This is a follow-up to my post on authentic assessment using rubrics.

One of the best things about consistent use of a rubric is students’ understanding of how they are being marked. A steady criteria is key. Last week my 2nd years participated in a small group discussion about the story they read.  They had key questions follow and were allowed words (not sentences) to help them in answering. During the activity they used a “Conversation Phrases Sheet” to help sustain discussion.  As usual they knew we would be using the DELF/DALF ‘Discussion Rubric’

Most groups spoke in the TL for over 30 minutes. At the end of that time they marked themselves.  I also asked them to tell me why they gave themselves the mark that they did. It’s their answers that show me that they really understand how they are evaluated.

I gave myself this mark because…

I felt I used simple sentences quite a bit…

I followed the criteria but some questions I asked weren’t proper…

I found it harder to respond…

I tried to take some risks by extending my answer with details…

I thought sometimes I depended on my partner too much…

I think I used too many of the same words over and over…

My follow up questions were not that great today…

I did give obvious answers that didn’t require much thinking or practice to say…

I stepped out of my comfort zone …

I felt very natural doing this and it wasn’t scary at all…

I was actually surprised at how much vocabulary I knew and could use…

Even though at times it felt like I was speaking English – I found myself putting Japanese together to create a sentence….

I felt at ease in the conversation…

I tried to keep the conversation going and ask more questions that involved everyone…

I gave everyone else as much chance to speak as the others

I tried using words I haven’t used much before…

We took turns as a group giving everyone a chance to participate…

I contributed to the conversation but didn’t lead…

Sometimes I hesitated because I wasn’t totally sure it something was correct but I still took a shot at it which led me to take risks…

I contributed, I didn’t use English and it was fun!

These honest self-evaluations are another reason that I continue to use rubrics with my classes.

Colleen