77: Writing Assessments

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These are examples of activities that assess student writing in order to improve it before it appears before a public audience.  To see the difference between public writing pieces and write-to-learn pieces, go here.  To see an overview of all the steps that go into creating a piece of public writing go here or here.

 

Individual goal setting:
  • students write down 3-4 things they can most improve in their writing
  • go over goals in conferences and add 1-2 more goals that relate to student goals and/or work
  • store goals in writing folders
Marking papers:
  • don’t need to mark all errors
  • notice a common type of error and mark up a couple instances and ask student to find similar instances and correct them
Rubrics:
  • communicates clear expectations for writing
  • can be used as a tool to identify strengths and gaps in writing pieces
Long-range reflection:
  • students compare writing pieces, reflect and write out how their writing is improving
  • can brainstorm next steps in writing growth
Using models: go there.

 

Using critique lessons: go here.

 

One Thing At a Time!
  • start small
  • go after writing skills and stages 1 at a time
  • support goals with helpful related writing activities

 

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Writing assessment activities can help students become aware of goals and strategies that can improve their writing.  Integrating goal setting conversations into writing conferences can help teachers individualize student goals and related support.  Using efficient strategies (see above) to mark papers can save time and give students opportunities to practice recognizing and fixing their own errors.  Long range reflections can help students appreciate how their writing is evolving and use knowledge of that growth to set incremental writing goals.

 

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Preparation Steps
  • Create a complete list of writing skills / stages needed to master key writing genres in the course.
  • Develop a yearlong sequence that includes times to incrementally learn strategies related to key phases of genre-specific writing.
  • Research and develop learning activities that connect to upcoming writing learning targets.  See above and Writing articles for ideas.
Early Implementation Steps
  • Incrementally facilitate activities in each project that gradually build up proficiency of students’ skills to demonstrate features of course-specific genre(s).
  • Have students maintain writing folders that contain writing artifacts gathered over time.
  • Have students periodically use writing folder samples to reflect on how their writing is progressing and to set upcoming writing goals.
Advanced Implementation Steps
  • Use student feedback and observations to identify writing activities that students like and find effective.  Incorporate these into a repertoire of writing routines that scaffold writing in multiple projects.

 

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76: Drafting Writing

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These are examples of activities that guide students to create writing drafts for public writing.  To see the difference between public writing pieces and write-to-learn pieces, go here.  To see an overview of all the steps that go into creating a piece of public writing go here or here.

 

Four-Card Stud
  • Uses:
    • helps students get started with writing
    • helps students identify logical sequences for writing
    • helps students learn how much explanation to include with each part
  • Play by play:
    • Hand out 4” x 6″ note cards to each student (or letter size paper cut into 4 equal parts)
    • On top of first card, jot down phrase or title describing topic
    • Quick brainstorm of related topics on 1st card
    • Circle one phrase on 1st card that student can tell more about
    • Transfer topic to 2nd card
    • Brainstorm related ideas and topics for 3-4 minutes on 2nd card
    • Circle another phrase from 1st or 2nd card that can be expanded upon
    • Write phrase/topic on 3rd card.
    • Brainstorm related ideas  and topics for 3-4 minutes on 3rd card
    • Circle another phrase from 1st, 2nd or 3rd cards that can be expanded upon
    • Write phrase/topic on 4th card.
    • Brainstorm related ideas  and topics for 3-4 minutes on 4th card
    • Order cards in sequence that makes sense for writing piece
Letting It Rest
  • Uses/Purposes:
    • Real understanding takes time
    • See work with fresh eyes
  • Tips:
    • Have students put away first draft for a couple days
    • Collect student work if students might lose it
    • Explain to students the reason for the letting the writing rest and how it relates to developing understanding

 

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The four card stud activity can help students develop quick rough outlines that contain main arguments and related evidence.  This activity can help students get started with writing.  It can be run more than 4 times to generate more ideas.

 

Letting work rest will help students revise and polish their work with fresh eyes.  This strategy can also be used to teach students how developing understanding takes time.

 

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Preparation Steps
  • Facilitate pre-writing activities aimed at building student interest and knowledge of writing topics.
  • Set aside time in project calendar for drafting activities (see 4 card stud) and for letting work rest.
  • If running 4 card stud – gather index cards or cut letter size paper into quarters.
Early Implementation Steps
  • Facilitate 4-card stud activity.
  • Work the room to make sure students use entire set times to brainstorm.
  • Work the room after activity to see if students are able to successfully use the sequenced 4 cards to develop their first drafts.
  • Have students reflect on 4-card stud activity and describe whether or not it helped them draft their writing and how.
  • Ask students to reflect upon new ideas and insights they got while letting their first draft rest.
Advanced Implementation Steps
  • If students like the 4-card stud activity and are able to use it effectively, integrate it into a routine repertoire of writing activities used in multiple projects to scaffold writing.

