The Alexandria Country Day Middle School students met with their parents last week to review their learning from the year. In preparation for the conferences, the 5th-grade students were given the following questions about our Portrait of a Graduate dispositions. The students spent time thinking about their learning and responding to the questions. Their teachers, Ms. Cook and Ms. Weaver arranged sessions for each student to practice with an adult in preparation for meeting with their parents. This was an excellent way to build on the scaffolding they already had in place with the questions listed below. The students typed up their responses to the questions and met with their teachers for feedback as they prepared for the conferences.
The 6th, 7th, and 8th graders create folios through our Haiku LMS. I wrote about our eFolio system in February, where a link is provided to notes and a draft version of the template used within Haiku. It can provide ideas for others reviewing their eFolio and student-led conference programs. We will soon be meeting at ACDS to do our review of these student reflection and goal-setting strategies.
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Independent Learner: Use three pieces of evidence from your work this year to describe how you have grown as an independent learner.
You should think about the following:
- How did you solve problems or figure things out on your own?
- How did you advocate for yourself if you needed something?
- How did you organize yourself?
- How did you motivate yourself?
Your response should include:
At least one entire paragraph. Consider using three (one for each piece of evidence.) Work from more than one class. Work from more than one trimester.
Look to reflect further on your strengths, weaknesses, and growth in this area.
Communicator: Use three pieces of evidence from your work this year to describe how you have grown as a communicator.
You should think about the following:
- How have you communicated your learning this year?
- How do you prefer to communicate your learning?
- How was your message received?
Your response should include:
At least one entire paragraph. Consider using three (one for each piece of evidence.)
- Work from more than one class.
- Work from more than one trimester.
- Work showing more than one type of communication (writing, speaking, VoiceThread, iMovie, Keynote, ScreenChomp, or other tools)
Look to reflect further on your strengths, weaknesses, and growth in this area.
Community Minded: Use three pieces of evidence from your work or activities this year to describe how you have grown as a community-minded individual.
You should think about the following:
- What have you learned about your community (school, town, country, world) this year?
- How did you act on this learning?
- How would you like to act on it in the future?
Your response should include:
At least one entire paragraph. Consider using three (one for each piece of evidence.)
- Work from more than one class or activity.
- Work from more than one trimester.
- Look to reflect further on your strengths, weaknesses, and growth in this area.
Balanced: Use three pieces of evidence from your work or activities this year to describe your work/life balance.
You should think about the following:
- How do you balance your time between things you have to do and things you want to do?
- Was there a time this year when you felt your balance was not right? How did it feel?
- How is your current balance?
- What strategies do you have to be balanced in the future?
Your response should include:
- At least one entire paragraph. Consider using three (one for each piece of evidence.)
- Work from more than one class or activity.
- Work from more than one trimester.
Look to reflect further on your strengths, weaknesses, and growth in this area.