Narrative Assessment, Learning Stories; views on assessment from across the ditch

Kieron HubrickIntensive Interaction CoordinatorCarlson School for Cerebral PalsyAuckland, New Zealand

Imagination

Intuition

Identity

“Could our minds and our hearts be big enough just to hang out in that space where we’re not entirely certain about who’s right and who’s wrong? Could we have no agenda when we walk into a room with another person, not know what to say, not make that person wrong or right? Could we see, hear, feel other people as they really are? It is powerful to practice this way, because we’ll find ourselves continually rushing around to try to feel secure again—to make ourselves or them either right or wrong. But true communication can happen only in that open space.” (Chodron 2008)

Integrity

…and what is that exactly?

Honesty

Now… what method of reporting might best fit these pedagogical ideals?

A narrative is basically a ‘learning story’.. A story/narrative about learning based on…

the key competencies from the NZ curriculum…

…Thinking; Relating to Others; Using Language, Symbols and Texts; Managing Self; Participating and Contributing

…and within the (8) learning areas, using… effective pedagogy (summarised from the 2009 M.O.E Resource

Narrative Assessment. A Guide for Teachers)

Encouraging reflective thought and action Enhancing the relevance of new learning Facilitated shared learning Making connections to prior learning and

experience Providing sufficient opportunities to learn Teaching as inquiry Creating a supportive learning environment (which can all pertain to Intensive

Interaction)(from the 2009 M.O.E Resource Narrative Assessment. A Guide for Teachers)

Narrative assessment is learner centred, credit based, and illustrates learning and achievement with authentic contexts. It offers new insights into the way in which ability and disability are socially constructed. For teachers, the process of assessing in this manner is enabling them to ‘see’ students, the curriculum, assessment, and their pedagogy with different eyes. They are finding new pathways to personalise assessment and learning for diverse students.

(Moore, Molloy, Morton & Davis 2008)

Student: Class: Teacher: Date: Key Competencies Focus:  First KCGoal:To……Refer to IEPRefer to QUEST if appropriateRefer to KCP dimension and ‘I can’ statements and combine into appropriate personal goalLearning Outcome:Student will …..Refer to KCP ‘I need to learn’ statements and/or IEP and make them specific to particular student, topic and learning activity student is engaged in ThinkingGoal:To…… Learning Outcome:Student will ….. Introductory information: Why is this goal area important for this student?What has student achieved in relation to this goal area? Observations: Tell a ‘story’ rather than minute by minute record of eventsRelate to stated goals and learning outcomesIllustrate with some photos Reflections: What learning is happening?Is the learning as intended?Was ‘other’ learning observed?How might learning/engagement have been enhanced?What do we do next?Suggest different programmes/approaches to trial/implementConsider planning for when/how often are sessions deliveredConsider new/different technologyConfer with colleagues/agenciesReflect on teacher’s professional practice – in appropriate way! Family/Whanau comments 

Narrative Assessment: Carlson School for Cerebral Palsy

…the students are oracles, they tell us who we are, where we have come from and where we are going. – In conversation with an Auckland principal.

“But it's your Oracle," I protested. "Can't you tell us what the prophecy means?"

Apollo sighed. "You might as well ask an artist to explain his art, or ask a poet to explain his poem. It defeats the purpose. The meaning is only clear through the search.”

― Rick Riordan, The Titan's Curse

We should not underestimate the power of writing something down; nor how the written word can make something feel ‘more real.’

(Moore, Molloy, Morton & Davis 2008)

Kafkaesque or not?