 

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75: Public Writing Conditions & Stages

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These are examples of activities one can run to prepare students to create public writing pieces.  To see the difference between public writing pieces and write-to-learn pieces, go here.

 

Elements that Promote Good Public Writing:
  • student choice of topic – enhances student ownership
  • time to write in class – provide in-class support that helps students write, talk, and think in specific academic genres
  • response – formative feedback that is provided to students as they write, not when they are finished
  • good models –  uses concrete examples to demonstrate key features of high quality work
  • process approach – approach writing as a craft-like series of steps and stages that can be mastered over time
  • supportive environment – positive learning environment that promote learning as a process, that value risks and mistakes
  • real audience – real people (ideally outside school) who will read the writing.  possible audiences include:
    • your own class
    • adult panels
    • other students in other classes or schools
    • special interest groups and orgs
    • targets for advocacy
    • experts in particular fields
    • contest judges
Writing Process Stages: For another look at writing stages, go here.
  • Before writing activities – Writing Activities – raises student interest, builds student knowledge
  • Gathering information – researching and learning information related to writing topic
  • Organizing – organizing information, steps, arguments so reader can follow writer’s lines of thinking
  • Getting ideas down on paper
  • Letting early drafts rest – permits writer to come back with fresh eyes
  • Review the work – clear, concise, organized, communicates what’s intended, prune out extraneous information
  • Revising – refine ideas and explanations
  • Polishing – grammar, spelling, tone check
  • Publishing – get student writing in front of a real audience where results matter

 

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The elements and writing stages that support good public writing can be used to analyze, reflect upon, and refine projects that scaffold writing.  The writing process stages can be used to organize project calendars that have public writing pieces as products.

 

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Preparation Steps
  • Analyze past projects that scaffold writing using stages and conditions listed above.
  • Research and develop tools and strategies that enhance discovered strengths.
  • Research and develop tools and strategies that bridge discovered gaps.
  • Create project calendar that contains enough time to accommodate activities from writing stages students need to be successful at creating writing products.
  • Gather resources to organize and store student writing and feedback.
Early Implementation Steps
  • Facilitate writing activities that cover writing stages needed for student success.  See above.
  • Have students regularly set, achieve, and reflect upon goals that relate to writing products.
  • Gather feedback from students to identify effective writing activities and to fine-tune activities.
Advanced Implementation Steps
  • Use student feedback to identify most effective writing activities.  Incorporate these activities into routines that appear in several projects to support student writing.
  • Use observations and data to Identify common areas of writing need and design activities to bridge these gaps.
  • Recruit authentic audiences to raise the stakes of writing pieces.
  • Use technology to publish student writing in meaningful settings.

 

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73: Writing Workshops

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Main components of writing workshops
  • students write during workshops that occur during class
  • teachers observe and give individual feedback
  • teach writing skills in a step-by-step manner
 
Reasons to Run Writing Workshops
  • ensures that students get writing done
  • diagnostic – learn what students are succeeding at and not
  • individualize instruction
  • can be more efficient than whole group instruction
  • model discipline specific thinking patterns and writing styles
Play by Play:
  • Building engagement, choice & individual goal setting:
    • students list possible writing topics they’d like to explore
    • teachers assign topics based on their interests and to ensure class-wide variety in topics
    • students conduct preliminary research to narrow down writing topic
    • student complete individual goal setting sheets that list specific content and writing goals they’d like to achieve in the project
  • Students working independently:
    • students conduct more research on color-coded notecards that categorize types of information and that record summaries and resources
    • students create outlines and draft pieces while waiting for conferences
    • set norms for independent work so that conferences can occur simultanously
      • write need-to-knows on sticky notes and place them on designated board
      • if you finish writing early, work on editing and revising
      • use low voices and sit close to thought partners
      • go to writing resource area for more ideas if you get stuck
  • Brief, Focused Teaching & Modeling:
    • assign a thinking sheet that outlines how to think / draft a small section of writing piece
    • conduct a mini-lesson on contents of thinking sheet
    • also support mini-lesson with modeling
    • can assign thinking sheets, teach mini-lessons, and model other key features of the writing pieces
    • could use tree diagrams and other graphic organizers to represent and outline arguments
  • Teacher Student Conferences and observations:
    • doesn’t instruct on right and wrong – instead asks questions that get students to make connections, justify arguments, etc.
    • can be short – 2-3 minutes and focused
      • commit to a learning target (writing or content) and focus feedback and inquiries on that focus to keep meetings targeted and short
    • could address any idea that students need help
    • possible prompts –
      • what are you working on?
      • how is it going?
      • what help do you need to move forward?
      • tell me more about why you …
      • what else do you know about …
      • how are you achieving your goals?
    • incorporate individual goal sheets – lists skills students want to master in current project
    • incorporate rubric
      • highlight rubric together or go over student highlighted rubric
      • give feedback specific to the rubric
      • use a rubric reflection sheet with columns: rubric criteria, successful or not, evidence, next steps
    • another way to share feedback
      • take notes on post-its while working the room
      • place on student work during work time or during conference times
    • storing conference notes
      • write on sticky notes that start on clipboard
      • move to student work
      • after it is used by student, move to a notebook that has pages for each student
  • Writing Folders:
    • keep work organized in writing folders – contain note cards, drafts, outlines, brainstorm ideas, individual goal sheets, peer review sheets, etc 
  • Share the Results:
    • conclude with oral presentations to share findings
Making time:
  • focus writing assignments on topics that involve big subtle ideas that are need to be taught over time
  • use writing workshop format for other types of problem solving – e.g. solving real world math problems, writing lab reports, etc

 

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See Reasons for running writing workshops above.

