#pw8 Allow New Evidence to Replace Old

Image by epSos.de via FlickrConsider throwing out students older grades when they've demonstrated competency in a more recent assessment.

Your drivers license doesn't say anything about how many times you took your drivers test before you passed. Why should student's earlier grades affect their final mark if they've later demonstrated competency?

If the final grade you give a student is a reflection of what they know at the end of a course of study should that mark include data (e.g. grades from earlier assessments) that doesn't reflect their current understanding of the course material?

What impact do you think doing this might have on your students' attitudes towards learning in your class?

Talk this over with your students or a colleague, see what they think. Please share the results of these discussions here or elsewhere.

Tweet, blog, leave a comment here or anywhere and include this tag in it somewhere: #wpedagogy

#pw2 Identify Preconceptions

Image via WikipediaHave your students explicitly identify their prior knowledge or preconceptions related to the things you teach this week. You might use "entry slips" to do this. Give yourself 1000 bonus points if you used technology in some way to do this.

After a week of doing this do you find yourself teaching differently?

Did this have any impact on the questions your students asked?

Were there any changes in the atmosphere (culture) of your classroom?

Tweet, blog, leave a comment here or anywhere and include this tag in it somewhere: #wpedagogue