As teachers, we know that providing feedback to students is extremely important to their success. Timely, actionable feedback provides students with the necessary tools they need to improve their learning. Now, that lesson is being passed down to our students at Long Elementary.
In Candice Little’s third grade class and Lauren Kaye’s 4th/5th class, the school year starts out with some goal setting. Their first goal is related to reading fluency. Using a Chromebook, each child records himself/herself reading. Then, students watch each others’ recordings and offer actionable feedback, which is feedback that lets a student know what he/she needs to work on for improvement. Based on the feedback provided, the students then create their reading goal for September.
The students enter their reading goal into their Mahara portfolio, along with the recording of their reading. At the end of the month, they will record themselves again and compare the two videos, looking for progress. If they complete their goal, the students will set a new goal for October. By using video, students are able to go back and watch their progression over time, and truly appreciate all the hard work they do.
Another way students are providing actionable feedback is through the iLearn Workshop Module. Students in Mrs. Kaye’s class wrote a comparison paper about their favorite candies, then submitted their completed assignments through iLearn. With a couple clicks of the mouse, Mrs. Kaye randomly assigned each child 2 of their peers’ papers to assess, along with their own. One of the requirements was that the students provide actionable feedback while assessing. The students had a great discussion about the difference between actionable feedback and “nice job”.