 

Teaching students how to write within discipline-specific genres is tricky.  The elements of the writing workshop can be used to scaffold key features of writing pieces, guide students during work time and give specific formative feedback on work.  Incorporating student goals and student choice into the work builds student engagement, agency, and ownership of the work.

 

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Preparation Steps
  • Develop thinking sheets and mini lessons and gather models to scaffold key features of the writing piece
  • Develop overarching topic or essential question that can be used to stimulate and focus student-geneterated topics and questions
  • Develop assessment sheets – could have columns for rubric criteria, successful or not?, related evidence, next steps
  • Plan logistics and gather resources – writing folders (physical or online), sticky notes
    • Tech Note: Google keep might be a good substitute for conference sticky notes because they can be shared with students and organized by tags and students can check off items in the list as they complete them.  Google keep may be good for storing student goals for similar reasons.
Early Implementation Steps
  • Run writing workshop that focuses on 1 to 2 elements of writing piece.  See elements listed above for details:
    • build engagement though some student choice
    • conduct mini-lessons, provide thinking sheets and model each feature (1 at a time)
    • facilitate independent work time – focus work time goals and communicate norms
    • meet with students in conferences and record feedback
    • organize work in writing folders
Advanced Implementation Steps
  • Make writing workshops part of work time routine in multiple projects
  • Track writing samples over several projects and use these to help students reflect and set progressive writing goals

 

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71: Writing to Learn (1 of 2)

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4 Writing to Learn (WTL) Strategies (for more WTL’s go here or here or here)

  1. Written Conversations
    • students process material by passing notes to each other about the material
      • wonder if technology like Twitter, Todaysmeet, etc can be used to support this strategy
    • quiet, energetic way to process content
    • Play by play:
      • set times for writing and exchanging notes
      • introduce norms – stay on topic, write the whole time, silent writing
      • work the room to make sure students are on task and to note interesting ideas
      • don’t feel pressured to read every note, believe in the power of unguided writing-to-learn exercises
      • Types of exchanges
        • live – quick, occurs in real time
        • take-away – slower, students have more time to compose notes
      •  Variations:
        • attach reading to large poster
        • have team of 2 or 3 read reading silently and write notes to each other about the reading in the poster margins (use a unique color per student so you can see individual contributions)
  2. Write-arounds
    • using passing and writing protocols to facilitate written conversations about content within small and large groups
    • can enable students to expand each other’s knowledge and correct each other’s misconceptions
    • Play by play:
      • arrange students into groups of 3 to 5 (4 is ideal)
      • hand out large pieces of paper
      • introduce norms: silent writing, write the whole time
      • each student start the paper by writing their name or initials at the top of the page
      • instruct students to write all their thoughts related to a topic for a set period of time (1 – 5 min)
      • observe students and instruct them to pass their paper to their right (within their team) after most of the class has written about a quarter of the page
      • students write name or initials on next line of new paper and write a reaction to previous student’s work
      • rotate until original papers return back to their initial writers
      • can do another cycle with a more specific prompt
      • then have spokesperson from each team share highlights in the silent conversation in a whole group conversation
      • Variation (Silent group discussion):
        • students write 2 questions on a paper
        • then instruct students to pass papers in directions that result in all students getting a new paper
        • students then answer 1 of the 2 questions and add a new question
        • pass papers again
        • students then answer 1 of the questions and add a new question
        • repeat for 5 rotations
        • discuss interesting exchanges in whole group or small group discussion
  3. Carousel brainstorming:
    • students rotate in teams to discuss, brainstorm and write about several topics (1 per rotation)
    • purposes:
      • introduce new topics (could be a good K/NTK activity)
      • active review activity
    • Play by play:
      • design 3 – 4 questions, headers, or statements and post on posters on walls spread out around the room
      • group students into teams of 3 or 4, each team has it’s own color
      • disperse teams among the poster
      • give a set time for students to discuss the header and write as many related ideas as possible
      • teams rotate to a new poster
      • instruct teams to read over poster first, discuss its contents, and brainstorm only NEW related ideas (no repeat ideas), team members assign a new recorder per rotation
      • students follow instructions and rotate when instructed by teacher
      • teams continue to read, discuss and brainstorm NEW ideas, team members assign a new recorder per rotation
      • teacher can make time durations shorter and shorter as it becomes harder to produce NEW ideas as posters fill up
      • Analyzing brainstorming:
        • when teams return to original poster, they digest entire poster and discuss it – notice what’s new, new connections, new questions, etc  Teams assign a speaker to present key findings on each poster
        • can go on a gallery walk of completed posters and take note of the top 3 ideas in each poster
        • can facilitate a silent gallery walk – after viewing all posters students can complete a WTL that describes their findings
        • after rotations, have teams decide on what topic they’d like to become experts on – have them research the topic and report it to the class at a later time
  4. Double – entry journal
    • 2-column way of recording and processing learning
    • left column = notes to summarize information. right column = reaction to notes
    • Examples of column headings for double-entry journals: column 1, column 2
      • computation, explanation for each step
      • problem, solution
      • reasons for, reasons against
      • opinion, proof
      • quote, explanation of importance
      • quote, personal connections
      • quote, discussion questions
      • observations, inferences
      • pros, cons
      • words, images
      • facts, feelings
      • information, values
      • interesting visual, associated thought or feeling
    • Play-by-play
      • decide on headings that enhance learning targets
      • model the process to get students started
      • explain purpose of assignment (ex: evidence of completing reading, basis for an upcoming discussion, etc)
      • work the room – see if students are using the strategy to make deep connections
      • if the connections are superficial, pause activity and model how to make deeper connections
      • uses of notes:
        • basis for discussions
        • collection can be used to review material
      • variation:
        • if double-entry notes occur several times – let them write them on left-side pages and leave partner right-side pages blank; for review, they can fill up the right-side pages with summaries of their notes
        • can be used to help students actively process videos and readings
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Teachers can use a variety of Write-to-Learns (WTLs) to get students to actively process information in a variety of ways.  The written dialogue, write-around, and carousel brainstorming activities can be used to get peers to expand each other’s knowledge and correct misconceptions.  The double-entry journal technique can get students to make powerful associations between new material and their thoughts and feelings.

