Food for Thought: Mastery not grades

Dear all,

Another good week at ISHCMC in the classrooms. I just wanted to let you know I have been very impressed so far this year during my visits to classrooms with the high quality of teaching that I have observed across the school. In particular I am very pleased to see authentic and applicable learning taking place; the release of learning to students; activities that encourage students to uncover learning rather than just cover it; and lastly the level of engagement of students with their work. I am not alone in feeling this and have had comments from all our recent professional development consultants who have been working with you on your classrooms that support mine and SLTA's feelings. Well done everyone, and if we continue to collaborate and learn from each other I can see our classroom pedagogy getting better and better.

This week's Food for Thought focuses on our classroom and how we should use assessment. The first by Salman Khan, of Khan Academy fame, looks at mastery and mindset. This is important for us because in our mission engagement is emphasized and this depends upon students being motivated in our classes, and as I have talked about in previous posts a key factor in this is mastery. He raises important questions about how our schools are structured and like Sir Ken Robinson points out that this in very much an age based factory model not one based on academic mastery. Once on this conveyor belt students move forward not based on mastery of material but on artificial time restraints created by us as teachers and schools. Salman Khan paints a picture of classrooms that provide individualized learning for their students, are supported by blended learning and help students practice to be resilient and gain mastery. At the end of his 10 minute talk he refers to the future model of our changed society, a model you have heard me talk about and share with parents many times, a world that today needs creators, innovators, entrepreneurs and researchers. He argues that through mastery based education a change in society becomes possible.

The second article i am sharing, student centered formative assessment, will help provide tools that can be used in your classroom that will help support some of the possible learning from Salman Khan's video. When you click on the above link it will take you to Common Sense Media and you should watch the introductory 2 minute tip video that provides ideas about how we can, using apps, make our assessment more formative for our students. The site then provides a long list of apps that you can explore. Of course some of you are already familiar with many of these. This may not immediately create the Mastery that Salman Khan talks about but it should give you the data to decide whether your students have learned what you think they have learned, information about whether it is time to move on, increased feedback about your teaching and what are you students goals are for the future.

Have a good Sunday,

See you tomorrow,
Yours
Adrian