Thus far the first few chapters of The Art of Possibility have been quite interesting. The authors begin with discussing a person’s perceptions. The authors mentioned that we perceive only the sensations we are programmed to receive (Zander & Zander, p. 10). The authors go on to discuss that we are restricted to recognize those for which we have mental maps or categories (p. 11). We have created a world that makes sense to us through our on perceptions. Along with cultural differences interpretations of the world vary from individual to individual or from group to group (p. 13). Our lives constructed through a series of events and memories, which ultimately shape who we are or become. This leads us into the next chapter, Stepping into the Universe of Possibility.
In the chapter Stepping into the Universe of Possibility the authors mention that we grow up in a world of measurement. This is where we get to know things by measuring them, contrasting and comparing them (p. 18). In this world you set a goal and strive for it.
Giving an A is the third chapter in The Art of Possibility. It begins by discussing that in the University of the California a leadership course was given to 50 of the most prominent students of the 27,000-student population. The professors gave a third of letters grades, a’s, b’s and c’s. It seems that we as educators tend to give students grades as a means to compare them to others in their classroom. The book quoted a saying by Michelangelo that inside every block of stone or marbles dwells a beautiful statue; one need only remove the excess material to reveal the work of art within. I agree with the writers when they said that if we were to apply Michelangelo’s visionary concept to education, it would be pointless to compare one child to another (p. 26).
It seems that we often are caught up with not only how much information a student has retained, but if are students are doing what we are telling them. Often times this leads us away from truly acknowledging the different gifts students may possess. The Art of Possibility has begun to show exactly that... what if?
Zander, R., & Zander, B. (2000). The art of possibility. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press
Tamara,
ReplyDeleteThe last paragraph of your blog post really grabbed me. I think you're absolutely right in suggesting that often times our assessments are based on whether or not the student is doing what we have told them.
Personally, assessment has always been a challenging aspect of the classroom. Early on in my teaching career, I would have to confess that much of analysis of student work was only slightly more sophisticated than "arbitrary".
And, while today I feel much more confident and consistent in my grading (armed with a bevy of rubrics and assessment tools), I still often find my self frustrated by certain student papers thinking, "That's not exactly what I wanted you to say in the essay". This is a challenge. We are grading based on our own personal perspectives and world views. This point of view doesn't necessarily account for the broader holistic learning that a student might experience.
I too am encouraged and inspired by our new text. I'm discovering that assessments should be diversified and broadened to allow students the opportunity to share and, per an earlier post on my blog, "re-present" what they have learned.
Well done.
@Tamara,
ReplyDeleteAs a math teacher, there is a right answer and a wrong answer. There is a 1 or a 0. To help a student to develop themselves and to apply what they have learned to a real-life application, we have introduced, "show me the work."
We grade students on "have they followed the steps." If the students present work displaying the same steps we introduced, we assume that they have learned and understood the material. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, that is not enough. Questions will be twisted and turned to make sure the student understands on how to apply various methods to answer one question.
As a math teacher, we need to find a unique way to teach instead of following directions. We can not give a grade because they obeyed. Chapter 3 caused me to question on how should I grade. How can I present to a student that they are being rewarded on their efforts?
You made some good comments which should make all educators question how they assess.
Tamara, I so agree with you when you talked about student's potential. We look at test data and overlook what the students possibilities are. Each student brings something new to the class and can offer a different perspective as long as we realize children are more than just the grade they receive on a paper. We have worked with rubrics last year but really plan to allow them to serve a greater purpose this year by allowing for creativity.
ReplyDeleteTamara:
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you have said. What we have read was very attention getting. When I looked at the class I took over for another professor, I seen a lot of what the authors were talking about in the last chapter. I am teaching math to adult learners who have returned to college. Many of these students are completely turned off by the idea of math. They became afraid of math in elementary school, it followed them through high school and haunts them today. When math is explained to them in their terms and with out the idea that there is only one way to do it, many of them say this is too easy, what is the catch.