I don’t know…

I really enjoyed the…

We do not know yet…

Writing in relation to assessment, Bell & Cowie, (1999); Stoll, Fink & Earl, (2003); Hattie, (2005) and Timperley & Parr, (2004) point to teachers needing more than numeric data, grades and marks to support effective learning in their classrooms. Teachers need assessment data that is more holistic, interpretative and reflective. This is particularly so with students who do not conform to the norms suggested by the achievement levels defined in The New Zealand Curriculum and for whom academic achievement is not a clear measure of success or progress…. (Moore, Molloy, Morton & Davis 2008)

…assessment that is student-referenced and related to the learner’s dispositions, (competencies) is a hopeful way forward for these students. (Moore, Molloy, Morton & Davis 2008)

Narrative assessment appears to provide a means by which assessment, through using key competencies, challenges traditional assessment practice. In this way assessment can be looked at looked at “through a different lens” (Hipkins, 2007)… Carr (2001) maintains that narrative is ‘most suited to translating situated and personal learning and is, therefore, a more holistic assessment procedure’

(Moore, Molloy, Morton & Davis 2008)

This is how I see it… Intensive Interaction enabled me to see

our most complex learner’s through a completely ‘different lens’…

and supported me to make the classroom a more holistic learning environment, devoid of tick boxes, set roles teacher vs. teacher aide vs. student, and watered down mainstream pretensions.

The more I want to be me, the less I know myself. - Wire, N. (2011)

…for both student and teacher.

BACK GROUND:This year brought important change in the way Sheron participates in Intensive Interaction. She has become more active in initiating conversations; experiments more with her voice, her repertoire extended with new sounds. She is less tactile defensive; less likely to pull her hands away from a touch. Although fleetingly, she sometimes manages to maintain eye contact with her partner; summing up, she is more alert and responsive during the Intensive Interaction sessions.

....As their turn-taking becomes intense, it is sometimes hard to see when Sheron initiates the conversation. Now, every time she becomes aware of the responses to her vocalisation, there is a slight change in her facial expression; as if she would be pondering on or assessing Tarun's answers. During the course of their interaction, Sheron alters the beat and the timbre of her vocalisations; she is gradually using a higher pitch... At times, Sheron seems really relaxed and allows her left hand to be held by Tarun, their attached hands are dancing together in the air. She is raising her head up, hesitating a bit then she is dropping her head down with a jolt to say: "Dib!". The session finishes when Sheron's taxi driver arrives, it is time to go home. She is still very eager to talk; when Tarun is shaking her hand to say goodbye, Sheron is still in the mood to interact, it is very hard to stop her now...

…this session is pointing further towards Sheron’s willingness to explore, find and create new words with a partner….Sheron’s trust in Tarun allowed them hold hands for a minute or longer to play together which was a very special moment for Tarun. Perhaps Sheron behaved this way due to the fun nature of their interaction; helping Sheron to explore territories which she had not explored before.

Allow for more spontaneous interactions with Sheron to happen

Challenge Sheron with “new, different, altered sounds when responding to her vocalisations or sabotaging her by keeping an extended period of silence in between turn-taking.”

Touch is also an area to explore further, Sheron seemed to respond well to Tarun’s consistent body contact – the touch involved seem to provide both Tarun and Sheron with a unique intimacy

Encouraging reflective thought and action For student (Sheron) practitioner (Tarun) and

teacher (Istvan) and the writings auidence* Enhancing the relevance of new learning …this session is pointing further towards

Sheron’s willingness to explore, find and create new words with a partner

Facilitated shared learning Sheron’s trust in Tarun allowed them to

hold hands for a minute or longer to play together which was a very special moment for Tarun. Perhaps Sheron behaved this way due to the fun nature of their interaction; helping Sheron to explore territories which she had not explored before.

Making connections to prior learning and experience

She has become more active in initiating conversations; experiments more with her voice, her repertoire extended with new sounds. She is less tactile defensive; less likely to pull her hands away from a touch.

Providing sufficent opportunities to learn Allow for more spontaneous interactions

with Sheron to happen Teaching as inquiry Perhaps Sheron behaved this way due to

the fun nature of their interaction; helping Sheron to explore territories which she had not explored before.

