*click the link for a 30 second answer
http://youtu.be/ewiQ4LmpiCQ
The truth is that verbal praise is not enough. In their classic and often referenced article, "Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Assessment," Black and Wiliam (1998) conclude that numerous studies have shown formative assessment to be one the most powerful strategies a teacher can implement in her classroom. In fact, "effect sizes" of .4 to .7 (for you research gurus out there... that's means very good news) have been consistently achieved. On the other hand, as they also point out "for assessment to function formatively, the results have to be used to adjust teaching and learning." This idea is related to our work this year; as each of you know from our discussions around our School Improvement plan (SIP), formative assessment will be a main focus.
The Administrative team has been encouraged, as we have noticed during walkthroughs that several of our team members are already learning about and experimenting with formative assessment and how it can be used to inform their instruction. As a result, this week would like to highlight one specific example as a good “approximation” of what we are “looking for.”
It is worth noting that this teacher’s quality use of assessment had several positive components worth mentioning. First, using District Standards this classroom teacher created her own formative assessment with at least two types of questions. In this particular instance, the students had taken the assessment independently, and the teacher had graded and analyzed the results by individual, as well as, by group. In addition, the teacher shared the results in a timely fashion, as they were shared the very next day, instead of several days or even weeks later. Based on the student’s performance, she provided written feedback specific to each individual. Third, oral feedback was also given that centered around whole-class results, which were displayed on the ELMO for all to see. Students could then compare their results to the class strengths and weaknesses as a whole. Between the individual and whole-group feedback, not only did the students know exactly were they stood, but so did the teacher. Last, and arguably most important, the teacher could then use this data to make instructional decisions, just as recommended by the “Black Box” article.
While on the one hand she did say things similar to what we heard in the video (like “good job” and “good effort”), this teachers obviously knows that verbal praise is not enough to promote learning at deep levels. It takes much more than that to help a student improve their performance! This is because some of our students are like the boy in the video; no matter how many times he is told “good job” or “good effort,” without more specific feedback and without more scaffolded support, it will be a long time, if ever, he will be able to dunk the ball.
However, with specific feedback (i.e. as you approach the trampoline do…, or as you run and jump do…, etc…) and scaffolded support (i.e bigger trampoline, moving trampoline closer, etc…), in time it may actually be possible --- or at least approximations of much closer than we saw. In the same way, by utilizing specific feedback, using scaffolded support, and by adjusting their instruction (all based on formative assessment), research has shown that teachers can have a positive impact on the learning of even our neediest students.
Of course, we all realize we are a work in progress and that we will each need to continue to grow if we are to achieve our team goals, but several of us are already well on our way. Over the next couple of months as we learn more about Formative Assessment in P.D., your Administrative Team is looking forward to seeing more and more examples of teachers using formative assessment to drive their instructional decisions. Keep up the good work!
Formative assessment is fine tuning an engine. It's the measure, taste and adjustment in cooking. My favorite metaphor is that of a scale as a tool in losing weight. If one day you decide this is it. I'm on a diet and I'm going to loose weight. You get on the scale and weigh yourself. Yikes...bad news. That number doesn't change unless you change eating or exercise habits. If you want to know if your exercise and nutrition plan is working you need formative assessment; the scale. You also use the comment "hey, you look great" and "how much have you lost" to gage success. Other forms of assessment like fit of clothing, stamina for physical effort and mood inform you. Success comes slowly and with on going assessments and change. Children have learned what you teach when the assessments tell you.
ReplyDeleteBeyond us telling our students "Good Job", we need to build up their trust in us so they know that we are being honest with them when we tell them "Good Job". If our students see just the little bit of movement towards improvement, I feel they are will to try harder, just like losing weight.
