For my problem of practice this semester, I wanted to tackle one of the most pressing frustrations I have as an English teacher. I often felt so disheartened after I would spend hours and hours grading essays just to watch my students spend five minutes looking at the grade and throw them in the trash.
After 10 years in the profession I didn’t feel as though this feedback and this style of grading helped my students become better thinkers or writers either. I sought to work on a new process that used a different form of feedback that students wouldn’t “take and trash”.
I also wanted to do so using the technology I had available to me.
Overall I piloted a unit that covered persuasive/argument writing, and instead of a final essay, I decided to have the students complete an audio podcast.
I tested my unit with 10th grade students in my general English class. This is one with diverse learners and a range from kids with IEPs to those who could have been in the honors section. My class size ranges from 25-30 students per hour, and I teach this particular class for 4 hours each day.
This allows me a unique opportunity to test units and amend/analyze results from hour to hour.
The overall process of my unit was as such, in this order:
- Introduce argument as a topic and cover the depth of thinking that is (should be) involved when making an argument
- Introduce the class argument topic: What will be your generation's’ contribution to society
- Allow students to mind map to search for a sub topic of their choice (i.e. health advancements, implications of social media, economic opportunities (marijuana industry), social awareness (end smoking, women’s rights, etc.)).
- Teach research skills, students research their chosen topic and prepare evidence.
- Students organize evidence in a logical way. Teach inductive and deductive reasoning.
- Practice reasoning skills, by learning to evaluate another author’s argument
- Teacher gives initial feedback on logical reasoning (grade the kids’ organizers)
- Students begin writing a transcript of audio podcast using evidence and organizer
- Students use feature on Google Docs where they turn their typing into an audio, and listen to it. Evaluate their writing for error, areas of improvement
- Students revise their writing
- Teacher gives feedback using Kaizena (audio feedback on doc, or one-on-one if needed)
- Students record their argument piece as an audio file and turn into G. Classroom
- Teacher listens to all, gives grade (uses rubric)
- Students listen to each other’s podcasts, give feedback, class discussion on overall topic.
Results so far:
Some positives are that kids truly seem engaged in the project. They feel like they have gotten to choose the topic and many are finding it refreshing to talk about cars or science in a way that interests them and also involves some personal goals ( I have a student who has a parent with MS for example, and he is convinced his generation can cure this disease. He has been doing research and talking much with his parents throughout the project.) I like that I can have real -life conversations with the kids in this regard. I have learned new things about many students.
I had another teacher come spend an hour with me to observe, and her feedback was also positive. She liked how the students really did take some life-interest in the project.
Some negatives is that this whole process takes a lot of time. We have been interrupted by Spring Break, statewide testing and school functions already. I am having to adjust many things because we need more time. Another is that this overall is placing a great deal of responsibility on the student in his/her learning process (which I like). This has created a gap with lower achieving students: half got motivated, and half have procrastinated and have not turned in their work. I feel like I have reached and gotten to know some students that I never would have with an essay. But, I can’t provide feedback if I don’t have any work in the first place from these students. I am noticing that for far too long, we have been doing “all the work” so to speak at least in the revision process for writing. Kids have literally asked “you mean I have to check over my own work?”, and I also had kids admit with their first assessment, “ I just turned it in for a grade. I need to redo it”.
As for feedback, I am only finished with the first round. This is where I had students organize their arguments, and I gave feedback and a formative grade. One element was that I offered kids more points back if they fixed their mistakes. I would say that about ⅔ of the kids that did not get 100%, fixed their mistakes and had at least one interaction with me about how to improve. This in and of itself was a step in the right direction. I am collecting the written portion now, and will be using Kaizena to grade them.
I am hoping that this all continues. I will have my results posted overall, in my final reflection piece.