Reflection on feedback from the showcase
Choose three elements of specific feedback you received from your showcase presentation and write a short summary of each. Be sure to include the reasons behind each of your three choices and how each will impact your practice moving forward and how it will impact your students in a positive manner.
Post your answer to the questions above in the comment section here by clicking "Enter you comment" > choose "name/URL" in the drop down menu and add your name before typing your comment and clicking publish.
Comment on two peers' posts by clicking "reply" > choose "name/URL" in the drop down menu underneath their posts and add your name. Participants are required to comment on one " I notice...." and one " I wonder..." on two peers' reflections in each chapter.
The first element of feedback that I will reflect on is the feedback asking me to elaborate on strategies to highlight their impact on students and my own learning within my lesson plan. I think this piece of feedback is very important because it asks for me to point out and explain in which manner I used each of the strategies explicitly and reflect on their impact on my students. The three strategies that I used in my lesson were rubrics, increasing my grading scale to 50-100% and allowing/encouraging retakes for students wishing to improve their paragraph. I think this allowed students to have less stress and anxiety about the assessment as they knew that they could continue to improve it after receiving meaningful feedback from me. By reflecting on my students perspective of these three strategies, it really helped me to see their value and impact on the student's outlook on my class and assessments.
ReplyDeleteThe second piece of feedback that I will reflect on is that a peer commented that my lesson plan is thorough and engaging. I enjoy positive feedback like this one as this has been a challenging year, and at times I have wondered about my success this year due to the high level of apathy amongst my students. I think that completing activities and lessons such as the one I did for the class definitely work to engage my students more and it is great to see them apply themselves to write a paragraph based on what they have learned and to really work together to peer edit their paragraphs.
The third piece of feedback that I will comment on is an "I wonder" from a peer that asked how I could improve the use of my rubric by having students co-create it. I chose this piece of feedback because I found it very intriguing and although I have never actually co-created a rubric with my students it has always been something I have wanted to try. I think that this would be a great impact on students by helping them to better understand the expectations, how to assess their own paragraphs to improve them prior to peer editing or submission, and would further engage students in the assessment process. I think I could accomplish this by providing students with the instructions for the paragraph and then sitting down together and creating the rubric together in chunks. Perhaps I would have groups of students focus on a certain aspect of the paragraph to create that rubric section and then trade with other groups to peer edit and decide what they think could be changed or improved about the rubric before we come to a consensus as a class. This is definitely something I wish to try in the future as I can see its great potential for success within my classroom and for my students.
Hi Jessica! I noticed you commented on a comment from a classmate about having students co-create their rubric. I think that is a very intriguing idea as well. I wonder how the students would feel when you gave them the voice to produce a rubric that was created by them. Would they be harder on themselves or easier? I believe sometimes students are actually harder on themselves than teachers are. I hope this works out for you and the students find it exciting and enjoyable as well.
DeleteHi Jessica, I like that the fact that you might try to have students write the rubrics with you. I noticed in myself, I have not done this because, I just don't trust them coming up with the objectives. But, I think being open to this idea is a great way to progress and grow.
DeleteHi Jessica, thank you for sharing your reflection. I noticed your third piece of feedback about creating rubric with effective collaboration between teacher and student. I've done those before, having the conversation with students about what components of a project or task they find is important and how it should be graded. Students either had an opinion or they didn't. Over time, I decided to collaborate more with my peers to design rubrics. Later on, as we rested upon our laurels, even we as teachers became complacent towards improving our rubrics to make them relevant time and again.
DeleteI wonder if creating rubrics will become easier with further collaboration and as we reference reading material like what we've learned from this book study. Continued study of resources will definitely impact our teacher performances.
Aloha Jessica,
Deletei noticed you wanted to try co-creating rubrics with your students! I've tried it once--I chose science fair student presentations and had students talk in groups to one another and then share out as a class, and compared that to other classes and found common denominators, and that is what became our rubric. I definitely had some apprehension, since I wasn't sure how things would go, but I chose to scaffold it for myself by picking an assignment that they would all have similar ideas of success to each other and to my own opinions! I also had them watch other presentations by various speakers and write down what they liked and how that speaker could improve before creating the rubric.
I wonder if maybe analyzing some samples beforehand could also help your students determine what success looks like for your paragraphs?
It does take time, but I do feel like they had more ownership of it and they internalized what to expect!
Val Shindo-Uehira
DeleteHi Jessica,
I noticed that you want to attempt to co-create rubrics with your students. Like you this is something I have not yet tried but would like to. I also believe that when students are collaborators they will have a better understanding of the expectations as well as how they will be graded. I wonder, how difficult and time consuming this process might become if you have more than one class of students contributing their ideas.
I noticed that you too co-created rubrics for your lessons. I find that it is very powerful for students to help with creating rubrics as it gives them the opportunity share in their learning. Students are more accountable for their learning and understand what is expected.
DeleteElement #1: I received the comment “I like that you require interactive presentations for all students so that they stay engaged in the learning process.” My peer went on to express how she plans to incorporate this tool when she assigns student presentations in her class. I appreciated her honest and supportive feedback. I will continue to have my students present in this style because they truly have been able to demonstrate what they have learned throughout the entire school year while constantly interacting in the target language.
