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等级、目标和小组项目:海德罗伊斯的转移评估
Studying for finals. Waiting for SAT scores. Worrying about AP exams. 对大多数学生来说,这些都是容易引起焦虑的活动,也是表明他们已经做好准备的指标, their intelligence, their capacity for learning. But do they really? Does cramming, memorizing, 或者练习事实反映了“真正的”学习——当学生深刻理解一个主题时,这种学习是可见的?

正如我们的战略计划目标所证明的那样,我们在海德罗伊斯认真对待这些问题. 这就是为什么我们正在重新审视我们的评估理念,完善我们的路线图,以确保我们的课程澳门新葡京博彩为中心, and provides opportunities for real-world problem solving, creative thinking, and intellectual engagement.

For many years, testing standards such as those mentioned above, 已经被吹捧为他们展示卓越的能力——不仅仅是在学生身上, but also in the schools that prepare them. 然而,这些高风险的评估本身正越来越多地受到考验. Assessment-based learning is shifting throughout the K–12 system, and it is to the benefit of students. 

Many factors are driving the need for change. For high school students, 它的根源在于坐着的时间,即课堂作业和家庭作业的时间与所学的知识相等. Further, the notion of “teaching to the test,用严格的考试课程和备考来取代教学时间, 把更多的价值放在测试结果上,而不是课堂教学上. But more broadly, 总结性评估侧重于所有年龄段的学生死记硬背的学习,而不是有意义地参与复杂的挑战.

So, how do we change? 

Where one-time final exams and AP tests were once the norm, 全国各地的学校都开始看到频繁的形成性评估的价值——包括退学单, polls, self-evaluations, games, 以及低风险的测验——收集每个学生的定期反馈,并收集教师可以用来制定教学计划的数据. 

More radical concepts, 比如精通成绩单——证明某项能力的成就, through collaborative projects, social-emotional learning, and real-world application, 通过评估一个单一的数字(i.e., GPA)—are also gaining momentum. While the idea is not ubiquitous, it is growing in popularity among secondary schools and colleges; Harvard, Georgetown, CalTech, 和其他一些著名学府都是根据精通成绩单录取学生的.

Notably, 评估的转变是澳门新葡京博彩全面发展学生——教他们运用推理技巧和合作解决问题. And nowhere is that more apparent than at Head-Royce, 我们的战略计划将我们的K-12课程重点放在能力上, such as critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity, and cultural capability. 

In the Lower School, where students share family history, create self-portraits, and discuss their identities, 基于项目的体验一直是课程的主要宗旨, and qualitative vs. quantitative feedback has long been a norm. Throughout their time in elementary school, 随着学生获得知识和技能,他们会接触到更加复杂的学术概念, such as independence, constructive feedback, self-expression, empathy, and collaborative storytelling. 

Or consider 7th grade science, 大流行让教师有机会重新思考他们的评分方法,并将“精通成绩单”的一些原则付诸实践. Based on mastering competencies—such as embracing challenge, visual representation, data analysis, 甚至成长和发展——学生们被鼓励获得熟练程度,而不是获得一个特定的字母等级. 每个季度专注于四到五项能力,让对话从“我要做什么才能得到90% ??到“我如何发展和展示我的比例推理技能来解决这个问题??“这个问题的深度证明了这种学习方式的意义. Veteran science teacher Kristin Dwelley, who is celebrating 25 years at Head-Royce this year says, “I’ve never had 7th graders that are so interested in revising, getting feedback, and taking on more work to do things better!”

By building courses that offer experiential learning, students are able to solve real-world problems in real-world ways. Take History 10, where students use standard skills, like doing research, conducting interviews, and finding sources, 然后把这些信息放在一起——而不是在传统的文章中, but rather in a web page, 这让他们有机会使用图像和讲故事来传达他们的知识. While useful in this context, 培养这些技能也是为他们未来的职业生涯做准备的一种有意义的方式.

最好的例子之一是我们10年级学生每年参加的全球在线学院(GOA)变革催化剂会议. 这门课程的核心部分为历史系学生提供了一个探讨现代美国问题的机会, analyze the root causes, address the historical underpinnings, 并将他们的学习成果整合到一个相关且及时的研究项目中. 这些顶点项目——通常为社区变革提供有意义的途径——在公众中共享, online forum and receive actionable feedback. And awards. Over the past few years, 许多Head-Royce GOA学生项目获得了全国范围的认可. Addressing issues such as poverty, police brutality, anti-vax movements, and other current day societal issues, HRS的学生批判性地思考并有力地表达他们的观点.

Experiential learning is not limited to the humanities. 最近在海德罗伊斯大学的微积分课上,学生们根据对非白人男性数学家的研究和采访制作了播客, while also covering the curriculum. 这门课能帮他们准备AP考试或大学水平的微积分吗? Absolutely. 但这个播客将是学生们永远不会忘记的经历,因为它让他们在探索自己兴趣的同时,看到了微积分在现实世界中的应用, addressing the problems they’d like to solve, and applying unique solutions.

所有这些并不是说传统的评估没有任何价值. 测验和考试可以帮助老师了解学生理解了什么以及他们还需要学习什么. 但在海德罗伊斯,我们不相信一种放之四海而皆准的评估方法. 重新思考我们的评估实践使我们能够使我们的教学实践与多样化保持一致, individual needs of each student.