By overemphasizing high-stakes evaluations as tools for reporting what students know and can do, we’ve created a culture of grading instead of a culture of feedback in our schools and classrooms. In this book, the authors urge educators to shift their classroom focus, prioritizing effective feedback over grades and making students partners in their own learning. Discover how to state learning intentions clearly and provide individualized feedback to give students all the information they need to succeed. Benefits Gain instructional strategies for prioritizing feedback over grading in upper elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. Shift classrooms from a culture of grading to a culture of feedback. Discover how important feedback is to developing learners and how to use digital tools to effectively involve students in assessment. Determine the characteristics of effective feedback for students, including how to clarify for students what mastery of the content and skills looks like. Learn the benefits of having students engage in peer feedback. Gain guidance on communicating the differences between grading and feedback to parents and students. Contents Foreword Introduction 1 Where Am I Going? 2 How Am I Doing? 3 What Are My Next Steps? Conclusion References
Find the natural overlap between the work you already believe in and the digital tools that define today’s learning. Each chapter introduces an enduring skill: information fluency, verbal persuasion, visual persuasion, collaborative dialogue, and problem solving. Then, the authors present a digital solution that can be used to enhance traditional skill-based instructional practices. A collection of handouts and supporting materials tailored to each skill and tool type ends each chapter.
Focus on developing people—not just improving test scores. The authors examine how staffing decisions can strengthen professional learning communities and explore actions that can help school leaders safeguard their schools against complacency. Collect tips and strategies that every teacher can adopt, and apply the professional development techniques that prove most useful.
Get a play-by-play guide to implementing PLC concepts. Each chapter begins with a story focused on a particular challenge. A follow-up analysis of the story identifies the good decisions or common mistakes made in relation to that particular scenario. The authors examine the research behind best practice and wrap up each chapter with recommendations and tools you can use in your school.
Motivate and inspire students to learn at high levels. By bringing meaningful work to the classroom, students will develop curiosity, become actively engaged, and have a sense of purpose for their education. Discover strategies and tips for reshaping the traditional classroom environment to give modern students opportunities to exercise choice in their curriculum, master skills, and demonstrate what they’ve learned.