ReplyDeleteElement #2: Another peer noticed how I do require soft presentational skills in my grading rubric. I really believe that our high schoolers need to be prepared to physically present themselves in front of an audience in a formal setting. Whether a job interview or perhaps working at a hotel, students need to develop these skills now so they can be successful later. I do not think I will weigh as many points on these soft skills as other criteria such as grammar/vocabulary proficiency. The discussion during our showcase was extremely helpful to point this out to me. The entire I noticed and I wonder strategy is something I plan to incorporate into my daily lessons with students in my language classes. I feel it is a simple yet effective learning tool which generates great discussion which is productive for everyone involved.
Element #3: Lastly, a peer kindly mentioned how I placed an incredible amount of weight on this final group presentation. She asked how making the project worth 200 points impacted the students. Once students recognize how largely a particular task will affect their overall grade, they tend to put more effort into designing it. Groups were able to collaborate in an encouraging manner to assure all requirements were met, as well as practice how to deliver a solid presentation. I was able to have my T.A. practice listening and providing feedback to groups prior to their actual presentation deadline. I feel this was helpful and they had time to modify what was needed. I will continue to grade larger summative assessments on a bigger scale because it seems effective and necessary to have students demonstrate proficiency in all standards at the end of the course.
Hi Melissa! I noticed that commented on a comment from a peer about having a "soft skill" of presenting on the rubric. I see how that skill is very important for your student's futures. I wonder how many students will end of finding jobs that presenting in front of a group will not be part of their future. Nowadays, there are so many jobs where you do not have to interact with other people on daily basis. I assume many interviews are done virtually and can take the pressure off people that have anxiety of speaking in public. I see how you reflected on the comment and would make the presentation less points and the content of the project more points.
DeleteHi Melissa, I noticed how you are developing soft skills in your class. I like how you are making them do oral presentations. I am wondering since I teach art, if I can possibly implement these ideas. I think it would be beneficial for students to be able to talk about their work.
DeleteI noticed that you have students do presentation and have their peers give feedback. Many a times I have said that students' own peers are harder critics than I am. I believe that is because student's know what is expected and grade with equity. Feedback is essential for students to understand what they need to do to become better.
DeleteWas Hawaiian language chosen because that was a reflection of class demographics or interest level of students?
ReplyDeleteThe Hawaiian language was chosen for both those reasons. My classroom was very small this year and I could cater to the interests of individual students and their individual cultures. One student of Hawaiian ancestry was very interested in learning Hawaiian. The student's interest was high for this lesson and motivated to continue his learning at home with his family. I will continue to teach all subjects to my preschoolers based on their interests.
In the Special Ed setting, aren't the principles of equity inherently embedded?
I do believe that in the Special Education setting the principles of equity are very much already embedded into our teaching and grading. All students with special education services have goals that are individualized to their needs and take into consideration behaviors or cultural needs. Looking forward, I will continue to embed equitable practices, such as: retests, no-zero policy, motivation, and extra time to support my students with special needs to succeed in school.
At preschool level extra time and a no-zero policy are already used?
At a preschool level, there are also principles of equity inherently embedded in our grading system. I use the TS Golds to grade my students on their developmental skills. The skills are observed and recorded over the entire school year and documented when the skill is seen. I do not base my knowledge of their skills on a certain day or time designated for testing. Looking forward, I do not see myself changing any of the ways that I look for my students' skill acquisitions. I will continue with equitable principles throughout my teaching of preschool and beyond.
Hi Beth! I can appreciate your comments about equity in special education supports. At our high school level, it's crucial for students to "look" as fair as possible. Meaning, I work closer with teachers on how to integrate vulnerable student needs into their classrooms so that my presence as a special educator isn't overwhelming on those with disabilities who are desperately wanting to just fit in.
DeleteI wonder if my colleagues will realize how implementation of equitable practices not only cater to our students with disabilities but to all students in their general education classrooms. I've had the privilege of identifying slow learners and those who are above average. Teacher collaborations have opened doors on how to teach to all levels of learners. Thank you for your inspiring comments!
The first feedback was about how in the rubric, we have the IB International Art rubric paired with the Niu Valley descriptors. In short, the IB rubric is in a language that is difficult to understand for most 6th Grade students. In response to this, my school has me pairing the IB rubric with a more personalized familiar art objectives rubric. By doing this, students will understand how to hit the stands to show learning. It makes it much clearer to them on how to achieve the grade they want.
ReplyDeleteThe second feedback was wondering if Mindfulness, which is used by the Unit: ZEN DRAWING, can be transferred or continued in other Units. I really like this idea. Mindfulness is being fully aware of what you are doing. Thus, just creating awareness of our bodies and mind, in the classroom would be ongoing. Sometimes, because there is a lot of movement and talking this gets really challenging and students can lose focus.
The last feedback is about how using examplars were useful and something that I will continue to do. Especially with art, students can visually look at their work and ask, did I do this? Does my work have texture? Balance? Pattern? By displaying previous student work of high and low performance, they can learn what is expected of them and understand how they will be graded.
