Crafting Writers 10-12

I gained a lot of new knowledge on conferencing after reading chapters 10-11. From one-on-one conferencing, to group conferencing, the small amount of time spent can really pay off big dividends. With simple and direct statements and questions, teachers can quickly stroke students egos and direct them to what they need to work on at the same time. These transitions are very important and can make or break the conference. After reading about each kind of conference, I'm a little hesitant to try group conferencing. I not too sure just how effective these conferences really are. Sure, they offer group work and interaction, but a conference is a time for one-on-one teaching that is crucial to the students development. Do we as teachers want to possibly jeopardize this special tailor-made learning experience for a group conference that isnt promising to be affective at all for the individual student?
Chapter 12 focused mainly on rubrics as assessment. Much of what it had to say I agreed with and could understand. I liked the idea of creating them together in order to aid in student comprehension. But at the same time, I personally feel like rubrics are just not appropriate for young children. Rubrics can be very unsettling at times. I'm 21 years old and still dont like rubrics. They tell you specifically what you need, but they don't always provide information on how to meet those expectations. So, I just wander if rubrics are actually an effective method of assessment for younger children?