DeleteSomething I really strive to do is provide my students with specific written feedback on things. Sometimes this feedback can be really simple, like "Next time use more periods" and sometimes it's lengthier. I've already noticed that my students notice the written feedback both when it is there and when it is not. I also think it's important to backup the feedback with instruction. This is because if a student isn't putting periods into a paragraph, it's probably because the students needs further instruction in punctuation. I also appreciate the idea of providing students with information on how the class did as a whole. This will help them to see where they are, and where they should strive to be.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kim and Kathy on their weight loss comparisons, but I don't believe it is as simple as telling a student "Good try, good job or good effort" if they don't really believe what you are saying to them. We need to be able to not only tell them good job, but tell them why they are doing a good job. Some students do not believe it themselves when they are doing a good thing - it takes time to build them up enough to keep going. When you have physical proof that they are learning what you want them to learn, it is easier for that student to know they are truly doing a good job.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the focused feedback we give students, we need to make sure we have clear tools designed for student use. They should tell/show students what "quality work" looks like so they know what they are striving for. Ultimately, we want them to use the tool, reflect and revise in order to achieve self-regulation.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh I was totally thinking, "What does this look like and sound like." If a student doesn't know what Good effort and Good Job look like, these praises are empty. Students need to be given super specific feedback to what they are doing well, then they will repeat that specific behavior.
DeleteI agree with all of the comments above. It is important to build that trust so that they know you are being honest. I also believe that we need to make these comments specific so that the students know exactly what it was that they did well. I also believe that we need to take time to discuss these results with the students, so many time we give an assessment and use it to guide our teaching but don't take the time to let it guide the students learning.
ReplyDeleteI think it is very important to tell and show students how they did in a timely matter. What I think is MOST important though is to help students learn how to gauge their own learning. On FA that students receive immediate feedback on they often times don't realize what the data means to them. They are so consumed with the "grade" that they don't realize what they did well vs. what they need work on. When students start realizing what benchmarks they don't understand and which ones they do and make decisions to seek help or spend extra time on those areas, I think we can give ourselves a pat on the back for helping them realize how to be aware of their own learning. What good does it do if we know they are struggling in one certain area and being successful in another, if the student isn't aware of it?????
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Sarah! When FA is done in a timely manner and kids understand what they have done well on and what they need to work on, we can focus on recovering or enriching what students needs are. This is where differentiation can really come into play!
DeleteStudents really do need to know exactly what they have done well so they can feel ownership in in their accomplishments.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sarah, I think that middle school is a fabulous time to help students begin to self evaluate. I love to ask my students "how did it go?" or "how do you think you did?" before giving them my feedback.
ReplyDeleteStudents need specific feedback on how to increase their success in class. Although it can be challenging and time consuming, returning papers in a timely matter with specific feedback really helps. And I agree with others too, that posting examples of what work should look like allows students to refer to that throughout the year and strive to meet those expectations.
ReplyDeleteMost of my students have been visual learners, so I have utilized the technology of the web based IEP, which automatically graphs the data. Last year I had a student talk about what kind of days she would like to have based on her graph. She said, "I plan on having a lot more up days and no more of those down days." She used hand signals to show me what she wanted her graph to look like. Sharing formative data with students helps them take ownership and lets them know what "good" looks like.
ReplyDeleteLots of great responses. Of course verbal praise and recognition is something most of us do and it usually puts a smile on the recipients face, I completely agree with the importance of specific feedback of why or what caused the praise. I really like Sarah's comment on timely feedback and students ability (sometimes lack of) to gauge their own learning - very necessary and powerful tool.
ReplyDeleteWe definitely need verbally praise our students and let them know we recognize their accomplishments. I agree with Sarah that we need to give them feedback on their accomplishments in a timely manner or they will lose out on how to gauge in their learning. We need to teach them to take control of their education and help them understand how to make good decisions and seek out help when they need it. Students who are struggling should then receive additional assistance and we too need to keep them aware of their progress and our plan to help him.
ReplyDeleteWe definitely need to verbally - sorry typo
DeleteGiving students relevant feedback is very important. I try to tell my students what they are doing well so that they can have that feeling of ownership. Maybe they didn't quite get how to reduce a fraction, but they converted the fraction into the proper percent. I would praise them for what they did well and offer feedback assistance on what they might be missing/not understanding. I also agree with all of the comments that mention giving students the tools to gauge their own learning.