I noticed you mention the complexity of rubrics and how they can be tricky for students to understand. I agree that sometimes teachers are forced to use standards-based rubrics that are incomprehensible for our keiki. I think I enjoyed how other peers shared simple rubrics with a 4 point scale and one basic sentence regarding proficient or not. The more clarity the better for grading. Personalized rubrics which directly correlate to art objectives must be helpful in guiding assessment discussions with students. I wonder if the state will eventually reveal more simplistic language rubrics for all of us to incorporate across curriculums.
DeleteAloha, Jeff! I noticed that the IB rubrics are also hard for students to understand--I shared with my peers that I often have 8th grade parents wondering what the numbers mean and if a 4 is good or what a 6 means, etc. Do you think it would be easier if we converted to a 4 point scale instead? Meaning, a student simply falls in a band 5-6 instead of earning a specific score of 5 or 6. I feel like it might be easier for teachers and students to understand...the book recommends 4 point scale, and one of my peers in my group simply used it as 4=A, 3=B, 2=C, 1=D, 0=F when she was trying it out with her students.
Delete1. Choose three elements of specific feedback you received from your showcase presentation and write a short summary of each. Be sure to include the reasons behind each of your three choices and how each will impact your practice moving forward and how it will impact your students in a positive manner.
ReplyDeleteOverall, each piece of feedback I received today was in regards to rubric creation and its use with my lesson. So I will choose three elements about the rubric to report on. Let’s begin with what my colleagues noticed about my presentation.
Element 1: relevance of rubrics
Colleague X noticed how basic my rubric was written and the positive for that is its ease of reading. Colleague Y liked that it had four clear criteria but wondered if the rubric could be created using more range. To follow this encouraging comment, Colleague Z suggested reviewing a single-point rubric where feedback provided takes precedence over the grade a rubric gives. I’ve had the opportunity to work with general education English teachers on projects and lessons. It is through this book study that I am able to make suggestions which I hope leads to changes away from traditional grading and into equitable means.
Element 2: scale of the rubric
With this said, the reminder of relevance emphasized the significance of describing a student’s level of academic performance correctly. Pillar #1 of equitable grading is to be accurate. Our reading material strongly suggests ‘0-4 Scale’ where I am to streamline the gradations of a rubric by utilizing proportional distribution of points per letter scale; same degree of improvement provided whether from a D to a C or a B to an A. It is here where I must sift through rubrics I have seen, created and utilized and make necessary adjustments. It will take time, I can guarantee it. As a special education teacher, I hope to teach and learn from others. Suggestions from our book study materials will guide these adjustments.
Element 3: robust criteria with clarity
In response to the suggestion about range, a 0-4 Scale correlates with ‘minimum grading’ making it nearly impossible to fail because the least amount of points one can earn will never be a zero. This brings me to my next element, Pillar #2: Bias-Resistant. A comment made during my presentation was to keep the rubric reader- and user-friendly using clear and direct criteria. This’ll treat all students with fairness if we are minimal in grading but strong in expectations for each child. I believe a clear rubric sets any child on the right course to demonstrate their knowledge towards proficiency of content standards.
It is my job to assure we retrieve valid evidence of a student’s content knowledge without bias. If I were to reflect on my experience with colleagues and grading practices I have seen, there is plenty of implicit bias; goes unnoticed by many adults yet I do believe that the students are well aware of what is against them. Some teachers particularly don’t like working with students who have a learning disability, nor those with behaviors. A swift reminder is Pillar #3 on Motivation.
The impact on my teaching practices are vast with lots to continue to learn and apply. I’ll summarize my learning from this course here:
--Ensure uplifting collaboration with teachers and students to uphold our pillars of equitable grading.
--Investigate rubric styles and their meanings so that I have a deeper understanding for using rubrics with precision.
--Refrain from narrow-mindedness when working with all levels of student learning - those with or without disabilities.
--Not grade on behavior, minimum grading, demonstration of knowledge towards standards, retakes and redos and building of soft skills as an accomplishment but not a grade, are practices I seek to continue fostering.
Dear Ceslee... I notice that you have many valuable takeaways from this course. I too have found this course around equitable grading to be useful in improving my teaching practice. I also notice that you mentioned one of your colleagues recommended using a single point rubric. I wonder what your thoughts are on this. Through the Cult of Pedagogy podcast with Jennifer Gonzalez, I first about them but have never really gotten around to using them. It seems like it would be a simple way for students to know what the standard is and provide evidence on how they are meeting those objectives.
DeleteI noticed you mentioned how clear rubrics help students demonstrate learning and proficiency. I agree (and was in your breakout room discussing this very topic). It is always helpful to have multiple opinions and share ideas with colleagues. I learned a lot from you and the others during our collaboration time together. I personally like how clear and basic the wording was on your rubric- especially for special education students to comprehend. Students need to know exactly what we expect as evidence of their learning. Your rubrics provide a detailed set of standards for them to achieve. I wonder how a single point rubric would change things for both the instructor and student. I have never used one, but after our colleague suggested trying it, I am curious and plan to give it a shot myself. Mahalo for everything you shared. Aloha.
DeleteAloha Ceslee, I noticed your statement: “Ensure uplifting collaboration with teachers and students to uphold our pillars of equitable grading.” I too believe that positive collaboration with teachers and students is an integral part to the entire learning process, especially grading. I wonder, what are some ways you encourage and maintain positive relationships with colleagues, are there specific techniques you use to maintain uplifting collaboration? Mahalo for sharing!
