Monday Mustang Memo: Feedback

Excellence in Education: Feedback

I came across the following when reading John Hattie’s Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn.

It is important to focus on how feedback is received rather than how it is given
Feedback becomes powerful when it renders criteria for success in achieving learning goals transparent to the learner
Feedback becomes powerful when it cues a learner’s attention onto the task, and effective task-related strategies but away from self-focus
Feedback needs to engage learners at, or just above, their current level of functioning.
Feedback should challenge the learner to invest effort in setting challenging goals
The learning environment must be open to errors and to disconfirmation
Peer feedback provides a valuable platform for elaborative discourse. Given opportunities, students readily learn appropriate methods and rules by which respectful peer feedback can be harnessed
Feedback cues teachers to deficiencies within their instructional management and can lead to efforts to improve teaching practices

Building on the idea of peer feedback (#7), here as some strategies I’ve seen various teachers using to ensure effective feedback and learning:

Classroom discussion boards and blogs using BlackBoard and Google Sites
Group celebrations--it’s pretty cool to see students complementing each other and giving high-fives
Provide students with a template and slowly work-up to more specific and detailed feedback over time. This is so important and often neglected, but we need to teach how to provide AND receive feedback

Provide a rubric or a template
Have students answer questions like my favorite part was..., I found this unclear/confusing...

Having the original author/student receiving feedback reflect on how he/she used the peer editing process to improve his/her original work

Need To Knows

The crisis notification phone number in the event of a sudden emergency near your working area will enable you to reach someone immediately by dialing 61911 from any phone in the building. The number will ring all telephones in the main office, clinic, and each administrator's office in the event of a crisis.

Pledge of Allegiance: School Board Policy: "No student shall be compelled to recite the Pledge if he/she, his/her parent or legal guardian objects on religious, philosophical, or other grounds to his/her participating in this exercise. Students who are exempt from reciting the Pledge shall quietly stand or sit at their desks while others recite the Pledge and shall make no display that disrupts or distracts those who are reciting the Pledge ."

Leaving your classroom: If you and your students leave your classroom, please post a note on your door stating where you will be and notify the following people: Nurse Tomlin (ttomlin), Tiffany Daniels (tdaniels), Kate Melvin (kmelvin), Miriah Dudley (mdudley) and Cynthia Serrano (cserrano).

Substitutes: As you create your substitute plans, please be sure to provide them with information regarding student accommodations (health plans, SBIT, 504s, IEPs). Please be sure to turn your emergency lesson plans into Kate.

Useful Links

Activity Period Calendar

Technology / Website Permission Request Form Please use this form to request use of a website or any resource that requires student log-in if the site is not already on the approved list. DART approved list

Morning Announcement Stream: http://streaming.k12albemarle.org/ACPS/links.htm Please be sure to have announcements cued and ready to go at 8:55 every morning.

Announcement Request: http://tinyurl.com/requestannouncement

Teacher Handbook

Birthdays

October 16: Garry Gibson

October 19: Jim Huneycutt

October 20: Terry Tomlin

October 22: Jeremy Dove, Paige Pippin