Creating a supportive learning environment

Sheron’s trust in Tarun allowed them to hold hands for a minute or longer to play together which was a very special moment for Tarun.

The family/whanau The class staff, and other school staff Respite and/or community

organisations Health services Melbourne I.I conference 2014

K.C focus: Relating to others Goal: To build relationships with others L.O (KCI 4): Bailey will begin to respond to

others during Intensive Interaction sessions by using eye contact, reaching out or vocalising.

K.C Focus: Thinking Goal: To apply knowledge L.O: use acquired skills with a familiar person

Introductory information: Recently Bailey has had poor health

which has affected the amount of sessions he has experienced at school… Bailey was positioned on the classroom bed for comfort…

Observations: Bailey turned his head towards Kieron as soon as

his hand was held… Physical contact was maintained as a means to reassure Bailey that someone was there. He turned his head slightly towards Kieron who was making sounds from Bailey’s repertoire and it appeared as if he was also trying to focus visually. Two minutes passed like this and then Bailey straightened his arm pushing his hand into Kieron’s and he started mouthing as if he was about to vocalise. He vocalised “ah, mm, ah, ah” and Kieron replied. A few times Kieron initiated sound but Bailey did not respond. Soon afterwards Bailey had a smile on his face and started mouthing again turning his head and lifting it a little, moving closer to Kieron.

Reflections: Bailey showed he had an interest in Kieron by reaching out and vocalising. In fact he used many different sounds in this session. He seems to be able to identify the space where the intensive interaction partner was by turning his head and looking in the direction, though it is uncertain exactly how much Bailey can interpret visually.

Bailey appeared to enjoy the interaction responding with vocalisation, smiles and intentional body movements. He worked hard and was tired at the end of the session. The fact that Bailey is recuperating from injuries and was in a different position where he had to work more on his head control may have contributed to his fatigue levels.

It was good to observe the “connection” times that occurred as this showed Bailey was making a decision to become involved, relating to Kieron although “turn taking” did not happen in a conversational way. Bailey didn’t always respond immediately but given some processing time this eventually happened in his individual way.

I notice now after reading Kieron’s write up of this session that Bailey was louder at the beginning, maybe as he got more tired the noise level decreased? Kieron also experienced an amount of disengagement in the middle of the session but professionally he maintained the situation and waited for Bailey to reconnect when he was ready.

We look forward to Bailey’s interactions next term.

The best tool you have is still the human being.

I have also written an instruction manual to help prove this… call “Presenting the iPerson”.

It updates itself continously for no extra charge

You can reason with it, or at least try to if it doesn't function properly

It outlasts power surges, and can run on very low battery for a substantial time – although that does depend on the model and its history of usage

When an iPerson is running as you want it, you can actually feel like the world is in your grasp

The iPerson knows about content that is unwritten and unspoken

An iPerson will continue to be current if it fully uses its potential

An iPerson will retrieve data from an alternative or slightly disabled device and attempt to fill in the blanks

Presenting the iPerson

Chodron, P. (2008) The Pocket Pema Chodron. London: Shambhala Publishers.

Davis, K., Moore, G., Molloy, S. and Morton, M. (2008) Narrative Assessment: identity and equity for disabled students. Presented at the 34th International Association for Educational Assessment. Annual Conference, 7 – 12 September 2008, Cambridge, England.

Hubrick, K. (2013) Presenting the iPerson. Presented at the SEPANZ Practitioners Conference 2013, 26th – 27th September, Auckland, NZ.

Manic Street Preachers. (2011) Auto Intoxication. On Postcards From a Young Man [CD]. UK: Sony Music.

Ministry of Education, University of Canterbury project team (2009) Narrative Assessment. A guide for teachers. Wellington, NZ: Learning Media.

Riordan, R. (2007) Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse. Great Britain: Puffin Books.

Contact me at:[email protected]…in Auckland New Zealand

To contact Julie King about the ‘Key Competencies Pathway’ resource:

[email protected]