FG Secrets of Self Directed Learning PDF

The Secrets of
Self-Directed
Student Learning
Strategies for nurturing & stimulating
independent learners
By Matt Renwick
Table of Contents
3 Introduction: A Tale of Two Schools
4 SCHOOL 1: A 1:1 CHARTER SCHOOL
6 SCHOOL 2: A WALDORF SCHOOL
8 COMMON THREADS
10 More Than Good Job! Research to Support Better Practices

10 PRAISE AND THE CULTURE OF COMPLIANCE
11 PATHWAYS TOWARD STUDENT AGENCY
13 EDUCATION AT THE CROSSROADS
15 Create a More Connected Classroom

16 1. CULTIVATE THE CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESS
26 2. CLARITY ABOVE ALL
32 3. FEEDBACK, FEEDBACK, FEEDBACK
42 4. AUTHENTIC TASKS FOR A REAL AUDIENCE
53 Conclusion: Striving for Better
58 References
56 About the Author
57 About FreshGrade
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Introduction: A Tale of Two Schools
The purpose of this paper is to provide teachers with specific strategies and tools that have shown to
be effective for building self-directed, independent learners. Problems with praise and how it feeds into
a larger culture of compliance are identified. Schools are at a critical juncture with all of the research
now available about the importance of process and the need for students to have a choice and voice in
their learning. To address this, I offer one pathway for helping students develop true ownership of their
learning journeys. We round out this paper with suggestions for all learners teachers and students
for becoming better at their practice instead of trying to be the best.
So where to begin? I find it best to start where the action is happening: in the classroom. The next
section describes two schools. One is a charter within a school that has a 1:1 student-to-technology
ratio. The other is a school that eschews all things digital. Although these two schools are only five miles
away from one another, they are seemingly worlds apart. As you will read, they have more in common
with each other than it might seem at first glance. These observations will offer concrete examples of
how all educators can promote a sense of independence for all K-12 students and autonomy for the
schoolhouse, as well as identifying the role of technology in the process.
School 1: A 1:1 Charter School
This program within an elementary building is part of a larger school district outside a metropolis. The
school offers students two pathways for learning: The traditional (or legacy) track, and the technology-
heavy track. While the legacy track offers students a fine education, how it is delivered would closely
resemble your traditional K-5 school. Their principal and lead teacher of the charter have been gracious
in letting me observe their work multiple times.
The 1:1 school is project and interest-based. Students select a topic or concept they want to explore,
develop a learning plan, seek approval from one of the teaching staff, and then they are ready to engage
in their inquiry study. While students are assigned to one teacher per grade level, all students in this K-5
program intermingle with each other.
To help in their individualized pursuits, each student has access to a Chromebook. They can take them
home if they want to continue their studies beyond the school day. Even the kindergarten students are
familiar with these devices. In fact, one of the 1st graders roles is to show their younger peers how to log
into their Google accounts.
As I walked through the building, I observed students spread out throughout the rooms. Two girls were
sitting next to each other, Chromebooks in their laps as the worked on a collaborative slideshow. Two
other students were developing a video trailer for a book they read. One of the teachers sat next to them,
offering support when needed.
There were times when direct instruction was necessary. Teachers collaboratively prepared a variety of
seminars for students to join. These 90-minute instructional blocks covered big topics such as exploring
writing in a specific genre. But even in this more formal method of teaching, students could choose
which topics they would take for the next month.
Despite the incredible amount of choice students were provided, teachers were still able to monitor
and assess their learning. Each student had a digital portfolio set up within Google Sites. The core areas
of instruction in literacy, numeracy, and the content areas contained a series of objectives students
had to show mastery in with artifacts of and reflections on their learning. When a student submitted
a performance or skill that addressed a learning objective, either digitally or in print, the teacher
documented this in their profile.
The setup of the program resembled more of
a college campus instead of a 2nd or 5th-grade
classroom. In place of desks were refurbished
benches, tables with books for legs, and bean
bags in corners of the room. I wouldnt describe
the classrooms as messy maybe lived in. You
could tell that the students had ownership in
not only their learning but also in the learning
environment itself.
Also atypical of classrooms we might be familiar

was the presentation room where students shared their learning with peers. A composite bench wrapped
around the front of a projector and smartboard. The benchs back took a 90-degree turn and extended
itself directly behind it. This served as an additional space for an audience, complete with stools to sit on
and space for a laptop. This space was often used for student presentations of their learning to
peers and adults.
Students and staff also had access to a meeting room. It was enclosed in glass so anyone could
observe their work. Kids could bring in snacks and water and sit down to plan out future projects with
the teaching staff. In speaking with the teachers about their program, they didnt seem as stressed as
teachers I am familiar with in more traditional settings. While they had just as much work to do as a
teacher might in your typical classroom, I got a sense that the workload was more evenly distributed with
the kids. Additionally, the faculty in the charter school did not work in isolation. There was a feeling of
camaraderie between them, focused on a mission and a purpose bigger than themselves.
Finally, there was little prodding by the teachers for their students to get their work done. Points for
effort did not exist. Good behavior was expected but not rewarded. If a student was falling behind in an
area of study, the teacher would confer with that student, look at their digital profile in Google together,
and discuss what the problem might be. There was an evident relationship there, built on trust and
mutual respect. From my observations, the students looked to their teachers as a coach and a resource
rather than simply an authority figure to please. The technology certainly helped students, such as in
building representations of their learning and communicating their progress more frequently with staff
and families. Yet, the driver of this alternative approach to education was the very tangible and visible
knowledge available to the students on their own terms.
School 2: A Waldorf School
Only five miles away from the 1:1 charter is a Waldorf school, a privately run organization. You may have
heard of these institutions. They were thrust into the spotlight when journalists started reporting that
several executives in Silicon Valley, the mecca for technology industries, elected to send their sons and
daughters to Waldorf schools. Why? They didnt want their kids around technology all of the time. They
got enough of it at home.
When I walked through the front doors of the Waldorf school, the admissions officer graciously
welcomed me to their school for a tour. I was guided to a meeting room where I spoke with her and the
business manager, one of the school leaders of the building. So why have you chosen to visit a Waldorf
school? one of them asked me. I admitted being fairly ignorant of their organization, knowing only what
I do from the articles I read online.
INSIDE WALDORF
The halls were quiet and inviting on a cold winter day. Boots and coats were hung up on the sides of
the hallway. Above each space was a wicker basket, which held the students mittens and hats. The
admissions officer explained that when parents enroll a child at their school, one of the first activities
they engage in is making these baskets by hand during a Saturday family event.
The classroom doors were, for the most part, closed. My tour guide shared that a number of teachers
preferred that their learning environments not be disturbed by visitors. Even so, we were able to walk into
a few rooms to be flies on the wall while instruction was happening.
The first thing I noticed was how similar a Waldorf classroom was to your general public school room.
Desks were in rows, the teacher was often at the front, and much of the content they were learning
was very similar to what our own students were learning back in my traditional elementary school. You
replace the chalkboards with whiteboards and throw in a few computing stations, and you have what
most students are used to today.
Upon closer inspection, subtle differences were observed. First, storytelling was a primary vehicle for
conveying content. The school advisor informed me that the staff were frequently provided training in
the art of telling stories. They used a narrative structure to convey a variety of content to their students.
The current content of focus was displayed
proudly in the lobby of the school. Each grade
level posted what their current focus was for
main block. Every class spent the first hour and
a half of the day delving deeply into a topic or
theme of study. These changed periodically,
usually once a month.
They also had a bulletin board that outlined all

of their themes throughout the school year.
That their scope and sequence was on one display in their hallway was impressive for two reasons.
First, the focus on the students work from grades K-8 didnt require some type of software to align
their curriculum. Second, the fact that they could even fit this amount of content on one board would
be unfathomable in public schools, where curriculum must be aligned with the many content and
performance standards.
As we continued to walk the school, there were more tell-tale signs about the uniqueness of their
learning environment. For instance, a sign was posted on the wall by the 3rd-grade classroom, advertising
eggs for sale. Do they work with a local farmer? I asked the admissions officer. Oh no, the kids keep
several chickens in a coop in the back of school. A number of our families purchase the eggs for home.
We made our way back to the school library. The physical space was very limited due to the increased
enrollment. Books and resources were shoehorned into the end of a hallway. I could imagine kids having
to turn themselves sideways to get between the shelves and see what titles were available. Still, the texts
were apparently circulated frequently, evident by their dog-eared corners and wear.
What the students produced as representations of their learning consisted mostly of projects and
booklets. The projects included handsewn dolls, wooden bowls, clay tablets and clothing. Students
were given lots of responsibility in the tools they could to create their projects. For example, in the
wood working room kindergarteners had access to metal files. Proper instruction and safety rules were
provided prior to using these items. Students were treated as responsible individuals.
The booklets that students created were referred to as text books. Instead of using actual textbooks
from a major publishing company, the students would create their own bound artifacts once a year. They
would highlight all of the major studies referenced on their bulletin boards in the lobby of the school.
In particular, the handwriting of these students was impressive. One could tell it was a skill addressed
throughout the grades.
We ended the tour of the Waldorf school by stopping by the kindergarten wing. As I approached, the
smell of freshly baked bread wafted in the hallway. My guide informed me that the classes often make
their own food for their snacks and part of their lunches. In one of the kindergarten classrooms, kids
were either working on Valentines Day crafts or creating forts out of existing furniture and pillows. Like
the rest of the school, this classroom was warm and calm.
Common Threads
At first glance, the Waldorf School and the 1:1 technology charter school seem to have little in common.
One school has no technology, at least in the digital sense, while the other school has one device per
child. But as I reflected after my visits, I discovered that both schools had quite a bit in common with
the other. Consider:
Both schools provide a considerable amount of choice for kids. Students had a lot of control
over their day-to-day learning experiences. The teachers served as the facilitators and activators
of learning, instead of the directors.
Both schools report high student achievement results. Older Waldorf students do take
standardized tests; they regularly show results above grade level. The school in which the 1:1
charter resides is a Blue Ribbon School, a prestigious national recognition.
Instead of covering an incredible number of concepts and skills, the staff at both schools have
whittled down the standards to an essential list of understandings.
Pedagogy led the instructional planning. The tools and technology followed.
There was a partnership between student and teacher. Lots of negotiation about what to learn
and how to learn it was evident in both settings. Feedback between student and teacher and
between student and student was frequent and helpful.
Students sought to help their peers in their personal learning endeavors. There was no
competition that I observed between students regarding what kind of grade or score they
received on an assignment. All students were expected to learn at high levels. When one student
succeeded, everyone celebrated because the community was now smarter.
I didnt survey the kids, but from my observations, my general impression was that kids
liked school.
So how can this be? How can two schools with vastly different approaches to education, such as the
access to technology achieve similar levels of success with their students? I think the answer lies in
the fact that both organizations are highly student-centered and allow for creative, divergent thinking.
There was less of a desire for compliance and more of a focus on how the educators could engage
their students in their learning. Both schools valued the larger purpose of education: To build lifelong
learners. For the students at the Waldorf school, they immersed students in the here and now, devoting
significant time for students to independently explore their interests. The mission of the program is not
anti-technology, but rather taking a critical stance toward its use. The staff and families felt digital tools
were better left for the secondary levels. In the 1:1 charter school, digital tools were ubiquitous in the
classrooms, yet the goals of the learning drove their use, not the tools themselves.
In both schools, students had a significant level of control and autonomy over their educational
experience. They were empowered to own their learning through the questions they asked, the
investigations they explored, and the conclusions they drew. School more closely resembled the real
lives of professionals. Engagement was a natural outcome. In the next section, we explore why this is not
the norm in schools today. The research that follows affirms the better practices that are available and
also describes why great instruction can be challenging.
More Than Good Job! Research
to Support Better Practices
In this section, we explore the evidence and the rationale that should compel all practicing educators
to adopt better practices regarding how they motivate students to do their very best. These changes
in practice can have profound results: more effort, less need to use carrots and sticks, and markedly
improved learning outcomes for students. These are not easy shifts, yet they are possible and worth
taking. Even the simple substitution of Good job! with I noticed how you can have a large
impact on how students relate their processes with their outcomes. Read on to understand the
rationale for this change.
Praise and the Culture of Compliance

