Assessment Resources - Part 1

The following series of posts is an outline of what I've learned in our assessment class. It's outlined by sections in the Growing Success guideline and ties together several resources from around the web. In addition, it includes a personal reflection on what I need to improve in order to better integrate these practices into my classroom. 

Learning Skills and Work Habits (Chapter 2)

The learning skills and work habits are defined by Growing Success (page 11) as: 

• responsibility; 
• organization; 
• independent work; 
• collaboration; 
• initiative; and 
• self regulation. 

Several other resources expand on why those are so crucial in the work force/in society in general. For example, the Conference Board of Canada outlines the employability skills which are strikingly similar to (but more expanded than) the skills outlined in Growing Success. Similarly, the Ontario Ministry of Education describes the Essential Skills - again a more expanded version of the learning skills and work habits defined in Growing Success. 

School boards have created support documents to dictate how they will be implementing the learning skills and work habits outlined by Growing Success. For example, the HWDSB has created a brief 'directive' document to ensure consistency between schools. 

My own personal goal is to find a way to intertwine these skills with the curriculum in a cohesive and natural way. I plan on achieving this by creating an anchor chart of the skills at the beginning of the year and have students go through the importance of each (jigsaw and/or discussion). Then, if student’s are/are not exhibiting those skills point it out to them. This will be appropriate in the J/I grades especially.