We heart writing rubrics!

The following is an excerpt from a recent colleague's response to the aforementioned article on the importance of ongoing feedback for students. As an English teacher, I am a firm believer in rubrics to provide clarity of instruction, clear expectations for students, and an objective, fair way to assess student writing. Read on!


After reading "Feed Up, Back, Forward" (Fisher, Frey 2009),  I am reminded of the importance of rubrics for English instruction. Rubrics are often used to evaluate student writing for content and mechanics, but rubrics can be great evaluative tools for much of my instruction. When I present students with a rubric for an assignment--a writing assignment or an oral presentation, etc.-- they receive the "feed up;" a clear purpose for the assignment given. They receive clear "feedback" when I note student strengths and weaknesses on the rubric. Finally, rubrics are excellent markers for me to learn to modify instruction. Reading Fisher and Frey's piece reminded me of the importance of using rubrics regularly in English language assignments.

In Reynold's article, "Why Every Student Needs Critical Friends" (2009), I am a bit more cautious before folding Reynold's ideas into my evaluative process. While a peer critique can be an effective tool and in a mature class room in which mutual respect and participatory buy-in exists for students, such a tool should be used with caution and care in a seventh grade class. The diverse maturity levels of students in  seventh grade classroom requires that a teacher firmly and kindly leads the group and provides expert feedback through rubrics from which students can learn. At the seventh grade level peer critiques should be guided with teacher demonstration and modeling so that students at this age group can begin to learn the importance of peer critiques. In middle school peer critiques should be used as “practice” evaluative tools between students; this “practice” peer critique should prepare students for when they can maturely, objectively and critically evaluate each other when they are a bit older--in high school, for example. 

We need clarity in our feedback to students!

The dialogue among my colleagues on the importance of student feedback continues. Enjoy a wonderful excerpt below!

While reading the article “Feed Up, Back, Forward” I realized the importance for clarity in feedback.  “The best feedback provides students with information about their progress-or lack of it” it is obviously important to give praise while providing feedback “good job” or “you’re on the right track” however, it is also necessary to be clear in what they may be lacking when it comes to a specific standard in order to ensure that they learn it properly and to give specific feedback on what the student has done well and what they may have done incorrectly.  

A major component of feedback seems to be uniformity across the curriculum with teachers planning and assessing similarly and meeting together to discuss and analyze the data that they document.  I feel this is a positive at RMS with departmental meetings and weekly co-curricular planning.  In addition to these systems we have in place, many teachers “catch up” with one another throughout the week to see how certain lessons are going and to give feedback of their own.

In the article “Why Every Student Needs Critical Friends” I think one of the major benefits to peer critiques is the involvement of the entire class.  Rather than reading what the teacher has written students become more engaged when someone their age has something to say about their work. “Peer critiques improve students’ critical-thinking ability and provide them with a broader spectrum of evaluation, the less obvious benefit is motivation” When students are motivated by any outside factor we get a higher level of thinking and of work.  If students realize that they are not just being critiqued by their teacher and that their friends and peers are going to be viewing and evaluating their work as well they tend to (in my opinion) put more effort into it.  

That being said, there is a time and place for peer feedback and it is not always appropriate however, according to the article it does seem to be a motivating factor and it seems to improve participation and critical thinking so its value is high when it can be used.

More thoughts on feedback.....

Let the dialogue on feedback continue.....

The article on giving feedback was a great reminder about the importance of feedback in the entire learning process from beginning to end.  Activating prior knowledge and connecting what we are about to do to what we’ve done and what we will do later is critical.  As we cover the material, giving feedback on the types of errors they are making helps to keep them from making them again.  The feedback we give them after the instruction and assessment is also important to help to hone in on indicators that were missed and try to find opportunities to reteach.  Unfortunately, since we are so short on time, the last piece is what we usually shortchange.

The second article on peer critiques was interesting to read.  I could most easily apply it to writing BCRs and ECRs and having the students critique the quality of them.  Although it’s not done in “critique” format, I sometimes have students pair up and solve similar problems and then “teach” their problem to the other student.  The students have to ask for clarification if they don’t understand the teaching.

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The article that resonated the most with me was “Why every student needs critical friends”. The title was an eye catcher for me because the term when you here the term ”critical” and middle school students you tend to think negatively.  I found the article interesting and made me think about how I can apply this technique of feedback for my students (probably next year).  I think that it would take some time to build the classroom atmosphere where this kind of critique can work. 

This process could only work if was used multiple times in a classroom (not just once or twice) or students would see it as another “fad” idea that they can do then ignore later. It would take a real time commitment for me to implement it and only if it was coordinated with the other grade level teachers of the subject. I think that this process would actually lessen my burden of feedback by allowing my students to take an active part. I know that this goes against a teachers grain (feels like losing control), but it would give students  more responsibility and maybe remove some of the questioning about how a student’s project was evaluated if their peers were part of the process. 

