Oh right...then there's the Standards!

With all the busy, creative, interest-based learning happening in 'theONE6' I am inclined to 'forget' that we have these things called 'standards' which we HAVE to report on!

Yesterday we had a discussion about 'the standards'....what ARE they? Why do we have them? Who 'makes them up? What might they 'look like' and 'sound like' in a classroom?

Here is a small part of our initial discussion...

It is interesting that many see the purpose of being 'at' will result in a 'good' job...what is a 'good' job... one that makes you 'lots of money'! This discussion could have gone on for a LONG time... 

It was also good to hear someone bring up 'but we all have different strengths and learn at different paces'... so we had a short discussion about what difference this makes when we as teachers HAVE to make judgements about a 'set of criteria' like the Standards! Again the conversation was thoughtful and could have continued....but I needed them to start 'unpacking' these READING standards today so they could begin to learn what it is they should be looking for in their work.

I suggested they approach the task by asking this question of themselves...

I AM WRITING MY OWN OWN REPORT ABOUT MY READING. I NEED TO FIND EVIDENCE THAT I CAN DO THESE THINGS... WHAT WILL I BE LOOKING FOR?

So the students went around...in pairs/groups... however they felt comfortable...and added a sticky note under the STANDARD ... telling me what they would be looking for, for each particular one.

I WAS IMPRESSED... The language they were using showed that many have learnt by default what sort of evidence they need to have to be able to make a judgement about themselves.

Here are the photos of their initial ideas...will be asking that they add to these as the year progresses.