Defense of Learning: Portfolios- Day One

Today was the first day of the oral Defense of Learning portfolio presentations.  I had to teach first period and I didn't get quite as many mentors/adults in to sit with groups, however in the end it was ok.  Day one was a success.  

Students came in dressed to impress, some in suits and ties others in dress pants and button downs.  It was clear that they meant business.  All I had given them going into today was the groups they would be presenting in.  They all had to be ready to go.  For the most part, they were.  Only a few students did not have hard copy of their portfolio-- the document that I collected at the end of the period.  All did however have their presentations ready and 14 students presented to panels of peers and adults today, justifying the grade and level of mastery they believe they have demonstrated for the semester.

In groups of 5, they sat around, some choosing to stand in front of their group and began.  Each student had 10 minutes to present their defense and then had an additional 5 minutes of questioning from the panel about their defense.  At the end of the 15 minutes, presenters stepped into the hallway to wait while the panel engaged in discussion of the effectiveness of their defense, looking at the presentation as well as the hard copy portfolio.

As a teacher, moments like this are always a risk.  Trying something new, being the first in my school to toss out numerical grades all together and ask students to rely on feedback alone to evolve and learn.  Risk aside, it is also exciting.  I know that they are growing but to learn it through reflection and analysis has proven to be far more effective than any feedback I could have written on a report card.  Today was an exceptional example of student ownership of learning.  

My principal, Seung was able to come in for part of the presentations today.  As a former English teacher himself, he has a clear understanding of the work and of the steps to move students at this level.  Shortly after his visit he sent out the following emil to the staff: 

Staff,

Today I had the privilege of observing students in the AP Language and Composition presenting their Defense of Learning about their performance of the Mastery Skills they are expected to work on in the class. 

I listened to Colin and Mamadou give their presentation to their peers and articulate their rationale of their level of performance and was privy to Vanaija, Bujar, and Nicholas discussing and evaluating Mamadou's presentation. Needless to say, I was so impressed with the student-led, student driven conversations and discussions that cognitively challenged and engaged every student in the class.... 

This is why we moved to Mastery-based learning and a wonderful example of what students can do when given the opportunity to take control of their learning. 

Congratulations to Meredith and her class on such an impressive display of intellectual discourse. 

It is true.  Last year and throughout the summer when I began to dig deep into Mastery learning, I came to believe that there are no half-measures when it comes to learning this way.  I know that this choice with my AP class, while challenging and far from perfect is on its way.  Tomorrow will be day two of presentations and then I will conference with students on Thursday and Friday to determine final semester grades.  When we come back after the Regents week I will debrief with students to determine what worked, what didn't and how we can make it better for second semester.

Defending Learning: The Big Push

It's Saturday morning and I am sitting in my classroom in Union Square waiting for a little more than half of my AP students to descend on my classroom for three hours of portfolio prep.  I picked up bagels and cream cheese, have fortified myself with an egg and cheese wrap, and my coffee awaits in my travel mug.  I am hoping for an epic morning of work.

I returned to work on Wednesday of this last week after a prolonged illness and unanticipated surgery- not once but twice right after new years.  I had a very different vision for what January was going to look like in my classes, but sometimes our bodies make different choices for us.  I was reminded that I do no good for my students if I am not healthy.  While I have had more challenges than many in the last two years, my students are what bring be back again and again.  While at the end of the day Friday, I was exhausted physically, mentally I was feeling better.

Tuesday will kick off the two-day portfolio extravaganza: AP Language and Composition - Defence of Learning.  I have invited mentors as well as teachers to sit in on panels to hear the oral defense and evaluate student arguments.  This is the FIRST time we are trying this as I continue to push forward with the #TTOG Mastery Learning Pilot at AFSE.  I created THIS DOCUMENT to help guide the panel in their participation and feedback for presenters.  Students have been told that professional attire is required and that no, sneakers don't count.  (Though having been to Facebook offices here in NYC, CS crowd tends to dress down.) "But I only own gym clothes, Miss."  It's time for my kids who are 6 months from senior year to Bare Down and Step-Up.

Thinking good thoughts for today and for next week.  It will be a crazy 4 days- then State Common Core English Exam the week after.  Fingers crossed!

Defending Learning: First Semester Portfolios- Kickoff (or Best Laid Plans...)

Image via HERE

As teachers we always have the best of intentions.  I know I do.  When I began the #ttog grading pilot in September I had lots of big lofty goals about what it would do for student learning and thinking about work in my class (AP Lang).  I don't know that I have had the buy-in that I had hoped for.  My 11th graders have rolled with it, indulging me and my big ideas as I try and wrap my mind and teaching around mastery based learning and going grade-less in high school.

There are a few things that are clear to me as I approach mid year:

1. I need better mechanisms for giving students feedback on their writing.
2. While my year long standards are great- and the rubrics I have designed actually are sound language they don't work in the day to day work for offering feedback and I need to work with students to create more "actionable" language that identifies the skills that go with standards and how to indicate where they are on a spectrum of mastery.
3.  I need to let go of the larger reading and writing goals I may have had (reading a book a month and writing a rhetorical analysis of it) and modify- selecting shorter pieces that are read and analyzed through similar process. 
4. Blogs ARE the way to go.  The work and transparency and access it provides for students has been exciting and inspiring.  When students go back and look at the work they have done this semester, hopefully (!) they will see growth from September.

All said, I have to work within the constraints of the public school system and this means awarding numeric grades at the end of the semester that will go on their semester report card and official transcripts. I created what I call a Defense of Learning (Check it out and let me know what you think!).  It is what AP Lang is all about: demonstrating how to use language to make a rhetorical appeal to a specific audience and persuade them to see things the way you do.  

I may have been overly ambitious- but we will see.

Today will be my first day back since students began the work last week for medical reasons, however I have high hopes and I am excited to see the work they are doing and thinking that is driving their DoL.

To be continued...