Influential Resources I have used and appreciated during my SBL Journey:
1.) The ASCD organization. My journey into SBL all started with an ASCD conference I attended in Orlando, Florida some six years ago, which focused on Differentiated Instruction. I came away with a binder full of strategies that I still refer to and use today. The binder is titled "Tools for High Quality Differentiated Instruction" and the workshop I attended was facilitated by Sandra Page and Cindy Strickland. I *HIGHLY* recommend that if a teacher is "new" to DI and SBL that attending one of these conferences is a great way to kick-start that necessary shift in pedagogy.
2.) Speaking of ASCD, I highly recommend the Educational Leadership Magazine. I guess as member of ASCD or as a part of taking this course, I get the Educational Leadership magazine. There is some good stuff in there! Specifically, in the magazine I was prompted to go to the website to learn more. Here, I came across an article titled: Formative Assessment in Seven Good Moves. Its a good, clear read which addresses a logical "flow" of formatives that I have found helpful!
3.) Rick Wormeli and his books Fair Isn't Always Equal and Differentiation: From Planning to Practice. Both books I read as a result of a conference I attended in Portland, Maine where Wormeli was the keynote speaker. I also attended a conference in Memphis on Formative Assessments. I believe that reading these two books helped form the solid foundation on which I now stand in regards to my comfort level with DI and SBL. The reading is "easy," is based on real-world situations and is written in a way that is engaging but not condescending. It also helps that Wormeli himself was...IS...an educator, so we know its not just a bunch of "hot air".
4.) I had previously read The Art of Changing the Brain by James E. Zull for another class, but it is an excellent reference and was written in a way which, as a "Humanities" teacher, I was able to see the connection between the science and the applications to myself as a teacher. This interview , by Alvara Fernandez is a nice snapshot of the major points that I also "got" from the text. I would recommend this article to those that do not have the means or time to read the full text, but want a few of the major take-aways in an easy to digest format. One aspect of the book that "stuck" with me is on page 225 with the heading Recognizing Importance Can Take Time. Zull writes "The art of changing the brain includes the art of selling importance. Somehow the learner must "buy in" to importance". To me, this exemplifies the whole SBL process at CVU, starting with teachers and then trickling down to students and the community. We know that this is "different". We know that this is "new". But we also know that is is BEST for kids. I have realized that the more I embrace SBL and see the efficacy of it, and display my enthusiasm around how it has shaped Chittenden classes before them, my current students know that I really do "geek-out" over Learning Targets and SBL, because I KNOW they work. The biggest issue with this shift is getting everyone on board, knowing that this process DOES take time. I am in year six of implementation and it is only during the past year and a half that I feel confident in my ability to deliver (SELL!) a standards based curriculum AND have students recognize its importance to their learning (BUY-IN!)
5.) Ken O'Connor's book A REPAIR KIT FOR GRADING 15 Fixes for Broken Grades is also a book given to me as a result of taking this course. While I have not devoured every word, I have used it as self-check for myself to make sure that I am not committing any major faux paux's now that I feel "comfortable" with SBG. One should always be aware of that "expert blind spot, right? At any rate, it was re-affirming that I am still on the right track. Specifically, I cannot express how important it is to involve students in the grading process. Connor notes "Don't leave students out of the grading process. Involve students; they can--and should--play key roles in assessment and grading that promote achievement" (O'Conner 126). A powerful and EASY strategy we started to use last year is to ask students to self-assess themselves after they finished an in-class summative assessment. They have the scales right in front of them, and we ask them to look at the language, look at their own work, and self-select their progression and then explain WHY they gave themselves that score and HOW they can improve. AFTER we look at theor assessment, we look at this student self-assessment. It gives Garett and I an immediate indication if we are all on the same page; specifically, this student engagement in the grading process puts students in the "teacher" role and asks for students to look critically at their own writing. Its an awesome thing to see a student go back and makes changes to his/her own work once they did a self-assessment, as they realize an area in which they could "tweak". It's a non-threatening way to not only encourage students to self-edit, but to self-assess and keep the teacher "in the loop" in regards to their understanding of each Learning Target and its associated expectations.
6.) The Marzano website titled "Tips from Dr. Marzano Formative Assessment and Standards Based Grading" is also a helpful resourse for those who have questions about SBG and are at the "I'm not sure I am ready for this change" stage or are "all-in" and need some practical, easy to follow guidance. One tip on this page is -->"Short oral responses are a great opportunity to provide instructional feedback". We have been using this strategy this year specifically as we are introducing and practicing our Communication LT's (specifically those connected to public speaking), as a way to give on-the-spot feedback which is NOT recorded in a gradebook. In this respect, our students feel much more comfortable taking risks as learners and public speakers, and it is also an easy way for us to gauge how comfortable our with the LT's. It is clear after one in-class session where I give oral feedback in terms of scores which students could use some individual attention and which students should go right on ahead and try out for Princeton Model Congress! Its also a very non-threatening way for students to learn from each other.