Many studies have shown that when students are engaged in learning, there is little need to bribe
students to complete their work. Using external motivators in the name of learning has many critics.
There has been no more outspoken critic of grades and test scores than Alfie Kohn. His specific concerns
around the use of praise to coax work out of students in the name of outcomes have been substantiated
by a body of research, of which he often cites to support his arguments on his blog, www.alfiekohn.org.
For example, in his blog post Criticizing (Common Criticisms of) Praise, which was also published in
his book Schooling Beyond Measure: Unorthodox Essays About Education (Heinemann, 2015), Kohn
reinforces the notion that telling students they did a good job when they complete a task sets up an
imbalance of power between student and teacher.
Praise is a verbal reward, often doled out in an effort to change someones behavior, typically someone
with less power. Like other forms of reward (or punishment), it is a way of doing to, rather than working
with people (96).
In addition, when we deliver praise, we are actually taking autonomy of a students actions away from
them and attributing their efforts to us. The result can be that students become conditioned to want
the 'attaboys' as a reward for their work, instead of focusing on why the work was successful
in the first place.
The effect of a Good job! is to devalue the activity itself reading, drawing, helping which comes to
be seen as a mere means to an end, the end being to receive that expression of approval. If approval isnt
forthcoming next time, the desire to read, draw, or help is likely to diminish (97).
As educators, we too often default back to how we were taught in our classrooms and schools. I catch
myself at times with words of praise instead of acknowledgement of their efforts with our students
and my own children. It is a hard habit to break. However, this habit is worth changing. Our choices in
language create the conditions in which students can or cannot become owners of their
personal learning journeys.
Pathways Toward Student Agency

Peter Johnston, literacy education professor and author of Opening Minds: Using Language to Change
Lives (Stenhouse, 2012), offers similar concerns regarding the use of praise in order to motivate learners.
When students are rewarded for getting the right answer and completing the task just as the teacher
asked, they start to associate success with what the adult deems worthy. They fail to internalize an
understanding of good work within themselves.
In fact, if teachers repeatedly offer praise to students, they can reduce the impact of their instruction.
When children are fully engaged in an activity, if we praise them we can simply distract them from what
they were doing and turn their attention to pleasing us (42).
So what is the counter to this culture? Johnston suggests agency or the belief that things such as our
intelligence and our lifes outcomes are changeable (27). Agency can be developed in students when
teachers offer an environment for students which directs their attention to their own processes and
thinking and how their efforts contributed to their success. This concept has been a focus of educational
research for some time. Agency is closely related to more readily known concepts such as growth
mindset, a term coined by Carol Dweck. However we describe it, the idea is that the language we
employ in classrooms has a direct impact on how well students take responsibility for their learning lives.
The assessment habits we develop as teachers can contribute to or detract from our students sense of
success and independence. The assessment habits we develop as teachers can contribute to or detract
from our students sense of success and independence. On a positive note, formative assessment
strategies offer teachers specific approaches, including the clarity of goals and the offer of support
through feedback and scaffolding. These strategies will allow the teacher to release the responsibility of
the work to the student.
Comparing this to the reality of the situation of many schools today, with quarterly report cards,
meaningless test scores, and the proverbial gold stars provides a stark contrast in philosophies. If a
growth mindset and student agency is a direct output of better instruction, why dont more teachers
engage in these practices? Because it is hard work. I am not saying teachers are lazy. They are some of
the hardest working individuals I have encountered. What I mean is that to regularly utilize strategies such
as formative assessment at a high level, it requires lots of training, support, and coaching from
colleagues and experts.
A goal of this paper is to outline a pathway that can make better instruction a habit for teachers. If
schools and districts can give teachers the assessment tools and the time to learn and use them, this is
attainable. It would probably require a shift in how resources are allocated, including staffing and dollars
that would have been spent elsewhere in the past. The research is clear in support of this shift: When
teachers embed high-quality instructional practices such as formative assessment strategies, actionable
feedback, and opportunities to work constructively with peers, their impact on student learning doubles.
You read that right: A teacher can double their effectiveness (Wiliam, 2012). A student can make up
to two years worth of growth in one school year. This doesnt happen by accident. A proper learning
environment, careful planning, lots of feedback, and authentic tasks for a real audience are keys to
guiding students to become more self-directed, independent learners. That impact lasts a lifetime.
Education at the Crossroads

In the last two Gallup student surveys on engagement in schools (2012, 2015), data shows that the longer
a student is in school, they less enthusiastic they are about learning. Teachers and school leaders are at a
fork in the road. We strive to adopt better approaches for our instruction, yet many of our colleagues are
mired in practices that dont seem to go away. Reading logs and book contracts, punitive measures for
misbehavior, and curriculum that focuses primarily on memorization are but a few activities that are still
evident en masse in many of todays schools.
From a students point of view, this learning experience must feel like a daily act of compliance instead of
an opportunity for engagement. Many of our students needs, including physical, social and emotional,
are not always considered when preparing instruction. In addition, how can students develop the
necessary skills for independence when they lack the opportunities to develop them? An instructional
coach, Alexis Wiggins (daughter of the late educator Grant Wiggins), shadowed a student in her school
for two days. What she found out was both alarming and not surprising.
Students sit all day, and sitting is exhausting. I could not believe how tired I was after the first day. I
literally sat down the entire day, except for walking to and from class. We forget as teachers because we
are on our feet a lot By the end of the day, I could not stop yawning and I was desperate to move or
stretch. I could not believe how alert my host student was because it took a lot of conscious effort for me
not to get up and start doing jumping jacks in the middle of Science just to keep my mind and body from
slipping into oblivion after so many hours of sitting passively (Wiggins, 2014).
Her account is not an indictment of a few teachers in one school. Rather, these observations speak
the general truth about education. How is that our students do as well as they do in school? Out of all
the acts of compliance that we impose on our kids, assessment might be the primary culprit for this
disengagement. Education wields this tool to ensure that students get their homework done on time, are
able to participate in sports, and graduate with the highest G.P.A. possible.
But there is a ceiling. With all of the choice available in todays world to acquire an education, including
homeschooling, distance and blended learning, free tutorials on iTunes and other content providers, plus
the bevy of social media networks, schools must become more personalized in order to stay relevant.
Fortunately, we have the capacity to do better. In these next sections, we explore concrete ways of
developing more connected classrooms that will guide students on the pathway toward become self-
directed, independent learners.
Create a More
Connected Classroom
The word connected in this context comes from the idea of connectedness, which can be defined
as the state of having varied relationships with individuals as well as belonging to an organization or
community with a common purpose and focus. Online connections can be a part of this, but it is only a
part. There is a sense of interdependence, where what one person does can directly or indirectly impact
others in a web of influence. These relationships should be mutually beneficial. The goal is collaboration
and building collective intelligence, not competition and finding out who is the best. The latter scenarios
always have winners and losers. A truly connected classroom embraces the philosophy that one persons
success and experiences benefit the entire community. This type of environment ultimately leads to
students who know how to learn as well as lead their own learning when asked to do so.
To develop connectedness in any classroom, I have found there have to be five elements present:
A true sense of community
Clarity of instruction as a teacher priority
Effective feedback strategies that move learning forward
An authentic audience for publishing real work.
Show me a classroom that has these attributes implemented with fidelity, and I will show you a group of
learners who are engaged in their studies and excited to be in school. The next sections offer examples
and ideas for each one of these elements.
1. Cultivate the Conditions for Success

