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Building Leadership Teams: Exploring Feedback Through

Conferring

Wireless code RAPHA2221 

 February 2011

Michelle Morris JonesChris Laney-Barnes

Public Education & Business Coalition

The Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC) is a nonprofit partnership of Colorado education and business leaders that works to: a) improve student learning and achievement in Colorado K-12 public schools, and b) influence policy changes, ultimately benefiting the workforce and economy. We create customized, collaborative, long-term professional learning opportunities for K-12 educators and advocate for policies that support sustainable improvement and sensible structure for schools and school systems.

Learning Targets

• Participants will be able to apply effective facilitation techniques to the needs of adult learners with an emphasis on managing group dynamics.

• Participants will be able to design a process for reviewing and refining Individual Professional Implementation Plans.

• Participants will understand the methods and content of effective feedback.

• Participants will understand the relationship between conferring, feedback, and the Learning-Assessment Process Model.

Anchor Texts…

• Learning-Assessment Process Model

• Individual Professional Implementation Plan

How are these two documents connected?

LAP IPIP

Think – Pair - Share

What are you going to learn today?

Why is it important?

How does it relate to previous learning?

CHECKING FOR UNDERSTANDING

Gathering…

As an instructional leader one of our responsibilities is situational

awareness…

Often times we become aware of conflict…

Brainstorm a TV Personality that Illustrates each Conflict Style

Archie Bunker: Directing & Controlling

• Directing & Controlling• Collaborating• Compromising• Accommodating• Avoiding/Denying• Appealing to a Greater

AuthoritySee Handout

Conflict Styles

Situational Awareness

How is the implementation of the Learning-Assessment Process

Model and the Individual Professional Implementation Plans

perceived in your school?

How is your team supporting teachers who are resistant to

change?

Facilitating Adult Learning

Learning Target: Participants will be able to apply effective facilitation techniques to the needs of adult

learners.

Success Criteria:Participants can discuss attributes of effective

facilitation and apply these attributes to their planning for upcoming BLT days.

Facilitation Techniques

Rituals and Routines Standard Agenda Template Affirmative Questions Promote Rigor Managing Group Dynamics Lighthearted Moments

Facilitation Techniques

Revisit the Facilitation Techniques Rubric…

Assess your team’s strengths and needs based on your last BLT…

As a team share findings and set a goal for your next gathering…

ResistanceRead and annotate “10 Things to Do

About Resistance” and/or the excerpt from Michael Fullan.

Discuss applications to your work.

Revisit your rubric, name a next step that incorporates a suggestion from

the reading or your dialogue that will build commitment to your

initiative.

Faci

litat

ion

Tech

niqu

es

Individual Professional Implementation Plans

Learning Target: Participants will be able to design a

process for reviewing and refining Individual Professional Implementation

Plans.

Criteria for Success: BLTs will complete a draft facilitation plan.

IPIP Artifact Protocol

1. Form trios across BLTS2. Presenter shares individual goal3. Presenter shares teacher or student work

related to the goal4. Trio partners share noticings5. Presenter reflects upon what was said and

heard.6. Trio discusses next steps7. Rotate presenters and repeat twice

*** 5 minutes per presenter***

BLT Planning Time & Break9:30 – 10:15

How will you support your colleagues back at school?

Processes?Resources?Groupings?

Time?

Planning TemplateEvent ______________________________________________________DateLearning Targets:• Our colleagues will be able to analyze and revise Individual

Professional Implementation Plans.• Our colleagues will understand the importance of providing

students with effective feedback.• Our colleagues will understand the relationship between

conferring, feedback, and the Learning Assessment Process Model.

Reminders: Thoughtful gathering and closing (community building, pre-view

content, feedback…) Account for various learning styles (auditory, visual, literal, artistic,

kinesthetic…) Balance grouping structures (whole group, small group, pairs,

individual…) Plan for intellectual engagement (reading, writing, dialogue…) Light hearted moments (cartoons, jokes, games…) Parallel Pedagogy (employ Best Practices)

Methods & Content of Feedback

Learning Target: Participants will understand methods and content

of effective feedback.

Success Criteria:Participants will name ways to refine current

feedback processes.

What is a Learning Target?

A Learning Target is any achievement expectation we have

for students. (Mary Vedra)

It states what we want the students to know and be able to do.