DeleteChoose three elements of specific feedback you received from your showcase presentation and write a short summary of each. Be sure to include the reasons behind each of your three choices and how each will impact your practice moving forward and how it will impact your students in a positive manner.
ReplyDeleteThe comments I chose to reflect on were chosen specifically because there were only three people in my group to provide feedback. The first comment was regarding interpreting the A-F scale as a 1-4 scale, with an “A” being qualified as “above grade level”. The commenter asked if students understood what “above grade level” means. As an ELA teacher, the Hawaii State Common Core Standards are vertically articulated, meaning that each standard builds on the previous grade level standard, so 7.RL.1 is a higher performance level of 6.RL.1. As an answer to the specific feedback provided, students can automatically know what performing above grade level means by looking at the aligned grade level standard. The same can be said for what is interpreted for a “C” or “approaching grade level” as they can reference 5.RL.1.
The second comment was regarding giving students an opportunity to revise and change their work given specific feedback. Unfortunately, my classroom management and student needs aren’t at the level where I can have different students doing different things during the same class period, unless the practice is built into our daily routine. Students in my class are allowed to edit, revise, and submit for a better grade - but those edits and revisions need to take place outside of class time. While this doesn’t necessarily fall in line with what the book, Grading for Equity preaches, I have to pick and choose how to utilize the limited class time that I have with students and I’ve found that the behavior issues that arise when we enter into unstructured territory (where some students are working on revisions and others are totally done and therefor can do independent study) aren’t conducive to the majority of students staying on task and focused - and where my reminders disrupt the environment and lead to more off-task behaviors.
The third comment that I’m addressing is regarding using weighted points on a 1-4 scale. I find that this is one of the central misunderstandings of the 1-4 scale. Some assignments can still be worth more than others - that is common sense, in my opinion. You wouldn’t necessarily expect a short answer assignment to be equal to a five paragraph essay. Some standards require more effort and work than others (for example citing text evidence to support a claim requires less effort than writing a 5 paragraph informational essay) and I don’t see the harm in acknowledging that via points. You can grade any assignment on a 1-4 scale and have all of those assignments worth different point values. To be honest, I too was surprised at the universal positive feedback about the change in the grading system (using A-F to correspond with a 1-4), but I think it’s mostly because students already have a fundamental understanding of the A-F system, it’s clear and they know what it means.
I noticed, "some assignments can still be worth more than others", true...a rubric can have more standards/objectives than other rubrics if you want make the assignment be set to a high standard. I've seen rubrics that have twelve standards/objectives - though in the end, a student can still figure out their grade because of the objectives of what makes a paper a four (4 - A) versus a two (2 - C). I wonder your course a-like/ department has created rubrics that could be used towards your formatives/summative assessments?
DeleteOne peer was wondering if students have any musical background prior to middle school or do they come to me at a novice level. I shared that 80% or students have no formal musical experience but that I prefer it this way because then I don’t have to correct any bad habits they formed in elementary school. I explained that most students have experienced the recorder during elementary school but most don’t remember anything. As I reflected on this feedback, I realized that I might need to provide more opportunities for students to provide evidence of their learning because they are coming in at such a novice level. It would also be good to provide graphic organizers and visual aides that could support all learners to better comprehend that various elements needed to succeed in music.
ReplyDeleteAnother peer shared that it is evident that there is a lot of student choice and differentiation in the performances my students engage in. The wondering was how do I manage all of the different small groups as they progress at different levels and rates. I fully acknowledge that managing all of our diverse learning activities is madness most of the time. One strategy that I use is a virtual platform called Unrulr where students are able to post video progress updates of themselves, provide a short self-reflection on their learning, and receive comments from their peers on how they might improve or what they should continue doing.
The third audience member shared that it is probably difficult to manage so many students with so many instruments in a small space. The wondering was, in terms of classroom space, how do I keep everything organized. I also fully acknowledge here that we need a bigger space with separate rooms in order for students to have an optimal learning experience. The noise levels become unbearable at times where students do have difficulty hearing themselves and their teammates. We do have my office and two practice rooms which have doors to keep the noise contained. We also utilize the outdoors but there are major distractions from the PE classes and the weather. One strategy that I use to combat the noise issue is assigning roles to groups so that not everyone is playing at the same time. Also, when everyone is playing, it’s difficult for students to also listen and give advice. One role might be the conductor where they simply conduct to hold the group together. Another role could be the teacher where they listen and provide specific advice on what was done well and what solutions might be tried to improve.
I noticed you provide students with a diverse option to portray their learning via online video. It makes sense that as an educator, it is difficult to instruct a diverse crowd of learners, but also assess each of them at their level. Also, as the teacher, you have to make it efficient for yourself as well. I wonder how often the students utilized this option and how well did they use it? Was it easy for you to grade in this manner or would you prefer in person assessments? Thank you for sharing!
DeleteI noticed how you reflected on your students prior knowledge of being in your music class. I agree, I like when I have students that are new to reading & playing music to teach them proper habits. It was good to catch that you should try to tap into their prior knowledge to build on the foundation they have created.