Learning does not happen in isolation. We all rely on others
to develop ideas, to find resources, and to have someone to
share our understandings with when ready. So to suggest that
Children must be
we want our students to become independent learners is a bit
taught how to think,
of a misnomer. We will always depend on others in our own
not what to think.
inquiries and endeavors. At what level of independence and
how we get there is both the question and the goal. MARGARET MEAD
Maybe a better term to use when describing student independence in their education is self-determining
learners. This concept comes from literacy and leadership expert Regie Routman, from her excellent
book Read, Write, Lead: Breakthrough Strategies for Schoolwide Literacy Success (ASCD, 2014). She
defines self-determining learners as:
Readers, writers, and thinkers who can use what they know and apply it to different contexts
(e.g., applying qualities of effective writing to all genres and forms) for their own meaningful
purposes (308b).
Our independence as learners is a direct result of the conditions that are created in order for people to
flourish, to find answers to our most pressing questions, and to develop the skills that are necessary to
pursue personal lines of inquiry. That is why it is important to first focus on the classroom environment
and learning community. We will explore the three facets of a classroom that are conducive for students
becoming the learners they want to be.
THE ENVIRONMENT
In setting up our classrooms, it is wise to keep a lot of the pre-made posters, word walls, and other
teacher decorations in the cabinet until necessary. I find that teachers have a tough time leaving wall
space empty, like it is a lost opportunity for putting up that awesome poster with the inspiring message.
Chances are good that our students will briefly glance at it and then forget it even exists once the
school year gets rolling.
Instead, allow the walls to remain somewhat bare in the beginning. Just the essentials will do: A
schedule of specials, some favorite quotes from childrens literature, and maybe a bulletin board with the
classroom responsibilities students will be assigned to as the year progresses. Anything beyond that is
just filling in whitespace. By allowing the walls to remain bare, we communicate to our students, We will
develop this community together.
As the school year progresses, students should have opportunities to put their fingerprints on the
classroom environment. One of my favorite activities, when I was a teacher of 5th and 6th graders, was
a guided inquiry into how we would organize our classroom library. We engaged in a brief lesson on
genres, followed up with a conversation about what made a library so inviting. The ideas and knowledge
generated during this discussion offered the necessary scaffolding for students to organize our
classroom library that would ensure students would access the classroom texts and read frequently.
Another advantage of having bare walls to begin the school year is it allows student work to start filling in
these spaces. Again, it comes back to have authentic conversations with students about how the room
should look. Very few kids would disagree that their work should be the main focus of a classrooms
wall space. This leads into even better conversations about what makes work deserving to be posted
on the wall. Its a discussion teachers can come back to throughout the school year. You will find these
conversations to be much more effective than any prescribed rubric.
School rules have not been mentioned at this point. That is for good reason. Beyond the basic routines
for common areas that need to be established at the beginning of the school year, I find going over
classroom expectations on the first day to be an exercise in authority. Students are nervous enough,
coming into a new classroom with new faces. Introducing a rule-developing activity on Day One catches
kids at a time when they have not fully invested in their learning community yet. It is better to wait and
allow these group norms to unfold over time.
Here is one final suggestion regarding the room: Assess the lighting and furniture situation. Questions
you might ask include:
Do the fluorescent bulbs make it hard for anyone to work?
Is my chair nicer than the seats provided for the students?
Will tables or desktops allow for quick transitions between individual and group learning?
The answers to these questions typically dont favor the students. Fortunately, it is not impossible to
procure the right furniture or rethink the lighting situation to improve these conditions. For example,
standing desks are becoming more common in classrooms today. They have a similar top to desks
but allow the student to stand while fidgeting with a swinging bar with one foot. This is a nice
accommodation for students with attention and sensory needs. To promote more collaboration,
consider pooling several tables into your classroom and getting rid of the desks. When is the last time
you have sat in one of those things? It is more like one size fits none instead of one size fits all.
Regarding the lighting, some education suppliers offer colored filters that can hang below the
fluorescent light fixtures. This helps dim the brightness and create a calmer feeling in the classroom. All
of these little changes you might make in the classroom will benefit certain students. Just as important,
students start to understand that you respect them not only as pupils but also as people. This type
of project can also include the kids in the process. Any amount of involvement we can offer for our
students will only increase the ownership of the classroom and increase their empowerment as learners.
THE ARRANGEMENT
I do not mention seating when I discuss classroom arrangement. The connotation with that is students
should usually be seated in rows and compliant during instruction. I have heard this referred to as the
graveyard seating arrangement because the students are displayed like tombstones. It is becoming
common knowledge that the best types of learning environments encourage socialization.
As mentioned before, there are options available for students beyond the traditional desk. Standing desks
and tables can serve students and teacher well. Also, an important part of any classroom set up is the
ability to transition quickly between collaborative group work and independent time. But where to start
the school year? I recommend triads or groups of three.
There are a number of reasons for this:
Pairs are too small for

collaborative work unless the
classroom is engaged in peer
instruction such as reciprocal
teaching. Groups of four and
larger are fine for big projects,
yet often require roles to help
structure the conversations and
collaboration. Groups of three
ensure one person is speaking
and two are listening (hopefully).
Triads can rely on three consistent roles for a variety of group activities: The speaker, the listener,
and the moderator. The moderators role is to ensure that everyone is following the protocol
prescribed by the teacher. Listening is an essential skill that can be taught in many disciplines.
Groups of three can be more manageable when assigning students within an arrangement. For
example, if a third of your students are achieving above grade level, each one of them can be
placed with two students at or below grade level to ensure heterogeneous groupings.
If a student is absent, the two other students are responsible for ensuring that they catch that
student up when they come back. One person in only a pair can find this request daunting, while
individuals in larger groups may point toward classmates to take care of this request. Triads
can build teams.
A teacher can use this arrangement as impromptu guided instruction opportunities. For example,
a current reading strategy might be to annotate and respond to informative text. The teacher can
model this strategy through a public conference with one of the students while the rest of the
triad watches. Everyone benefits from the lesson and it takes less time.
As students become used to the triad set up, they can become part of the process for setting
up arrangements. For instance, if a teacher is facilitating a reflection activity for assessing their
own writing, he or she could expect each listener to move from group to group and maintain the
same role within each one. This way, every group gets different opportunities for feedback and
for exposure to different pieces of writing.
As mentioned before, using triads as an arrangement for the classroom instruction can be helpful
when starting instruction. Providing the right type of furniture will allow for flow between large
group and individual work settings. The goal in any type of arrangement is to provide the necessary
amount of support and scaffolding for the learning activity itself. The teachers professional judgment
when preparing instruction is the most important factor, always striving for students to become self-
determining learners.
Beyond the tables and desks, a classroom could contain many learning zones to maximize small group
and independent study. This is a concept described by Veronica Lopez (2014). The purpose of naming
the different areas of the classroom is to bring these seemingly disconnected components together in
a system. She offers seven zones: discovery, news, supplies, community, quiet, teacher, and subject area
zones. In my previous school, we replicated this
set up in our makerspace. The subject area zone
was replaced with a project zone.
Any type of arrangement we create in

our classrooms is only as powerful as the
community we develop with our students.
Students who rely on and support one another
in the traditional straight rows can see greater
learning gains compared to kids in groups with
little direction or lack of connection with each
other. That leads us into the importance of
developing habits of mind with our students.
THE HABITS
I prefer to think of the rules and routines that are embedded in a classroom as habits. The former have
the connotation that they are permanent fixtures in school. Some basic routines and rules, such as
performing fire drills and using the restroom appropriately, need to become second nature. However, for
complex tasks that are involved in the learning process, habits are a much broader concept that can be
developed in a community. Habits can be changed.
Charles Duhigg, in his book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
(Random House, 2011), highlights the science of forming habits and how it can benefit everyone in the
community. We are a collection of habits, cites the author, noting that 40% of the decisions we make
are actually out of habit and not of free will. From the smell of cookies baking to specific contexts that
trigger a craving, our brains come to expect a reward when we take certain actions based on a cue.
Cue Action Reward: This approach can be effective in cultivating a community of learning. Lets
look at each part of the school day and how our habits might promote more independence.
MORNINGS
Consider the start of the day. What are we asking students to do to get ready for instruction? Worksheets
and other busywork, or opportunities to students to explore real ideas and questions? I realize it can be a
little chaotic right away, trying to take attendance and transitioning from home to school. Yet, mornings
are ripe for opportunities to create a habit of engaging in unique and interesting learning experiences.
This is often wasted time. Consider it regained by applying any of these ideas.
Wonderopolis: The motto of this website is, What are you wondering? Each day, a question is
posted, such as Are Extreme Sports Dangerous?, along with follow-up questions that mine the
topic more deeply. Each daily inquiry is relevant to students lives. Below the questions is a 400-
800 word text about the topic to help answer the question. Important and difficult words are
highlighted and defined. Video and images often accompany these explorations to help students
develop deeper understandings. You can have students explore Wonderopolis each morning in
small groups around a computer and engage in real conversations about the topic. The time can
end with a whole group debriefing about what they learned.
Zoom in, Zoom Out: A teacher can bring in a photo of a person, object, location, or an activity
in the process. (If you prefer to not provide your own images, check out www.unsplash.com
for inspiring and copyright-free photography.) Start by using a document camera to zoom in on
the picture until it is difficult to ascertain what is being shown. Then have kids make educated
guesses as to what it might be by using the clues they have available. Zoom out a little bit and
have kids continue talking and sharing. Finally, reveal the photo and discuss as a class their
observations. This is a fun activity for reinforcing the concepts of perspective-taking, imagination
and creativity.
Article of the Week: This idea originates from English teacher Kelly Gallagher (http://www.
kellygallagher.org/article-of-the-week/). He recognized that some of his students came to his
classroom without a lot of background knowledge or prior experiences. Reading a news article
on a regular basis can address this. First, have students closely read an article you believe would
make for a good conversation as a class and is developmentally appropriate. Then students read
the text with pen or pencil in hand, underlining and annotating the article to document their
thinking. Finally, they have an opportunity to talk about their thinking with peers, which leads to a
whole group conversation on the topic.
These three ideas have a few things in common. First, they are easy to implement. Not a lot of prep work
is required, and there is nothing to grade. Second, each activity induces student conversation. Using
questions and provocative topics can promote student talk that is focused and deep. Third, technology is
used in a way that facilitates instruction instead of leading it. Through the questions, images, and articles
shared, students learn there is more to the Internet than YouTube and Snapchat. Finally, the activities
described cause students to think. This is a main purpose of education, so it would make sense to
replace our busywork with morning tasks that better engage them in learning.
DURING THE SCHOOL DAY
Every classroom is different, even those at the same grade level or within the same department. To try to
speak generally enough about the habits that can be developed is too much of a challenge. Instead, lets
look at a few opportunities that are available in most classrooms to build better habits in order to develop
a community of independent learners.
Classroom Libraries: Organizing this part of the classroom is a task that begs for student
involvement. Teachers can design lesson plans around it, such as author studies and
understanding genres. Another lesson idea is comparing the systems of different book providers,
such as public libraries and bookstores. If access is possible, take your students to each of these
two types of locations, take notes of the groups observations, and bring this information back
to collaboratively design the best classroom library possible. Students will take more ownership
in this aspect of the classroom because they had real input in the setup. I recall a 5th-grade
classroom that did this. One of the students nominated herself to make sure some of the books
were facing out for better visibility and to increase circulation. No one told her to do it. It
became a habit.
Technology: You organize your classroom laptops or tablets, straightening out the cords, and
then the students arrive. After a single use of these devices, this equipment is a mess. The work
in keeping technology organized almost isnt worth it. Again, it behooves the teacher to include
the students in coming up with a plan for maintaining a clean space for the devices to save time
when using it. One suggestion is to explore freestanding charging stations. These allow the
students to slide the tablet or laptop into a slot and quickly plug it in to recharge. These stations
also protect the technology and keep it secure when not in use. Giving students jobs can be
effective in encouraging ownership in a community.
Student Conversations: Teaching students to talk with each other that leads to deeper
understanding is one of the most challenging tasks of the teacher. Yet is it worth the effort.
The power of peer conversations can have a large impact on learning. Taking a cue from the
Wonderopolis activity, start instruction with a big question. For example, if we are teaching
U.S. Geography, a question that could spark a healthy conversation might be, How does our
environment affect our lives? This relevant and open-ended inquiry allows for many ideas to rise
to the surface and spark student talk. Another approach for making better student conversations
a habit is through structure. For instance, protocols offer ground rules and roles for each learner
to be the listener, questioner, speaker, and/or moderator.
These three suggestions are considered guided practice, a critical stage of instruction for building self-
directed, independent learners. There are many tasks during the school day that can benefit from habit
formation. Procedures for getting materials out, and leaving and coming into the classroom that are
grounded in habits will save time for instruction, literally days of school if you add up the daily minutes
rediscovered. More time for learning means increased opportunities to build a community of learners.
END OF THE SCHOOL DAY
The bags are packed, the bell will soon ring, and students (and the teacher) are excited to call it a day. But
that doesnt mean the end of the school day has to be lost instructional time. Like a good story, we can
develop regular habits that conclude the time before dismissal on a positive and redeeming note. Here
are a few ideas I have observed other teachers use in their classrooms.
Reading aloud: Regardless of the grade, sharing a good story or an interesting text out loud
with a group has many benefits. First, students can access a book that they might not be able to
decode and comprehend on their own. Second, books selected for reading aloud can introduce
students to a new genre, author, or series that they would not have been aware of without the
teachers influence. Third, students start to associate reading with pleasure, something that can
be hard to come by for resistant/reluctant readers. Reading aloud can be an entry event for a
student to become a reader for life (it was for me). Finally, at the end of the day, students will
listen quietly to a good story right up to the bell. They can stand or sit, just as long as they can
hear the book.
Reflection through writing: Our students lives are a series of connections in todays world.
There are few pauses in our days with ubiquitous technology. Giving students time at the end
of the day to reflect on their learning in a journal in a quiet environment can be a gift they never
thought to ask for. To help prompt thinking, the teacher could ask questions to help them go
deeper than the usual What did you learn today? inquiry. Suggested questions include: What
surprised you today?, What are you still confused about?, and What about today was special
to you? Making questions unexpected and personal can glean better responses. Following up
with questions with a probe such as Why do you say that? can spur even deeper responses and
encourage metacognition.
Classroom celebrations: This can be a stand-alone activity, or it can follow up another end-of-
the-day task such as reflection through writing. Common points of celebration can include a
student achieving mastery in a skill or strategy, completing a challenging book independently,
and finding success in a collaborative task. Celebrations do not have to be exclusively academic-
based; achievement in community organizations, extracurricular groups, and even at home are
also worthy of recognition. An important point: when a student shares their celebration, ask
the student how they found that level of success. Help them convey to the entire classroom
community that reaching mastery in an area is not an overnight phenomenon. Typically, genuine
points of celebration offer a narrative of the trials and mistakes made before success was
realized. This concept can relate to any area in school.
The daily activities that are listed on the board and the assignments posted in a learning management
system articulate the expectations for that day. What we share is what we expect. That leads into a
question: What do the students expect of themselves? How do they internalize their role as the leader in
their own learning journey? Revisiting these expectations frequently, es=pecially in the learning targets
we post which will be discussed next, ensures that the habits we build with our students lead to a
community where independence is the eventual outcome.
2. Clarity Above All

