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| I (re)learned something about cappuccino and doors and balance this week. Did I learn an "A" or an "F"? |
LIST #1
Some of the things I observed students learn to do this week:
1) Write March 16 instead of March 16th (AP style).
2) Upload pictures to the journalism server.
3) Make arrangements and interview the superintendent.
4) Adjust the camera settings when pictures are blurry.
5) Understand the meanings behind slang expressions before using them publicly.
6) Access and decipher the "Google Analytics" behind our web site traffic.
LIST #2
Some of the on-going efforts I observed students work on this week:
1) Edit each other's writing for clarity and mechanics.
2) Find effective, polite ways to tell each other to get to work.
3) Analyze pros and cons of various approaches to news coverage.
4) Consider ways to focus on an issue rather than on an individual.
5) Spark their internal initiative flames.
6) Choose to step up to "save" a story when another student dropped the ball.
Would you like to put a grade on that? I suppose I could put a check mark by the items in list one when a student shows me he/she can successfully do the task. But in Journalism (real life), we can't agree on the definitive list of skills to put on the check list. Furthermore, who's to say if a student knows how to access analytics this week he/she'll remember how three months from now? Is short-term learning valued as much as long-term learning?
My second list is even more problematic. These are skills/mindsets developed over years. Item #2 stymies teachers--and principals!--every day. I am writing this blog right now because I'm avoiding a stack of research papers I need to grade (Item #5). We may grow more comfortable and confident in these tasks, we may develop strategies that have higher chances of success than others, but I'm not willing to say anyone fully masters this list.
My son, a math major who is currently earning teacher certification in New Zealand, shared some thoughts on grading after receiving a 9/10 score on a classroom presentation this week:
