Using Zoom to Confer with Readers Online
Video
Just because we are teaching from a distance doesn’t mean we have to stop facilitating authentic literacy assessment.
In these two videos, I captured a conference with my son, Finn, about a book he is reading (Scythe by Neal Shusterman). I used the application Zoom and selected the gallery view so we could see each other during our conversation. In addition, a screenshot of my conferring notes follows the videos.
For more information about authentic reading assessment, I recommend Reading Essentials: The Specifics You Need to Teach Reading Well by Regie Routman (Heinemann, 2003) and So What Do They Really Know? Assessment That Informs Teaching and Learning by Cris Tovani (Stenhouse, 2011).
Matt, Always impressive to see a knowledgeable principal skillfully working side by side with a student, in this case, your son. You specifically confirm what he does well as a reader while at the same time you help him set new goals for himself, for example, when you talk about him digging deeper into foreshadowing and raising expectations for how long it will take him to finish the book. Well done!
Thank you for sharing Matt and Jodi for sharing. Teachers in my district are also figuring out virtual learning. Your examples of Zoom conferences not only capture Jodi's understanding of the story and structure but also allows demonstrates how the discussion supports the relationship and emotional learning that takes place between a teacher and student.