Collaboration and Assessment

Backwards design: desired outcomes predetermined

Input needed from the classroom teacher

learning styles in the classroom

learning needs in the classroom

prior knowledge and experiences

Both (or all) involved sharing an understanding of success criteria

criteria very clear to ensure consistency

important to communicate in a situation where TL designs the assessment and CT does the assessing

Authentic task

Relevant to students' lives and ongoing learning

tapping into, activating and extending current knowledge and understanding

activating critical thinking

hands on - activating creativity, allowing students to make something and create a concrete realization of what they have learned and accomplished

Implementing social and emotional learning

Age/developmentally/learning style appropriate

Allows the students to fully see and appreciate what they have learned and how they can share it with others

implementing, utilizing, extending and building on the 21st century learning

Assessment in all categories

knowledge/understanding

thinking/inquiry

application

communication

Students need to make/create/synthesize something

Ask higher order questions

Create stimulations to provoke students to ask higher order questions

Assessment open to choices and interpretations, as long as key understandings are demonstrated

Reinforce extending one's thinking, questioning, creativity, collaboration, enterprenurship

Where can this learning, key understandings, product, be used in the students' lives, school community, outside community, globally - SO WHAT?

Opportunities for leadership, entrepreneurship, global thinking and initiatives, social justice

How can the learning/ key understanding/ product be shared with others, and for what purpose - SO WHAT?

Communication within the school community

Difficulties with reaching out and connecting to the community

Teachers/students/parents attached to traditional ways of assessment and expecting "bird" projects

Stimulate curiousity

Present sample projects employing key understandings

Connect to the community: organizations, charities, potential employers, people in need, families - demonstrate authentic needs and ways to respond to them

Explore global opportunities - connect with schools, organizations, etc. in other parts of the world

Shared responsibitlity of assessing

TL: what is working? what is not

TL: how can I best respond to the needs of these particular students?

TL: How can I best support this particular classroom teacher? Connecting points, differences, complementary areas

Subtopic

Classroom teacher: how will the learning that is happening now affect the future learning in the unit? What needs to be changed or supplemented? What supports will be needed?

Students: metacognition

Who does the assessment for learning?

Need for communication with the classroom teacher

information about learning styles and needs in the classroom

Assessment for learning informs development of lesson and unit. TL needs it to develop the lesson, but usually it is part of a unit planner and delivered by the classroom teacher.

This may be a good starting point to define roles and responsibilities in the collaborative teaching relationship.

Can effective assessment for learning be designed by the TL who in not familiar with all the students? Can it be designed by the classroom teacher who may not be knowledgeable about all the aspects of the lesson? Need to collaborate.

Subtopic

Readiness to explore the subject of the lesson/unit

Prior Knowledge

Attitude

Experience

May involve the TL and classroom teacher getting a sense of what it will be like to work together on this unit/theme/lesson

developing appreciation for one another's expertise

Clarifying any potential confusion re: content, goals, assessment, etc. ahead of time