Standard 10

Standard 10: Students demonstrate their learning through performance-based assessments and have opportunities to develop self-assessment and self-monitoring skills.

It is always our goal to provide STEAM experiences that help build students’ content knowledge while also building STEAM literacy. When planning PBLs and other learning activities, we try to determine the best performance-based assessment for the particular project. During our learning activities, students have the opportunity to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways. Most often, activity specific checklists and rubrics are utilized to guide students in their projects and allow them to assess themselves throughout the process.

Some problem-based learning units utilize learner’s notebooks such as in the project Home Tweet Home. In this learning experience, third-graders learned about endangered animals. They learned how changes in the environment (fire, pollution, floods, humans), habitat, and seasons affect living things and sometimes lead to extinction. We then focused our learning on endangered birds. Students were presented with the following scenario: A local construction company has purchased acres on wooded land. This land will be developed into a housing development with plans for 100 homes. Due to loss of habitat, local bird species will be forced to relocate. Students were asked to help local ecologists by designing birdhouses to help the local bird populations. They were tasked with researching local birds in the area. We went on learning walks to survey birds in the area and took a field trip to Oak Mountain State Park to learn more about birds. Students reviewed the steps in the engineering design process and used their engineering portfolios to keep track of their research. Students worked in STEAM teams (four students per team) to plan and design birdhouses to attract endangered bird species of their choosing. Each member of the team was given a role. The Principal Investigator read the instructions, led group discussions, and made sure everyone participated. The Recorder/Reporter recorded data on group work and reported group findings to the class. The Time-Keeper monitored the noise level and kept track of time. The Time-Keeper also made sure that each member of the group remained on task. The Material Manager collected needed materials for the group. Each team worked collaboratively within their group to complete the research and performed online simulations to test their birdhouse designs. After successful completion of the online trials, materials were donated and student teams worked with community volunteers to construct their birdhouses. Their learner’s notebooks grew throughout the project and were a great tool for students and teachers to assess student work.

Some grades also make use of portfolios throughout specific projects or the entire school year. Fourth-grade students created student portfolios using various, previously taught technology platforms. The students used these platforms to express creativity and share their learning by creating presentations for the class. By using these tools and creating a portfolio, students can stay focused on and reach their goals. It provides a place to organize their work and creations and helps them take ownership of their learning. The students utilized Google Sites to create the student portfolios. In the 2019-2020 school year, a step-by-step presentation of how to create a website using Google Sites was given to the students. It was displayed on the board and the teacher assisted students as needed, but mostly allowed them to explore and problem solve through productive struggle.

Students used a grading rubric of which they thoroughly reviewed before and during the project.

Students this year took a different approach. The teacher created a sample site for students and as the students complete activities in class, they are given the opportunity to add the activities to their student portfolios. The home page of each student portfolio contains a short auto-biography, the student’s accomplishments, and goals. Each student also shared their interests and future career plans. Each student created a video explaining their goals and their plan to meet those goals. Click here to view a mixtape of their creations. The accomplishments section is a place for students to display the awards they have earned throughout the school year. The awards consist of badges earned for meeting word count goals, passing iReady reading and iReady math lessons, and completing specific skill sets on Xtramath.

During Read Across America Week, students participate in dress-up days. This year, we took advantage of this opportunity and created some ‘Wacky Wednesday’ photo collages. The students learned how to use Remove BG, Google Drive (folders), and Google Slides. Because of social distancing, the students had to get creative to create a ‘wacky’ group picture of the class. The students uploaded individual pictures of their classmates and placed them all on a slide. Then, they edited the backgrounds and arranged the pictures to make a digital group photo. The fourth graders really enjoyed this activity. We anticipate that they will use these platforms again for future presentations in class.

Second-grade students built structures to protect people from rain and extreme temperatures. Before building, they conducted investigations to research and learn about properties of matter. In one investigation, students were asked to create a hat that would protect them from the hot, desert sun. The criteria for the hat was that it had to be soft, have a firm bill, and have the ability to absorb sweat. They tested materials to check for softness, stiffness, and absorbency. In another investigation, students learned about insulation and conducting properties. Students tested materials to see which ones would work best as oven mitts. This investigation helped students understand more about insulation and students began to think about how they could protect themselves from extreme temperatures.

When it was time to create the protective structures, students used the engineering design process. Students began by asking questions about the needs and criteria of the construction. The class decided that cardboard boxes would be good material to use in the design of their houses. Next, students were placed in collaborative groups to start imagining and planning how they would build their structure. Guided by the information obtained during their investigations, students decided on what they would use for their home’s insulation and protection from rain and extreme temperatures. Then, students created their structure. Some groups chose t-shirts, some cotton, and some styrofoam as insulation. They also had to choose the best roof material that would repel the rain. Students knew from their hat investigation that aluminum foil did not absorb water and would be the best choice. They used thermometers to test the houses and the houses were put into the cooler at school. Students found that cotton and styrofoam were the best insulators because they kept the inside of the house slightly warmer than the t-shirt insulation. This led students to the improvement phase of the engineering design process. Based on their findings from their group houses, students worked together as a class to create one new collaborative structure. Everyone had a part in the creation of the class structure. Students had jobs such as architects, designers, and builders to work as a collaborative team. This larger structure was taken to the Talladega County Innovative Showcase. Students received a rubric-based evaluation on the final product and the presentation of their work. Students were given the rubric prior to the creation of their product and the teacher reviewed it for understanding. Students used the rubric throughout to create the final product and prepare for their presentation.

Body Trek Bus came to Childersburg Elementary School from Children's Hospital of Alabama. Inside the bus was a world of science and investigation. Students in grades Pre-K through fourth grade explored the safety of seat belts, the anatomy of the nose, lungs, and eyes, how to protect their bodies from germs, how the brain reacts, and how to keep the brain healthy. These real-world simulations were engaging and memorable for our students. Students took a pre and post-survey about these topics to gauge the effectiveness and learning of these simulations. They also expanded and assessed their learning with a workbook they did about the topics learned on the bus.

Strengths

Students have many opportunities to engage in problem-based learning opportunities. Students are learning the structure of rubric, portfolios, and notebooks and are beginning to more frequently self-assess their work.

Sustainability

We have seen our students grow and become more aware of the quality and validity of their work during their STEAM activities. We expect students to continue to grow as we put additional plans into place.

Opportunities for Improvement

We want to create more opportunities for students to self-assess their work. We plan on incorporating more checklists and rubrics in all PBL and STEAM activities.