This class cleared up a lot of my uncertainties from the reading. I hadn't thought of the possibilities for doing long-term teaching in a public library environment, but it does make sense. I still don't like the idea of treating a community of people of various ages the same way in which you'd treat a group of children, but I can see engaging in learner-centered teaching through reference services or a series of workshops or book clubs.
Something from our discussion today that stuck with me was the difference between summative and formative assessment. Kristin mentioned that graduate students tend to see individual grades as reflective of their worth as people (which is absolutely true for me) and, later, that whether assessment is summative or formative is to a degree in the eye of the beholder. That reminded me of the growth/fixed mindset discussion that we had a couple of weeks ago. If a person tends toward a fixed mindset, is all assessment summative to them? Is that something that teachers and other educators should take into account? We've talked about being aware of learners' prior knowledge or cultural context, but I wonder if having an understanding of how hard they are on themselves is on par with those considerations.
- K
P.S. I feel somewhat sheepish for saying this after Kristin made a point of saying that we're all responsible for asking our own questions, but I had no idea what a poster for a conference was supposed to be, either. So thanks, Emily.
I find your idea of possible links between perceptions of assessment and mindset really interesting. Schools teach us how to give constructive criticism (don't attack the person, give thoughtful ways they could make their work better, say something good about the work) but I don't recall being taught how to receive constructive criticism. Being taught to receive constructive criticism might include being able to detach your sense of worth from your work, or being able to give equal weight to the good and critical things that people say about your work (my own problem- the criticisms always sound so much louder than the good stuff!). Being taught how to receive constructive criticism and other forms of formative assessment might help those who tend towards fixed mindset benefit from it without being stressed out and/or feel attacked by it.
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