DeleteI wonder if you could create a quick survey or game that could help the students see who knows music terms, notes & rests, instruments? I have a small Kahoot for my beginners to see how much they know before I teach them, I was surprised by how much music terminology they knew before any form of instructions.
Pinky: I liked that the students were able to give feedback to their peers and self-reflection after learning the song for two weeks. I noticed that you have a rubric for grading, how do you determine how the student receives their grade? Grades are given by an average of what they achieved for each standard/objectives area. For example, if there are 8 standards/objectives which range from 4 - 2. A student can score a 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 2, 4, 4 = 4 (A).
ReplyDeleteI learned during the 1819SY about how important it is for students to give each other peer reviews and to self-reflect on their progress. Giving students this opportunity allows them to see what they can achieve and what they could improve on. It makes it more than just the teacher is the judge and jury, but everyone has a part to play in their learning and that students can be empathetic by supporting their peers.
Chayanee: It’s great that students are able to choose the song from a bag/jar, that way it eliminates bias and shows how prepared each student needs to be prior to taking their one-on-one performance assessment (summative).
When I first started giving one-on-one performance assessments, I would pick the song for the students. It worked for some of the students, but most of them would tell me they were unprepared or that they didn’t practice that song well enough or begged for an easier song. By reminding them that they’ll choose a song at random shows I am bias-resistant and that the students need to be prepared for the song that’s chosen. It puts the responsibility on the student to show proof of their mastery of the goals/objectives from the rubric.
Christine: I noticed how you created a Google Form for students to give quick feedback of the individual/group performances for feedback. I wonder, how are you able to give that feedback to the students/groups? I post the presentation as an assignment for the unit we’re working on. When students turn in their assignment, I’m able to give them feedback, along with their peers and self-reflection.
Due to the pandemic, I’ve become a strong advocate for using Google Classroom and its effectiveness with creating topics, grading categories and point value. In order for students to receive grades and feedback, they need to take responsibility for their learning by submitting assignments. Due to advancements in technology they’re able to “turn in assignments” via their smartphone, and/or using the school’s iPad or laptop. From there I’m able to grade the assignments and give feedback from myself (teacher), themselves (self-reflection) and their peer’s reviews.
Val: Was unable to give feedback due to time constraints.
I noticed how you are aware of being bias resistant in your grading when you mentioned choosing songs randomly for your students to perform, rather than tell them exactly which one to practice. I wonder if creating a rubric for the amount of specific songs mastered by utilizing a 4 points rubric scale to encourage earning a higher grade to show mastery. For example, the rubric could state, student has mastered 1 song (1 point), mastered 2 songs (2 points), mastered 4 songs (4 points), etc. A true reflection of mastery is the ability to repeat it consistently, and what better way than to have the students show it more than once? Just a thought. Thank you for sharing!
DeleteVal Shindo-Uehira
DeleteHi Shantelle,
I really enjoyed your presentation - thank you for sharing! I also agree with Pinky and I liked that your students were able to do peer reviews as well as a self reflection. Your use of a Google Form for this purpose is awesome. Students are able to receive feedback in a timely manner. I also liked the way you assigned songs randomly as students get to pick from a jar (to eliminate bias).
Aloha Shantell! I noticed that you have indicated in your reflection my wondering and have responded that grades are given by an average of what they have achieved for each standard. I still wonder, if there are multiple standards in a product or performance, do you separate the standards and grade them in your gradebook separately or lump the standards together and grade the product/performance as a whole? I also wonder about other ways you get the final grade of the student from multiple measures because averaging defeats the purpose of grading the most recent evidence or do you consider grading the most frequent evidence? Mahalo for your insights!
DeleteFollowing my showcase presentation, I received high quality peer feedback that will have an immediate impact on my practice moving forward and will definitely have an impact on student learning. I was questioned about student voice on one of my rubrics after sharing a group presentation rubric with my colleagues. My rubric included a simple 3 point scoring that was easily identifiable by the students as they used the rubric to grade their classmates’ presentations. As I received that feedback, I immediately saw the impact it will have on me as an educator and the students as learners. Asking students to include their opinions and thoughts on grading will motivate them to take ownership of their learning, hence, improve their grades. As an elementary school teacher, I continue to find a happy medium between creating grading elements such as rubrics, a big part of my responsibility, and also having my students being included in what’s to be graded. I also thought about what it would really look like if I asked students to have a hand in preparing the rubric; the rubric will definitely be tailored to what the students “want” on the summative assessment, which will prompt them to know exactly what to study to prepare for the test. I know I would need to diversify the questions based on what the students suggest in creating rubrics. At the end of the day, by having students involved, the motivation in their preparation for the test is priceless.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated a comment that a colleague had shared with me, “How do you consistently create rubrics to be that good every time?” I respected that question as it is not easy to prepare a rubric that accurately assesses the students’ knowledge over and over again. I had shared that rubrics are designed to assess what you instructed, and to create one is just to write down, in an organized manner, everything you’ve taught to your students, then use it to grade them. It sounds easier said than done, but if you can make it a routine for yourself, the process, like anything, will become easier and easier. The impact students will have is the clear and transparent expectation for their learning. They will know exactly what to study for and how to prepare for their assessments.
