Supporting Quality Assessment and Instruction

What the research says:

“It is the choice of tasks relative to where students are now and where they need to go next that advances their learning..

Be clear; teacher clarity matters more when students are not in front of you to correct, cajole, give instant feedback to.”

(Hattie, April, 2020)

“Teacher clarity is an accelerator of students’ learning and we should be thinking about that as we change the environments in which students learn. Part of teacher clarity is ensuring that students know what they are learning (learning intentions) and what success looks like (success criteria)...

To encourage this, we suggest that you become even more explicit about learning intentions and success criteria for each lesson.”

(Fisher& Frey, 2020)

In the delivery of teaching and learning, this could involve:

• introducing and deconstructing learning intentions using: video (pre recorded or live), voice recording and annotation tools in Google Slides, Keynote, Seesaw, ClickView, Screenrecordings, Explain Everything App

• co-constructing accumulated success criteria using ‘live’ Zoom Video mini lessons.

For further information, please see the following link:

https://sites.google.com/dow.catholic.edu.au/literacy-teaching-toolbox/assessment/assessment-and-instruction-framework

What the research says:

“Engage students in optimal tasks, not just busy tasks..make sure there is a balance between the precious knowledge and the deep thinking. Too often online favours the former over the latter..

What is more important is the methods of teaching, not the media..Make it skill–based and provide exciting ways to practice, and not just project–based which can (but does not need to) lead to busy work with little learning.”

(Hattie, April, 2020)

Evidence suggests that online education operates best as a system of dynamic, interrelated components…

fostering a learning community that is driven by pedagogy and

incorporates a range of activities, which enables flexible delivery..”

(AITSL Spotlight, 2020)

In the delivery of teaching and learning, this could involve:

• modelled/explicit teaching using: video/audio/text and providing ‘worked examples’ using Zoom Video, ClickView, Seesaw, Explain Everything, Google Classroom etc.

• guided teaching using: Zoom Video ‘breakout’ (eg.‘Think, Pair, Share’ Strategy), assigning differentiated tasks in Google Classroom and Seesaw platforms

• a focus on literacy and numeracy content from a range of KLAs

• selecting a common theme or concept as the focus of teaching activities e.g. relationships, money, sustainability

• designing engaging, real world tasks for students to practise skills independently (e.g an investigation of insects found in the backyard could lead into a writing task, artwork, collection of data (insect audit) and design project).

• cross stage projects that could involve students in the same household working together

• prompting critical thinking using Google Classroom, Seesaw, Flipgrid or other digital platform to post a question on a topic then inviting students to respond and engage in peer discussion

• students sharing solutions and strategies using collaboration tools in Google Classroom, Seesaw, Padlet or Jamboard.

For further information, please see the following link: https://sites.google.com/dow.catholic.edu.au/literacy-teaching-toolbox/home

What the research says:

“Check for understanding (listen to the feedback from the students about their learning even more when you do not have the usual cues of the classrooms)…….Any learning should include opportunities for students to give feedback about their learning and to receive feedback about where to go next. This is a key skill of teachers, but often less so of parents.”

(Hattie, April, 2020)

“Feedback should identify and help continuously drive a student’s understanding or performance towards a learning goal.”

(AITSL Spotlight)

In the delivery of teaching and learning, this could involve:

• teachers giving verbal and/or written descriptive feedback in reference to a success criteria using: audio comments over student work in Seesaw; ‘comment tool’ in a Google Doc, Google slide notes, Google Classroom, annotate using mark up function with Mac or iPad.

For further information, please see the following link: Reframing feedback to improve teaching and learning - AITSL

What the research says:

“ Building the capacity for students to peer assess and self assess demands that students use the success criteria as a reference when assessing their own work and the work of their peers.”

(Sharratt, Clarity, 2020)

“Create as many opportunities for social interaction, not just between you and the student, but using technology for students to work, share, interact, and learn together, as you so often do in the regular classroom”.

(Hattie, April, 2020)

“...within the field of distance education there are three forms of interaction widely recognised as crucial to program development and delivery – student-content, student-student, student-teacher…These forms of interaction should be considered at each stage of planning for online learning” (Simonson, Schlosser, & Orellana, 2011).

(AITSL Spotlight, 2020)

In the delivery of teaching and learning, this could involve:

• student self-reflections and peer feedback on work in reference to success criteria using: Zoom Video ‘breakout’, SeeSaw audio recording, Padlet, Google form, rubric/template, annotation and comments.

For further information, please see the following link: Reframing feedback to improve teaching and learning - AITSL

What the research says:

“Build formal evaluation opportunities into the tasks”.

(Hattie, April 2020).

“Assessment is the broad name for the collection and evaluation of evidence of a student’s learning. It is integral to teaching and learning and has multiple purposes. Assessment can enhance student engagement and motivation, particularly when it incorporates interaction with teachers, other students and a range of resources”

(NESA, 2019)

“…..it is vital for students to know when and how to access support from their teacher.

This may involve.....using frequent formative assessments to stay up to date with student progress.”

(AITSL Spotlight, 2020)

In the delivery of teaching and learning, this could involve:

• using evidence from a number of learning tasks and processes completed over a sequence of learning to make a judgement on student progress

• teacher observations through ‘live’ Zoom video mini lessons

• students keeping a learning portfolio or journal by taking photos or recording a short video of their work and sharing with the teacher via Google Classroom or Seesaw platforms

• student responses given through a simple multiple choice quiz or extended response using a Google Form

• individual goal setting e.g digital exit ticket.

• giving students choice on how they will present evidence of learning

What the research says:

“It would be wonderful to use this pandemic as an opportunity to learn about learning from afar, so share stories of success of teachers and students learning from this crisis…..discover how to develop collective efficacy among teachers and school leaders, and use this experience to learn how to best work with all students”

(Hattie, April, 2020)

“Working together collaboratively is always important and never more so than now. Try to ensure that time is built in for professional collaboration, department planning, learning teams and so on within the school..

There’ll be a temptation to think there’s no time to collaborate with adults ….because everyone is too busy

churning out stuff for their kids.”

(Hargreaves, April, 2020)

“give them [teachers] platforms where they can connect with each other as colleagues as they move forward together”... (Hargreaves, April, 2020)

In the delivery of teaching and learning, this could involve:

• holding ‘virtual’ Teacher Collaborative Team/Professional Learning Team/Case Collaboration: Class Learning Meetings via Zoom

• scheduling teachers who teach the same grade/stage to be on-site at the same time to meet to co-plan etc

• creating a staff Google Classroom page for staff to share questions, resources, artefacts of evidence of impact

• Knowledgeable Other (Instructional Coach) using zoom video conferencing to co-plan with teachers and give feedback.