Topics? Math and the CCRS

Hello Colleagues, We would like to offer a LINCS special event in the coming year to address the CCRS and math. What specific standards-based math topics would be most interesting and helpful to you?

Your suggestions will guide the planning.  Thanks for weighing in!

Cheers, Susan Finn Miller

Moderator, College and Career Standards CoP

 

Comments

The students in this video were very engaged with the elements of a good essay. They talked to each other and asked each other questions that specifically related to the essay structure. One student asked another to make sure that the specific items required of the essay were present. He asked the other student a few times. These peers have a perspective outside of the teacher's. Students seem to appreciate this feedback because they understand that the other students are having to grapple with the same concepts.

Hello.  I appreciated this video because I feel you are spot on as a teacher using this practice.   We just talked about this in my team teaching and find it effective because students 1. aren't used to teaching their peers, so it also instills the ability to do homework together and support each other, and 2. students are able to give relevant feedback about how they perceived the assignment.  I recall the video said, you can't always monitor what the students are going to do or say, but that is part of the learning process for both the instructor to learn how to best present the activity and the student to best receive the feedback given.   I enjoyed watching this activity.  Thank you, Danielle  (ESL, GED Instructor) 

Hi, Alicia.

I heard one student say, "Oh, you missed your topic sentence."  The students were very honest and constructive in pointing out errors and deficiencies in each other's writing.  One student later reflected, "After this activity, I can write better."  I can really see how this activity promotes autonomy in the students.  Like you said, "I won't be with them forever, to hold their hand."   In this activity, students do see others' strong writing, weak writing, and their own writing.  I can see how making a constructive critique of a peer encourages them to go back and look at their own writing with fresh eyes to check for the same types of errors or omissions.

Thanks for letting me observe!

 

The video demonstrated how they were all using different strategies and coming up with different answers. I lovved how the teacher Abby accepted ALL of the answers and put them on the board, then they used collaboration and talked through how they came up with their answers.

One great benefit of having students interact with each other's work is that retention is exponentially increased by teaching.  We remember a small percentage of what we read, a bit larger percentage of what we see, a bit more of what we do, but a huge amount more of what we teach.  By putting students in the role of teacher, even briefly, we give them that retention advantage.

  1. What is one “specific, concrete, and descriptive” observation you would share with the teacher? 

I observed that the teacher had planned ahead very carefully for this activity. She had provided checklists and guides for each student, based on previously taught lessons. In this way students were fully prepared to follow through with the activity.

I teach a variety of students.  I have several ESL students mixed in with regular ed students.  I have tried peer editing and it is helpful if you have a few strong students that can help with the weaker students.  I end up going over all the students work and helping them correct their errors.  

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 Assisting learners in managing errors:  The students understood that it was a “growth” assignment – that the process of editing and correcting was as important as the end product.  Each student seemed wholly invested in the process of learning and not only the "grade" they would have earned on the essay.

The teacher in the video commented that using this form of assessment she has less control.  I agree with that.  Also I think it is unfair to students if they have a partner that does not take his role seriously, or is afraid to give any constructive criticism.  I think that it is important to take students culture into consideration.  There are some cultures that are not used to this kind of collaboration.  I think it is good for students to learn to accept this kind of strategy, but I think the teacher in the end needs to read the assignments and give the grade.  It is unfair if the teacher only uses students to assess other students' writing.

I love the way the teacher handles her group...they don't look at all like the folks I usually have in class...my students range from 18 to 65 years old and well over half are reticent to working with others. I'm trying to be the 'perfect teacher' but I realize I have a long way to go. I do use several of the skills shown on the video...but like those students with children are pretty much excluded from class because of child care issues.

 

I really enjoyed watching the creative writing activity the teacher developed.  As the students were sharing feedback too their peers, there was social development happening in the class.  The students were engrossed in the activity and were really engaged.  This is not usually the case whether they are listening to the teacher giving an explanation, etc.

The practice used within this video appears to be effective. The students are engaged and are giving helpful feedback to each other.

Several strategies are being uses in this video.  Collaboration  and cooperation being a main one.  Each student, other peers and the teacher all go over the essay giving out tips to improve, critiquing the bad in a way to improve,  and complimenting the good  parts

What is one “specific, concrete, and descriptive” observation you would share with the teacher?

Alicia had experience using this sort of technique before so had taken the time to create the space and provide tools all set up in a way that the students were able to sit and/or stand and work together. At first I thought that the feedback was going to be more of a secret-ballot style where they would just toss their suggestions below the posted essays, but the students worked together directly and talked through the suggestions and feedback which is likely more effective. 

Teaching our students how to create positive coping skills will help them in the long run.  

Something as simple as writing problems on the board and then thinking through the process gave a student a tremendous breakthrough the other day.  Helping them to feel empowered and in control of their learning has been wonderful as they try to juggle their desires for education with the realities of their home lives.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the students take peer review seriously.  I could see that the peer review helped students take control of their own writing.  They could see the strengths and weaknesses of their writing as well as the strengths and weaknesses of their classmates' writing.  They realized that they could help each other out.  The teacher is not their only resource.  

I also know from personal experience that it takes many hours to properly prepare students to become effective peer reviewers.  The teacher in the video did an outstanding job of preparing her students for peer review.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the students take peer review seriously.  I could see that the peer review helped students take control of their own writing.  They could see the strengths and weaknesses of their writing as well as the strengths and weaknesses of their classmates' writing.  They realized that they could help each other out.  The teacher is not their only resource.  

I also know from personal experience that it takes many hours to properly prepare students to become effective peer reviewers.  The teacher in the video did an outstanding job of preparing her students for peer review.

Peer feedback and interactions are so important.  My level 3 English language learners provide each other with writing feedback, obviously not at the level of the class in this video.  I noticed that the instructor focused on creating powerful, specific lesson plans that set her students up for success.  She was very thorough in explaining and modeling the task.  She provided examples at the stations and did a nice job of explaining expectations for peer editing. 

Hello,

One concrete observation I would have for the instructor is that the collaboration and cooperation seen here not only helps build community in the classroom but also assists students in managing errors. Now that they know that other students are able to proofread their writing and help them out, they have a new resource to turn to when working on this skill.

-Brett

Alicia utilized Peer Feedback as an Alternative Assessment strategy.  Her class appeared to be advanced English speakers and writers.  I gleaned that her students appreciated connecting with their peers and felt empowered.  Additionally, they learned from other's mistakes and went back and self corrected- hence creating autonomous learners.

 

I think it is a testament to Alicia that the students felt comfortable engaging with one another and providing honest, helpful feedback to one another.  When one student told another his example was not a good one, the writer of the essay listened and continued to ask about the other parts of the essay.  The female student accepted that her essay was too short when told and adapted accordingly.  These students seem to value their peers' opinions and the process of collaboration. 

I found this video to be extremely helpful.  Both participants of the Assessments benefit greatly from Peer Feedback.  It gives the students more confidence that they are in control of improving their skills.