ReplyDeleteI know I have personally been trying to give students specific written feedback on a weekly basis. I feel as a teacher it is important to give students specific, meaningful feedback. However, I recognize there are only 24 hours in a day. I strive to give my students written feedback on a weekly basis and oral feedback on a daily basis. It is extremely important to give feedback that is meaningful AND helps students to reach the high expectations we have set for them. I do not want to say good job to a student who has written their name on their paper when the expectation is to analyze data in a graph. Praise is important but it does not replace meaningful feedback that helps students to accomplish the goals in our classrooms.
ReplyDeleteFeedback for students is certainly important. I normally try to find students that are clearly not understanding a concept or process. With those students I will write feedback directly related to their needs. With 150-160 students I can not effectively comment on each student's assignment so I will identify common areas to praise or areas to correct to the overall class. Showing why and/or how something is done well or not. Use of rubrics that are written for an assignment and one that is just for general use also helps.
ReplyDeleteQuick checks and specific feedback and scaffolding as needed seem to be effective in many classroom situations.
ReplyDeleteI also think that giving specific feedback is important in the learning process. I try to turn back assignments as quickly as possible. This not only helps the students determine if they are understanding the concept but it helps me as well determine if I need to reteach a certain concept.
ReplyDeleteSpecific feedback is important when it comes to helping students grow. This is especially true for students who are struggling both academically and behaviorally. I have also experienced feedback to be a motivator for students to achieve at the best of their abilities.
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ReplyDeleteI think making feedback more specific so that the students know exactly what it was that they did well on, is a way to keep students in the "know" of their own business and a way to keep them involved and motivated. I know with time constraints that is not always possible, but it is important like Jeremy said, for students to grow, and that take responsiblity for their own learning and want to improve in their educational progress.
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ReplyDeleteClear direction and well defined goals can take mass confusion out of the equation. Recently, during and exercise on subjects and predicates, students received multiple learning opportunities with planned scaffolding and gradual release. The results were immediate and the successes were obvious. A free-form round robin with minimal prompting showed further evidence that this exercise was effective. Celebrating the success was fun for all.
ReplyDeleteI think it is also important with FA is the ability to assess and give feedback without a grade attached. I know growing up that if there was a grade on a paper, many were more concerned with the grade than the teacher's feedback also on the paper. I also agree with others in regards to providing more feedback than "good job". Students need to know they are at least on the right track, and then we must provide suggestions to improve. I am always sharing with students that we are constantly improving in everything that we do, and the feedback is only meant for us to get better and better every time.
ReplyDeleteI learn a lot through students writing themselves an informal grade before I show them the grade the actually earned. In this way, if our grades differ, conferences can be held and we can discuss why or if there was miscommunication specifically with either the assignment or the assessment piece. Plus, students enjoy grading their own work! Through their explanation I can learn about the efforts they put into the project itself.
ReplyDeleteGiving students timely feedback is important as it does drive future instruction. An above comment mentioned how it would enable possible enrichment and differentiation activities which will promote higher student achievement across the board. Being positive and providing instructional comments is important for students in order for them to guage where they're at in learning a particular concept. If students feel they are having some success, they're going to be more apt to give effort in the future.
ReplyDeleteTo go off of what Paige has said...students are often more willing to do the work once they realize that teachers actually read what they do. Once we, teacher, make any type of comment of student work, it tends to validate their effort, or lack there of, more.
DeleteThrough the use of the workshop, I have gained a much clearer understanding of the power of the one-on-one conference and differentiated instruction in a small-group setting. Using the results of the formative assessment, I can pull small groups of students and target the areas of learning they are missing. Through conferencing, I can encourage self-reflection as we look at their work and how it aligns to the rubric or other tool used for assessment. Getting students to self-assess and reflect gives them ownership and this is when authentic learning takes place. This is so amazing to see in action! :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with all above, and am also reminded that feedback allows us another great teaching point.
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