I remember one particular classroom where the students were
almost always aware of what they should know and be able to
do. It was not just that the learning target was posted on the
I did then what I knew
board (although it always was) and that the language used to
how to do. Now that I
convey the target was excellent. It was how the teacher made
know better, I do better.
sure that the students understood what was being asked of
them. Her demeanor was friendly yet assertive. She didnt MAYA ANGELOU
speak until everyone was ready to listen. Examples of student

work were often used to convey the criteria for success.
Later that school year, I popped into the same classroom and discovered small groups of students
engaged in a collaborative summarization activity at the end of a science unit. They were using an
application on an iPad to create digital stories, which contained images, text, and their own audio
narration. What was interesting was that these students were working on the same project that last time I
was in the classroom. I asked the teacher how things were going. She replied with concern, I am having
the students redo their project. They didnt meet all of the expectations in their work, which I realized
once they started presenting. So we are going back into their projects and revising them, now that we
have revisited the criteria for a good summary using digital media. She thanked me for stopping in again
and inquiring about their progress, and then joined a group that was requesting her assistance.
It wasnt until after she explained the situation that I realized she was holding herself responsible for
the lack of clarity in her instruction. She could have easily moved on to the next unit of study, as I am
sure they had plenty curriculum yet to explore. But what was more important to the teacher was that
the students had shown evidence of deep learning through the work they produced. They were happy
to have the chance to improve their work. They wanted to improve because the teacher knew and
communicated that they could. She modeled for the students that settling for less than ones best was
unacceptable. There was a collective confidence, in which everyone believed they could be successful.
Praise
was unnecessary.
As this excellent teacher understood, clarity is what the students understand and not what the teacher
believes he or she taught. Clarity is the students internalizing criteria for success and not what is posted
on the board. Clarity is students being able to explain what they are learning and why it is important to
them. Clarity is not some vague notion of doing well in school. It is real and relevant to every person in
the room. In this section, we develop a deeper understanding about clarity, including the research on
learning intentions and strategies for making them clear for students.
WHY CLARITY MATTERS
Great instruction hinges on how the teacher conveys clear learning intentions in his or her classroom.
Without clarity of goals and the pathways to achieve those goals, all of the feedback, voice and choice,
and audience matters little. Learning in these circumstances becomes a random act. Inequity ensues. In
other words, if students cannot ascertain the purpose of their work and why they are doing it, the work
may no longer have purpose or relevance. Maybe this is why some teachers resort to praise, and its alter
ego, punishment. It is the only way to keep the peace.
John Hattie, in his essential resource Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning
(Routledge, 2012), identifies clarity as the critical first step for starting instruction. He frames this concept
as learning intentions. These intentions are dependent not only what students need to know and are
able to do, but also what knowledge, skills, and strategies the students are bringing to the classroom.
We must know what students already know, know how they think, and then aim to then progress all
students the success criteria of the lesson (44).
This means that teachers have to bring knowledge of the standards and of the expected outcomes for a
lesson or unit. Teachers also have to know their students as learners and people, including their interests,
habits, and background knowledge. This comes back to the importance of creating the conditions
for success in our classrooms. As we come to know our students, our intentions for teaching should
also change. This knowledge becomes the true driver of our work instead of standards, curriculum, or
assessment leading our efforts.
There are several strategies for providing clarity during instruction. One of the best ways to do this,
which happens prior to instruction even occurring, is unpacking the standard into discrete skills and
strategies. These bite-sized learning elements serve as the building blocks for developing student
learning pathways toward the
essential understandings. Connie
M. Moss and Susan M. Brookhart
refer to these specific points as a
learning target, which describe,
in language that students
understand, the lesson-sized
chunk of information, skills, and
reasoning processes that students
will come to know deeply (3). Here
is a graphic that illustrates, in basic
terms, what this unpacking looks at
lesson and unit preparation level.
Source: Renwick, M. (2014). Digital

Student Portfolios: A Whole School
Approach to Connected Learning
and Continuous Assessment.
This work best takes place in a team, where teachers can discuss what standards are essential for student
learning and how to best address them in the classroom. Each learning target should have some type of
formative assessment/check for understanding associated with, to ensure that all students have attained
the goal(s) from the lesson.
In addition to unpacking the standards into small chunks of instructional focus, learning targets should
also be written and communicated through the lens of the students eyes. We already understand what
is being asked of as an outcome of instruction; the students do not. We write learning targets from the
students point of view and share them throughout todays lesson so that students can use them to guide
their own learning (3). If an ultimate goal of education is to produce students who can learn how to
learn, they have to have opportunities to flex these skills in guided and independent situations.
One final point before we move on to specific ideas on providing clarity with our learning intentions: The
learning needs to be relevant to our students lives. To share the learning target with students without
considering how the upcoming experience might motivate students can leave students disillusioned
or inattentive. Tapping into our students emotions and capturing their interest through the importance
of the learning target in their lives helps them understand the why of the lesson as well as the what.
There is a reason why the phrase hearts and minds starts with the heart. When students are personally
invested in the learning experience, cognition will follow.
As alluded to already, becoming clear around our learning intentions with students is a prerequisite for
all other learning activities that might occur in the classroom. Once standards are unpacked and learning
targets are crafted with student perspectives in mind, we can dig into the how of developing clarity in
each of our lessons. Consider the following ideas for this work.
WHOLE GROUP DISCUSSION
It is important to point out the learning target for todays lesson, to read it to the students, and even
chorally read it as a class to ensure everyone is paying attention. This is only the beginning. Teachers
can follow up with questions to elicit student thinking on the topic, such as Why do you believe it is
important that we learn this content, skill or strategy? and Where might we need this learning in our
lives today or in the future? If the students cannot articulate the relevance of the work they are about to
engage in, it would behoove the teacher to provide some brief, direct instruction to supply the necessary
background knowledge on this lesson. This might include covering the essential vocabulary the students
will encounter. Also important is helping students make the connection between yesterdays instruction
and todays lesson. People make meaning by associating prior knowledge with new knowledge.
GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS
Using organizers to convey the essential

understandings from instruction is a highly
effective strategy. It makes abstract concepts
more concrete for students. One of my favorite
graphic organizers for co-developing an
understanding of a concept, theme or topic
is Frayers Model. This organizer is a square
split equally into four quadrants: Definition,
Characteristics, Examples, and Non-Examples. In the middle is the topic or concept. In the beginning of
the lesson, the teacher can ask students to offer ideas and contribute to the organizer. The teacher fills
it in, being cognizant that they will likely come back and revisit these ideas and make revisions as their
thinking changes. As the class progresses through the lesson or series of lessons, the teacher can stop at
strategic points to add to and revise the organizer.
Other helpful organizers include the KWL (Know-Wonder-Learned) and a T-chart to compare and
contrast two related concepts or topics.
LOOKING AT PAST STUDENT WORK
It is the wise teacher who keeps student work from past classes to use for future instruction, especially
in writing and end-of-unit projects. This can happen easily with a mobile device and a way to store
the images and other content, such as an online cloud service or a hard drive. To prepare this activity,
be sure to take past student names off any work you may be presenting to current students. As an
example, a teacher is engaging students in a lesson on informative how-to writing. He or she starts
the lesson by providing students with high-quality examples of this type of work. This can lead into a
discussion on what makes for an excellent how-to piece of writing. The characteristics developed from
this conversation can become the criteria for their work. After students have internalized the criteria
for quality writing, the teacher could show different levels of work and have students analyze why one
is better than the other. This approach is more powerful than any rubric we might offer or a score we
would put on student work. When students are provided with clear criteria for quality work, they can
become the main assessors in the classroom.
BIG QUESTIONS
This concept comes from David Perkinss work on developing a lifeworthy curriculum (2014). By
lifeworthy, he refers to determining whether the instruction we prepare will benefit students today,
tomorrow and the foreseeable future. In his resource Future Wise, Perkins offers a big question for
teachers as they develop more relevant and authentic instruction: What did you learn during your first
twelve years of education that matters in your life today? (10). This quick reflection should give teachers
pause and reconsider what is truly lifeworthy learning. Big questions are designed to spark discussion at
the beginning of the lesson. They are also meant to guide student learning throughout the instruction,
especially for a series of lessons throughout a larger unit of study. This big question could be revisited
at the start of every lesson, as well as used to close out the learning for the day. A big question example
from the previously mentioned writing unit might be, In an age of digital media, is it still important to
describe how to do something in words?. Big questions are closely related to essential questions from
the Understanding by Design framework, a concept developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe.
ENTRANCE SLIPS
I discovered this idea from one of my former teachers during a classroom visit. Entrance slips are the flip
of exit tickets those quick formative assessment checks at the end of a lesson. I like exit slips, but they
are limited. If we waited until the end of the lesson to find out what a student knows or doesnt know,
did we just waste a whole class period for those students? Entrance slips can ask students to articulate in
developmentally-appropriate ways what they think they already know about the upcoming content, skill
or strategy to be taught and learned. This information allows the teacher to differentiate their instruction
during the lesson, giving students who already know what is to be learned with a more challenging
activity while devoting more time to the students who need his or her support. Below is an example of
an entrance slip I observed.
Notice how the teacher allowed

