Breakout session presentation for the TCEA Area 7 Conference. White Oak, Texas. 8 June 2012. A project based learning approach to a major problem with assessment: Does assigning numeric grades to student work accurately measure what they have learned? This workshop showcases a practical and powerful model to address this issue. A concrete step-by-step overview of how teachers can leverage tools like flickr, Google Docs, blogs, SlideShare.net and the Internet to develop "expert voices" and foster creativity in their students. The model shown, applied to a math classroom, can be easily transferred across domains and disciplines. We also look at a new spin on assessment and how to involve students deeply in the design of assessment rubrics. The main thrust of this presentation centres around developing an assessment task that genuinely allows students to demonstrate the limits of what they have learned through an extended project integrated throughout the full length of a course of study.

1. Darren Kuropatwa
TCEA Area 7 Conference
White Oak, Texas
8 June 2012

2. http://j.mp/DarrenTCEA7

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Horse and cart / Christian Guthier / CC BY-NC-SA

4. Asking "Does using a wiki improve learning?"
is like asking "Does using a pencil improve writing?"
High School Sucks / Bekah / CC BY-NC 2.0

5. Practice 7: Allow new evidence of
achievement to replace old evidence.
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6. How will you make the assignment talk back?
David Warlick
Girl Talk by flickr user ThisIsIt2
http://flickr.com/photos/e06158/2272739708/

8. The problem is ...
what do grade s mean?

9. It started with a terse comment ...

10. It started with a terse comment ...

11. It started with a terse comment ...
Professor of Mathematics

12. It started with a terse comment ...
Professor of Mathematics
Grade 12 Student

13. Student Voices to Expert Voices

14. Multifaceted Assessment
performance task
written tests oral conference

15. What I Was Doing ...
performance task
written tests oral conference

16. Students Learned Best ...
performance task
written tests oral conference

21. Dale’s Cone
of Experience

22. Create Content That Educates

23. Students should
learn what
experts do
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kathika/2532146525/

24. Listen to an Expert Voice ...
who learns in depth ...
The Assignment
Think back on all the things you have learned so far this
semester and create (not copy) four problems that are
representative of what you have learned. Provide annotated
solutions to the problems; they should be annotated well
enough for an interested learner to understand and learn
from you. Your problems should demonstrate the upper limit
of your understanding of the concepts. (I expect more
complex problems from a student with a sophisticated
understanding than from a student with just a basic grasp of
concepts.) You must also include a brief summary reflection
(250 words max) on this process and also a comment on what
you have learned so far.

25. Listen to an Expert Voice ...
who publishes for the world ...

26. Listen to an Expert Voice ...
and the world replies ...

27. The Rubric v1.1

28. The Rubric in !

29. Kids Doing Teacher Training?

30. Kids Doing Teacher Training?

31. Kids Doing Teacher Training?

32. Agent 003.14

33. The Calculus Crusaders

34. Survivor: Calculus Islands

35. Reflections ...
Why did you choose the concepts you did to create your
problem set?
I wanted to make it fun. Calculus is gross, but it doesn't have to be. I
wanted to make problems that people will enjoy reading, and
interesting. As much as possible, I wanted each problem to have a
story. I wanted each problem to be an individual. I also wanted the
problems to be simple. I made up problems out of my comfort zone,
but problems I know I could grasp and learn about.
... to tell stories

36. Reflections ...
How do these problems provide an overview of your best
mathematical understanding of what you have learned so
far?
In the beginning of this project, I did not know what problems I would
come up with. I tried to make them as different from each other as
possible. I did problems that I was not comfortable in solving during the
year so that I could learn to be comfortable with them. I have a much
better understanding now, because I pushed myself as hard as I could to
achieve this goal. The problems provide an overview of my best
mathematical understanding of what I learned, by the variety of
concepts I came up with.
... to push myself

37. Reflections
Did you learn anything from this assignment?
Definitely. Throughout the course I kept telling myself that I've failed
after every test, because I never got the mark that I wanted. I always
told myself I'd do better next time, and now I can finally say I did. I
learned to solve these problems on my own. I learned to work hard for
something I wanted and I truly believe that I got there.
... Yes I can!

38. Reflections
Was it educationally valuable to you? (Be honest with
this. If you got nothing out of this assignment then say
that, but be specific about what you didn't like and offer
a suggestion to improve it in the future)
In the beginning, I totally disagreed with wanting to do this. I thought it
was pointless, but maybe it's because I didn't want to commit to it.
However, now that I'm done, I can honestly say that I'm thankful I did it. I
learned a lot about math, and I learned a lot about myself. Before this
project, I looked forward to being the scribe, because I always felt that
being scribe forced me to learn better, harder. Now I am twice
amazed, because I got to make the problems on my own and I got to
understand it in a different point of view. Anyway, I'm really glad I did it. I
think with all the things that's going on, this was a real good experience.
I spent this weekend focused on this project and I got yelled at by my
parents because I slept late. Anyway, I think it was worth it. I'm happy
with what I've done, and I hope you all enjoy it too =)

39. The Process v1.0

40. their reflections ...

41. The Process v1.1
>>sample problems
>>constant reminders

42. again, their reflections ...

43. The Process v1.2
>>sample problems
>>constant reminders
>>timelines
(Justice & Lawrence 52 sec)

44. and mine ...

45. The Process v1.3
>>sample problems
>>constant reminders
>>timelines
>># problems

47. Reflective comments ...

48. Success ...

49. Educational Parcours

51. thanks

52. Photo Credits
What a Child Sees
http://flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/176785431/
DSC08662
http://www.flickr.com/photos/violetblue/331392404/
Just Do It
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amin_tabrizi/54044141/
Reflect
http://flickr.com/photos/myrtepeert/149231528/
Truth
http://flickr.com/photos/nuudls/177668934/
Video
parkours
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jquXcwooV6A
Taylor Mali on what teachers make
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxsOVK4syxU