Heather Schilling
Edtec 685
R-Grade Rubric
Web-based Reading Activity
Assignment:
Create a web-based reading activity based on a science-related children’s book. Provide a brief (5 – 7 sentences) description of the book as well as a brief (5-7 sentences) biography of the author. Include links to his/her web site if available. Create a list of materials needed prior to beginning the online activity. Design 2 pre-reading, 2 during reading, and 2 post-reading activities that support the content of the book. One of each of the activities in each section should include links to other resources. Finally, include a rubric that students can print off to check themselves as they work through the online-reading activity.
Rationale:
Because science is often overlooked in elementary classrooms, this assignment helps future teachers develop an activity that can be used as an instructional tool or as an enrichment tool in their classroom. Using technology in the three modes of reading (pre-reading, during reading, and post-reading) will help motivate students as well as potentially help with classroom management if it is used as a supplemental piece for students who finish early with other material. The rubric provided with the assignment is linked not only to INTASC standards, but to NETS standards as well. This means that the assignment makes sure the pre-service teachers are meeting standards that indicate they can implement teaching strategies as well as technology.
As Edward Roeber writes in his article “Instructional and Assessment Systems of Successful Schools,” successful schools expect successful students. They do not lower their standards and expect less; instead, they expect a great deal from their students. In this manner, I expect quality web-based activities that not only cover the three stages of the reading process, but implement science ideas as well. Many of my students have never created a web page before; therefore, it requires a great deal of support from me as their professor as well as the technology support people on our campus. However, because they have the rubric prior to the assignment, many of their fears are relieved. I also show samples from previous years, thus they have a visual representation of what to expect. Providing students with the form of assessment prior to the actual grading, it will enable my own students to achieve high success. Furthermore, the rubric allows me to analyze the data once the projects are graded, giving me important feedback regarding my instruction and the students’ performance levels. I can quickly determine if I need to reteach a concept related to the web-design activity.
Theoretically, because I have linked the rubric with INTASC principles, I can have the same information ultimately determined by the PRAXIS II, the standardized test pre-service teachers are required to take in order to receive a license. Rick Stiggins indicates in his article “New Assessment Beliefs for a New School Mission” that we need to make a shift from a complete focus on standardized tests as a means to measure student success to a variety of assessments. Using rubrics such as the one designed using R-grade does just that.
Student Samples:
http://users.manchester.edu/Student/MAGallmeyer/WolfDiary/index.htm
This site takes children into the interesting world of wolves.
http://users.manchester.edu/Student/KRHarvey/BeeTree/index.htm
These students have created an interactive site for Patricia Polacco’s Bee Tree.
http://users.manchester.edu/Student/AHayward/Pollution/index.htm
Come see how the Bernstein Bears help end pollution.