September 29

In Depth Feedback for Writers with Ease

Feedback is Powerful for Growth

During virtual/hybrid learning, I wanted to continue to provide my writers with specific feedback on their written pieces. Educators know that grading and providing individual written feedback for students can be time consuming. In their article, “The Power of Feedback” John Hattie and Helen Timperley point out, “Feedback is among the most critical influences on student learning.” The question is not whether specific feedback to writers is worth it, it is how do we meet the demands and provide the information with ease? Honestly, how do we use a new system for meaningful feedback? What can we learn from this time that can make the classroom an even richer learning environment?

In the classroom, we benefit from roaming the room and conferencing on the spot with writers in the process of drafting, editing, and revising. We can hold more formal writing conferences with students as well.  We can influence the use of check lists, a rubric, and allow student writers to be in community with one another as they are in the process of writing. It is natural to say, “What are you working on as a writer today?” Those short chats increase personalized instruction and engagement. Sometimes, I just observe my writers without interrupting them and write feedback on a Post-It note that I quietly leave on their desks.

When we were not together, I missed these opportunities, but did not want my feedback to diminish in quality.  I wanted it to improve if possible. We held Zoom small group meetings  and class lessons with a writer’s workshop model.  The students regularly submitted pictures of the changes they made in their personal narrative pieces. The images helped me have the same feel as walking around the classroom and viewing students’ notebooks. There were also formative rubrics on Canvas to help kids see how their progress was making a difference on their piece.  Students chose different publishing methods for their final forms.  Once students get to a final version, they have done lots of revision.  The effort they put in deserves a specific response from the teacher. I wanted my feedback to be in paragraph form and highlight what the students accomplished and also provide questions for the students to reflect.

Google Form for Feedback Creation

I decided to create a Google Form that I could tailor to comments that I would give students for each genre of writing during the year.  I took time to think about what comments make sense for each type of writing and the different abilities of the 5th grade writers that I work with. What order also would make sense for developing a paragraph of feedback?  How do you create different statements that make each writer feel they are getting feedback that fits just them? What reflection stems make the most sense to end the paragraph of feedback? You are welcome to use my Google Form, make a copy, and personalize it for your own use.

Video for How it Works

Feedback Via Google Form

Examples of Feedback Students Received

Your personality and voice come through this piece of writing. The reader gets to know more about you. The events have a logical sequence and are easy to follow. You use great transition words to help the reader know that the location of the action is changing. Your use of inner thoughts really makes the reader connect with you. Thank you for realizing that what you were thinking makes the reader understand you better. I am glad that you attempted dialogue in this piece. It really brought life to your writing! As you look over your work, what are you most proud of in this work?

This feedback was for the writing above. The student was writing at a high level on the rubric.
 

As a writer you created an engaging lead that captures interest and may even foreshadow the content of the story. You gave a description of what the others look like, so the reader can see the image you wanted me to see. The words you chose gave sensory details that help the reader feel like they are in the story setting. Your use of inner thoughts really makes the reader connect with you. Thank you for realizing that what you were thinking makes the reader understand you better. Your dialogue helps bring the voices to life. However, you still need work on punctuation and capitalization with dialogue. Also, be careful with the spelling of the words you use in a final copy. You have some words that were misspelled. This will come with time. Pay attention to what writers do in novels as you read. Celebrate your accomplishments. What do you think you will repeat in your next piece?

This feedback was for a student who has room to grow. However, the feedback for the piece offers lots of writing traits to repeat in future pieces. It is gentle in what to work on, yet honest.

What Students Said in Response to the Feedback:

Reflection is key to helping student recognize what they did well and set goals for future writing pieces.  A next step for us, is to write a goal and a plan for writing.  These goals can be posted to Canvas to share with the teacher and allow their parents to see them.
Category: Digital Learning, ELA Instruction, Feedback | LEAVE A COMMENT
September 29

Hybrid Reading 2020

The Technology Hustle

If you would have told me last year at this time that I would be in a classroom with some kids in-person and some at-home, I would have looked at you funny.  Who could have guessed that we would be juggling the different modes of instruction with in-person and virtual at-home students in the same moment! However, the innovator and experimenter in me is actually enjoying the ideation of how to make this come together.

 I regularly ask myself, How did I do this before and how can I do it now in a rich, meaningful way? 

I choose to explore and try out a new blend in the classroom.  It’s been some moments of trial and error. Suddenly, there are the beautiful moments.  Yes, those teaching moments where it just clicks.  It’s still happening!  This journal is about one of those moments of growth for my students and their interaction with each other.

The Reading Lesson Method

Model

We are starting each lesson with a focus and purpose for reading.  The focus of this lesson was to work on having a thinking moment while reading.

