If you think about learning as a linear process, something with a beginning, middle, and end, there are parts that traditional teaching has, well, traditionally placed at the end. However, if we want to maximize the impact of our teaching, we might be better suited starting them sooner!
1. Feedback (from the teacher): Feedback doesn't always mean grades. Vicki Vinton talks about something called post-mortem assessment here. All too often, we wait until a student finishes a project before giving feedback, when we could improve the overall learning by providing it along the way. When students only learn ways they could have done a better job when it's impossible to go back and use this advice, they only end up feeling defeated. By providing feedback along the way, we also boost up the parts of their work that are strong, and allow them to build on them.
Of course, this happens in our reading and writing conferences, but imagine if we used the same thinking across other work kids do: in other subject areas, on long-term assignments, or when they're learning in the moment.
Imagine the power of receiving feedback from your own evaluator in the moment, instead of waiting until after your observation was over. How empowering that is! There is more of a chance that you will improve the weaker areas of your work or build on your strengths if you have feedback in the moment.
For more on feedback in the moment, read this article from Ed Kennedy.
Of course, this happens in our reading and writing conferences, but imagine if we used the same thinking across other work kids do: in other subject areas, on long-term assignments, or when they're learning in the moment.
Imagine the power of receiving feedback from your own evaluator in the moment, instead of waiting until after your observation was over. How empowering that is! There is more of a chance that you will improve the weaker areas of your work or build on your strengths if you have feedback in the moment.
For more on feedback in the moment, read this article from Ed Kennedy.
2. Feedback (from partners): Traditionally, we allow students to work with their partners at the end of the workshop time. Imagine that a student has needed help all throughout the time he or she was reading a chapter or writing an essay. So instead of a very rigid partner schedule, you may want to integrate a more fluid partner time setting to allow kids the chance to turn to one another for guidance throughout the workshop period. Of course, as with all things involving student choice, you can make sure students are making responsible choices about the way they use their time (hey, there's in-the-moment feedback from you once again!)
Of course, this also covers the idea of partners talking to one another. Partner conversation can be very powerful if we mix it into the middle of the learning. Sometimes, if we wait until the end, kids won't be able to support one another with ideas on what they might do or how they might do it, because it's too late.
Of course, this also covers the idea of partners talking to one another. Partner conversation can be very powerful if we mix it into the middle of the learning. Sometimes, if we wait until the end, kids won't be able to support one another with ideas on what they might do or how they might do it, because it's too late.
3. Writing about Reading (or about anything!) Sometimes, we ask students to read, and then write down their thoughts about what they read. Wasn't this one of the problems with old-school book reports? Writing so that the teacher will know that I read implies certain things: it implies that the teacher doesn't believe that I read, or that I understand what I read. It also implies that I read so that I can write. So often, writing about reading (or science, or math, or anything!) can help clarify our thinking while we're in the midst of the process, not just assessing our thinking afterward. So many great thoughts may escape us if we're not given the chance to have them while we read (or learn anything!)
Writing to learn is a very important activity that helps grow (not just show!) ideas as we work. How often do we jot while we work on anything to get our thoughts straight? It can help you figure out the directions of where you're driving, or how you'll cook, or assemble Ikea furniture. We really don't build the furniture, and then write about it, do we?
For more great resources on writing to learn, check out this link. You can also see how one school used it to transform their learning right here.
Writing to learn is a very important activity that helps grow (not just show!) ideas as we work. How often do we jot while we work on anything to get our thoughts straight? It can help you figure out the directions of where you're driving, or how you'll cook, or assemble Ikea furniture. We really don't build the furniture, and then write about it, do we?
For more great resources on writing to learn, check out this link. You can also see how one school used it to transform their learning right here.
4. Reflecting: When we pause to ask questions like, "How did I do with that?" we can get great information on our process. Sometimes, it's too late to do that after the process is over. We can teach our students (and ourselves) to always have our reflection hats on all throughout the process, to evaluate the process as we move on, not after it's over.
We can teach our students questions like, "What am I learning?" "How is this going for me?" "Will I get where I want to be by continuing on?" "What can I change to make this learning better?" Why would we wait until we're done to re-evaluate our work?
We can teach our students questions like, "What am I learning?" "How is this going for me?" "Will I get where I want to be by continuing on?" "What can I change to make this learning better?" Why would we wait until we're done to re-evaluate our work?
5. Revising and Editing: Sometimes, we tell kids not to worry about things like spelling or revising until they're done. That's good, because it helps speed up their production. However, sometimes kids take that to mean that they shouldn't care about quality until the end. We might instead ask them to do something called one-second revision or one-second editing while they write, meaning they should try to do revision or editing that can be done quickly so it doesn't inhibit their flow.
If the quality of the writing is better, because kids have done quick revising as they write, or if there are fewer mistakes to fix in the end because of quick editing, they can engage in deeper revision at the very end of the process, making for an even better product!
If the quality of the writing is better, because kids have done quick revising as they write, or if there are fewer mistakes to fix in the end because of quick editing, they can engage in deeper revision at the very end of the process, making for an even better product!
When we think of these items that have traditionally come at the end of the learning process, and add them throughout the middle of our learning, it makes the middle so much richer...and the resulting work will be so much better in the end!
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