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StructuredChoice BOTHTeacherAssignmentandStudentChoicethroughVisibleLearning

Studentshavethesteeringwheelandteachershavethebrake Followthisguidetodevelopingstructuredchoiceassignments. Step1:SelectCurriculumGoals

1. Chooseaunitortopic. Unit/Topic:________________________ ReflectionQuestions: ➢ Whatisworthunderstandingaboutthistopic?

➢ Whyisthistopicimportant?

➢ Wherecanthistopictakeyouasalearner(connections,richness)?

➢ Thistopiccanbestudiedasagoodexampleof______________?

➢ What’saninterestingslantorangleonthistopic?

➢ Howcanstudentsreadilyengagewiththistopic?

➢ Whatwillbedifficultforyourstudentsinthistopic?

©RonRitchhart,1999.Revised2001. 2. ListtheUnderstanding,Knowledge,andSkillsstudentsshouldmasterthroughlearninginthisunit.

Understanding_________________________________________________

Knowledge: ● ● ●

Skills: ● ● ●

- BigPictureOutcome:Completingthisunitwillpreparestudentsfor… - HowaretheseknowledgeandskillsrelatedtotheCCSSexpectations?

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Forthisguide,thepurposeoftheStructuredLearningChoicewillprovidemultipleassessmentstofurtherstudentlearninganddemonstratedepthand

dimensionofunderstanding.

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StudentProductsandPerformancesIdeas

Studentsusetheircontentknowledgeandavarietyofskillstocreateproductsorperformances.Theseproductsorperformancescanbeusedtoassessstudentgrowthandstrengths.Thisisabrainstormofpossibleproductsorperformancesgroupedbythecommunicationmethodprimarilyusedforthatassignment. Speaking Persuasivespeech Oralreport Poem Mocknewscast Choralreading Skit Play Song Storytelling Teachothers Debate Oralinterpretation Monologue Reader’stheatre Interview Introduction Drawing Illustration Animation Greetingcard Portrait Postcard Cartoon Logo Advertisement Map T-shirtdesign Storyboards Scrapbook Paperdolls Costumedesign Mural Poster CreatewithTechnology SlideshoworPowerPoint

Videotaping Videoediting–commercialordocumentary Webpage Animation Building Photos Diorama 3Dmodel Collage Claymation Mask Costume T-shirt Invention Soundrecording Exhibit Museum Song/music Writing Brochure Bookcover Letters Epilogue Alternateending Essaytest Newspaperarticle Biography Directions Script Labreport Equations Diary/Journal Recipe Historicalfiction

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Chronology Songlyrics Moving Tableaux Experiment

Dance Lipsync Pantomime

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Step2:BrainstormAssessments

Note:ThisstepchangesdependingonthepurposeoftheStructuredLearningChoice.Ifthepurposeoftheassignmentisreview,theninsteadofassessments,reviewassignmentswouldbebrainstormed.Ifthepurposeoftheassignmentistocreatearesourceforeditingwriting,thenthebrainstormwouldbeabouteditingtasks.Forthisguide,theStructuredLearningChoicewillprovidemultipleassessmentstofurtherstudentlearninganddemonstratedepthanddimensionofunderstanding. Brainstormlistofassessmentchoices–usetheproductlistandthinkinglist(onnextpage)togainideasthatwouldallowstudentstodemonstratetheunderstanding,knowledge,andskillslistedabove.Donotedityourbrainstorm–writeasmanyideasasyoucanthinkofonaseparatepieceofpaper.Theassessmentchoiceboardcouldbeusedatanytimeduringaunit.