After we go over the reading goal, I always share with the class a book that I have been reading with modeling of the strategy.  I set up my own notebook and with digital instruction, I add a lot of pictures to my slides on Canvas.  This allows both in-person and at-home to see the modeling clearly.

Engage

 Students then spend twenty minutes reading the books they have selected. The learners at-home are put in individual break out rooms for the reading time. During this time, I do reading conferences with readers. I conduct one with a reader online by going to the break out room of the student.  Then I switch to a conference with a reader that is in the room.  I keep alternating with my readers during the twenty minutes.  I keep notes on each reader in a binder-not all things are high tech!

The students were given a Post-It note to jot a thinking moment during the twenty minutes.

Practice

 Next we moved into a time of practice. The students worked on extending their thinking.  I shared with them some previous student examples.  Then they were given time to put the Post-It note in their reader’s notebook and extend their thinking after the reading session.

When a student wants to type, I have them take a picture of the Post-It and then upload the picture to the Notes App.

Just look at that great development to thinking!

 

 

 

 

Reflect

 The fun came when the students were done working.  The students were shown the reflection tool for the day.  They were asked to re-read their work and rate their performance.  If they needed to make changes they were able to do so.  Next, we opened up classroom space to share the thinking and writing.  The kids were excited to volunteer.  My students at-home volunteered to read their work.  You can see that on my laptop, which was projected on the screen for in-person to see.  The in-person then gave feedback for the at-home student.  The magic sparkle arrived on faces when feedback was given and received.
Students in-person shared by coming to the iPad stand to read their work and allow them to be seen on Zoom.  The at-home kids gave the in-person student feedback.  Both groups were able to share great books, thinking, and smiles.  It felt like the “normal” days of reading instruction!
Category: Digital Learning, ELA Instruction, Reflection | LEAVE A COMMENT
September 12

Digital Mentor Text for Advancing “Thinking While Reading”

Use Digital Text to Grab Readers!

As a fifth grade language arts teacher, I have two goals.  One, I want to model great thinking while reading.  Second, I desire to showcase engaging novels that students will desire to read.  In the digital format of instruction right now, I desired to use my strategies of growing readers while still helping virtual learners too.

My blog today will feature how I have used mentor text, show you a layout for presenting, and help you see how to bring this all together in your LMS, particularly Canvas.

Start with using the Libby app to locate text. Libby is another version of the Overdrive app that is available with your public library card.  It is an excellent resource for mentor text and then showcasing for students where to find the book for access, especially right now with learners at home.

Libby App
Locate this app and add to your device.  Login using your Public Library Card information. Make sure to only use a small portion of the text so that you are observing copyright. Here is an article that is helpful on the topic of copyright.

The next step in the process is to pick the section of the book from which you want to model thinking.  While working with the pages on Libby, I added Stickies, a feature on MacBook Air that looks like Post-It notes. However, you could take screen shots and add text my editing pictures.  The method chosen allowed me to model what students could do with Post-It notes in their own books. The screen shots were added to the Google Slides presentation that I was building for modeling and anchor charts. I also added the book cover to the presentation slides to give visual cues to students for remembering the book. Once the pages were set up in the presentation, I was ready to make my video for modeling.

To obtain a copy of this lesson to try with students or use the frame to recreate your own lesson, click here. My lesson opening frame was motivated by @nadinegilkison. I appreciated the model, read, respond set up for the first slide.  To ideate the plan, I have built modeling sections (light blue), sections for readers (light yellow), and responding and reflecting (light purple). The presentation pattern is being used in all of my digital lessons for reading and writing.  Predictability for students is highly important for routines. In Universal Design for Learning, we want to help students navigate digital resources.  You will also notice a timer that is used with students to track reading on their own.  On the Canvas page, written directions are also provided to summarize the lesson presentation.  Rubrics are valuable to add to your LMS to help with guiding reflection and goal setting.  You will see reflection built into the pedagogy of the closing of each lesson.  

Finally, how do you pull this all together for your LMS and easily distribute to students in the classroom or virtual students?  Learn to use embed code in Canvas.  Your students will be able to access your presentation right within the Canvas page.

Using the “file” tab drop down to where it states, “Publish to the Web”.
Select “Embed” and then copy the code to take to your LMS like Canvas.
Click on the HTML editor hyperlink, which is right below the title of the assignment.
Paste the embed code into your assignment.

If you are interested in adding this link to your own Canvas course, you can find it in the Canvas Commons.  Best wishes to you in creating your digital mentor text lessons!  Feel free to share in the comments great ideas that have been working for you too.

Category: Digital Learning, ELA Instruction, Professional Development, UDL | LEAVE A COMMENT