these younger students to both
write and draw their current
understanding. Older students
also benefit from creating visual
representations of what they
believe they know and can do. An
important part of the entrance
slip, and really any creative way to
provide clarity about the topic or
concept to be learned is being able
to gauge the current reality of the students knowledge, skills and dispositions that they are bringing to
todays lesson. This makes us smarter teachers and provides students with the necessary instruction to
stay challenged and avoid either boredom or frustration. Clarity is a means to an end and should exist for
both student and teacher.
In this next section, we look at employing maybe the most effective way of guiding students to achieve
important learning outcomes and become more independent as learners: feedback.
3. Feedback, Feedback, Feedback

Once everyone is clear on where we are going as learners, it is now time to
provide guidance to achieve these targets.
The journey is
I think about some of the family vacations we have planned. The destination
the destination.
was essential for our preparations. Once we decided on where we wanted to
go, we broke down the trip into smaller parts, including: DAN ELDON
Costs: How much will this entire vacation cost?
Travel: What mode of transportation will we use to get there?
Accommodations: Once we are at our destination, where will we stay?
Schedule: What will each day look like to maximize our time and enjoyment?
Dates: When can we go that works with our jobs, the kids school, and weather?
Speaking only for myself, I really enjoy this part of the trip. Any time I made reservations for a restaurant
or booked tickets for an attraction, it reminded me of the joy we would be experience once we arrived.
Our enjoyment was dependent on how successfully we had planned for this vacation. These two
elements of our vacation the destination and the journey it would take to get there almost
became one.
The planning may not be as enjoyable if I didnt see the visible progress of my efforts. When I would
schedule flights, I would get an email confirming our dates and times. In making reservations, the
hotel representative would welcome us and express that he or she was glad we would be joining
them. If a restaurant was booked on one night, the operator would let us know this and offer different
accommodations. What if I had not received these confirmations? We might have been in the dark as to
whether or not our time and effort in preparing would reap any benefits.
This serves as an analogy for the next section of this paper. Once the learning goals are clear, the most
important part of guiding students to these outcomes is providing feedback about their current work.
By feedback, I do not mean scoring a test, or providing a grade on an essay. These are summative
evaluations. It is what happens after the learning has taken place. To be useful, the feedback must be
timely, understood, and actionable by the student. Feedback is everything that should happen up until
that point. It is the language used and suggestions made by teachers to guide a students learning
journey toward that important destination. Feedback is also the information a teacher gathers during
class from student performances and representations of learning, which is used to adjust instruction.
Teacher and students become partners in this progression, more as a coach instead of a manager.
Feedback is categorized as formative assessment, or assessment for learning. It is an essential part of the
learning journey as students move toward a desirable destination.
In this section, we will briefly learn about an instructional framework, as well as the types of feedback
and the best approaches for providing feedback.
A Framework for Instruction

Before explaining the importance of feedback, lets look at an instructional framework that can guide
habit development and continue to guide students toward becoming more independent as learners.
Frameworks are visual and/or mental models that help people understand abstract concepts and apply
complex processes. The gradual release of responsibility, introduced by Pearson and Gallagher (1983),
offers one framework for instruction. The gradual release of responsibility finds that through brief
modeling, student-involved demonstration and opportunities for guided practice, learners will be better
able to take on the lead role in applying and practicing a skill or strategy. As learners show independence,
support is scaled back or released as appropriate. Setting up students for success is an intentional act that
demands many decisions during instruction as to how much support they need at what time without
offering too much. The gradual release of responsibility finds its foundations in Vygotskys Zone of
Proximal Development. Appropriate levels of challenge for students can lead to increased engagement.
We can apply the tenets of this framework to most of our instructional moves during the school day.
Regie Routman, author of Read, Write, Lead: Breakthrough Strategies for Schoolwide Literacy Success
(ASCD, 2014), offers an update of the gradual release of responsibility: the Optimal Learning Model.
You might notice that the Optimal Learning Model somewhat resembles the workshop model of
instruction used in many literacy classes. The learning target is presented to students. Opportunities to
practice in large and small groups and to get feedback about ones progress constitutes the majority of
instructional time. Each lesson closes with a review of what was learned, as well as a chance to celebrate
student work and growth. It is within this instructional model that feedback can be utilized most readily.
Next, we look at the characteristics of effective feedback within any instructional framework.
Four Characteristics of Feedback

Feedback has a large body of research to support its use in classrooms (Hattie, 2012; Wiliam, 2012; Hattie,
Fisher, Frey, 2016). Yet, not all feedback is created equal. More specifically, if students do not use it to
improve in what they are learning, then the feedback was not effective. When used effectively, feedback
can transform instruction in the classroom. Coupled with other instructional practices, it has a multiplier
effect on students learning habits. Not only does education confer skills, but it also produces the ability
to develop new skills (Wiliam, 9). When we successfully embed instructional practices such as feedback,
we help students in their learning today as well as prepare them to be learners in their future.
So what makes for effective feedback? In my review, I have found four characteristics.
1. FEEDBACK SHOULD BE DEVELOPMENTALLY-APPROPRIATE
This characteristic comes back to the importance of clarity. Just as the goal for todays lesson should
be clear in the minds of the students, so should the feedback. A first step in ensuring clarity is that
the feedback is at a students level of understanding. For example, coaching students to help them
revise their writing may not be appropriate at the kindergarten level. At this age, the feedback needs
to acknowledge that they put words down on paper and that they made solid attempts at spelling the
word they attempted to form. Conversely, correcting high school students convention errors in the first
draft of a term paper is not the job of the teacher. Students at this level would benefit more from being
directed to have a classmate peer edit their paper, and instead focus on the content of their work.
In their resource Learning Targets, Brookhart and Moss expand on the importance of feedback being
student-friendly and developmentally appropriate, noting that it be delivered in just the right amount
not so much that it overwhelms, but not so little that it stops short of a useful explanation or suggestion
(64). The teacher has to know their students as learners along the pedagogical spectrum, understanding
their motivations and current capacities.
This leads into an important point about feedback:

