauty, both in the natural world and man-made objects
• Some examples of skills from the aesthetic domain: 
• explores new textures 
• shows a colour preference
• shares ideas about what is beautiful
4. Cognitive domain
• refers to skills used to know, learn and understand
• Some examples of skills from the cognitive domain: 
• follows instructions 
• names geometric shapes 
• sorts objects
5. Emotional Domain
• refers to the "inner life" of the child
• important elements of the Emotional domain are self-concept, self-esteem and autonomy
• Some examples of skills from the emotional domain:
• seeks out new experiences and materials
• separates easily from parent in the morning
• seeks out their transitional object (blanket, pacifier...) when frightened or upset
6. Social Domain
• refers to behaviours and skills used to establish and maintain relationships with others
• Some examples of skills from the social domain:
• initiates play with other children
• shares toys with peers
• has one or two preferred playmates

Sample Anecdotal Record:

References:

http://toddlers.ccdmd.qc.ca/observing/anecdotal_records

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/mewa/html/assessment/anecdotalnotes.html

The Moon's Many Faces

Introduction:

Travel through space and time to learn the many faces of the moon and to answer the questions: Is the moon really made of cheese? Where does the moon go after 29-31 days? The purpose of this space journey is to learn about the moon phases, find out what the moon is made of, and make a chart on moon's faces. 

The Task:

• Read and record what the moon is made of and what the eight moon phases are.
• Learn the eight moon phases by the correct name.
• Complete a crossword puzzle using the moon phases and other important science words.

 The Process: (What to do)
At the computer:

Read all directions before you click.

• Click "Activity Sheet" to download.
• Click "The Moon Website" at the resources below.
• Using the information on the moon website, answer all of the questions in the activity sheet.
• Click on the "Phases of the Moon" in the Moon website and print out the Moon Phases. Use this in the classroom activity.

 In the classroom:Using white and black construction paper, scissors and glue, cut out eight circles from the white and draw a moon phase on each one. Put the moon phases in order on black construction paper.

 Resources:
The Moon Website

 Evaluation:

• The Moon Phase Word Find
• The Moon Phase Activity Sheet
• Classroom Activity

 Conclusion:
Upon the completion of this project, the students will have a chart that contains factual information that will be able them to identify the eight moon phases using the correct terminology, and discuss what the moon is made of.

Spider Hunt

Was She Sure It Was A Spider? an Internet Treasure Hunt on Spiders

created by Brenda Maxwell
Lexington IntermediateI School and Saxe Gotha Elementary School

adapted by LGL

Introduction

Little Miss Muffet,
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey.
Along came a spider,
And sat down beside her...

Wait a minute...
How did she know it was a spider?
Did she get a really good look at it before she was frightened away?
Did she count its legs?
Did she count its body sections?
What other characteristics did it have?
Do you know how to recognize a spider from other insects?
Check out your spider knowledge by going to the following sites and answering the questions below...

Questions

1. How many legs does a spider have?

    How many eyes?

    How many body sections? 

2. Can any spiders dive underwater? 

3. Why isn't a Daddy long-legs a spider?

4. Do spiders have antennaes?

5. For what two things is the Black Widow spider known? 

The Internet Resources

• Spider Facts
• Spider Facts
• Spider Facts
• Spider Facts
• Spider Facts
• Spider Facts

The Big Question

Why don't spiders get caught in their own webs?