John Dewey said, “We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.” With that in mind, we should consider how to further engage students in reflective self-assessment. Rubrics can help in that process.
In the book Classroom Assessment Essentials, author Susan M. Brookhart discsusses how to involve students in self-assessment using rubrics. Brookhart provides the following three questions to help students guide their thinking (pp. 109-111):
- Where am I going? Rubrics help define the learning goals. Students should be encouraged to review the rubric and ask clarifying questions. To further increase their understanding, students should be asked to restate the rubric in their own words. Encourage them to separate their own work samples by rubric categories, so that they better understand what is expected from each rubric level.
- Where am I now? During the instructional period and the work product creation period, build in breaks for reflective self-assessment. Have students match their current work to the rubric categories. Encourage them to share their feedback with you or with peers. Create opportunities for peer-review, as well. These types of activities during the learning process will help students learn even more.
- Where to next? As students near the end of the work product creation period, have them use more formal reflective self-assessment or peer-assessment practices. Have students develop self-tracking mechanisms that will help them collect data regarding their learning. Help students use what they have learned as a springboard into their next learning task.
As you prepare for next week, think of ways that you can further engage students in reflective self-assessment. You and your students will be glad you did!
Phil Harrison Coaching 