its a two-way street. Just as the teacher might offer
suggestions to students based on their work, so too
should the teacher be attuned into the reactions
and responses that students offer, both before and
after teacher-to-student feedback is provided. This
information gives the teacher clues as to what the
student needs next with regard to their future guidance.
See the image for a visual representation of this concept.
2. FEEDBACK SHOULD BE OBJECTIVE
Teachers should center their focus for feedback on the actions that the learner takes in an effort to get
better and attain mastery. Feedback should not be judgment-based or contain bias. We want to show a
mirror in front of our students, so they can see themselves as learners and better understand their own
processes. As students reflect on their work on a regular basis, the feedback provided starts to become
a running narrative of their learning journey. Our conversations with kids that include objective feedback
put a focus on the how instead of just the what. It gets children into the habit of explaining successes
and failures (Johnston, 40). Students start to view their actions as having an impact with the help of a
teacher noticing and naming the visible intentions of their efforts.
Making our feedback objective and avoiding opinion can be a significant shift. We were likely taught with
an abundance of praise; our papers littered with comments such as Good job! and seasonal stickers.
Unfortunately, our mission in school became about pleasing the teacher instead of understanding
what quality work might resemble. Now that we know better, we can move forward in our instruction
to ensure that students become the primary assessors in the classroom. Ensuring that our feedback is
objective not only as an immediate benefit, but can also pay dividends down the road. Students tend
to emulate our language. That means that they may a) start using objective feedback with their peers,
and b) use objective feedback with themselves. The more process talk becomes part of classrooms
conversations, the more strategy instruction will be occurring incidentally, without the teacher having to
do it (40). When our feedback to students is objective and process-oriented, we teach our students how
to teach others and themselves.
3. FEEDBACK SHOULD BE CONSTRUCTIVE.
Any type of feedback we provide for students should offer a vision of whats possible and the tools for
them to move forward in their learning. This can be defined as constructive feedback. It literally helps the
learner construct their learning, through the clarity provided about what excellence looks like and the
pathway toward that expectation. Constructive feedback can serve in one of two ways: descriptive and
narrative (Kroog, Hess, Ruiz-Primo, 2016). Descriptive feedback lets the student know why something
was correct or incorrect (23). This language should be objective and specific, such as You included
transitions in your writing that helped me read your text. Prescriptive feedback helps the student know
how to improve (23). Again, it is objective and specific. Consider mixing up your transitions to avoid
repetition in your language would be one example.
Notice how these examples provided put the onus of learning and doing on the student. It is an
important point to make here. Students have to be the ones doing the work. Otherwise, we are doing
it for them. For example, the teacher will go overboard with the Google Docs suggestion/commenting
feature and start making corrections in a students first draft. This situation leaves the student in a mode
of compliance. The digital tools did little to enhance the learning process. Instead, teachers would
be wise to (again) offer objective, specific feedback as well as ask thoughtful questions to guide them
toward their own thinking processes. Let the students carry the cognitive load. Feedback should be
a recipe for future instruction (Wiliam, 2012, 121). For students to become independent learners, we
support them by offering just enough guidance that they can continue to improve (see Optimal Learning
Model). Constructive feedback places the authority for making improvements on the student.
4. FEEDBACK SHOULD BE TIMELY.
The best feedback is delivered while the learning is taking place. When feedback is available in real time,
the learner has an opportunity to make immediate adjustments to their work and progression. In other
words, the shorter the interval in which feedback is provided during instruction, the more likely it will be
utilized to improve performance.
Not offering feedback until student work is completed is too long a time for students to wait for guidance
from their teacher. It seems obvious Why would a teacher delay any opportunities to help students
progress as learners? Yet, in observations and experiences, it happens more often than we would like
to admit. It is not that a teacher lacks the will to offer feedback in a timely manner. Rather, the infrequent
delivery of feedback is usually the result of a) primarily focusing on quantitative results, b) not building in
structures for opportunities to deliver feedback, and c) failing to recognize that the teacher is not the only
learning resource in the room.
With regard to assigning numbers and symbols to student work, there is a translation that needs to occur
on the students end in order to understand the meaning of the teachers response. What does a 3
mean in your classroom? An A? Or Meeting grade level expectations? Teachers take a lot of time in
teaching students to interpret the levels of proficiency. When we assign something other than actionable
and constructive feedback to students work, we immediately slow down student learning. In fact,
research has shown that when a teacher puts written feedback as well as a score on a piece of student
writing, the learner will generally ignore the feedback and focus only on the score (Wiliam, 2012). In other
words, if the goal is to increase student learning, we are best to leave the numbers out of the equation
(pun intended).
To close, I would direct the reader back to the first two sections (Cultivating the Conditions for Success,
Clarity Above All). These can be the underlying reasons when a teacher cites the lack of time to connect
with students and offer feedback in a timely manner. The solution: Come back to the basics with regard
to the room environment, arrangement and habits, as well as how the criteria for learning success is
being conveyed.
If these first two conditions for building independent, self-directed learners are being met, consider
the next ideas for soliciting feedback that is not only timely, but also constructive, objective, and
developmentally appropriate. These suggestions incorporate tenets of shared demonstration and guided
practice. They can involve all students in whats called interactive modeling to focus the learning on
themselves, others, and their teacher in an engaging manner.
Interactive Modeling
Transforming our classroom in which feedback is flowing between student and teacher is no easy task.
Sitting alongside each student and offering our observations, questions and suggestions mean that other
students are working without the teachers support. If students have not reached independence yet, their
time spent in learning activities may be for naught. Likewise, while facilitating teacher-led demonstration,
the opportunities for feedback are limited because the student activity level is lower. The reading, writing,
and thinking that is occurring is the teachers, not the students.
Interactive modeling is when students participate in teaching the learning expectations to peers. The
teacher can still be holding the pen and physically doing the majority of the work, but the students
are more of a partner in the process. I suggest interactive modeling within this paper as a focus for
promoting independent learners because we can get a lot of students involved in the instructional
process at one time. This means the teacher has more opportunities to identify whether or not students
are learning through evidence. The feedback that leads to instructional changes may be more important
than anything we might offer to students. Examples already listed in this paper, including asking
questions about a topic and student-led discussions, can also be a part of interactive modeling.
Next are examples that most any teacher can employ in their classroom or context. Several come from
Responsive Classroom training that I have had the privilege to participate in as a teacher
and school leader.
THINK-PAIR-SHARE
This tried-and-true protocol has been a mainstay in classrooms for years. Students are asked to engage
in developing an understanding of a topic through repeated readings or another form of content
delivery. Then, they pair up with another student to compare their thinking with each other and building
a broader knowledge base. This concludes with each twosome sharing their collective understanding
about a topic of study with the whole class. Almost all of this activity is student-involved and student-led.
The teacher facilitates the conversations with ground rules, proximity and follow-up questions
during the protocol.
Feedback is generally from student to teacher in a think-pair-share. The teacher can gain a lot of
information about each students understanding by looking at their work during the thinking stage and
listening to their conversations in pairs and in the whole class sharing. This feedback can help guide a
teachers instruction that could not be anticipated during the instructional planning. For example, if one
student is struggling to make sense of the text they were assigned to read, the teacher could select a
student to pair up with who has a better understanding based on his or her annotations on the text. The
sharing today can inform tomorrows lesson plans.
SEVEN CORNERS
In this interactive modeling activity, seven different understandings about a topic are printed on paper
and posted throughout the classroom. Next, the teacher directs students to stand by one of the
understandings that they identify with based on a provided question or statement. As an example, a
science teacher could list seven principles related to force and motion on posters and paste them around
the classroom. If the statement is, Coasting down the street in your car is an example of this physics
principle, then a student might locate themselves closest to the Momentum poster. The teacher then
leads a brief discussion with the class, asking students why they selected the understanding they did.
Students are encouraged to move to a new location based on new information shared by peers. The
number seven is flexible; base the number of statements/principles posted in the classroom on
the unit of study.
What is effective about Seven Corners is how we are taking advantage of two forms of feedback: The
information from student to teacher in their decision of where to locate themselves based on a learning-
centered statement, and how students naturally use their peers to inform their own thinking and
conclusions. When they hear each other talk, hopefully at deep levels due to a teachers smart questions
and planning, they start to see each other as resources for their own learning. This is an important
milestone in any students trajectory toward becoming an independent learner.
SHARED WRITING
Teachers can include students quite easily in a writing demonstration. Since virtually all subjects have
reading and writing as a foundational skill, this strategy should be applicable for any educator. Shared
writing is when the teacher is doing the writing, and the students are helping the teacher construct the
piece. With younger students, handwriting on an easel or under a document camera makes the most
sense. Students offer suggestions for what to write next, the teacher either confirms this or asks for
clarification, and then it is written. For older students, using a word processing tool to collectively draft an
article or blog post would be developmentally appropriate.
Shared writing is a highly underutilized strategy in classrooms today. Teachers too often assume that if
they model something, that the students can then pick up the pen and start work independently or in
guided groups. In fact, teachers need to do lots of shared demonstration, especially in complex tasks
such as reading and writing. By including the students in the demonstration process, they have the
advantage of not having to produce work, which allows them to focus on the content and the process of
the learning experience. Once the strategies and criteria for producing quality work are established, then
students can engage in putting words down on paper. The feedback from the authentic conversation
that transpires within shared writing is all the information a teacher might need to know once he or she
meets with individual students. See Regie Routmans book Read, Write, Lead for more information.
WRITTEN CONVERSATIONS
Maybe students are ready to work more independently, but only after they have peer support and
feedback. Written conversations can be a useful tool for facilitating this guided practice. Students
respond to a question or prompt shared by the teacher related to the current unit of study. Once they
finish their responses, each student becomes a part of a group that will serve as a critique group. They
pass their paper to the person to their left and receive work from the student to their right. Each student
is expected to respond to the original authors writing with a question, comment, or words of affirmation.
This continues until every student in the group has responded to each persons original thinking. Now,
each student has three to five pieces of feedback which hopefully promote deeper thinking and new
ways of improving.
This type of interactive modeling is an effective tool for garnering feedback once students have proven
their abilities to offer effective feedback in the first place. If the questions and suggestions inhibit the
possibilities for growth, then the feedback was not only ineffective but also detrimental. We have to
constantly model effective ways to provide feedback for others and give students the chance to try
these strategies out. Considering all of the social media opportunities a student might have in which to
comment on someone elses thinking and creations, these skills are as critical as anything else we might
teach in our classrooms.
WHERE IS SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION?
I expect this might be something a teacher is wondering at this point, especially at the K-8 level. I stuck
to the shared demonstration/interactive modeling approach for feedback because I believe the more the
teacher can be involved in instruction, the better off the students are. When a teacher is conferring with
a group of three students for guided reading, the rest of the students are sometimes given independent
tasks that are not as cognitively challenging. Spelling lists and grammar worksheets are easy to
administer when the teacher is not available. When contrasted with the active whole group instruction
such as the experiences I just described in this section, they pale in comparison. Looking at this situation
from an economic point of view, we are offering high-quality instruction for all students.
There is certainly a place for guided practice, and that goes into my second reason for not discussing
small group instruction: Who should be doing the guiding? A teachers role eventually should become
the role of the student. They need to see their peers as resources, both for their knowledge and how
they might access information when they do not know something. Providing feedback for all students as
they need it is a challenge for teachers. With all of the expectations asked of them with regard to student
outcomes, assessment data collection, and attending to the social and emotional needs of kids, it is little
surprise at how stressed teachers are after a day of school. The skills needed for protocols and activities
previously described can be transferred to small group learning with time and practice. The opportunities
for feedback, both between students and between student and teacher, are too rich to ignore within a
shared demonstration/interactive modeling situation.
To close out this section, consider this figure
that summarizes the basic differences between
feedback and praise.
4. Authentic Tasks for a

