Put the focus on Learning....
Put the focus on Learning....
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Monica Lang, Princess Anne High School
December 2023
HOW do you give meanful feedback to students?... WHEN do they get the feedback that forms their learning?...
For feedback to have an impact on learning, it must take place during the learning before bad habits can become learned.
After a unit and the accompanying assessment, do you often hear from students, “What did I get?” Would you rather hear them ask, “What did I learn?” If so, then check out this video from Edutopia, 4 Ways to Put the Focus on Learning, for some simple tips you can use right away!
Tip #3: Designing Low Stakes Assignments is essential for encouraging risk-taking and learning from mistakes.
Recently I came across a blog from Robert Kaplinsky, creator of OpenMiddle where he uses the example of being a personal trainer with his studetns. He explains to them that like a personal trainer at a gym, "he is their personal trainer for mathematics. A personal trainer is not there to do the work for you. A personal trainer is there to push you farther than you think you can go or want to go. When you are exhausted and your personal trainer has you run one more lap, you probably won’t like him or her. But, you always realize that your personal trainer is focused on getting you stronger and fitter."
Feedback is ESSENTIAL for growth. If your trainor sees you doing a "skill" incorrectly, they will imediately correct you, point-out or direct you to the specific error, and offer suggestions and supports that lead you toward self-improvement. What does this look like in the classroom DURING the new learning? Are your students encouraged to make mistakes, and then learn from them? Using the VNPS encourage "messy learning" which makes mistakes part of the learning process. Here are some other ways to give timely on the spot feeback...
To help students self monitor their level of engagement, post this meter next to each VNPS station, and periodically ask them to reflect on where they are to keep them focused. To read more about monitoring engagement, check out Doug Doblar's blog!
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