Students struggle with writing, surely as much as I endeavor each month to find a witty opening sentence for my blog posts.
This year, our department is experimenting with Single Point Rubrics. You can find more about this tool by reading Jennifer Gonzalez’s blog (@cultofpedagogy) here. After several drafts and discussions, we developed our own (check it out here – we would LOVE feedback).
We experimented using it with our 10th graders first. Here are the results:
- Students received the rubric and typed a rough draft.
- We provided specific comments to improve writing, but no grade. Not providing a grade for rough drafts is also a new practice (and one we were nervous about).
- Students used our comments to revise their writing IN CLASS – we conferenced further and assisted kids throughout that time.
- Students had a choice: Either submit a final copy or the 2nd draft for a conference. Using the Single Point Rubric, kids also evaluated themselves.
- While most opted to submit a final copy after revisions, I feel the percentage of kids choosing another conference will increase over time.
Next steps: Our next 6-12 Department Meeting will center around Katie Martin’s article (@KatieMartinEdu) “First Drafts Always Suck“. As we continue our shift in teaching writing rather than assigning it, I am grateful for open minds of peers and spectacular resources full of best practices.