Click this link if my PDF doesn't show up below.   1984 Project


a) I would describe this assessment as a research project.

b) The purpose of this assessment is to show connections from the novel 1984 to the real world in terms of privacy and freedom.

c) This assessment aligns with the standards of research, documentation, finding reliable sources, creating digital project, presenting to the class, formal writing, and connecting a novel to the real world.

d) The information this assessment will give me is:

       1. Did the student read and understand the difference concepts of freedom and privacy in the book 1984
       2. Did the student make real world connections in regards to freedom and privacy?
       3. Did the student find reliable sources when researching the real world component of this assignment?
       4. Was the student able to create a digital project that incorporated all the elements of the project
       5. Was the student able to communicate to an audience what he/she researched with different connections to the novel 1984

e) How do I intend to use the information provided by this assessment?

I will use the information to make sure students understood the novel 1984 and then make competent connections to the real world.  I also will use this information to make sure students are utilizing reliable sources in order to create the final project.  The final project will give me information on how students use the research in conjunction to the novel and how they put it all together for an audience.
 
f) What assumptions have I made about whether this assessment will, in fact, give me the information I need about the students who do it?

     1. First assumption is that students have read and understood the novel.
     2. Next assumption is that students can make connections from the book to the real world connection.
     3. Next assumption is that students can create a multi-media project incorporating the novel and the research.
     4. Another assumption is that students have the technology skills to create such a project.
     5. Another assumption is that students can make decisions if a source is reliable or not.

g) What skills have I assumed students have that will enable them to complete this assignment?
     1. Comprehension skills
     2. Able to make connections
     3. Research skills
     4. Technology skills in either Prezi, Powerpoint, or other 2.0 presentations  

h) For whom would this assessment prove difficult? Why?

I think this project would be hard for special education students or ELA students.  1984 is a difficult book to read and fully understand.  So if I have a student who has difficult reading this is the first hurdle a student would have.  The next hurdle is the research aspect.  I want students to look at articles from Google Scholar so again if a student has difficulty reading these articles could be difficult to understand and then make a connection. I think the next step that would be difficult is putting all the information in a multi-media project.  Students have to make the connections and then find evidence from the book and the research and this might be difficult for Sped or ELA students.


i) Based on my readings this week, are there ways that I can imagine re-designing this assessment so that it's better in some way? Explain your rationale and justification for your re-design idea(s).

I think there are a couple of ways I can redesign this assessment. I think making this project multi-media is better than writing a paper about the information.  I also want students to present this information to classmates and adults to give them an authentic audience.  I think a peer review of the project would help students "see" what they have missed or find better connections to the research and the novel. It would kind of be like a peer edit in a paper assignment. I find that a lot of times peers can help with the visual aspects and connections in a project where actually peer editing a paper is a bit more tedious.  In the readings I have done it says that peer review is essential and helpful to the student who is creating the assignment.  I would also add a self-evaluation at the end of the project.  I think this would be a good self reflection piece for the student. This project takes a lot of time and I think students do need to self-reflect on the entire process of the project.   I also read that if students self-evaluate they will become more vested in the process and the outcome of the project.  I think it would be good for students to really reflect on the project and what they learned and how they can use the skills in the future.

Synthesis Précis of Two Articles

This is a link to my Synthesis Précis of Two Articles.  The two articles I chose to write about are: "Inside the Black Box Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment" by Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam and "The Role of Assessment in a Learning Culture" by Lorrie A. Sheppard.

link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CwQZZ28GZbRmD0KYvkWccFrXMe5CDYI8mTaD5gCStHE/edit?usp=sharing