Quotations from Connie Moss and Susan Brookhart

From: Advancing Formative Assessment in every Classroom

"Just as a windmill intentionally harness the power of moving air to generate energy, the formative assessment process helps students intentionally harness the workings of their own minds to generate motivation to learn." p. 5

"Propelled by the formative process, students understand and use learning targets, set their own learning goals... and assess their own learning progress. And as students develop into more confident and competent learners, they become motivated to learn, increasingly able to persist during demanding tasks..." p. 5


Three central questions guide the formative assessment process:
1. Where am I going?
2. Where am I now?
3. What strategy can help me get to where I need to go?

This sounds a lot like Personal Mastery...
1. Vision
2. Awareness of one's current reality
3. Taking actions that move us closer to the vision

It sounds like Covey's private victory as well:
1. Begin with the End in mind
2. Be Proactive
3. Putting first things first

"Students are operating in the dark as well (as the teachers). Without the benefit of knowing how to assess and regulate their own learning." p. 9

"Students become self-regulated learners and data-driven decision makers. They learn to gather evidence about their own learning and to use that information to choose from a growing collection of strategies for success." p. 10

to be continued...

Reflective Practice is Missing

Reflective practice is an important discipline- Dr. Korach dedicated one of our whole classes towards this discipline. I remember Dr. Sergiovanni stressing this in our graduate work- we even had assignments to journal through our practicums in undergraduate courses.

So why is it important? What does it take to make time for reflection in our schools? Is it valuable to have students participate in this practice?

In my dissertation we will explore this. Covey, Senge, and Baldrige are all impacting education today and they stress Personal Mastery. Do these systems increase a student's level of Personal Mastery?

Covey developed a Franklin Planner, Baldrige uses data folders, and people like Stiggins and Marzano believe in student-involved recording of formative assessment.

Many great leaders in history write about the power of our thoughts:
"I think therefore, I am."
"As a 'man' thinks in his heart so is he."

What tools are we using in schools to provide opportunity for such thinking to develop? Is there room in the age of accountability for reflection?

LATEST THOUGHTS ON POTENTIAL METHODOLOGY

I could create a student survey that measures Personal Mastery and Covey's Private Victory.

This survey could then be sent to Baldrige, Leader-in-Me, and Traditional Classrooms. I could analyze the results to see if Personal Mastery levels are higher in classrooms where systems are in place that pay attention to Personal Mastery.

After the analysis I could develop interview questions based on the themes that emerged from the survey. I could then identify the sites with the highest levels of Personal Mastery and interview school leaders and teachers there... compile themes and maybe a grounded theory.

I will share this with my advisor then see what happens next...