Fearless Feedback

"INVOLVING STUDENTS IN CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT" BY ANNE DAVIES

This is chapter two from an excellent anthology about modernizing our assessment practices: Ahead of the Curve: The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and Learning. In the chapter, Anne Davies reviews some important research on formative assessment, feedback, motivation and summative assessment. She then makes five recommendations for increasing the role of the student:

• defining the learning destination
• involving students as partners in the process
• giving and receiving feedback for learning
• collecting, selecting, reflecting and presenting evidence of learning
• feeding the learning forward by setting goals.

The connections to Fearless Feedback are plenty, and putting students at the center of the process is powerful.


EXAMPLES OF EXCELLENT FEEDBACK

Ruth Culham from CulhamWriting.com provides these examples of student work and the specific, descriptive teacher feedback that drives improvement. 


"FEEDBACK IN SCHOOLS" BY JOHN HATTIE


Feedback is one of the top 10 influences on student achievement. John Hattie’s research has focused on feedback for a long time.

Read more!


STUDENTS DISCUSS THE POWER OF LEARNING TARGETS

Seventh- and eighth-grade students in Jeanne Boland's class at the Odyssey School in Denver, CO, discuss the power of “unpacking” learning targets so that they can articulate a clear vision of the intended learning and criteria for success.

This video is one of 27 videos that accompany Expeditionary Learning's new book, Leaders of Their Own Learning: Transforming Schools through Student-Engaged Assessment.

Watch the video! (I have the book and am happy to loan it out. - Adam)


KNOWING YOUR LEARNING TARGET


The first thing students need to learn is what they're supposed to be learning.

Read the article by Connie M. Moss, Susan M. Brookhart and Beverly A. Long  from Education Leadership.


DEVELOPING SPECIFIC LEARNING GOALS AND TASKS

From the book Designing & Teaching Learning Goals & Objectives by Robert Marzano, here's chapter two: "Developing Specific Learning Goals and Tasks." It includes several thinking exercises to build understanding and step-by-step directions to build skills for teachers at a variety of levels and content areas.


CLEAR LEARNING TARGETS GUIDE

Everything educators need to know to make learning clear to students.

Read this comprehensive guide from Battelle for Kids. (This one might require printing, highlighting, and serious brain power.)


CHECKING FOR UNDERSTANDING VIDEOS

Checking for understanding is a key tool for formative assessment. Expeditionary Learning provides several videos on checking for understanding in a variety of grades and subject areas.