Writing in Science in Action – 6

Learning Objectives 1. Understand strategies for conferring with students and critiquing scientist notebook entries. 2. Plan for providing helpful feedback in scientists notebooks.

Agenda TIMEACTIONS 9:20-9:40Reflecting on Pre-Assessment Lesson (20 min) 9:40-10:00Critiquing Gavin’s Notebook Entries (40 minutes) 10:00-10:40Viewing and Discussing the Assessment I Video Episode (40 min) 10:40-10:45Break 10:45-11:45Team Planning Conferences

Reflecting on Practice (20 min) Meet with your teaching partner(s) and reflect together on a prior experience of providing students feedback.  What was the purpose of providing students feedback?  How did you provide students feedback?  How did your action of providing students feedback improve your students’ learning and your teaching?

Providing feedback REALTIME PAPER & PAPERLESS Word-processed Audio/video recording Screencasts Peer - Anonymous Face to Face Conference Video Conferencing Hand-written

Providing Students Feedback The most powerful single modification that enhances achievement is feedback. The simplest prescription for improving education must be dollops of feedback.’ - John Hattie (1992)

Teach less. Provide more feedback. Decades of education research support the idea that by teaching less and providing more feedback, we can produce greater learning. - Grant Wiggins

What is helpful feedback? Descriptive information about how we're doing as we work towards achieving our goals. - Grant Wiggins Good feedback causes thinking. Give feedback that moves your students forward... - what they need to improve - how to go about doing it that makes it clear that their abilities are incremental, not fixed. - Dylan Wiliam

Helpful feedback is different from praising, advising, & grading. - Grant Wiggins

Critiquing Notebook Entries (40 min)  Read Gavin’s data table and conclusion in Figures 9–3 and 9–4 at the end of Chapter 9.  Next, write notes about Gavin’s entry just as if he were one of your students.  After reading Figures 9–1 and 9–2 in Chapter 9, use guidelines as you critique and write notes about Gavin’s entry.  Discuss the guiding question when you have finished.  Finally, skim Tajinai’s entry (Figures 9–5 through 9–6c) and Dorothy’s entry (9–7a through 9–8).

Viewing (15 min) and Discussing (25 min) the Assessment I Video Episode Meet with your teaching partner and...  Discuss the guiding questions.

Assessing Notebook Entries and Planning Instruction  Look at each entry briefly.  Focus assessment on Three Key Elements.  Follow the appropriate checklist for Exemplary Notebooks Entries. See website. Click on Companion Resources - Checklist for Exemplary Notebook Entries.website  Note Strengths, Weaknesses, Further Instruction.

Addressing a Strength  To address a strength, write a sticky note related to the one or more of the Three Key Elements.  Use checklists for exemplary scientist notebook entries. See website. Click on Companion Resources - Checklist for Exemplary Notebook Entries.website

Addressing a Weakness – Area for Growth  To address a weakness – area for growth, write a question that a scientist might have about the entry. See Figure 8-1, p. 96 for questions to ask students about notebook entries. Example of : ”Another scientist might wonder what you observed about the soil in the water that made you think it had the properties of clay at first, but not later on.”

Selecting a Notebook Entry (10 min) Meet with your teaching partner and….  Identify the science and writing lessons that you can provide helpful feedback in their scientist notebooks.

Considering Next Steps (10 min) Meet with your teaching partner and ….  Go to Blackboard>My Course Work>Providing Feedback in Scientist Notebooks. Download “Providing Feedback” file.  Discuss the guiding questions.

Prepare for Next WISIA Class  Take notes on class notes – organize, connect.  Re-read: Chapter 8 and 9.  View Assessment 1 Video Episode a second time.  Provide helpful feedback in your students scientist notebooks.