So the Short Story Unit ended up being very short indeed. Half way through I was directed to get the test done and start the next unit - persuasion. Of course. Right in time for NAPLAN. However, we are now extending this persuasion unit until June so by the end of the semester most of us will be persuaded up to our eyeballs.
Amongst all of this is a moderation. I actually enjoy moderation. I think it is a very valuable opportunity for professional conversations and to actually take the time to compare student work across schools. It is a fair method and, when treated as an actual professional task, I always end up learning something.
So the work we are moderating is a persuasive piece. As we have just started the unit I threw my students in the deep end and, after teaching only the structural elements, asked them to write on demand - something I hate doing. In the end I was pretty happy with my spread of results.
I seem to have 4 fairly even groups:
1. the kids who have no concept of structure
2. the kids who have no concept of arguments
3. the kids who have amazing ideas that are all thrown on a page
4. the kids who get it but need to polish up language features
The real skill now is organising some intensive levelled writing groups to ensure that everyone can achieve a passable grade.
Moderation happens on Monday, I'm hoping to hear what other teachers have to say about my student work and ensuring that their assessment of it matches up with my own.
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