Cross Checks
For those following me on Instagram, I mentioned I’m that I was in the process of making my planner for 2018. I wanted to share with you what my planner and cross checks look like!
We use cross checks as a formative assessment tool during an essential learning unit. This ensures that we are note taking on each student so that we have anecdotal evidence of learning whether it be skills achieved, misconceptions or progress towards learning goals! I use one for reading, writing, maths and inquiry.
My cross checks are always at the front of the room on my board for easy access and are A3 size on clipboards (landscape). This means I have a big surface to lean on, show students their progress, and lots of space to write on rather than on A4!
Our inquiry cross checks link to Mappen, as this is the program we have been trialling/considering continuing but we use curriculum domains such as critical and creative thinking, ethical capabilities, personal and social capability as they work through inquiry units.
I use reading cross checks as a conference tool and also as guided reading notes. This way if I’m completing a running record I’ll input some information into the cross check so that at the end of the week I can see everything going on in each group and make plans from there. I record running records through screen cam in oneNote so that I can always come back to them and use them for parent interviews as a resource! Also you may notice I only do 4 groups. I make sure I leave Friday free for catch ups with students, mini lessons as a flexible group if required, or time for students who want to challenge themselves and book in some ambitious reading time!
My writing cross checks include the 6+1 Traits so that I am monitoring student progress not just in conventions but also in other areas such as word choice, ideas, organisation, sentence fluency, voice and presentation (during publishing). My students will have a conventions goal all year round which I will monitor through roving conferences and recording notes on the cross check, but they will also have goals based on traits as required.
Maths cross checks must include the proficiency scales so I have space for that to show groups!
Do you use something similar? How do you keep track of student learning during units? I also use SeeSaw which I have previously blogged about, as a digital portfolio platform for students to share their work with parents!