 

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Preparation Steps
  • Analyze standards and generate learning targets
  • Use knowledge of content and students to identify which WTL’s can be used to process information in ways that highlight useful connections
  • Develop prompts and tools related to selected WTL’s
Early Implementation Steps
  • Implement WTL’s.  See ideas above.
  • Facilitate follow-up discussions and activities that make use of the WTL’s.
Advanced Implementation Steps
  • Have students reflect on WTL’s and try to identify which strategies are the most helpful.  Use their suggestions to build WTL routines that match their preferences.
  • For individual WTL’s – give students choice among several strategies that match their preferred modes of communication.
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70: Quick Writes (2 of 2)

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4 More Quick Writes (for 3 other straggles, go here)
 
  1. Brainstorming:
    • coming up with lots of ideas in a short amount of time
    • goal = quantity over quality
    • Possible uses:
      • could be part of writing break:
      • list every detail and idea you remember from the past 10 minutes
      • at end of list could supplement and revise this list
      • could be used to identify multiple ways to solve a problem
      • review content
      • inventory knowledge
      • connect content to things outside the classroom
      • correct previous misconceptions
      • pre-reading activity
      • vocabulary processing activity – provide as many examples of possible of this word
      • recap reading
    • Play by play:
      • select brainstorming topic, time, duration (1 – 2 minutes), and goal
      • at the appointed time, give students brainstorming topic and have them write for set time
      • student share lists with partner and extend their lists
      • create a class master list with ideas from each pair
      • work the room during individual brainstorming and pair discussion times
      • reprocessing lists
        • what would you like to add to your list now that you know more?
        • what are the top 3 things on your list and why?
        • what would you like to remove from you list now that you know more?
      • Pro tips:
        • select topics that students have some prior knowledge of
        • have students correct errors and misconceptions at a later time
  1. Drawing & Illustrating:
    • quick drawings, sketches with captions that show understanding of an idea or problem
    • good for visual learners
    • Play by play:
      • can ask students to diagram/sketch what they learned the previous day
        • ask students to draw without the aide of the internet, on their own
        • encourage non-artists to relax
        • provide other options to students who are not visual learners
        • use to make a class-wide collection of pictures – note Nearpod is good at consolidating these drawings and sharing select drawings
        • OR use to made a single class-wide picture
      • work the room – scan for key ideas, common themes, misconceptions, struggling to draw/caption
      • have students reflect on how drawings are helping them visualize and grow their own learning
    • Types of drawings
      • cartoons
      • timelines
      • cycle drawings
  2. Clustering:
    • similar to concept mapping
    • start with a single word/topic in the center, draw related topics on hubs extending from the center
    • Uses:
      • helps students learn what they know and how to organize their learning
      • help student process information prior to discussions
      • make sense of reading (textbooks, articles, etc)
    • Play by play:
      • Model it first – think aloud to model thinking that goes with clustering
      • Students can start using this strategy working in pairs
      • Can create cluster individually after they become familiar with the strategy
      • Assign a key word to start the cluster (the central word)
      • Have students explain connections between central word and words on the hubs
      • Work the room – look for misconceptions, struggles, interesting connections, recurring connections
      • Reassure students who are uncomfortable with associative thinking
      • Can provide words in center and hubs if topic is new
      • Word splash variation – show a word cloud of key words and have students write as many sentences as possible that connect the words
  3. Mapping
    • arranging ideas visually to show relationships
    • leverages fact that brain works by associating images with words
    • examples:
      • Venn diagrams
      • flow charts
      • concept wheels
    • purposes:
      • represent nonlinear processes
      • organize, synthesize, digest knowledge
      • recall problem solving steps
      • review material near end of unit
      • relate ideas to a larger whole or big ideas
      • organize projects
      • generate ideas
      • process reading
    • Play by play:
      • model creating type of map and use think aloud to link map creating to thinking
      • show students models of maps
      • use graphic organizers with targeted model
      • give students time to complete the map with the use of graphic organizer
      • work the room to see struggles, common ideas and misconceptions
      • discuss maps – call on students to explain where they placed information and why
        • display student suggestions / ideas on a class map
      • variations:
        • could start map in class and finish at home to give more processing time
        • do gallery walk with maps – write comments on blank paper by the maps while rotation around
        • complete maps in pairs
  4. Bonus Strategy: Learning Logs:
    • Collect WTL’s in a learning logs – could be pasted into a notebook or kept in a large envelope
    • Ask students to examine WTL’s at key milestones in projects, correct them, and create pieces that synthesize key information in the WTL’s
Recommended Reading & Viewing:
 
