M5U2A1 Assessing Project Based Learning

          M5U2A1 Assessing Project Based Learning

Qinqin Xiao

1.Project description: I  was a IB-PYP(International Baccalaureate Primary-year-Program ) Class teacher for four years in Hong Kong.  IB-PYP is totally the Project Based Learning curriculum. Every project we call it Unit project in PYP systems.Every Unit will need six week to finished the learning. In this six weeks, the students will contain all subjects from the same Central Ideal.

IB curriculum  also should be  Bilingual, Our school are English and Chinese. So the Rubric for assessment is Bilingual, The Chinese meaning and English has the same meaning.

I will give more explanation about it at the third part.


2.Evaluation rubric : Here is the rubric of the assessment Project Based Learning as follow:

P2 Unit Based Assessment 單元評估根據
Who We Are 我們是誰 Who We Are: An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities and culture; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human. 這是對自我本質的探究：信仰與價值觀；個人、身體、心智、社交和精神等方面的健康；各種人際關係，包括家庭、朋友、社區和文化；權利與責任；作為人的意義何在。
Date日期：3/9/12 – 19/10/12
Central Idea: We can make better decisions by understanding cause and effect. 中心思想：明白事情的起因及結果，讓我們作出更好的決定。
Key Concepts: Function, Causation, Reflection 主要概念：功能、因果、反思
Focus Transdisciplinary Skills跨學科技能的評估
The development of transdisciplinary skills are necessary in order for students to succeed in a changing, challenging world. The following skills were identified as essential to this unit and were observed during authentic learning experiences. 建立學生的跨學科技能以適應變遷的世界是必需的。在這單元中，我們會重點培養學生以下技能，在真實的學習經驗中加以觀察和評估。				熟練Achieved	鞏固Consolidating	漸見顯露Emerging	暫未顯露Not Evident
Communicating Skills: Presenting The student is able to come up with an ending for a given scenario. They will be given the choice of how they wish to present their choice of ending. 溝通技能：演示-學生們能為特定的情境選擇一個結局。他們有機會選擇自己傾向的方式去演示他們所選擇的結局。
Research Skills: Formulating Questions The student is able to form questions in preparation for field trips and having guest speaker visits in order to obtain relevant information about making informed choices. 研究技能: 形成問題-在戶外考察以及嘉賓演講之前，學生們能形成問題以獲得關於作出明智的選擇所需要的相應信息。
Thinking Skills: Dialectical Thought The student is able to demonstrate dialectical thought by formulating an argument around a point of view during a debate. 思考技能: 辯證思維-學生們能圍繞某一觀點進行討論並在此過程中通過形成論點以展示出他們的辯證思維。
Self-Management Skills: Informed Choices The students is able to draw on their previous understanding and newly acquired skills to make informed choices when constructing our class essential agreements. 自我管理技能: 明智的選擇-在制定班級協定的過程中，學生們能基於原有的理解以及對新技能的掌握作出明智的選擇。

Discipline Focus: (Bilingual Unit Work) 單元研習重點的評估：(雙語單元學習)
The following indicators were used to assess student understanding of the lines of inquiry. The student is able to: 以下指標用以評估學生對單元研習內容的理解。學生能：				熟練Achieved	鞏固Consolidating	漸見顯露Emerging	暫未顯露Not Evident
Demonstrate knowledge of different ways of making better decisions  理解作出更好決定的方法。
Demonstrate an understanding of the factors that influence how we make decisions 理解影響我們作決定的因素。
Demonstrate an understanding of the consequences of making decisions 理解作決定的後果。
Attitudes Focus態度重點
Kingston believes that it is important that students develop positive attitudes towards people, the environment and learning. Students’ demonstration of the following attitudes were assessed: 在京斯敦我們深信技巧、概念及知識學習同樣重要。而培養學生對人、對環境及對學習的正面態度也是不容忽視的。				熟練Achieved	鞏固Consolidating	漸見顯露Emerging	暫未顯露Not Evident
Independence: The student is able to think and act independently to make informed choices throughout our unit. 獨立性-在本單元中，學生們能獨立地思考和行動以作出明智的選擇。
Cooperation:  The students is able to work cooperatively with others in order to make group decisions 合作-學生們能與他人合作以作出集體決定。

Language Focus 語言學習重點的評估 – English 英語
Language is taught and assessed across three strands: Talking and Listening, Reading and Writing. Each Unit of Inquiry focuses on a specific text type which supports the students’ inquiry. For this Unit of Inquiry we focused on the text type: Discussion	熟練Achieved	鞏固Consolidating	漸見顯露Emerging	暫未顯露Not Evident
Talking and Listening - The student is able to:
Identify main ideas presented in oral discussion
Contribute to class discussion on familiar topics
Express a personal point of view
Listen to the point of view of another in class discussion on more varied topics.
Reading - The student is able to:
Recognise and describe the purpose and organisational structure of a written discussion
Identify the topic of a simple discussion text
Retell ideas from a discussion text for beginning readers; comments on things learned or asks questions raised by reading
Begin to recognise point of view, and say what the writer might think.
Writing - The student is able to:
Write some of the different purposes for which people write discussions
Use organisational structure of discussion
State the topic and point/s being considered at the beginning of writing a discussion
Write comments and opinions
Write at least one for and against, good and bad statement as a discussion.