Another colleague shared, “I love that you called them environmental specialists, it’s a real world connection.” For my showcase, I presented a lesson where students researched a native plant and were able to identify with a profession that actually does research on plants - environmental specialists. I really appreciate the feedback, as it validated the positive impact on my students and their learning. I will definitely continue to utilize terminology that allows students to experience practical application of skills in the “real world”. I want to give them a reason to work; provide the “why” they are learning in school.
“Jamie Wonderings/Notice:
ReplyDelete1) Are students given an opportunity to verbally present their poem (if they choose)?
2 Besides written feedback on rubric, is there any conversation or verbal feedback about their piece?
3) Do students get to provide feedback to their peers?”
Above are the three pieces of feedback I received from my instructor and peers. I will summarize and discuss each piece of feedback below.
The first area of wonderings from my instructor and peers was regarding whether the students were given the opportunity to verbally present their poem. I did not directly address this in my lesson plan but going forward I will be sure to integrate an explicit conversation and space for students to discuss their opinions on sharing their poems verbally. During this lesson, I briefly asked my classes if they wished to present their poems to the rest of the class, but each class vehemently declined my proposition.
I would like my students to feel more confident sharing their work with their peers, especially in a presentation style. This year, I was hesitant to force my students to verbally present their material because they had just transitioned from online learning. The in-person aspect of school caused many students anxiety. Going forward, I would like to set expectations for presentations, but also allow students the opportunity to choose, especially with such vulnerable material as personal poetry. I do like the idea of having students verbally share their work, so perhaps we will compromise with small group presentations. I believe even small group shares will help students grow their confidence in speaking up in class and outside of the classroom.
The second wondering was regarding forms of feedback given to the students by myself, the teacher. The code writing was a process students worked on inside the classroom so I could be there to discuss with each of them as they worked. During the writing portion, I circulated the classroom and did informal check-ins with each student to give students a chance to review their work and voice any questions or concerns they had along the way. Before each student turned in their final product, I reviewed their odes with them a final time to go over any edits they may need. Students were then given time to make a final edit to turn in. Then, I provided each student with the rubric we created as a class and written feedback.
I believe it is important to have a constant flow of communication with students to ensure that all are engaged and clear on the expectations. Feedback is necessary for all parties in the learning process to succeed. Going forward, I would like to employ more student facilitated feedback. This will encourage students to advocate for themselves while also holding themselves accountable in their own learning.
Finally, the third question from my peers and instructor was regarding whether students had the opportunity to provide feedback to one another. In my lesson plan I scheduled time for peer edits using the class created rubric. During the session, students were paired with another and went through their odes using the rubric. Students provided each other with feedback on what they think they scored on the ode and why. Each student had to provide at least one suggestion for their peer and one thing they thought the student executed well.
This course encouraged me to incorporate peer editing into my lessons. I thought it positively impacted my practice because it allowed me to give my students a space to facilitate their own learning. I will continue to incorporate peer editing and peer discussions into my practice. I hope it will help my students become more engaged in the grading process.
Aloha Jeff, I noticed you practice mindfulness with your students but said “Sometimes, because there is a lot of movement and talking this gets really challenging and students can lose focus.” I can completely relate to this dilemma with my 8th graders, especially. I wonder, are there specific strategies you employ to get your students to stop, drop, and focus? For example, the common one is “One, two, three, eyes on me.” What have been your experiences with transitioning your students from the task to mindfulness and then combining the two? Mahalo for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIn presenting to my peers, I had some difficulties as I was first and unable to share my screen, and my lesson plan had the wrong share settings, so I didn’t explain things as clearly as I would have liked (they were unable to see my rubric or student work) . That said, I did still receive the following three pieces of feedback from my peers regarding the lesson and my student responses.
ReplyDeleteOne peer mentioned that I incorporated and changed quite a few teaching practices (previously I penalized late work and also did not allow students to redo their summative assignments), although this transition was not marked in my lesson plan. She made a good point that although my philosophy has changed quite a bit since joining the class, the documented evidence does not necessarily show this. I appreciated her feedback, as it highlights just how much the course has impacted my personal learning, and how it will continue to impact my students positively in the future as they will be allowed to continue their learning after the due date without fear of penalty, and this will allow them to choose to focus on the quality of the work rather than just rushing to meet a deadline, or giving up and not turning in anything because the deadline is too soon.
Another peer empathized as they too used to mark down for late work, but they also have changed their practices, as it does not represent their knowledge. I chose this piece of evidence as it demonstrates that many of us came in with similar viewpoints, and many of us are also changing our practices as a result of this class, and many students will be impacted positively. Deadlines, while important and while they have their place at work, help students to build the soft skill of time management, however, their mistakes in that growth process should not affect their grade, as their grade should be about mastery of the content. Although most of the DOE uses points and percentages, those of us in this class are helping to take the DOE forward into more accurate and equitable practices.
Another comment was wondering if the majority of the students also felt that redos supported their learning, and whether the lesson the students did caused them to think about how their carbon footprint affects the environment. These were helpful comments because it reflects the student experience and how these changes could benefit them. All students who redid their summative assignment were thankful for the opportunity, but it was interesting that not all students said that they should be given that opportunity. This is something I will definitely take forward into teaching, as it does benefit students, and it’s important to note that even students have this same mentality of they should try their hardest the first time, and if students slack off they should not be able to redo their assignment. This is a misconception that we also should work towards changing within our students as well, to teach them that grades are to demonstrate mastery and understanding, not a student’s work ethic.
