Making Learning Visible

5 thoughts on “Making Learning Visible”

1. skip

   January 24, 2016 at 8:47 pm

   We do proficiency checks school wide(not sure if that it is something our admin dreamed up or if it is standard) where we HAVE to assess students BEFORE we start a unit (or teach something) and then give the same assessment after to demonstrate student learning.

   For example, we gave a listening assessment on the all of the structures that the Spanish 1 students draw on their cards (CWB). (All students fail – which is tough – but I explain the process and why we are doing it) and then, after we have covered all or most of the cards, we give the same assessment – to show student growth. All three teachers give the same assessments and we analyze the data together.

   We could do the same with reading.

   We also have every student do a free write in September, January and June (not graded in levels 1 and 2) so students can reflect on their progress over 4 years for those that take 4 years.

   just what we have to do
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2. Alisa Shapiro

   January 25, 2016 at 9:14 pm

   Could you bring in a video clip from early/late in the year to show how the discourse grows by leaps and bounds? Perhaps caption it with translation (if nec) and/or notes for the clueless that reflect the comprehension? To me that’s always the most powerful – to observe and behold the level of comprehension during class.

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3. Michael Coxon

   January 26, 2016 at 6:02 am

   I really love this expression, “making learning visible.” I have said something similar, “making TPRS look like school.”

   I use that expression as part of keeping the wolves from hunting down and attacking a CI teacher. The visiblity of language acquisition is a “cover your butt” move that is important to be aware of.

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4. Jim Tripp

   January 26, 2016 at 12:45 pm

   I have always used timed writes, because they are the quickest, easiest, and best-understood (ie by outsiders) way to show productive fluency.

   If this was needed before the kids have had at least 50 hours, not sure what I’d show. Maybe a captioned (2-3 sentences per box) film strip that the kids must illustrate.

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   1. Eric Herman

      January 26, 2016 at 12:55 pm

      Demonstrating comprehension also makes learning “visible.”
      The most beginner students can do this a la TPR.

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