Quick Review

What is Criteria for Success?

• Criteria for Success shows learners and teachers what good work looks like, and

• Allows learners and teachers to know if we hit the learning target.

Quick Review

How do we ensure that our students understand the

Learning Target & Success Criteria?

• Questioning• Envisioning• Rubrics• Examples

Quick Review

What is the role of feedback?•Clear Learning Target

•Criteria for Success

•Check for understanding (LT & SC)

•Learning Tasks, Formative Assessment & Evaluation

•Feedback…. To close the gap!

What is Feedback?FeedbackCriticismAdvicePointer

ReactionCommentResponseOpinion View

Effective Feedback

Supports Student Achievement

And

Increases Student Motivation

Misconception #1

Returning graded work is providing effective feedback.

Turn & Talk

Moss & Brookhart, 2009

Misconception #2

Detailed correction is effective feedback.

Turn & Talk

Moss & Brookhart, 2009

Methods of Feedback

• Timing – when, how often• Amount –how many points are

made, how much about each point• Mode –oral; written; visual

demonstration• Audience - individual; group/class

Moss & Brookhart, 2009

Content of Feedback• Focus –the work itself; the process the student used;

the student personally• Function – description; evaluation/judgment• Comparison:

with criteria for good work, (criterion-referenced) with the work of other students, (norm-referenced)

with the student’s own past performance (self-referenced)

• Valence - positive; negative• Clarity –clear to the student; unclear to the student• Specificity –nitpicky; just right; overly general • Tone –implications; what the student will “hear”

Moss & Brookhart, 2009

Feedback Strategies

Feedback Strategies Can

Vary In … In These Ways …

Recommendations

for Good FeedbackAmount   How many points made 

How much about each point   

Prioritize—pick the most important points.  Choose points that relate to major learning goals.  Consider the student's developmental level. 

 Focus   On the work itself 

On the process the student used to do the work 

When possible, describe both the work and the process—and their relationship. 

Avoid personal comments. 

Comparison   To criteria for good work (criterion-referenced) 

To student's own past performance (self-referenced) 

Use criterion-referenced feedback for giving information about the work itself. 

Use self-referenced feedback to teach students to look for progress in their own work.

 Function   Description 

Evaluation/judgment  

Describe.  Don't judge. 

Tone  and Word Choice

Positive and honest What the student will "hear"  Communicates confidence in the 

students as learners  

Choose words that communicate respect for the student and the work. 

Choose words that position the student as the active learner. 

Choose words that cause students to think or wonder.  

Positive, prompt, individual  feedback for the student can vary in…

Review

1. Review “Feedback Strategies” and “Methods and Content of Effective Feedback”

2. Share new insights and new practices with your teammates.

Consider your students…

How and when do you provide feedback for your students?

What is your feedback based upon?

How will you refine your feedback practices?

Effective Feedback

Learning Target:Participants will understand the relationship between conferring,

feedback, and the Learning-Assessment Process Model.

Success Criteria:Participants will have an understanding of the

role of conferring within the Workshop Model and the Learning-Assessment Process Model.

What Emerges in a Conference?

Conferring

What Emerges in a Conference?

History TeachingProcesses RecordsExperiences RapportGoal Setting ListeningStrategy Knowledge PatternsInstructional Points TalkOur Own Learning Challenges

From: Conferring: The Keystone of Reader’s Workshop by Patrick Allen, 2009

“Building the Environment for Conferring”

Defining Trust, Respect, and Tone Strengthening Endurance and Stamina

Discussing Purpose and Audience

Exploring the Gradual Release of Responsibility

Focusing on the Structure of Reader’s Workshop From: Conferring: The Keystone of Reader’s Workshop by Patrick

Allen, 2009

Defining Trust, Respect, and Tone

 Looks Like? Sounds Like? Feels Like?

Supports:Teacher & Student Language

Arrangement of Physical SpacePurposeful Interactions

Thoughtful ToneTeacher Model

 From: Conferring: The Keystone of Reader’s Workshop by Patrick

Allen, 2009

Strengthening Endurance & Stamina

 How does conferring build endurance &

stamina?

Supports:Purposeful Work

Meta-cognitive & Rigorous DialogueGoal Setting

Self Monitoring From: Conferring: The Keystone of Reader’s Workshop by Patrick

Allen, 2009

Discussing Purpose & Audience

 Why are we doing what we are doing?