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Write-to-Learns (WTLs) can help students learn how to think.  Using quick strategies can help students reprocess information and can help teachers notice trends that help them build bridges between ideas and fine-tune lessons.  Using mapping and sketching activities can help visual learners make stronger associations with and among ideas.

 

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Preparation Steps
  • Decide what types of Quick Writes can be used to highlight key ideas and connections in learning targets
  • Model how to create Quick Writes.  Use think aloud strategy while modeling.  Also let students examine and discuss examples to get more familiar with the strategies.
 
Early Implementation Steps
  • Use quick write strategies (variety) to give students varied ways to process content in workshops
  • Use pair share protocols to discuss and consolidate quick writes
  • Have student reflect upon and add additional comments to their quick writes in order to develop students’ metacognition
Advanced Implementation Steps
  • Use quick write strategies (variety) to give students varied ways to process content in workshops at their beginning, middle and end
  • Set up routines that have students assemble quite writes into learning logs and use these learning logs to review material at project milestones
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69: Quick Writes (1 of 2)

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WTLs (left) vs Public writing (right)
  • short vs substantial
  • spontaneous vs planned
  • exploratory vs authoritative
  • informal vs conventional
  • personal vs audience centered
  • one draft vs drafted
  • unedited vs edited
  • ungraded vs assessable
 
WTLs: Why they work
  • students need to act upon ideas to develop understanding
  • understanding increases when people write ideas down
  • part of learning ideas is putting them in own words
  • goes beyond transcription (beyond fill-in-the-blank, recall questions)
  • can expose prior knowledge and misconceptions
  • can help students set and achieve academic goals
  • increase active participation during class discussions
WTLs: Quick Writes: 3 Examples (4 more examples are here)
  1. Writing break: 
    • create opportune times to stop learning activities to give students a chance to process new learnings by writing
    • frequency – recommends every 10-12 min in long lecture (equals max attention span of an adult)
    • could occur after examining a dense visual for a couple minutes
    • Suggested prompts:
      • What info stands out?  Why?
      • What does this remind you of?
      • What questions do you still have?
      • Rate you understanding from 1 to 5.  Explain why.
      • What makes sense? What’s confusing?
      • Higher order textbook questions
    • cruise around the room while students are taking their writing break – skim students’ writing, notice if students are struggling to get started
    • have students pair share their writing immediately after writing break
      • read about their writing and then
      • continue the academic conversation
    • call on 2 to 3 pairs for quick summary of what was discussed
    • Easing students in:
      • start with specific, short prompts
      • after doing writing breaks several times, ask students reflect by considering;
        • did I write through the whole break?
        • did I justify my ideas with evidence?
        • did my writing start a good conversation with my partner?
    • Prepping for tests –
      • have students review what they wrote in their writing breaks and create lists of key things to remember
      • focus test review on key things that rarely or do not make it to student lists
  2. Exit slips:
    • takes place during last 1-5 minutes of class
    • on small slips of paper, Post-Its, index cards, etc
    • possible prompts:
      • what was the best discussion you brought to the group? why?
      • what did you learn today?
      • how is the project going for you?
      • what was the most important idea discussed today? why?
      • what was the most confusing idea discussed today? why?
      • predict what we will need to learn in this project and why?
      • what would you like me to review tomorrow and why?
      • design an essay question that goes with today’s material.  why this question?
      • what goals can you set for yourself to learn this material successfully?
      • what would be some good review questions relating to today’s lesson?
      • what can I do to help you learn bettering this class?
      • summarize today’s lesson using 25 carefully chosen words?
      • Process prompts: what did you notice while discussing your writing break work with your partners
      • Classroom management prompt: how will classroom learning change if … improves?
    • work the room while students write to ensure that they use the whole time to write and to quickly scan what they write
    • have students write their names on the tickets for accountability
    • analyze exit tickets
      • look for common themes
      • common misconceptions
      • unique comments and questions
      • identify what can be highlighted tomorrow and what needs reteaching or re-clarification
    • share synthesis/analysis of exit tickets with class on following day
  3. Admit slip
    • piece of writing students bring to the start of class
    • usually a review of previous day’s material
    • prompts:
      • thought-provoking questions that go with previous lesson’s learning target?
      • examples:
        • How could this formula be applied in a real-world situation?
        • Explain the advantages and disadvantages of indicators vs meters.
    • how to use admit slips:
      • scan quickly and read 1 to 3 discussion starters aloud and have students discuss in pairs and share summaries with class
      • find 2 opposing slips, read aloud and discuss
      • ask volunteers to read slips aloud
      • shuffle cards and pass out randomly and have pair read cards aloud to start a discussion
      • pass out randomly and students write comments on slips (do several times) – then volunteers start conversation by reading aloud original writing and added comments
    • troubleshooting
      • if students have trouble doing homework, dedicate first 5 minutes of class to writing slips – during writing time, work the room to scan writing and to encourage students to use the whole time to write
    • other use:
      • assign a problem that bridges yesterday’s and today’s material
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WTLs can help students learn how to think.  Using quick strategies can help students reprocess information and can help teachers notice trends that help them build bridges between ideas and fine-tune lessons.  Admit and exit tickets can help frame the lesson like a narrative that has a clear beginning, middle, and end.