Language Focus 語言學習重點的評估- Chinese 中文
Each unit of inquiry has a specific language focus. For this unit of inquiry, students were assessed in: 在此單元中，學生已掌握以下的語言學習重點。包括：	熟練Achieved	鞏固Consolidating	漸見顯露Emerging	暫未顯露Not Evident
說話：學生能根據健康餐單，陳述自己所作出的選擇。 Speaking: The student is able to explain their choices for their healthy menus.
寫作：學生能設計出健康的餐單。 Writing: The student is able to design healthy menus.·

Mathematics Focus 數學學習重點的評估
The Mathematics specific areas of focus supporting this Unit of Inquiry were: Time, Chance and Money Below are the specific indicators that relate to Mathematics studied during this Unit of Inquiry.	熟練Achieved	鞏固Consolidating	漸見顯露Emerging	暫未顯露Not Evident
Money: – The student is able to:
Name and order a collection of notes or coins according to face value up to $1000
Chance: – The student is able to:
Use the language of chance (e.g. ‘will happen’, ‘might happen’, ‘might not happen’) to describe everyday events
Describe the element of chance in familiar activities e.g. ‘I might play with my friend after school today.’
Describe familiar events as being possible or impossible
Compare two familiar events and explains which is more likely to happen

3. Monitoring the plan: How to use this Rubric to monitor and feedback?  Well, How to use it for assessment? I will explanation here.

Project Based Assessment

After each Unit of Inquiry, a Unit Based Assessment is sent home to keep you up to date with your child’s understandings based on the recent Unit of Inquiry. These Unit Based Assessments will give you a summary of the concepts, skills content and attitudes that were a part of your child’s learning during each Unit of Inquiry. This UBA also contains briefs on your child’s development in language and math.

These Assessments are for you to keep. There is no need for you to return them to the school.

How to read Unit Based Assessments

 

The report is divided into sections.  Each section gives you information about specific areas of your child’s learning during the unit of inquiry.

1.          Unit Information – Organizing theme, dates of unit, Central Idea and Key Concepts

2.          Transdisciplinary Skills Focus

3.          Discipline Focus

4.          Attitudes Focus

5.          Language Focus – English

6.          Language Focus – Chinese

7.          Mathematics Focus

Indicators

You will notice each checklist has a set of indicators which reflect your child’s progress.

●     ( A )     Achieved: This means your child has successfully been able to consistently and independently demonstrate the use of these skills or understanding of content.

●     ( C )     Consolidating: This means your child can demonstrate the use of these skills or understanding of content but may need assistance from the teachers.

●     ( E )     Emerging: This means that your child is working towards demonstrating a use of these skills or understanding of content.

●     ( N )     Not Evident: This means your child has not yet shown evidence of the use of these skills or understanding of content.

The main subject Language-English- Chinese and Math will involve in this assessment.

For myself, as a teacher who handle different curriculums, The best part of the IB-PYP assessment is the Attitudes assessment. IB have 12 attitudes, Teacher will have the conference to discuss about how to connect two attitudes into the projects. So in whole year, all 12 attitudes will involves in all projects.

Assessment attitudes is a kind of formative assessment, Because Before the project start, All the students behavior and their committee to the project are all observed and recorded by the teachers and other peer students. 

Assessment attitudes is also a good way to management class, all the students try to show their positive attitudes in the whole project and even have a good personality in their personal life.


4. Feedback: 

The feedback is not only just for this assessment report card. It is Rather than formative in the whole project. For Parents,when parents send and pick up their children to class everyday, they will see from the pictures and students work posted outside of the wall to know the students learning. For students, they will learn with each other how to improve themselves for better projects. For teachers, we also learn from other classes' work to learn new skills.

    The project based learning always have a exhibition and presentation which will invite parents, next classmate and other teachers come. All feedback blanket will leave for the exhibition, it is a good way to do reflection and improve for this and next project.

Otherwise,when the assessment report send back to parents, we will get more formal feedbacks from parents.