Supports:Mini-lesson (Crafting Lesson)

Explicit PurposeExplicit Audience

Meta-cognitive & Rigorous Dialouge From: Conferring: The Keystone of Reader’s Workshop by Patrick

Allen, 2009

Focusing on the Gradual Release of Responsibility

 How do we move students to

independence?

Supports:I do… Teacher Models

We do… Shared & Guided ExperiencesYou do… Student Independence

 From: Conferring: The Keystone of Reader’s Workshop by Patrick

Allen, 2009

Gradual Release of Responsibility (Pearson & Gallagher, 1983)

High Teacher Responsibility for the thinking

High Student Responsibility for the thinking

Focu

sing

on

the

Gra

dual

R

elea

se o

f Res

pons

ibili

ty

Focusing on the Structure of Workshop

Minilesson or LaunchWorktime or ExploreCatch (check for understanding)Worktime or ExploreDebrief or Summary

From: Conferring: The Keystone of Reader’s Workshop by Patrick Allen, 2009

Conferring: Structures for Success 

“I realized that, like all good rituals and routines, a predictable structure for

reading conferences provides a pattern for me to follow each time I confer with a

reader. More important, my students know that each side-by-side conference follows

a similar pattern. There is research to suggest that familiar connections and

conforming neural networks are key to the formation of meaning and intelligence

(Jensen, 1998).”Patrick Allen, Conferring: The Keystone of Reader’s Workshop

Research, Decide, Teach & Record The Writing Workshop by Katie Wood Ray

 ResearchTell me about your reading or writing…How’s it going?Read aloud a bit or share some writing…DecideWhat would help most at this time?What would bring quick success?What would be a stretch, a risk or a challenge?TeachIndividual, direct instructionOne teaching pointAsk student to paraphrase or explain what they have learnedRecordMake a record with the studentAccountability of teaching pointsFuture lesson plans

As a team review and reflect on the materials related to conferring…

What is the relationship between conferring, feedback and the Learning-Assessment Process Model?

What is new learning for you? What questions do you have?

How do the principles of conferring cross content areas?

What will be new learning for your colleagues? What is most important?

RE

FLE

CTI

ON

Anchor ChartWhat is the relationship between conferring,

feedback and the Learning-Assessment Process Model?

What is new learning for you? What questions do you have?

How do the principles of conferring cross content areas?

What will be new learning for your colleagues? What is most important?

BLT Planning Time

How will you support your colleagues back at school?

Processes?Resources?Groupings?

Time?

Welcome Back!

Use “Nutritional Value of Feedback” as a lens to examine

your feedback practices.

After this morning’s learning, what are some of your next

steps?

Effective Feedback

Learning Target:Participants will understand the relationship between conferring,

effective feedback, and the Learning-Assessment Process Model.

Success Criteria:Participants will have an understanding of the

role of conferring within the Workshop Model and the Learning-Assessment Process Model.

Conferring LabPurpose: Practice providing effective “in

the moment” feedback.

Learning Target: The reader will be able to apply the comprehension strategy of Creating Sensory Images to increase understanding.

Criteria for Success: Readers will be able to name how Creating Sensory Images supported their understanding.

Conferring Lab

As you read the following, record your thinking…

What sensory images is this piece evoking for you? How are these images supporting your comprehension? After reading share your sensory images with a partner, how are your images similar and different?

Conferring Fishbowl

What did you see?

What did you hear?

What are you wondering?

Protocol for Conferring

• 1 person conferring (Identify a “star” and a “step”)

• 1 person being conferred with

• 1 person process observing

Confer, Debrief, Rotate

Reflection How does conferring provide

students with effective feedback within the Learning-Assessment

Process Model?

BLT Planning Time

How will you support your colleagues back at school?

Processes?Resources?Groupings?

Time?

Professional Learning ActivitiesRAPHA2221

Turn and TalkText Based Discussion

Two Minute DrillMetaphors/symbols/pop culture

Trio’sIndependent Reading & Writing

Cross Group ActivitiesAnchor Charts

RubricsModeling

Wrap Up

Site-based planning time

Please complete your evaluation form as this helps us plan our next

gathering.

Be sure to “clean your space and leave no trace.”