 

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Preparation Steps
  • Plan learning activities and identify good spots and create writing prompts for writing breaks.
  • Plan writing prompts for admit and exit tickets.
Early Implementation Steps
  • Use writing breaks during scaffolding activities to give students time to actively process new learnings by writing about and discussing it with a partner
  • Assign and analyze admit and/or exit slips.
  • Use admit and/or exit slips to start classroom discussion that build a bridge between current and prior knowledge.
Advanced Implementation Steps
  • Develop routines that involve regular use of writing breaks, admit and/or exit slips.
  • Have students reflect upon multiple writing pieces from writing breaks, admit sips, and exit slips in order to be aware of how their knowledge and skills are evolving over time

 

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68: Models, Critique & Descriptive Feedback

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Key terms:
  • models:
    • exemplars that demonstrate key features of a genre
    • can be student work, teacher work or professional work
  • critique lessons:
    • lessons that define qualities of high quality work by analyzing models
    • aimed at improving skills of whole group
  • descriptive feedback:
    • forms: teacher-student conference, written comments, peer-to-peer feedback
    • precise constructive comments that help students improve quality of work
 
Tips for Building Safe Culture:
  • norm:  be kind, be specific, be helpful
  • be clear and encouraging
  • shape descriptive feedback with individual in mind
  • be aware, stop comments that are unintentionally or intentionally unkind
  • practice critiques on examples generated outside the classroom
Tips for Choosing Models:
  • models show students where they are headed
  • include examples of features tied to learning targets
  • gather good examples of student work from previous projects
  • file models by genre
  • create models if needed
  • use models from professional world
  • choose models that illustrate different approaches to the same assignment or different strong features
 Modeling with Weak Work
  • work must be anonymous
  • model respectful critique
  • has compelling, common flaws
  • can have a mixture of strong and weak elements
  • best examples are results of students who tried hard but had confusions that created specific problems
Critique Lesson Steps:
  • choose work samples that go with learning targets
  • students individually examine multiple samples and try to make sense of them  – what’s good, what’s confusing, etc.
  • students in small groups discuss what features were strong and provide evidence
  • teacher facilitates whole group discussion of models
    • gathers general observations
    • gathers observations that relate to learning targets
    • discusses which parts are strong/accurate and explains why with evidence
  • students in small groups brainstorm attributes of good work
  • teacher facilitates whole group discussion to synthesize their tips for producing strong work
Critique Lesson Tips:
  • target critique to specific features that tie to learning targets
  • clarity of learning targets should not prevent students from sharing unrelated surprises and discoveries
  • focus on content, concepts, skills, genre features, habits of scholarship
 