Aloha Jennifer, I noticed that you mentioned that previously you would mark down late work and that you wold now allow retakes for summative assessments. You also mentioned that you have since changed that practice. I used to have the same policies for my practice. Thatʻs awesome that you have been impacted personally in your philosophy in regards to grading. You mentioned that someone in your breakout room mentioned that your evidence didnʻt really show this. I wonder what evidence you could have included to give evidence of this change in grading policy
DeleteHi Jennifer!
DeleteIt was great meeting you and hearing about the practices you are implementing in your classroom! Not being able to share the screen was not a problem and you were still able to convey your thoughts and lesson through speaking. I notice that similarly we both changed our guidelines for late work! I will agree that it is a better way to assess the student as a whole.
I wonder what other activities could be implemented that help students apply soft skills to their grades in environmental science? While you did mention the students role in society and how their carbon output affects the environment, how can they share they knowledge with the community? Overall great job and keep up the good work!
Val Shindo-Uehira
ReplyDelete1-Choose three elements of specific feedback you received from your showcase presentation and write a short summary of each. Be sure to include the reasons behind each of your three choices and how each will impact your practice moving forward and how it will impact your students in a positive manner.
#1 - The first element I am choosing to reflect upon is a wondering whether I made a connection between the project checklist and the rubric that the students received. The rubric and checklist were both shared with the students when I introduced the project. We reviewed the criteria in the rubric and compared it to the checklist. I felt that providing a checklist for my students would further clarify the criteria in the rubric. I also used this checklist when scoring projects so that if students needed to make corrections, they would know exactly what needed to be revised.
#2 - The second element I am choosing to reflect upon is a question, “would it be beneficial to incorporate the strategies used in this project at the beginning of the year? Would students be more successful?” I do believe that if I were to include these strategies in my grading policy at the onset of the next school year, students would experience higher levels of success earlier in the school year. Earlier successes would then lead to continued improvement and higher engagement and learning.
#3 - The third element I am choosing to reflect upon is another question, “would it be better for students to fill out the checklist themselves?” Students had their own copy of the rubric and checklist. Halfway to the due date, students were required to meet with me along with their checklist and project to go over what they completed and to determine next steps. On the due date, students submitted their project and checklist. I met with students to ensure that they were progressing through their projects so that they would be able to complete and turn it in on time. I also used that time to answer any questions and to ensure that projects were being completed correctly. I believe by doing this students were able to successfully turn in their projects on time and with better scores. Most students were able to score a “Meets” to “Exceeds” for their work.
Aloha Val! I noticed how organized you are in your grading process as evidenced by your checklist and rubrics. I also salute you for allotting time for conferences with individual students. I wonder if the individual conference is something you do for every assignment/project and what ways do you effectively manage your time with a large number of students? Mahalo for your thoughts!
DeleteThe first piece of feedback I am reflecting on is creating a rubric that more clearly defines expecations by adding another level of criteria to it. The one I created was a 1-3 rubric and it was suggested that I do a 1-4 rubric to give students even clearer parameters in which to complete their work. I will do that in the future and it will impact my practice as I attempt to make grading more transparent and equitable for my students. It will impact student learning because when the grading system is more transparent and understandable, they will be motivated to do the work that is necessary to get the grade they want, and they will see that the grade they want is possible when following the clear rubric that makes grading transparent and objective.
ReplyDeleteThe second piece of feedback I got was in response to the observation of my peers that the strategy of not grading every assignment except fot the summative assessment proved to be successful in my lesson plan. Previous to this course, I would grade every individual and group activity in the unit along with the summative assessment. My peers commented that they could see from the work students did along the way during the unit and from the summative assessment that the content was learned, the students enjoyed the unit, and they did well on the summative assessment. I will continue to use this strategy and I can see that it will lead to me using a type of grading system that is transparent and which motivates students to learn and perform.
The third part of the peer review that in the feedback I got was in regards to keeping behavior out of the graded rubric. Previous to this course, I included things such as participation and engagement into the graded rubric. My peers commented on how they appreciated that the rubric in the lesson plan only graded on content standards. They said that they felt that this was a more equitable way to grade students. I will continue to inlclude standards and not behaviors in my rubrics. I feel that this will help me to accurately assess student knowledge and it will affect students positively because they will be motivated to truly learn the material as they see on the rubric that they will need to master content standards.
Aloha Val- I notice that you mention that someone asked if it would it be beneficial to incorporate the strategies used in this project at the beginning of the year. I appreciate that you acknowledged that this could help students achieve higher levels off success earlier in the year thus setting them up for a great year. I wonder how you could explain that to students at the beginning of the year, is that through the syllabus, your intro during the first week, or a combo of those and other means?
DeleteHi Val!
DeleteI notice that you would like to expand your rubric. I think it would be a great idea to provide more details and set clearer expectations so that student know exactly where they fall on the grading scale. It's great to hear that you are willing to make all these changes and adapt to the needs to changing times and also your students! Keep up the great work!