Real Audience
I have never let my schooling

interfere with my education.
MARK TWAIN
I recall visiting a first-grade classroom during writing workshop time. Every student was totally immersed
in their work. Pencils moved back and forth with little pause, beyond a moment of reflection on their
progress at that point. When I asked the teacher what she did to get this kind of engagement, she replied,
They know their work will be posted in FreshGrade for their families to read.
There is nothing like an authentic audience for sharing work. When students know they are reading,
writing, and creating for someone beyond the teacher, the motivation levels go up. Related, the need to
demand compliance through short-term fixes such as praise and incentives becomes unnecessary.
NEW LITERACIES
Learners in todays world no longer need to rely on validation from a teacher for their work. When people
engage in what Henry Jenkins calls a participatory culture, they learn in spaces that are collaborative
and dynamic. Interactions are based on ideas and expertise instead of policy and hierarchy. Jenkins
defines a participatory culture as one:
1. With relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement
2. With strong support for creating and sharing ones creations with others
3. With some type of informal mentorship whereby what is know by the most experienced is
passed along to novices
4. Where members believe that their contributions matter
5. Where members feel some degree of social connection with one another (at the least they
care what other people think about what they have created) (7).
This type of learning is a serious departure from the traditional school system in which students turn in
work to teachers in the hope that they will receive a good grade. Instead of a score, in a collaborative
and dynamic online space learners look to the comments and the reactions to the work they shared as
acknowledgement and feedback. Collaboration is not dependent on a classroom protocol; within digital
forums, group work is mediated by the norms and capacities of the selected social media. When learning
happens in an environment that values creativity and relationships, motivation to complete a project is
not reliant on an external reward to get it done. Joy and a sense of efficacy are the natural outcomes
of a job well done.
These opportunities for online access have implications for the reading and writing that is currently being
conducted in todays classrooms. Technologists refer to this phenomena as 'new literacies.' Teachers
can now bring in a real audience for the authentic tasks they facilitate for students. For example,
students can create digital books using tools such as Book Creator with original images, drawings and
audio embedded into the text. The publications can be uploaded to a variety of online booksellers
such as Amazon, iBooks, and Barnes and Noble. Students can also engage in writing in digital spaces
with relative ease. Collaborative word processors such as Google Docs make group work accessible
from almost anywhere. There are also opportunities to move beyond the written word and use new
tools to represent our thinking in more clear and engaging ways. Animation, game-based activities
and interactive video provide users with unique opportunities to not only convey their ideas but also to
facilitate a conversation around important ideas. Reading and writing no longer resemble what we might
have conceptualized in our own initial experiences with literacy.
For all of these possibilities, we are wise to be deliberate in our adoptions of these tools as we explore
the new literacies. Understanding how digital media works and the importance of being thoughtful in
our interactions is only one concept that should now be a priority in our K-12 curriculum. To help with
this transition, I would suggest
that educators take a blended
approach to integrating
technology in the classroom.
Paper notebooks and pens
should sit right alongside a
students laptop as they plan
out, draft, and publish a blog
post. These concrete tools
bring a sense of permanence
when engaged in authentic
tasks for a real audience. They
help learners wade through
the complexity of idea to
iteration, especially when working with a team on the same project.
A question that often comes up from teachers when considering this more relevant approach to student
learning is: "How do we address the standards with this type of instruction?" My response would be
simply: "How can you not?" In its essence, the Common Core asks students to think more critically and
respond more effectively to the information they interact with in their lives. By expanding our collective
understanding of literacy and allowing all forms of media to fall under this umbrella, we come to see
that reading and writing are intricate parts of our students lives already. It is common that neither teacher
nor student make this connection.
In these final examples, I highlight how we can help students connect the critical strategies and skills
traditionally a focus in school with the learning people do beyond our walls. We do our profession a
disservice when we ignore the realities our students live via their smartphones, tablets and computers.
Lets embrace the possibilities instead. In my experience as a classroom teacher and school leader, I have
found three types of audiences to be effective: Local, global, and self.
LOCAL
Connecting student work with a local audience is a wise place to start when trying to elevate the
authenticity of the work they do. Before we get into the digital tools that can help mediate this
experience, let us not forget that some of the most powerful communications still reside with paper
and pencil. For example, in my prior school, our 5th graders would write personal letters to the veterans
taking Honor Flights to Washington D.C. in recognition of their sacrifice overseas. They would open
up these letters while in flight to their destination. I myself often write personal notes of appreciation
on paper stationery for my staff and faculty. Never underestimate the power of the printed word. That
said, the literate life now exists beyond what you can hold in your hand. Consider these digital tools for
bringing in an authentic audience for your students.
Blogging
Whether it is the student-centered blogging tool Kidblog (www.kidblog.org) or a more universal

