We started class with our Learning Circle discussions (found here) where we talked about being aware of when we give feedback and how portfolios can be very useful. We then followed up with the usual poll.guru after heading back to the whole group.

Next, we discussed our Assessment Plan Showcase assignment and watched a previous student’s video he made for this assignment. After viewing this example I feel much more confident in completing this assignment for this class.

After a quick break, we watched a short video on peer assessment which explained that some students may not know how to give feedback to others in a constructive or kind way. It also mentioned that in self-assessments, there are some students who are way too hard on themselves and others who see themselves as way better than they really are. We examined a handout about requirements of feedback with the acronym SPARK, which stands for Specific, Prescriptive, Actionable, Referenced, and Kind. This acronym could work for feedback both from peers and the teacher. Afterwards we broke off into pairs and did an anecdotal comment activity where we had to decide if the provided comments were inferential or descriptive. My partner and I decided that descriptive feedback was more useful as it provides clear examples of what the student has done to the student and their parents. Next we watched series of videos on giving feedback as “Two Stars and One Wish” which is two positive things about their performance and one thing they could work on based on the criteria the class creates beforehand. We then did an example of this as a whole class.

After another break we watched another series of videos on performance stations, these allow students to focus on one skill at a time and allows them to practice working in a group setting. We then did a version of these stations over Zoom, which I really found myself enjoying because I like puzzles. I would really like to incorporate stations into my future classroom because I find it’s a break from sitting and listening to a lecture the entire day (I always found school more fun this way), kids are able to socialize and work together, and they get to practice one skill at a time and therefore will not get overwhelmed by a giant sheet of questions they need to complete. We then went back into class and did a poll.guru on our thoughts on this activity.

My symbol this week is a shooting star as it will be a very easy reminder of the “Two Stars, One Wish” feedback format.