Course Calendar

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Mid-term

End-term

Meeting #  and Date
(all Thurs.)

Preparation

Class Activities

#1

1/12

Share assessment stories.  

Answer these questions in writing:

• Share a story of a personal experience you have had with writing assessment
• Brainstorm three possible topics for your research project in this course

Negotiate goals and expectations for the course and the course calendar.  

#2

1/19

• CCCC position statement on writing assessment
• ISU Eng. Dept. Grad Cmte exam proposal (compare to current system)
• Wiggins Chs. 1-7

Write and post to our course Blackboard your journal entry #1 in response to the reading(s).

Share journal entries and discuss readings.  

Prepare notes to share with Department of English regarding doctoral comp exam proposal. 

Discuss possible topics for your research project and for our "communal change project." 

Talk about the pot-luck supper at Prof. Broad's home to which you are all invited. 

#3

1/26

• Wiggins Chs. 8-13
• NCTE/WPA white paper on writing assessment
• Browse WPA assessment "gallery"

Write and post to our course Blackboard your journal entry #2 in response to the reading(s).

Share journal entries and discuss readings.  

Discuss possible topics for your research project and for our "communal change project." 

#4

2/2

Read:

• Zak and Weaver, “Foreword,” “Preface,” and Chs. 1-8
• Danielewicz and Elbow, “Unilateral Grading Contract…”

Write and post to our course Blackboard your journal entry #3 in response to the reading(s).

Book Reviews:

• Panshula Ganeshan: Wilson, Re-Thinking Rubrics in Writing Assessment

Share journal entries and discuss readings.  

Discuss possible topics for your research project and for our "communal change project." 

#5

2/9

Read: 

• Zak and Weaver Chs. 9-15

Plus read and respond to one of these three articles:

• Broad and Boyd, "Rhetorical Writing Assessment: The Practice and Theory of Complementarity" (digital reserves)
• Broad, "More Work for Teacher... Computerized Assessment" (digital reserves)
• Inoue, "Community-Based Assessment Pedagogy" (digital reserves)

Write and post to our course Blackboard your journal entry #4 in response to the reading(s).

Book Reviews:

• Adam Scott: Whithaus, Teaching and Evaluating Writing in the Age of Computers and High-Stakes Testing (re-scheduled due to weather)

• Emily McClintick:  Huot, Re-Articulating Writing Assessment

Research Previews:

• Hall (re-scheduled due to weather)

• Dunbar (re-scheduled due to weather)

• Gray

Share journal entries and discuss

Plan for "open" readings and class meetings

#6

2/16

Read:  Huot and O’Neill, Assessing Writing: A Critical Sourcebook

• "Introduction" (Huot and O'Neill)
• Ch. 2: "Holisticism" (White)
• Ch. 4: "Worship of Efficiency..." (Williamson)
•  Ch. 5: "Can There Be Validity without Reliability?" (Moss)
• Ch. 6: "Portfolios as a Substitute for Proficiency Examinations" (Elbow and Belanoff)
• Ch. 8: "...Historicizing Writing Assessment" (Yancey)

Write and post to our course Blackboard your journal entry #5 (option A) in response to the reading(s).

Book Reviews:

• Betsy Hall:  White, Lutz, and Kamusikiri, Assessment of Writing: Politics, Policies, Practices
• Adam Scott (re-scheduled from last week)

Research Previews:

• Hall (re-scheduled from last week)

• Dunbar (re-scheduled from last week)

• McCoy

• Ganeshan

• McClintick

Share journal entries and discuss

Plan for "open" readings and class meetings

#7

2/23

Read:  Huot and O’Neill, Assessing Writing: A Critical Sourcebook

• Ch. 10: "Toward a New Theory of Writing Assessment" (Huot)
• Ch. 11: "...Teacher Knowledge in... Placement Testing" (Smith)
• Ch. 14: "Directed Self-Placement..." (Royer and Gilles)
• Ch. 15: "WAC Assessment..." (Haswell and McLeod)
• Ch. 18: "'Portfolio Scoring': A Contradiction in Terms" (Broad)
• Ch. 21: "... Second-Language Writing Assessment" (Hamp-Lyons)

Write and post to our course Blackboard your journal entry #5 (option B)in response to the reading(s).

Book Reviews:

• Katrina Dunbar: Haines, Assessing Students' Written Work: Marking Essays and Reports
   
• Jason McCoy:   Troia (ed.), Instruction and Assessment for Struggling Writers

Research Previews:

• Scott

• Riley

• Hedman

Work on our communal change project. 

#8

3/2

Write (informally) your observations regarding the strengths and successes of the course so far and your requests and suggestions for the rest of the course and/or for future versions of the course. (Note: To protect your anonymity during the mid-term chat, do NOT submit this writing. Write to learn.)

Write JE 6 as a self-evaluation of your work in the course to date. Include discussion of class participation (including preparation, attendance, listening, and speaking), journal entries, and work on your pilot project. Do NOT post this self-evaluation journal entry to the course Blackboard (unless you want to share your self-evaluation with the rest of the class and the world).  Instead, share this entry with Prof. Broad before or during your Mid-Term Evaluation Conference. 

Read draft of Peter Elbow's essay "Good Enough Evaluation...";  prepare to share your feedback with Professor Elbow.

 Book Reviews:

• Pennie Gray:  Sacks, Standardized Minds
  
  
• Darren Hedman: Hillocks, The Testing Trap

Mid-term Chat:

• Strengths and successes of the course so far
• Requests and suggestions for the rest of the course and/or for future versions of the course

At the appointed time, attend your Mid-Term Evaluation Conference with Prof. Broad. 

#9

3/16

Also compose and attach to your draft a Writer's Memo. 

Post your early draft research project and accompanying Writer's Memo to our Blackboard discussion space by 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 21. 

NO CLASS MEETING TONIGHT. 

Continue drafting your research project for the course. 

#10

3/23

Also compose and attach to your draft a Writer's Memo. 

Post your early draft research project and accompanying Writer's Memo to our Blackboard discussion space by 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 21. 

Read drafts and Writer's Memos by the two other writers in your workshop group. Post your written responses to our Blackboard discussion space by the start of class.  

Book Review:

• Anjanette Riley:  Broad, What We Really Value

Workshop early drafts of research projects.

De-brief on 2010 CCCC conference

De-brief on the Mid-Term Chat

#11

3/30

Read:  Broad et al., Organic Writing Assessment

Write and post to our course Blackboard your journal entry #7 in response to the reading(s).

#12

4/6

#13

4/13

#14

4/20

#15

4/27

In preparation for your evaluations of the course, write to learn about Bob's teaching of this course. Consider the criteria for evaluation we have discussed, and write about the strengths and weaknesses of Bob's performance. (To protect your anonymity, do NOT submit this writing.)

Evaluate the course and the professor's teaching of the course. 

#16

Tuesday, 5/4

5:30-7:30 pm

Location: Bob Broad's home

Read aloud a passage from your course portfolio.  

Re-visit the big questions for this course

Tuesday 5/11: Grades due, 9:00 a.m.

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Mid-term