.....a student comment from a formative assessment last week

I Know It Is Hard to Learn

The formative assessment was all about carbon based molecules, the stuff that living things are composed of: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids.

So, I framed the learning activities around a number of self-produced screencasts, their textbook and a 'worksheet' that gave them practice in identifying, classifying, organizing, molecularizing and a whole bunch of other -izings.

I ran around the room answering questions and asking questions and questioning the questioners, for a few days.

Then I handed them the formative assessment. So, the formative assessment is just practice. It doesn't effect their grade. Hopefully, it gives them some information....about what they know or what they don't know.

This was one of the comments.

I think it is telling for a number of reasons. They were responsible for the learning: they had the MN Science Standard in front of them daily, they had resources, I wasn't lecturing.

....and this student reports it was difficult. I think that is kind of cool. The student realized that learning can be hard. Not that he was bored, not that she was incapable, not that they were unable to learn. Read the comment again, "trying to learn this by myself was difficult". 

I addressed this comment in front of the whole class.  Heck, I took the picture and threw it out on Twitter.

"....by myself...." Yes, all learning has to come to us with our own efforts. This student jammed that home to me, but also it is apparent that he or she felt isolated. In the time students were working, they were not working alone, they formed groups to share info about the macromolecules packet, they discussed the screencasts and occasionally called on me for help to clarify thoughts.

I think that comment is the good news.

.....another take on the assessment

What tale does this comment have for the assessment or class in general? I assured little Ignatius that dumb was perhaps the wrong choice of words.

More like, you haven't yet learned enough about carbon chemistry to get a 3 on a SBG assessment. 

I've moved a lot of mountains this fall, away from grades and the A-F mentality. They rejoice if they move from a 3 to a 4 and pretty much yahoo if a score of 4 is awarded for the first effort. 

But, Ignats sat there feeling 'dumb'. He was still measuring himself against the A-F world....not the world of learning and making progress. In the note....."I'll ace the retake", there is hope. I know that little Ignatius feels that way and has made improvement of his learning against the standard of macromolecules knowledge.