Possible Times to Implement Critique Lessons:
  • at start of project to introduce a genre
  • in middle of project during work time to support focused revision
  • just before presenting work to fine-tune final revisions
  • just before self and peer assessment sessions to teach students how to give effective feedback
  • after assignment is due to reflect on quality and set new goals
Facilitating Discussions Tips:
  • define sequence of discussion prompts that align to learning targets
  • structure time, set amount of time per section
  • define and assign discussion roles
  • define norms relating to participation and listening
Gallery Critique:
  • all students post work to examine
  • good for identifying good features and strategies
  • too many samples to analyze gaps
  • for written work – short excerpts of larger piece work best
  • Steps:
    • Introduce norms and goals
    • Post work
    • Silent gallery walk and take notes of strong examples
    • Discuss what was noticed
    • Discuss what’s working using specific examples and explanations
In-Depth Critique
  • single work is analyzed for what’s working and not working
 
Critique Facilitator Tips:
  • Strategically choose students for comments
  • Radiate enthusiasm and positivity
  • Offer compelling statements to build interest and add key points
  • Reframe student observations to make them more clear when needed
  • Guide discussion towards learning targets
  • Make sure students observe discussion norms
  • Have student rephrase vague statements for more clarity
  • Model good critique
  • Make clear that the work itself, not the author, is the subject of critique
  • Model use of “I” statements – “I think … “
  • Start discussion with warm feedback before moving to cool feedback
  • Frame ideas as questions whenever possible
  • Keep discussion moving at an energetic pace
  • Help students notice and remember key comments in discussion
  • Direct attention to important examples (if not mentioned)
  • Guide discussion towards specific strategies that meet learning targets
  • Display key ideas and strategies in clear specific language
  • Guide students to use academic vocabulary in discussions that go with learning targets
Features of Descriptive Feedback
  • Focused on growth of individual student’s skills and/or understanding
  • Typically a one-one-one teacher-student exchange
  • Rests on base of a strong positive teacher-student relationship
  • Includes strategic positive comments that make feedback easier to hear
  • Based on strong knowledge of students’ strengths, areas of growth, and goals
Continuum of How Students Hear Feedback
  • Blames teacher for being mean
  • Ignores feedback
  • Hears feedback but doesn’t know how to use it
  • Receives feedback, uses it but doesn’t meet goals
  • Receives feedback, uses it, reaches goals and can teach others
Planning for Effective Feedback
  • Know that students who are most likely receive to feedback well are already successful, see continuum above
  • Communicate belief in students’ ability to use feedback to meet high expectations
  • Teach students the language of critique related to learning targets
  • Consider good timing:
    • Provide enough time for students to use the feedback
    • Immediate feedback is best for factual knowledge
    • Time delay in feedback is better for more complex tasks
    • Provide frequent ongoing feedback on major assignments
  • Consider quantity:
    • Prioritize feedback related to  learning targets
    • Consider how much feedback individual student can take in at once
  • Written vs Oral feedback?
    • oral feedback while student is working is more effective and efficient
      • get students to paraphrase oral feedback
      • give within teacher-student conference
    • written feedback on a checklist, assignment sheet, or rubric
  • Group vs Individual feedback?
    • individual feedback conveys caring
    • whole group feedback is good for correcting a common error
  • Consider tone:
    • positive, constructive
    • suggestions not prescriptions
    • avoid pointing out what’s wrong without offering suggestions
    • avoid punishing tone
  • Aim for clarity:
    • student-friendly, specific
  • Keep Learning Target in mind:
    • connect feedback to how to improve on learning goals
    • avoid making it personal
  • Leverage comparisons:
    • use checklists or rubric with criteria to compare student work to
    • avoid comparing work to other students – can damage student motivation
  • Be aware of student perceptions of feedback
    • does student understand feedback?
    • does student feel safe and valued?
    • situate feedback within positive culture and positive relationships that value student-engaged assessment
  • Feedback Implementation Tips:
    • Teacher-Student:
      • plan and schedule conference times
      • be concise and clear
      • target one skill at a time
      • use student work to assess effectiveness of feedback
    • Peer and Self Feedback
      • teach students purpose and strategies for giving feedback
      • revisit learning targets often and check that students know how to recognize them in student work
      • model giving effective feedback
      • emphasize self over peer feedback – research has shown that the former is more effective
      • precede feedback sessions with whole group critique lessons that scaffold how to give effective feedback

 

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Models, critique, and descriptive feedback are tools for improving performance in school and in many other settings and professions.  Students can’t visualize quality work in a genre without having seen and analyzed examples.  Examining models makes standards real and tangible.  Critique and descriptive feedback help build a culture that promotes agency (effort develops skills).  They teach students how to achieve quality standards more independently.