The part I feel that is essential for this process to work is the constructive critique by their peers and how it is presented. If all the students see it a way to improve what their product is, I think it can be successful.

The Fight to Save Our Schools!

The following is from two North Dakota teachers launching a nationwide campaign to save our schools. Please view the videos below and join in the fight for our schools on July 39th in Washington, DC. Let's not lose a future generation of critical, creative, and passionate thinkers!


Yesterday we released "Here's to the Students!" the second in our series of spots for the Save Our Schools March and Call To Action in DC <http://www.saveourschoolsmarch.org/>,   and it already has had 140 views: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0as745z1As


Our first one, "Here's to the Teachers!" released a week ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8zkjH8pGNk has passed the 700 mark. A nice start, but we need the spots to reach thousands. A relatively painless way for NDSG to support the gathering is by sending these links to as many connections as you can think of!


We are now working on "Here's to the Parents" and "Here's to the Schools," and WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP! We do not have enough images of families of color --parents or grandparents engaged with kids--can be playful or serious. We are also desperate for an image where you can tell it is parents, students, and teachers together. Last but not least, we need an image that would suggest "treadmills of worksheets and standardized tests." 


If you have any photos or links to video that might fit the bill and that we would have permission to use, please send them right away to tomvalens@comcast.net


Thanks!!!
Amy

Successful Teacher Grade-ins in Our County

Those of you in the DC area probably already know about this, but teacher "grade-ins" are gaining popularity across the country to draw attention to just how much work teachers put in beyond the school day. Read on:

Saturday May 14^th 2:00 pm

PRESS ADVISORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Montgomery County Teachers Stage Largest Action Yet

in Growing National Movement

Earlier today, more than 300 teachers converged on malls across Montgomery County in the largest such “Grade In” action yet in what is becoming a growing national movement by teachers.

Wearing T-shirts proudly proclaiming “Teacher at Work”, the educators came together en masse in the food courts at Wheaton Plaza Mall in Wheaton Maryland, Montgomery Mall in Bethesda Maryland, and Lake Forest Mall in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Placing table tent cards on their tables reading “I teach at _______, ask me what I’m doing” – the teachers pulled out stacks of papers to grade and got to work.

Rather than working in isolation at home – as they normally do on weekends – these teachers came together to work with one another, and to engage the public in discussions about the work of teachers and the needs of our schools.

This action comes on the eve of critical votes next week by the Montgomery County Council on next year’s school budget. Despite Montgomery County’s longstanding commitment to its schools, the County Council is considering drastic cuts in the school budget.

“Our state delegates fought hard to win an increase of $65 million in state aid for public schools in Montgomery County”, explained teacher union president Doug Prouty. “But hard as it is to believe, the Montgomery County Council is not going to increase the school budget by $65 million. If I were a state legislator, I’d be pretty upset. And as a county resident and parent of an MCPS student, I’m pretty upset as well. State education aid should be spent on education. I don’t understand why that is even in question”.

Similar Grade-Ins have been held across the country: in New Jersey, in Wisconsin, and Michigan, to name just a few. A nascent website (www.gradein.org) has been launched to help teachers everywhere in planning similar actions. At a time when teachers and all public employees are increasingly under attack, and school budgets are being slashed, these Grade-Ins are spreading across the country as a means for teachers to re-engage with the public about the importance of funding our schools.

Premier of American Teacher

For those of you in the DC area, definitely check out this film next week!

Please see below for an invitation to the premiere of the film "American Teacher," produced by a fellow Harvard Graduate School of Education alumna Nive Calegari, Ed.M.'95.

Please join US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan and The Teacher Salary Project team to celebrate the East Coast premiere of:

AMERICAN TEACHER

Tuesday, May 24th

6 PM: Reception, with wine and appetizers 7 PM: Opening remarks by the Secretary of Education,

Followed by the screening of American Teacher 8:30 PM: Q&A with filmmakers and film stars

Jack Morton Auditorium 805, 21st Street, NW Washington, DC 20052

Tickets are available by making a donation. To reserve your spot please visit: americanteacherdc.eventbrite.com

HOST COMMITTEE: Virginia Apple, Terry Babcock-Lumish, Erik Benner, N?nive Calegari, Maria Crosby Pollard, Ann Friedman, Paul Kihn, Sabrina Laine, Gwen Lohse & James Assey, Olivia Morgan, Rebecca Morrison, Lena Morreale Scott, Andy & Deborah Rappaport, Rebecca Rappaport, Vanessa Roth, Denielle Sachs, Andrew Smiles, and Robert & Camille Stonehill

Special thanks to our community partners: SNR Denton and 826DC

Questions? Write us at americanteacher@theteachersalaryproject.org

Do your students need help selecting a new book?

Well, look no further!


Check out the following website recommended by a colleague: www.whatshouldireadnext.com


Your students might find it useful! I certainly did!