I wonder if students will stop doing work if they aren't graded? I know that if my students hear that something isn't worth points they won't do it at all. This is one of the aspects of class that I struggled with the most and am still continuing to work on to this day.
PART A
ReplyDelete1. Choose three elements of specific feedback you received from your showcase presentation and write a short summary of each. Be sure to include the reasons behind each of your three choices and how each will impact your practice moving forward and how it will impact your students in a positive manner.
Feedback is always something I look forward to whenever I present and turn in work because it makes me reflect on what I did great and what I need to improve. Through feedback, I know how to move forward and become better in my craft.
Positive Feedback: I had positive feedback from one of my colleagues on the Single-Point Rubrics that I have created. She noticed the intentionality to build a growth mindset through the Column for GLOWS(What I did well) and GROWS (What I need to Improve) which were created so students could reflect on their own performance or product based on the criteria given, aligned with the standards. Another colleague also appreciated the mastery level descriptors in my rubrics—5-Mastered the Standard, 4-Expanding(Student has key gaps in their understanding of the standard), 3-Developing (Student is able to demonstrate the skill with less assistance, 2 Emerging(Student is unable to demonstrate the skill without assistance) and 1-No evidence), which is a 1-5 scale instead of the 0-4 scale I used to have, to remove the zeros in my grading system and I mirrored the descriptors to the language proficiency levels in the ACCESS for ELs test. She sees it as a form of transparency and opportunity to make connections on how students are graded in the statewide test and in the classroom. With these positive feedbacks, I will continue utilizing the Single-Point Rubrics so my students could reflect on their performance and their product and improve them to make quality outputs. Having a structured way with specific points to reflect on will best make students aware of what they need to demonstrate and thus, will instill in them ownership and accountability of their learning. I will also continue with the same mastery level descriptors in my rubrics, eliminating the exceeding standards as a performance level descriptor so that more students could achieve more the ceiling grade, given that my students are in the entering and emerging language levels who are also struggling academically because of learning gaps.
PART B.
ReplyDeleteConstructive Feedback:
1. One of the three colleagues in the room was concerned about the amount of work I gave my ELs with the comprehensive ELD routines that I have presented and how I might be teaching English in a rapid phase for ELs. Indeed, seeing the tip of the iceberg tends to provide confusion and thus, I have explained the context of the project to give an overview. The ELD routines is something that I have already been doing with the ELs, same vocabulary strategy; same writing prompts that include descriptive details, same integration of cohesion and transition devices; sentences according to structure (simple, compound, complex); and the final prompt that puts all the elements together. New ELD routines topic just means new text to read and new writing prompts, but the same elements. Nevertheless, I am still grateful about my colleague’s feedback because of how she was thinking about the best interests of my ELs. Still, I will continue doing the ELD routines because it is something that has been intentionally crafted for ELs, that merges the ELA content and standards with the WIDA ELD standards.
2. Three of them expressed concern on how the 1-5 scale is translated on the students' report cards which appears as A-F, which is indeed a great question for the secondary level. I have expressed my thinking that communication of the relationship that goes with everything that is happening in the grading process makes all the difference. In my own context, I do communicate that the 4-point scale/1-5 scale is the way I grade them in their products and performances, and the A-F letter grade is what appears as their final grade since it is what is being set-up in the gradebook. It is also not about the letter grade or the 4-point scale but the mastery level descriptors that come with each. With these comments about the same subject, I will do my best to explain to my students the difference between my grading scale with the letter grade (A-F) and will make the connections that A equates to 5, B to 4, C to 3, D to 2 and 1 to F. Everything comes with explicitly communicating what each stands for and how each could affect their class standing.
In the showcase I talked about the different assessment types I implemented into my class and also the student work tied to the assessment. The first type was Reflection which incorporated written skills. I talked about how my students wrote about their thoughts on the Movie Supersize Me. Being that my peers are familiar with this movie, they agreed that the big themes fit well into my Digestive System and Nutrition Unit. One of my peers asked if the transition from my old grading to my new grading scale was difficult, and that in their classroom the student struggled with the new grading scale. This feedback was very helpful because I never thought to ask my students about what their thoughts were and if it was easier or harder. Overall I think that in the future I will ask for student input after switching my grading scales to see what they liked and disliked.
ReplyDeleteThe second feedback I received was that the data collection for my soft skills assignment seemed engaging, although there could be more student interaction because some students could just text their friends instead of asking questions. In the future changes I could make include having students also include their peers name when collecting data. That way I can cross reference names to ensure that students are just making up their data on their own time for more points. Positive feedback that I received was that my rubric was very detailed. I enjoyed hearing this being that it is implied that my expectations for what I want from the students are clear and direct. This way students know exactly what needs to be completed and what grade they will receive upon completion based on the rubric.
The third feedback that I received was positive input on reshaping my course. Prior to taking this class I didn’t integrate retakes or accept late work. While it was difficult to make the change, I now do both of these things and the other teachers said they also made these similar changes. It was great to hear that the learning curve was a little difficult for everyone so I didn’t feel as bad about my difficulty in transitioning the students in the middle of the school year. My hope is that next year will be better because I will set clear expectations at the start of the school year.