Which Rung is Broken?

Assessing My Learning
EQ: What is your current status in learning this new information or skill?
What learning tactics did you use?
If you need to adjust your learning tactics in order to be successful, what can you do?
“Clear”	“Bugs on my windshield”	“Muddy”
My understanding of _______________________is_______________________.
________I am firm and do not need to adjust my learning tactics right now.
________I need to adjust my learning tactics.

Another critical dimension to understanding effort is to teach students to assess their own level of understanding. As we all know, monitoring comprehension of text is essential or one can finish “reading” an entire passage and remember nothing that was read. I transferred this reality to all of my lessons and connected it to the learning tactics.

To facilitate the ability to assess understanding, I use a windshield metaphor. When one is driving a car, one needs a clear windshield in order to safely monitor the conditions and reach one’s destination without problems. Clear windshields have no obstacles that obstruct the view of the driver. A buggy windshield, on the other hand, forces the driver to try to see around the splatter. This obstructs vision and may cause problems. Finally, mud on the windshield makes it impossible to drive and see where one is heading. And so, my students use these terms to articulate their level of understanding. (Brimijoin, 2002)

This personal assessment occurs not only at the end of the lessons but also strategically throughout as we progress through the lesson. Once again, prior to teaching, it is essential to examine one’s own thought processes necessary for successfully completing a task. Once the bodies of knowledge or skills are identified, one can plan where to stop and check with students concerning their levels or understanding. Each of my students has a small white board in the shape of a ping pong paddle. I call them “show me paddles.” Students indicate to me whether they are clear, buggy or muddy by writing it on their paddle and holding it privately in front of their chest. I note the levels and devise a time (usually immediately when others are doing independent practice) to meet with those who are not clear.

It is important to note that students who are clear are required to tell me how they know that they are clear. I will ask them to write a response, solve a quick problem or demonstrate in some way that they can successfully complete the part of the task that we just finished. My mantra becomes “How do you know that you are clear?”

It is also critical at this time to refer to the learning tactics checklist. Again, I question the students who are clear, buggy or muddy. What learning tactics did you use? Do you believe the learning tactics helped you to understand? If you are buggy or muddy, which learning tactics can you add as you continue to attempt to understand?

After weeks of having student assess their levels of understanding upon request, my students now do this automatically without prompting. One day, Hector approached me to say, “Mrs. Granger, I have bugs!” Although the remark was comical, I was so pleased that this at -risk student, who previously never asked for help, came to express that he needed my assistance!

To summarize, research shows that “a belief on the part of students that they do not possess the necessary ability to succeed at a task might cause them to sabotage their own success.” (Covington, 1983, 1985).

In order for students to pull their hands out of their pockets and climb up the ladder, we need to help them understand that the climb can be made with effort. And the effort to climb each rung will move them onward and upward towards success.

To view two of my students talking about their learning tactics, one can visit these links on photobucket.
Amelia
Chelse

Deborah Granger
April 9, 2009

» More Gazette articles...