Michael, Ana,
I agree with Ana's qualifications on your remarks, Michael. The
'object' of joint action has to be negotiated (as the two girls I
wrote about were obviously doing) for the reason that Ana gives. In
this sense the 'object' is in the 'vision(s)' of the actors/subjects
and vice versa, as you say.
I also wholeheartedly agree with Ana's comments on the way in which
standardized tests are used as measures of individuals' current
understanding of the topics tested. For the purpose of monitoring the
institution of education, such standardized tests may be somewhat
appropriate, but they certainly should not be simultaneously used in
place of a diagnosis of individuals' understanding.
Project Zero, at Harvard Grad.School of Ed. has made some helpful
proposals along these lines. In particular, in the place of tests,
they propose to engage students in 'Performances of Understanding."
You might also be interested toi read about some classroom teachers'
ways of approaching this issue in
http://education.ucsc.edu/faculty/gwells/networks/journal/Vol%206(1).2003feb/index.html
Project Zero: Learning for Understanding
Understanding
occurs through: using knowledge to carry out some
is shown in: new and challenging
activity in order
to achieve some desired outcome
in a particular situation.
Generative Topics: Themes that connect to
students' lives, stimulate
inquiry, provoke discussion.
Goals for Understanding: "Big ideas", important concepts,
necessary skills,
connections and implications.
Performances of Understanding : Activities that use knowledge for meaningful
purposes, practical and intellectual.
Ongoing Assessment: Provide criteria, give feedback and support,
encourage reflection.
Summative Assessment: A 'performance of understanding' that requires
students to draw on what they have understood
to meet some new challenge.
(based on Project Zero Framework
Perkins, D. (1991). Educating for insight. Educational Leadership. 49 (2).
Perkins, D., & Blythe, T. (1994, February). Putting understanding up
front. Educational Leadership, 51 (5), 4-7.
-- Gordon Wells Dept of Education, http://education.ucsc.edu/faculty/gwells UC Santa Cruz. gwells@ucsc.edu
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