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NamingSevenTypesofThinking Curious

• Wonder • Askquestions • Observeclosely • Findproblems • Beplayful

IntellectuallyCareful

• EvaluateEvidence • Alertforerrors • Checkforaccuracy • Corroborateinformation • Justifyopinionswithevidence

Reflective

• Compareaproducttocriteria • Evaluateaprocess • Seekunderstanding • Gatherotheropinions • Considerrelationshipbetweenpartsandawhole • Questionresults • Identifypatterns

Strategic

• Setgoals • Takeaction • Evaluateandreviseplans • Useknowledgetomakedecisions • Reasonthroughproblems

Creative

• Createnovelsolutions • Makeunusualconnections • Combineideas • Rearrangeelementsintonewpatterns

Adventurous

• Explorealternativeviews • Openminded • Thinkwithawidescope • Seekunderstanding

Art Class ca. 1943-1945 William H. Johnson Born: Florence, South Carolina 1901 Died: Central Islip, New York 1970 tempera and pencil on paper sight 22 7/8 x 16 7/8 in. (58.2 x 42.9 cm) Smithsonian American Art Museum Gift of the Harmon Foundation 1967.59.176 Not currently on view http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=12226

DevelopedfromProjectZero,HarvardGraduateSchoolofEducation,CulturesofThinkingProject,http://www.pz.harvard.edu/Research/CultThink.htm

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Collaborative

• Shareideaswithothers • Askclarifyingquestions • Valuetheopinionsofothers • Buildlearningthroughinteraction

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Step3:SelectAssessmentsthatMeetCurricularGoals

ReflectionQuestions: Thinkabouttheassessmentchoicesandaddnewideas. BuildingUnderstanding ➢ Canstudentsdothisactivitywithoutreallyunderstanding? ➢ Doesthisactivityallowstudentstobothdevelopanddemonstrateunderstanding? ➢ Whatdoesthisassessmenttellmeaboutwhatstudentsdoanddonotunderstand? ➢ Whatkindsofthinkingarerequiredtodotheseactivities? ➢ CanIfindoutifstudents’misconceptionsandstereotypesarechanging? ➢ Dotheseactivitieshelpstudentstoconfrontandworkthroughparticularlychallengingideas

requiredtounderstandthistopic? Preparation ➢ Whatfoundationsofknowledge,skills,andunderstandingneedtobebuiltsostudentscando

theseactivitieswithunderstanding? Management/Feedback ➢ Canstudentsshowmeandotherswhattheyunderstandthroughtheseassessments? ➢ HowcanIgivestudentsfeedbackontheirprogresstowarddevelopingunderstandingthrough

theseassessments? ➢ HowcanIhelpstudentstoself-assess? ➢ Whatopportunityistherehereforstudentstoofferfeedbacktopeersandlearnfromthelearning

ofothers? UseCriteriatochooseassessments: 1.Placeachecknexttobrainstormedassessmentsthatareparticularlyusefulformakingvisiblestudentunderstanding,knowledge,andskills.

● Studentsengageactively ● Studentsengagethoughtfully ● Students'thoughtsandactionswilldemonstratemasteryofthecurriculumgoals

2.Consideringonlycheckedideas,circleideasthatarepracticalconsideringresources:timeandmaterials. 3.Makesurethateachchoiceasksstudentstoengageinpurposefulthinkingmovingthemtowardmasteryofalearningtarget. 4.UseonlythecircledideastocreateaStructuredLearningChoiceassignment.

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Step4:CreateaChoiceBoardorMenu Usetheassessmentsthatarebothcheckedandcircledfromthebrainstorm. Considerarrangingtheassessmentsby:

● Form–typeoffinishedproduct ● Purpose–topersuade,inform,model,etc. ● Skillsused ● Communicationmethodused:drawing,writing,building,speakingormoving ● Vocabularyandbackgroundknowledgeusedordeveloped ● Interactionwithotherpeopleorresourcestocompletetask ● Audience ● Groupingtocompletetask ● Topic ● Sizeofproject ● Levelofdifficulty ● Typeofresourceormaterial

Establishdirectionsforcompletingstructuredchoicetoeliminateanymanagementchallengessuchasstudents“choosing”thewrongassignment.Forexample,requirecrossingmiddleinatic-tac-toeboardtorequireaparticularassignmentforallstudents.

