Writing And Assessment

As teachers of writing we need to continuously refine and improve the work of our students. We want student writers to perform with understanding . We must therefore record evidence of student growth against learning goals we have identified in consultation with said students.

The following questions (slightly modified) come from the Victorian Education Department's E5 document and deal specifically with evaluation. When applied to the teaching of writing they certainly act as a stimulus for effective teaching and assessment.

• How can I ensure that my judgements about student work are consistent with those of my colleagues?
• What evidence would I provide that demonstrates how I assist students to reflect on their learning as writers?
• How can I assist students to identify their future learning goals?
• How can I improve the quality of the writing lessons I design for students?
• What evidence would I provide that demonstrated the fairness and consistency of my assessment methods?

Student Reflection:

Linda Darling Hammond reminds us that asking students to reflect on their own performance serves both cognitive and motivational purposes. it also increases student responsibiity for their own learning.  We can support young writers to reflect on their learning by asking questions such as the following;

• Why is this important?
• How well do I do it?
• How can I improve?