Alan Weintraut offered practical advice to journalism teachers regarding assessment and grading Thursday afternoon. He suggested that as journalism teachers, we are coaches, and we should give feedback the same way a coach would: immediately. He focused on formative assessment and the benefits that approach can offer journalism students.
It was refreshing to hear practical, journalism-specific assessment information. All of the assessment training I've received focused on core subjects, and I've found it difficult to translate that to my journalism and publication classes. I struggle most in the area of assessment, and I haven't yet found an approach with which I'm comfortable. Weintraut's advice to keep all assignments related to the publication was such a huge relief, and I'm sure my students will appreciate it. Improving my assessment methods will no doubt improve my courses. I am excited to offer a class that will allow students to learn through practical experience rather than distracting assignments.
I also liked the idea of hosting skill-building sessions post-publication. It offers students an opportunity to relate skills to previous work, and it gives them a much-needed break from the pressures of publication. This will also offer a clean, consistent course schedule that will take a lot of pressure off me when it comes to planning.
Lynsie Brenner
Putnam City North High School
Oklahoma City, Okla.
This was a very useful session for me also, since I will be moving the newspaper from club to class this year. Setting expectations and then holding students to those expectations will be the key, and all of the rubrics will help with ideas for how I will set things up.
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