My action research has to do with eliminating all of the weight on summative assessments. Instead I am concentrating on daily formative assessments, learning targets, and really working on giving great feedback. I have researched a lot on feedback. I am finding that learning and progress is greatest when students know where they are going and are supported every step of the way. If the teacher knows and communicates to the student about mistakes and how to eliminate them, then the student will benefit immediately.
One interesting thing that I found was from an article called, "Know Thy Feedback," written by John Hattie in 2012. He said that when giving feedback, it should be very specific and not given with praise. He said that if you praise the student while giving feedback, they may concentrate instead on the praise. So be kind when giving feedback, but save the praise for a separate conversation. It makes sense to me, but it also feels natural to give a "Great job!" along with my feedback. This is something for me to work on.
I agree, that feedback is so important and is when students can really make connections and clearify any misunderstanding before they become bad habbits.
ReplyDeleteThat is very interesting about giving feedback without praise. I think it would be kind-of difficult for me as many students thrive on praise, but I see where the author is coming from. Good luck!
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