application, blogging is as straightforward as it gets with regard to technology in the classroom. A
teacher signs his or her class up, determines the level of privacy, and then introduces students to this
forum for digital writing. In my experience, I have found that this approach offers a natural introduction
for students who have never considering blogging as a mode of communication.
How a teacher decides to utilize blogging will find many opportunities. One possibility is for students
to post their final products online for families to see. This could be as basic as an image of their work
along with a caption that describes why it was worth posting online. A simple act such as this can have
a profound impact on a students confidence. When they start to post their work online, they start
to understand that what they have to share has meaning. Its important. Any comments that a family
member might provide on their work only affirms this.
Dedicated Portfolio Applications
In a similar approach, students can post their best work and their growth over time with technology that
is dedicated exclusively to digital portfolio assessments. Tools such as FreshGrade (www.freshgrade.com)
and related applications are built with a focus on mind: Sharing students learning journeys in real time
with families. While blogging might lend itself better to a writing portfolio that highlights the process of a
students thinking, dedicated portfolio applications can more easily allow for a variety of media to serve
as artifacts of learning. In fact, these two examples of portfolios could both serve
within the same classroom.
For example, a student has built a standing tower as part of an integrated unit on science, engineering
and mathematics. A blog might be the tool that allows the student to document their work over time.
He or she can reflect on whats working and whats not, embed pictures of the work to convey this
information, and ask for feedback from peers via their blog post about how he or she might improve
his product. A dedicated portfolio application could serve as a way to celebrate a successful, important
step in the process of building a standing tower. Also, a teacher could use the video component of a tool
like FreshGrade to document the groups efforts and ability to collaborate. The essential skills of the 21st
century (critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication) can all be captured and later assessed
with more authentic approaches to documenting these skills. At the end of the project/unit, students can
come back to these artifacts to write a summary of his or her learning and use the video, images, and
text to support his or her conclusions. A local audience is not hard to find with todays tools.
GLOBAL
The next logical step in finding an authentic audience for real student work is by going global. By going
global, I mean making students best work and growth over time truly public. Anyone in the world can
witness the exchange, generation, iteration and celebration of ideas happening in our context. We
provide a window into our classroom that makes the learning experience truly connected for everyone
involved. With this transparency, we also discover accountability in our instruction and responsibility in
what we share. A local audience tends to be a one-way communication experience; a global audience
becomes an opportunity to contribute to a greater cause and take anothers perspective on an issue
previously unknown.
Next are two examples of how a teacher might bring in a global audience to their work with the
hope of building more awareness of the world and subsequently offering opportunities for seeking
independence in their work.
Twitter (www.twitter.com)
This social media tool still does not get the credit it deserves. Twitter is considered micro-blogging
because each post (or tweet) can only be 140 characters long. What makes Twitter so powerful is how
it levels the playing field for any user online. A teacher or classroom can select who to follow without
seeking permission, read anyones posts, and respond to this information in smart and thoughtful ways. It
is open to whoever wants to follow along and learn from others.
One of Twitters best features is the hashtag. These serve as a way to organize ones tweets so they are
more easily findable and to connect with a more specific audience. For example, every elementary grade
level (#kinderchat, #1stchat, #2ndchat, etc.) and every K-12 discipline (#mathchat, #scichat, etc.) have a
hashtag that many educators and classrooms use to post images, video and text related to their teaching
and learning. Teachers can start by using a Twitter application such as Tweetdeck (tweetdeck.twitter.com)
to follow preferred hashtags. This can serve as a way to start the school day (Lets see what our 2nd-
grade friends are doing around the world.).
Using these hashtags, teachers and students can take a variety of actions to start having global
conversations. A first step is to simply 'like' a tweet that comes across your feed. This is done by pressing
the heart symbol on the tweet itself. The teacher/classroom will be notified that you like what they had to
share. A next step might be to reply to an educational tweet with a confirmation (Nice ideas, thanks for
sharing!) or even a question (Could you tell us more about this reading idea for independent work?). If
a classroom simply likes the content being shared and feels others might it useful too, they can retweet
the post. This simply means posting their tweet on your timeline. In any scenario, when teachers and
students start to engage in connections and conversations around learning from all corners of the
world, we introduce our students to the participatory culture that can lead to learning in the
future without limits.
The Global Read Aloud (https://theglobalreadaloud.com/)
A teacher is looking to become more globally connected on behalf of his or her students and their
own professional learning, but Twitter alone is too far out of ones comfort zone. A more structured
experience for bringing in a broader audience is the Global Read Aloud. This is an annual event in
which teachers from across the world come together via online connections to read the same book
and connect with each other about the experience. Books are selected for every level of school so that
all students can participate. Because the premise of the Global Read Aloud is so straightforward (read
aloud to your students), it allows the teacher to devote more effort to navigating the connections with
their students during the process.
What can make this successful is the opportunity to share ones enthusiasm for great childrens literature
with other equally enthusiastic learners in a variety of forums. Twitter is a great place to start. There is
always the year-based hashtag, such as #gra16. Each book now also has a hashtag. For example, The
BFG by Roald Dahl is a 2016 book selection and has the hashtag #GRABFG. If Twitter is not a teachers
thing, Edmodo (www.edmodo.com) offers a more closed digital environment to share student ideas
and responses about a book. This learning management system, or LMS, resembles Facebook in its set
up and structure. Teachers can post polls, questions, links to student writing, and images within the
respective communities related to the book being read. Teachers also have access to a Google Group in
which they can receive updates about the event from the creator, Pernille Ripp (@PernilleRipp).
These connections can be effective in helping students gain a global perspective on learning. The Global
Read Aloud is not only about connecting readers; it is also about building an awareness of the tools
available to learners to explore their own inquiries with the help of others not immediately available as
resources. For example, when I co-facilitated the Global Read Aloud in 2012 with a 4th-grade classroom,
we were reading The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. This fictional narrative about gorillas
in captivity led us to connect with Abby Derby-Lewis, a primatologist (who also happened to be my
cousin) to learn more about these primates as we read aloud the text. As we developed questions, we
would post them in a Google Doc that Abby had access to and could respond to when time allowed.
This information along with the read aloud developed into a memorable experience for everyone. It
culminated with a Skype chat with Abby, so students ask more questions of her and receive immediate
feedback. Our perspectives about primatology and animal care were broadened with the help of these
tools.
SELF
As students develop broader connections at both the local and global level, they start to develop the
ability to take not only others point of view more easily, but can also develop a better appreciation
for the lives they live. This is referred to as perspective-taking (Johnston, 29). To get to this level of
understanding, someone has to emotionally and socially reside in another person, to figuratively put
themselves in their shoes. These cognitive experiences cannot replicate what it means to live another
persons life. It might get someone close enough to truly understanding a situation or plight. This can
lead a person to change not only their minds but also their actions. The teachers role, then, is to ensure
that these experiences are regularly facilitated in school. Johnston points this out:
Making decisions in which you consider others perspectives is a consistent classroom conversational
thread along with taking control of and deliberately changing your life by making choices. Front and
center, though, is the fact that people are not permanently good or bad. Different situations, more
learning, and different decisions all can change a person (29).
These perspective-taking experiences that might be mediated through technologies such as the internet
can have an impact on the lives of those involved. The outcome can be a better person and a more
positive contributor to society. A person can change oneself when they see themselves through the lives
of another. The question then leads to: How do we facilitate these types of experiences in school?
It comes back to creating authentic tasks for a real audience. While utilizing a digital portfolio tool to
communicate student learning with families and posting classroom experiences on social media can
have many benefits, they are still constructs of school. These activities are not something that a person
would participate in as a general member of society. The more we can have our school experiences
resemble what happen in life, the more relevant students will find school to be. The next sections
describe two examples in which students can make an actual impact on others lives and their own.
Kiva (www.kiva.org)
This nonprofit program was brought to my attention by Bill Ferriter, middle school teacher out of North
Carolina via Twitter (@PlugUsIn). Kiva is an international nonprofit, founded in 2005 and based in San
Francisco, with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty (www.kiva.org). They
connect anyone with a person or organization from around the world that has requested a loan. One
person or many provides the funding for the requested loan through Kiva. Projects funded through
this process include purchasing learning resources for students and providing growing supplies for
agriculture initiatives in developing countries. Once this money is paid back by the borrower, the lender
can select another person or organization to support.
Why a classroom should get involved is because students can see a direct impact of their efforts on
someone elses life. Dollars raised through fundraisers led by the students at the local level can be
directly applied to the cause of their choice through Kiva. Beyond the obvious impact, a classroom could
make in financing alone, consider the curricular implications of this type of work. For example, lets say
middle school students are studying African geography in social studies class. Instead of only reading
about the location in a textbook and watching a video of what life is like in countries such as Congo,
what if a classroom could also locate a specific cause to support in this part of the world? This brings
a much deeper meaning to the students involved. The abstract becomes concrete, and a normally dry
topic has new life breathed into it. As a bonus, students start to develop financial literacy through using
Kiva. This integration of disciplines is a benefit for all students and teachers.
JDO Foundation (http://jdofoundation.org/)
This nonprofit organization has a singular focus: to provide an enriched educational experience for
U.S. and international classrooms by facilitating partnerships that will utilize technology as a method
of furthering communication and collaboration. More to the point, students and teachers receive
mobile technology with the purpose of connecting with students in another country around common
curriculum topics. Teachers from each country decide together which discipline they want their students
to work together on and the best tools in which to facilitate this collaborative learning. The founder,
Judy OConnell Coon, is a veteran teacher whose father very much valued education. She shares her
late fathers values by allocating resources toward schools with the goal of developing a sense of global
awareness and digital citizenship with students.
For schools that adopt this program, they are provided with 1:1 technology access in the form of a laptop
or tablet. These devices provide the means for students in one country to directly interact via email
and a learning management system with students in another part of the world. Each week students
are expected to engage in a collaborative problem-solving activity with their digital peers in online
learning spaces. Once a month, both classrooms 'get together' via video conferencing to talk about their
experiences thus far. Because of timezone constraints, a classroom in the U.S. might have to schedule
the video conference at a specific time to accommodate the other schools time change.
Beyond the technical aspect, there are so many opportunities for gaining a global perspective within
a collaboration such as this. For starters, consider the curriculum-based conversations that a group
of U.S. students and a group of British students might have around the Revolutionary War. Content
from textbooks could be compared. Points of view might shift in these conversations. The reach of
technology via the internet makes all of this a reality. For so many of our students in the past, this was not
possible. Another benefit is the opportunities students now have to compare and contrast their cultures
and personal lives. Questions like What do you like to eat?, What music do you listen to?, What do
you do for fun? are so relevant to students lives, especially as they get older. At first glance, there seems
to be little academic base to support these interactions. Yet, in their global conversations, students can
start to better understand their own lives. These comparisons are healthy. Knowing that not every person
in the world enjoys professional sports is not necessarily a bad thing for a U.S. student to understand.
When students see what life has to offer beyond their current context, only then can they appreciate
the life that lays before them. Through understanding others, their situations and cultures, students can
better understand themselves and start to form their own personal identities as they
grow into adulthood.
BRINGING IT HOME
All of these opportunities for a real audience for our authentic work via technology are ones that we
would be wise to consider. Our students engagement levels increase, which means that the possibility
of knowledge and skill transfer also increases. When kids care about their work, they are more likely to
come back to it, make it better, and transfer it to their lives as independent learners. That is the whole
goal of education.
One note of caution: We do not want to prioritize our digital connections over the ones we should be
developing within our own classroom and school. MIT scientist Sherry Turkle has studied the effects
on people when they are constantly connected. K-12 teachers and college professors use the same
words to describe their students: rushed, impatient, not interested in process, unable to be alone with
their thoughts (76). When learners are often powered up and engaged in conversation with an online
audience, when do they have time to take a step back, unplug, and reflect? There has to be a balance
between connectivity and solitude in order to optimize our learning experiences. It is in our personal
connections, both online and off, that we achieve our truest potential as learners in the 21st century.
Conclusion: Striving for Better
In his book Better, A Surgeons Notes on Performance, Dr. Atul Gawande shares stories of medical
professionals who veer off the normal path to improve their work and realize better outcomes. Gawande
refers to these people as positive deviants. One positive deviant highlighted is Dr. Virginia Apgar. In the
1930s, this anesthesiologist recognized a problem: 'Blue babies' were not provided proper care once
born. Obstetricians back then assumed there was little that could be done for them. Many newborns in
this condition died as a result.
Dr. Apgar came up with a solution: A scaled score up to ten points that doctors and nurses could use
to assess the health of a newborn upon delivery. Points were given for a babys ability to take deep
breaths, move all four limbs, etc. The higher the score, the healthier the newborn. The lower the score,
the greater need for immediate intervention by the medical staff. This approach was quickly adopted by
hospitals everywhere. Newborn deaths dropped annually. The application of the Apgar score led to
other innovations, such as using the Cesarian section, or C-section, more often as it lowered the
risk of blue babies.
The Apgar score is practical and easy to use. However, costs associated with the score started cropping
up. Chiefs of medicine saw Apgar scores as a tool to measure the quality of their services. Pressure was
put on obstetricians to produce better scores and show growth over time. Doctors started scheduling
C-sections when there was even minor risk involved in a natural birth. Women who undergo C-sections
experience increased medical risks, including infection, blood clots, and uterine rupture from where the
surgery was performed. Gawane describes these costs as a tyranny of the score.
Education is experiencing a similar situation. States and districts continue to use test scores to assess
another complex process: Learning. Serious repercussions have resulted from using one score to
determine success in school. Teacher morale is at an all-time low in the U.S. due to lack of support and
loss of curricular control (Ward, 2015). Students continue to experience decreasing levels of engagement
for every year they spend in school (Brenneman, 2016). Parents of students taking high-stakes tests
ask, What happens if he doesnt do well? Will he be put on a lower track? What is the consequence?
(Kamenetz, 2015). Student achievement levels are higher than they have ever been, but at what cost to
students, educators, and families?
Professionals are not helpless in these situations. Gawande closes out Better by offering five suggestions
for becoming a positive deviant. One is to not complain. Its boring, it doesnt solve anything, and it
will get you down (Gawande, 253). Lunch breaks in staff lounges are notorious for hosting complaint
sessions. Gawande recommends resisting negative talk and keeping conversations focused on positive
topics. Another suggestion is to write something. You should not underestimate the effect of your
contribution, however modest (255). This can be a blog post of your thoughts on the effects of
standardized testing, or even an article in your local newspaper. Encourage colleagues to write for a
broader audience too. Have them include policy makers and leaders when they publish. By soliciting
modest contributions from the many, we have produced a store of collective know-how with far greater
power than any individual could have achieved (255-256).
Gawandes final suggestion for becoming a positive deviant is to change. Look for opportunities
within our context and control. Virginia Apgar changed the way doctors assessed their performance.
In spite of the consequences, many positive effects resulted because she did not settle for the status
quo. As educators, we can also alter how we approach assessment in our schools. What if formative
assessments, such as anecdotal records and student portfolios, became a primary means of measuring
student growth and success? How could we help students become more involved in the assessment
process and own their learning? These questions and our responses can lead to real change. Anyone can
become better.
When we transfer the responsibility of learning to the student, we are called to relook at teaching in
many different ways. Rows of desks are no longer acceptable as the main arrangement for instruction.
Flexible furniture and active learning that promotes critical thinking are necessary for an environment
that promotes independence. The focus of a lesson must go beyond words written on a board. Students
should be clear about the purpose of learning, why it's important to them, and the pathways they might
take to achieve success. Feedback goes beyond a comment on a piece of work. Feedback is a fluid
process where students and their teacher develop a partnership in collectively moving towards mutually
agreed upon goals. A final product should have an audience beyond the teacher. Digital tools and the
internet can and should be an essential component to publishing their real work.
About the Author
Matthew Renwick
Matt Renwick has 17 years of experience in public education. He started as a 5th and 6th-grade teacher
in a country school outside of Wisconsin Rapids, WI. After seven years of teaching, he served as a dean
of students at a junior high, which developed into an assistant principalship along with athletic director
duties. As an elementary principal for the Mineral Point Unified School District, he is enjoying the
curriculum, instruction and assessment side of education. He writes for ASCD (www.ascd.org) and Lead
Literacy (www.leadliteracy.com) and shares his work on his blog at ReadingByExample.com. Follow Matt
on Twitter @ReadByExample.
About FreshGrade
FreshGrade is one of the fastest growing education platforms that develops solutions aimed to enable
educators, empower students and engage parents.
With FreshGrade, teachers and students can easily capture learning artifacts from the classroom and
upload them to an online learning portfolio where parents, students and other teachers can access
them, making learning visible in real time. FreshGrade portfolios move with the student from year-to-
year, creating rich documentation of learning for teachers, students, and parents.
Get started with FreshGrades free application:

Visit freshgrade.com or search for FreshGrade in the App Store or Google Play.
Want to learn more?

Contact inquiries@freshgrade.com
for more information.
Search for FreshGrade in the

App Store and Google Play
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Also atypical of classrooms we might be familiar

They also had a bulletin board that outlined all

Praise and the Culture of Compliance

Pathways Toward Student Agency

Education at the Crossroads

A true sense of community

Clarity of instruction as a teacher priority

Effective feedback strategies that move learning forward

1. Cultivate the Conditions for Success

Do the fluorescent bulbs make it hard for anyone to work?

Is my chair nicer than the seats provided for the students?

There are a number of reasons for this:

Pairs are too small for

Any type of arrangement we create in

DURING THE SCHOOL DAY

END OF THE SCHOOL DAY

speak until everyone was ready to listen. Examples of student

WHY CLARITY MATTERS

Source: Renwick, M. (2014). Digital

WHOLE GROUP DISCUSSION

Using organizers to convey the essential

LOOKING AT PAST STUDENT WORK

Notice how the teacher allowed

3. Feedback, Feedback, Feedback

Costs: How much will this entire vacation cost?

Travel: What mode of transportation will we use to get there?

Accommodations: Once we are at our destination, where will we stay?

A Framework for Instruction

Four Characteristics of Feedback

1. FEEDBACK SHOULD BE DEVELOPMENTALLY-APPROPRIATE

This leads into an important point about feedback:

3. FEEDBACK SHOULD BE CONSTRUCTIVE.

4. FEEDBACK SHOULD BE TIMELY.

WHERE IS SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION?

4. Authentic Tasks for a

I have never let my schooling

1. With relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement

4. Where members believe that their contributions matter

Whether it is the student-centered blogging tool Kidblog (www.kidblog.org) or a more universal

Dedicated Portfolio Applications

The Global Read Aloud (https://theglobalreadaloud.com/)

JDO Foundation (http://jdofoundation.org/)

Get started with FreshGrades free application:

Want to learn more?

Search for FreshGrade in the

Gawande, A. (2008). Better: A Surgeons Notes on Performance. New York: Picador.

Wiliam, D. (2012). Embedded Formative Assessment. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.

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