As I taught writing in my 4th grade placement, assessment became a process of learning rather than a right-or-wrong dichotomy.
I used a daily goal system wherein students set personal goals of what they could feasibly accomplish in a given time period of the lesson. Students were held accountable for reaching (or modifying) these goals. I held individual conferences with students to help them set goals for their writing using a rubric. In many cases I helped students make the connections between the contents of the lessons and their own writing. I explained how they could use their resources to push their writing to a higher level. Seeing concrete strategy in the abstract nature of writing was especially helpful for students. |