Assignment #8: Complete the 4 part assignment format as you read, reflect, and respond to Chapter 8: Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback.
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A. Self Assessment of Current Beliefs and Practices: This component asks you to reflect on how and why you currently use the instructional strategy of Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback in your classroom. The intent of this is to activate your prior knowledge of your strategy use so that you can make comparisons as you read the chapter. Below are the questions to help you complete your self-assessment.
• What is your purpose when you set objectives and/or feedback in your classroom?
• How do you set objectives in your current classroom instruction?
• When and how do you communicate classroom objectives to your students?
• What kind of feedback do you provide for your students?
B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”: This portion of the assignment asks you to read Chapter 8 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section for Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback.
C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to try out with your students (If you are not currently teaching, you may share how you would use this strategy in your classroom).
D. Final Strategy Reflection: Use the following sequence of questions/prompts to reflect on what you’ve learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you’ve learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner. Please post your brief reflection to the posting labeled Week Eight: Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback by clicking on the “comment” link below.
How has the information you read in this chapter on Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback effected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner? Use the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:
• The generalizations related to setting objectives explain that goals should be clear and specific, but also flexible enough for students to personalize the goals. Consider the objectives you are expected to use, that is, those provided by your school, district, or state. To what extent do you feel they meet the criteria of clarity, specificity, and flexibility?
• How does the information in Figure 8.3 about "Corrective Feedback" shed light on your own experiences with giving and receiving feedback? For example, does it surprise you that research indicates that simply telling students whether an answer is right or wrong can have a negative effect on their achievement?
• How might you change how you communicate objectives to students and parents?
• How will you monitor how well students are meeting their learning objectives?
• How will you engage students in the feedback process (consider use of rubrics?)
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After reading this chapter, I want to incorporate more goal setting into my classroom next year. One way I might do this is by having students set one goal before beginning a science unit, for example. These goals could also be communicated to parents through my weekly parent letter. To monitor how well students are meeting their learning objectives, I will have students engage in daily and weekly reflection independently as well as in whole group. One way I might do this is by having students give me a thumbs up or a thumb to the side. I might also try using a rubric so students can independently reflect on how they are doing. Finally, I will use teacher observation as well as informal assessments as another tool to determine if learning objectives are being met.
Hi Laura – I find reading to be one of the easiest ways to goal set with students (maybe because I’m a reading teacher?:))…anyway – have you ever heard of The Sisters? They have a whole system of assessment and instruction where goal setting is at the heart of the system. You might want to check them out: http://www.thedailycafe.com/ Having students give you a thumbs up/down is such a great way to do a quick check and see where everyone stands.
Assignment #8
In the past I have communicated objectives before lessons and have created them on my own. I like the idea of creating them with the class and allowing them to personalize them as the book discussed. I plan on including these objectives on my classroom website and encouraging my students to share their personalized objectives with their parents on a regular basis. I have a few ideas for monitoring learning; reflective journaling, exit slips, pair share, whole group discussions, and base group discussions. One way that I plan to engage students in the feedback process would be to provide students with time to put my feedback into their own words, ensuring that they understand what I have written and proving that they have actually looked at it as well.
Hi there David! I think allowing the kids to state the objectives is such a valuable way to see who is internalizing their learning. I absolutely LOVE the idea of having students communicate these objectives with their families!
Individualized objectives sound amazing- especially having kids come up with them independently with guidance. I would love to use this more in the future- especially structure some time to follow up with kids individually throughout the week. One way I incorporated a version of this in my 7th grade classroom was to meet with kids individually once a week during what I called “mini meets”. We would go over assignments, missing work, help with specific questions, or follow up on last week’s meeting. They were great, and definitely helped build positive relationships.
As for feedback, I wish I was better at getting this piece back to kids in a timely manner. I’d love to hear strategies from other folks about what systems they have in place to be able to do this frequently and consistently. I always struggled to get personalized, thoughtful feedback on student writing and projects back to kids within, if I’m being honest, a week. It’s such a long time to wait for feedback, but working throughout the weekend was the only way I could get it turned around in time. This totally isn’t possible for me anymore with the arrival of my new babe. Thoughts?
Lesson # 8: Setting objectives and providing feedback
This year our school is being required to post our target goals for each lesson on the board. These goals are based on common core standards. We are required to direct student attention to the goals and monitor for understanding. I have got to find a way to making this engaging, general enough for students to be able to put their spin on it, and make sure I can measure competency.
I am addressing student goals through weekly homework assignments and letters to parents. I know I can get responses back to kids in a timely manner by making certain assignments do on specific days of the week. That way I can plan for days in which I will be taking papers home to look at and days off to plan and be with my family. I have to make time in our daily schedule to meet with kids individually while the others are working independently and document individual growth. I do feedback during reading groups by having a reading response notebook. I draw a heart for things that a student is doing well and stair steps for a target of something they can work on. Then when we meet again we review their strengths from last time and talk about how they are doing on their next goal.
I find that rubrics are very confusing for kids at first. They need to be generated with student friendly language and examples shown alongside each section so that students can compare their work.
Hi Nicolette – Your “mini-meets” sound like such a fabulous idea on so many levels – relationship and respect building as well as being able to offer support and guidance when necessary. I’m sure that with this structure in place, it prevents students from “falling through the cracks”. Timely feedback can be difficult, especially at the middle school level. Teaching at the elementary level, there aren’t as any “papers” to manage. My biggest suggestion would be to make sure that the work you are asking them, has value and necessary…both for them to complete as well as you to take valuable time responding to them…. I know that probably isn’t the magical answer you were hoping for ;) Anyone else have suggestions?
Hi there Debra – I think that making learning target and learning goals clear for your students is very important. The problem is that many teachers make this a
“to do” list (which isn’t necessarily bad), but keep in mind that it is also important to help students understand why they are completing those activities and how they, and you for that matter, will know whether they learned what you intended them to learn. It sounds as though you’ve got a great system in place to provide feedback to your students as they strive to reach their learning goals.
Assignment #8 Chapter 8 “Settings Objectives and Providing Feedback”
I found this chapter interesting. The research shows that teachers should set learning objectives and allow students to narrow the objective or personalize the learning goal. I was surprised to hear that the effect of goal setting had such a low result and even encouraged students to screen out a lot of the material being taught. It made sense that the instructional objectives should include performance, conditions, and criterion. A teacher could use a rubric format to outline a learning objective.
At the end of last year, I began to ask students to think of a goal they wanted to work on in my kindergarten class. We would discuss things that went well, and things that we would like to improve in the classroom during the week. I invited the students to help celebrate the good things happening in the classroom, and to think of things we could do to make things better. We started with a list of classroom goals. These goals were usually related to following procedures or rules. Most of the time the suggestions were geared toward the younger students.
I turned the focus to personal goals. We began to make a list of our names and each child shared a goal they would like to work on. This process took some modeling and was sometimes successful. I started this late in the year. I think it could have been a lot better if I had included clear, consistent, and timely feedback.
Hi Laura!
I spent one of our first days back today (professional development) learning more about setting SMART goals for our new teacher evaluation plan….fun filled day ;) I really love the idea of goal setting with your students in all areas…giving them a sense of working towards something….and then that feeling of accomplishment when the goal has been met!
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