Creating First Exposure
Assignments: What’s The
Assignment Got To Do With It?
PETAL
December 6, 2007
Michelle Erklenz-Watts
 Why don’t students complete their
homework with the level of thinking
that is expected?
 Brainstorm.
Checklist: Making the grades
A
B
C
D
F
A
 Accountability
 Use it and or collect it
 Example: Reading Responses
 Eduplace.com/graphicorganizer
 Teachervision.fen.com (search: graphic
organizers)
 Writedesignonline.com/organizers
 Graphicorganizers.com
Excerpt from syllabus regarding
accountability

Portfolio: Portfolios are a tool for both students and teachers to
monitor and evaluate the learning process and progress.
Therefore, you must maintain a 3 ring binder of all your class
assignments. Each day I may collect your assignment(s) or
whole portfolio. We will “revisit” pieces of your work as we
progress through the semester. Therefore, your portfolio
should be up-to-date, organized, and available at all times.
At the end of the semester you will be asked to either write or
orally present your own reflection regarding this process and your
progress.

Reading Response Assignments – These are either graphic
organizers (GO) or assessment techniques that are provided for
you. You must reference the book and page number of your
comments as they relate to the reading. If the format of the
reading response assignment is stifling to you in anyway, you may
come up with your own version of documentation but the same
elements must be addressed.
A
 Authentic
 Meaningful now
 Example: Essential Questions
 http://www.k12.hi.us/~dtisdell/webquest/ssess
ques.htm
 http://www.criticalthinking.org/TGS_files/SAMQuestions2005.pdf
 http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/eqtemplate.htm
 http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/vietnameq.htm
Excerpt from syllabus for authentic


Course Goals/Essential Questions:
Through exploring essential questions, candidates will
uncover the social construction of teaching concepts and
become fully aware of how the answers to each question
directly affects how and what strategies and methods they
implement in their teaching.
 How do you get to know the needs of all
learners (from various cultures and abilities)?
 How do you effectively manage and organize a
classroom and learning while meeting the needs
of all learners?
 What is Social Studies?
 How does philosophy relate to pedagogy?
 What is good testing and assessment for all
students?
 How do you engage all students in learning?
Excerpt from syllabus for
accountability and authenticity
Date
Sept. 12
Sept. 19
TopicExplore essential
questions
How do you
know the needs
of all learners
(from various
cultures and
abilities)?
Readings-
Assignment-
-ROC 4, 30
-RSQC2
(Reading
Response
Packet)
-HOW chap. 3
-LPC,
-DH Chap. 3
-GO#1
B
 Build Relationships
 Share yourself
 Ask them to share
 Believe in your Students
 Set high expectations but
scaffold for success
Example: Course rubrics
(on back of notes sheet),
Group member checks, midterm self checks
Group Member Check


Group-Work Check for Process and Product
Overall, how effectively did your group work together on this
assignment (Rate 1 to 5, with 5 being the best, and explain)?
 Out of all the members, how many participated actively?
 Out of all the members, how many were fully prepared?
 Give a specific example of something you learned from your
group that you probably wouldn’t have learned working
alone.
 Give a specific example of something the other group
members learned from you that they probably wouldn’t have
learned otherwise.
 Suggest one change that could improve your group work
outside of class.
C
 Classroom Culture
 Professional working environment
 Example: “Practice like you’ll play”
 Collaborative
 Example: Create classroom commitments
D
 Disposition
 Yours
 Look to yourself when you are not successful
 Theirs
 Look to yourself when you are not successful
 Example for both
 Disposition Rubric,
http://soe.sjfc.edu/rubrics/pdf/ProfessionalDisp
ositions.pdf
F
 Feedback
 Immediate
 Before the next assignment is due…if not,
loses meaning (see below)
 Meaningful
 Make it instructional rather than punitive
 Relates to prior assignments
 Example: Track comments
Excerpt from notes on students

9/19, GO#1-very neat tw, asked her to expand on personal experiences, needs to consistently
reference 9/26-LPC with DH ideas, good review of MI’s but needs more off of checklist. No DH
ideas are referenced so incomplete 10/3-did not turn in portfolio10/4I emailed her and she
responded immediately with apoligies and came right over to my office to drop it off, she just forgot,
very organized but GO 2 has no page numbers and GO4 needs to complete section E, LPC 10.3-no
ref to readings but good critique 10/10, 1st LP- no SS standards or curric., needs to get prior
knowledge or hook, needs to provide handouts, strong rationale, needs some structure for success,
no current event, Preconcept not complete on GO, no handout for HOW reading-only had her
personal notes 10/17-Materials review list, no reference to at least 3 articles, asked why, not sure
about some comments for guidance10/24-2nd LP- no SS standards or curric, has EQ’s but seems
more UQ’s, learning outcomes needs to focus on learning not what they will be doing, needs intial
motivation, has later, I suggest to move it up, has “talk, explain”-needs to give more detail, has web
but not in lesson plan, great organization, rubric and assessment are not matached, rubric needs to
make distinctions, DBQ’s for class are incomplete, 10/31-GO#5, identified import points and made
connections 11/14- Lesson plan with technology, needs to label adapts and mi’s, not all lo’s are
being assessed, lesson suggest inquiry but does not follow through, questions need to be written
out and labeled, needs ant set. 12/5 Show What You Know- Lesson plan-75%, reflection: has
summary but no real reflection checklist: good but needs to organize
 Revisit our initial essential question
with an add on.
 Why don’t students complete their
homework with the level of thinking that
is expected?
 Brainstorm
So go make
the grade--all of them!!