I read the book Fair Isn't Always Equal. My take-aways: I need to communicate clearly with my class about how I will be assessing this year and involve them in the conversation. I need to be clear about what I'm looking for (one thing I will do in this regard is start putting the rubrics directly onto my assessments). Specific things I liked from the book: RAFT model for DI and tiering, Including questions on each test about "What did you think would be asked on this test but was not?" and "How would you answer that question?", doing away with group grades (actually all of chapter 9), and helpful tips on criteria for re-doing work.
I also read The Art of Changing the Brain. The "just balance" reading at the beginning of the summer resonated with me and I have been paying attention to that since. My other take-aways: we have to recognize that all new knowledge grows upon prior knowledge. "Untangling" involved changing concrete, neuronal networks. Two important tools in doing this are repetition and metaphors. I personally love metaphors and analogies and apply them frequently in my classes. Reflection is accomplished through images and language (and we need to be cautious not to over-rely on language). Feelings matter! Finally, when I read about the sensory inputs to our brains, I thought it would be an interesting experiment to have students document that for one of my classes. How much of that input connects for them?
I also read The Art of Changing the Brain. The "just balance" reading at the beginning of the summer resonated with me and I have been paying attention to that since. My other take-aways: we have to recognize that all new knowledge grows upon prior knowledge. "Untangling" involved changing concrete, neuronal networks. Two important tools in doing this are repetition and metaphors. I personally love metaphors and analogies and apply them frequently in my classes. Reflection is accomplished through images and language (and we need to be cautious not to over-rely on language). Feelings matter! Finally, when I read about the sensory inputs to our brains, I thought it would be an interesting experiment to have students document that for one of my classes. How much of that input connects for them?