 

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Preparation Steps
  • Gather strong models that demonstrate key learning targets
  • Research activities aimed at identifying strategies for analyzing models, peer/self critiques, and generating quality feedback.  See above and literacy articles for ideas.
  • Build culture that values critique and constant improvement
Early Implementation Steps
  • Teach students how to be kind, specific and helpful in their feedback
  • Incorporate critique lessons and descriptive feedback into product scaffolding and benchmark days
  • Use learning targets to frame critique and descriptive feedback
  • Facilitate critique lessons using tips listed above.
  • After critique lessons have modeled effective feedback, facilitate peer and self feedback activities.  See tips listed above.
  • Provide ongoing individual feedback to students in short conferences.  See tips above.
Advanced Implementation Steps
  • Use practiced protocols to reflect on work during process of creation, right before presentations and after presentations
  • Use critique lessons to help students co-author or author rubrics for products
  • Use checklists of common pitfalls gathered over time to guide peer/teacher critique sessions
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18: Lesson Plan Model for Cognitive Engagement

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Lesson Plan Model for Cognitive Engagement:
  • Explore: Students notice and gather sensory input.
  • Describe: Students make connections with prior knowledge
  • Explain: Teacher clarifies and builds on student associations, introduces new concepts and asks students what sense they are making of it all
  • Demonstrate: Students analyze and integrate information to demonstrate understanding by applying it
  • Evaluate: Students and teacher reflect on and evaluate effectiveness of lesson, how to improve it, and what questions come to mind as a result of learning experiences
For more scaffolding ideas related to specific cognitive structures, see:
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This lesson plan model can be used to design scaffolding activities that practice using cognitive structures to develop deep understanding of content.  This model may support EL learners because it connects new knowledge to immediate experiences and prior knowledge.

 

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Preparation Steps
  • Analyze skills embedded in standards and in project context
  • Identify which skills could benefit from this lesson plan model
  • Design learning experiences that align to targeted standards and work well with lesson plan model
  • Create and gather resources related to lesson plan
  • Identify cognitive structures that relate to targeted standards: See 16: Cognitive structures part 1 of 2 and 17: Cognitive structures part 2 of 2.
  • Use targeted cognitive structures to plan specific open-ended questions that encourage students to practice targeted cognitive structures
  • Design formative assessments that can be used to determine how students are learning new content
Early Implementation Steps
  • Implement lesson plans based on lesson plan model
  • Use formative assessment results to give students timely feedback and to make adjustments to lesson plan
Advanced Implementation Steps
  • Design lesson plans that simultaneously address targeted standards, related cognitive structures, and related project products
  • Integrate lesson plan model with skills embedded in 6 facets of understanding
  • Teach students cognitive structures and to be aware of when they are using them to learn new content

 

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09: Classroom Conversations

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  • Pitfalls of Many Classroom Discussions:
    • mainly teacher monologues
    • 80% teacher speaking, 20% students talking if lucky
    • missing student explanations
    • uses quick checks for comprehension without elaboration
    • struggling students talk the least
    • focus on fast delivery of information
  • Benefits of Facilitating Classroom Conversations:
    • can assess student understanding in real time
    • less reteach
    • students are more active in their own learning
  • Strategies for Facilitating Good Classroom Conversations:
    • Break up teacher monologues with student processing time. During student processing time, students discuss with their neighbor what they think is important and what they find confusing.  After giving students pair discussion time, call on individual students randomly to share what they thought was confusing and what they thought was important.
    • Use rich visuals and vocab cards (see p. 9 and 10 in slides).  Ask students which words on vocab cards appear in visuals and explain why.
    • Use vocab cards with research and workshops.  After reading a passage or going through a couple workshop slides, ask which words were featured and what was learned related to those words.
    • Use sentence stems to scaffold conversations.
    • Use Better Together protocol: Periodically pause during workshop that students are annotating.  During pause, students compare notes with a partner.  Using comparison to add missing details to notes.
    • Always / Sometimes / Never: Display statements that are true or true-ish.  Ask students to identify which statements are always, sometimes and never true.  Also, ask students to create statements about topics that are always, sometimes, and never true.
    • Use sentence stems and vocabulary cards to scaffold synthesizing academic conversations within teams or between partners.
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Knowing common pitfalls of classroom discussion can help teachers identify these and replace them with better practices.  Knowing many strategies for facilitating good classroom conversations can help one scaffold academic conversations without becoming too repetitive.  Facilitating good academic conversations can help students become more active agents in their own learning and can provide another form of formative assessment.

 

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Preparation Steps
  • Identify key vocabulary for upcoming project
  • Create vocabulary cards for key vocabulary – see page 9 in slides
  • Research and select scaffolding strategies for learning vocabulary and for facilitating academic conversations – see above for examples
  • Develop resources (graphic organizers, sentence stems, question sequences, etc) for selected scaffolding strategies
Early Implementation Steps
  • Implement strategies for extending and deepening classroom conversations for ALL students
  • Use formative assessments to determine if classroom conversations are developing accurate content knowledge
  • Listen carefully to classroom conversation to determine if students are learning new content
Advanced Implementation Steps
  • Identify practices that can be used repetitively (routines) to extend and deepen frequent academic conversations
  • Have students reflect on how practices are helping them achieve specific learning targets
  • Reflect on which strategies are creating the most engagement and most achievement for students
  • Use tech tools such as Wiki Talki to create more opportunities for students to get peer feedback on their academic oral responses to questions