● Requiredchoices(forexampleatic-tac-toemustcrossthecentersquare) ● Freechoice ● Numberofchoicesandsizeoftasksinrelationtoavailabletimeandresources ● Somechoicesbeinggivingorreceivingfeedbacktopeersasrequirements ● Stopstocheckinwiththeteacher ● “GoBack”squares,thatrequirestudentstoreturnandreflectonaprevioustask. ● Arrowsthatdemonstratethatlearningisnotalwaysaforwardmovinglinearprocess,so

chancestogobackandrevise,practice,andconnectpreviousideastonewtasks. ● Rulestofosterstudentsmakingchoicesthatextendtheirskills.

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Step5:Createonegradingtoolfortheassessments

Beginbybrainstormingalistofcriteria.Thendeterminewhatismostimportanttofocusforthisunit. Ifcreatingarubricthenconsider:

Criterion Quality Yes Yes,but No,but No

Givesenoughdetails. .

Yes,Iputinenoughdetailstogivethereaderasenseoftime,place,andevents.

Yes,Iputinsomedetails,butsomekeydetailsaremissing.

No,Ididn’tputinenoughdetails,butIdidincludeafew.

No,Ihadalmostnodetails.

Andrade,H.http://learnweb.harvard.edu/ALPS/thinking/docs/rubricar.htm

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Step6:CreateaManagementPlanforUsingwithStudent

Time Decidewhenassignments/taskswillbedue.StructuredLearningChoices

canbecompletedinclassorashomework.

Materials Prepareneededmaterialstoenablestudentstocompleteassignmentsindependently.Forexample,writeadialogbetweentwocharactersisataskinaReadingResponseLearningChoiceAssignment.Offeringlinedpaperforthecharacter’snameandthenwhatthecharactersaysenablesstudentstowritethedialogwithoutteacherassistance.

Preparation Planhowstudentswillaccessandstorematerialsandmonitortheirownprogress.

Grading Determineifeachtaskbegradedorcompletionoftheentireassignment.Becausetheremaybeseveralproductsfromeachstudent,avoidtheteachergradingalltasks.Usepeerfeedbackandselfreflection,aswellasteacherfeedback.Organizeasharingdayorexhibitionandinviteexperts(parents,communitymembers,andothereducators)intoviewthecollectionofproductsandofferfeedback. Establishcriteriaforhighqualitywork.NoticethecriteriaontheStructuredLearningChoiceexamplesintheexamplebookletintheresourcesectionofthisblog.

Feedback Usepeerfeedback,selfreflection,andinclassteacherconferencingtoincreasethelearning. UsetheadditionalresourcesonthenextpagestoconsiderhowstudentswillreceiveandofferfeedbackduringStructuredLearningChoice.Intheexamplebookletintheresourcesectionofthisblogtherearesampleself-reflectionandpeerfeedbackforms.

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ThePyramidandLadderofFeedbackOnewaytoorganizethetypes,formsandsourcesoffeedbackisbyusingtheFeedbackPyramid.Teachersandotherfacilitatorsoflearninguseittobothplanandreflectontheirassessments.Withittheycombinedifferentkeycomponentstocreateavarietyofongoingfeedbackmomentsandmethods:Type:Formalvs.InformalThetopofthepyramiddescribesthetypeoffeedbacklearnerscanreceive.Aquickinformalconversationwithateacher,anotefromapeer,areviewofone'sownwork,oranexplanationfromaparentmightsupportunderstandingmorethanaformalgradeonaproject.Whenwecreatefeedbackinourclassrooms,strikingahealthybalancebetweeninformalandformalfeedbackiskey.Toomuchinformalfeedbackandstudentsmayhave

difficultydrawingjudgmentsabouttheirprogress.Toomuchformalfeedbackandstudentsmaybecomeextrinsicallymotivatedbygrades.Form:WrittenandVerbalAssessmentsshouldofferfeedbacktothelearnerusingavarietyofforms.Forexample,ateachermaywritefeedbackinthemarginsofstudents'journalsorspeakwithstudentstogivefeedback,individuallyorinsmallgroups.PerhapsthereareotherformsoffeedbackthinkingofLearningProfilesusingMItheoryorlearningstyles.Creatingavarietyofformsthatcommunicateusefulinformationtothelearnerisakeyelementincraftingfeedback.Source:Self,Peer,andTeacherAssessmentsshouldleveragemanydifferentsourcesoffeedback.Theteacherisnottheonlysourceofinformationinaclassroom.Studentscanoffervaluablefeedbacktoeachother.Howisthispyramidused?Someteachersuseittoreflectontheirvariousassessments.Ateachermightsay,"WellI'vegotmanyassessmentslikepopquizzesthatareformalandgivewrittenfeedbacktothestudentfrommetheteacher."Thispyramidurgesthatteachertocomplementthoseassessments(orreplacesome)withinformal,verbal,peerandself-assessmentstrategies.Teachersalsousethepyramidasaplanningdevice.Inordertocreatearoundedassessmentexperienceforstudents,ateachermightask,"CanIcreatesomeinformal,verbal,selfassessmentsearlyonintheunit?Whatmightbesomeinformal,written,peerassessments?WhattypesofformalassessmentscanIbuild?"Inthissense,thepyramidbecomesatoolthatteachersusetocreatefeedbacktosupportunderstanding. CreatedbyProjectZero,HarvardGraduateSchoolofEducation

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Therearemanyspecificfeedbacktoolswecanusewithourstudentstohelpcultivateacultureofassessingforunderstanding.OnesimpleandhighlysuccessfultoolistheLadderofFeedback,whichrecommendsthatanyprocessofprovidingfeedbackfollowssomegeneralsteps:1.clarify,2.value,3.offerconcerns,andthen4.suggest

Clarify:Whenstudentssharetheirwork,theirideasmaynotseemclearorsomeinformationmaybemissing.Clarifyingbyaskingquestionsaboutunclearpointsorabsentideasbeforefeedbackisgiveniscrucial.Thisstepcanhelpteachersandotherstudentsgatherrelevantinformationbeforeinformedfeedbackcanbegiven.Value:Aftergatheringtheproperinformation,expressingyourappreciationforstudentsandtheirideasisfundamentaltotheprocessofconstructivefeedback.Valuingbuildsasupportivecultureofunderstandingandhelpsstudentstoidentifystrengthsintheirworktheymightnothaverecognizedotherwise.Stressingthepositivepointsofthework,notingstrengthsandofferinghonestcomplimentssetsasupportivetoneduringafeedbacksession.Payingattention,noddingandtakingnotesareotherexamplesofbehaviors

thatsetandmodelapositiveatmosphere.Suchvaluingmovesshowthatthegiveroffeedbackhonorsthestudentandhisstrongestideas.OfferConcerns:Oftentherearelegitimateconcernsabouttheworkbeingassessed.Perhapsyouseeproblemsordon'tagreewiththeideasoractionsinquestion.Nowisthetimetoraisesuchconcerns-notasderisiveaccusationsorabrasivecriticisms,butashonestthoughtsandconcerns."Haveyouconsidered...","WhatIwonderaboutis...","Perhapsyouhavethoughtaboutthis,but..."Theseareallwaysofframingconcernsinnon-threateningways.Suggest:Offeringsuggestionsisthelastvitalrunginsupportinglearnersindevelopingunderstanding.GivingsuggestionsforsolvingtheproblemsweidentifiedduringtheOfferConcernsstepcanhelpthelearnerusethefeedbacktomakeimprovements.Ofcourse,thereisnoguaranteethatthelearnerwillusethesuggestions,norneedtherebeone.Suggestionsarejustthat--suggestions--notmandates.Howdoteachersusetheladder?Theyoftenuseittoguideconversationswithstudentsandbetweenstudents.Youmightteachitbymodelingitsuseinfrontofawholeclass,thenrequiringthatstudentsuseittogivepeerfeedback (*) This text, used to describe the Ladder of Feedback, is an excerpt (with some modification) from the Assessing for Understanding WIDE course designed by Daniel Wilson and taught by Heidi Goodrich.