2. Hopefully, you’ll…
• remember some things you
used to do
• take away one or two ideas
• see an aspect of feedback from
a new perspective
3. Feedback: why?
• teachers are more than ‘activity managers’
• to help students ‘notice the gap’
• to celebrate achievement
• help students assess performance
• help students understand how to improve
• make students accountable for their time
4. Feedback is part of a cycle of teaching and
learning.
Good feedback comes from:
•an activity with an outcome that you /
students can feedback on
Feedback: what? (1)
• good monitoring: you should
have an idea of how well
your students have done
before feedback
5. Praise: make it specific! ‘Well done for…’
‘The way you used “_____” sounded really natural.’
Feedback: what? (2)
6. Praise: make it specific! ‘Well done for…’
‘The way you used “_____” sounded really natural.’
Reformulation: improving the language students
have used; helping them ‘notice the gap’
Feedback: what? (2)
7. Praise: make it specific! ‘Well done for…’
‘The way you used “_____” sounded really natural.’
Reformulation: improving the language students
have used; helping them ‘notice the gap’
Answers: focus on problems; provide evidence
Feedback: what? (2)
8. Praise: make it specific! ‘Well done for…’
‘The way you used “_____” sounded really natural.’
Reformulation: improving the language students
have used; helping them ‘notice the gap’
Answers: focus on problems; provide evidence
Instruction: errors, concept-check, re-explain
Feedback: what? (2)
9. Praise: make it specific! ‘Well done for…’
‘The way you used “_____” sounded really natural.’
Reformulation: improving the language students
have used; helping them ‘notice the gap’
Answers: focus on problems; provide evidence
Instruction: errors, concept-check, re-explain
Strategies: discuss/model how to do
something
Feedback: what? (2)
10. Praise: make it specific! ‘Well done for…’
‘The way you used “_____” sounded really natural.’
Reformulation: improving the language students
have used; helping them ‘notice the gap’
Answers: focus on problems; provide evidence
Instruction: errors, concept-check, re-explain
Strategies: discuss/model how to do
something
Evaluation: the students’ performance; how to
improve; most useful language
Feedback: what? (2)
12. Phonology: what sounded natural, words and
phrases to work on
Useful language: things students could have
said/written
Feedback: what? (3)
13. Phonology: what sounded natural, words and
phrases to work on
Useful language: things students could have
said/written
Repetition: ‘raise your game’!
Feedback: what? (3)
14. Phonology: what sounded natural, words and
phrases to work on
Useful language: things students could have
said/written
Repetition: ‘raise your game’!
Respond to content : students are more than just
language learners
Feedback: what? (3)
15. Phonology: what sounded natural, words and
phrases to work on
Useful language: things students could have
said/written
Repetition: ‘raise your game’!
Respond to content : students are more than just
language learners
•Vary these and don’t do too many at once
•Rule of thumb: feedback not longer than activity
(unless it’s listening)
Feedback: what? (3)
18. Feedback: who, how and
when?
TEACHER TO STUDENTS: SOME IDEAS
•plan what you’re going to feedback on
• give feedback to students
while they’re talking/writing -
post-it notes?
• student-directed feedback, e.g. put up
all answers, students ask for
teacher’s help
19. Feedback: who, how and
when? STUDENTS TO TEACHER: SOME IDEAS
•be careful of ‘hotspots’: areas you
unconsciously teach to
•engage everyone : students nominate
each other, whiteboard slates, lollipop
sticks? (See ‘Resources’ slide)
•non-verbal feedback, e.g. hand gestures,
traffic light cups?
•agree criteria for success; students self-
evaluate e.g. ‘I used four new phrases’
20. Feedback: who, how and
when?
STUDENTS TO STUDENTS: SOME IDEAS
•students check answers
in pairs before ‘going public’
(58% at IH Bristol)
•class secretary writes answers up,
teacher monitors
•give one student all answers (students
can request teacher explanations)
21. Further resources
Dylan Wiliam: lollipop sticks, traffic light
cups and whiteboard slates in
‘The Classroom Experiment’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J25d9aC1GZA
Blog entry on feedback:
http://www.stevedarn.com/?Writings::GME
%3A_Student_Feedback_on_Tasks_and_Ac
tivities
Intro self: ADOS, regular class teacher, teacher trainer Trinity Certificate and Diploma
SIMPLE AIMS FOR 10 MIN PRESENTATION NOT MUCH TIME FOR INTERACTION / FEEDBACK - IRONIC IDEA OF SLIDES – BE CHECKLIST THAT YOU CAN PRINT OUT AND REFLECT ON, SO MORE DETAIL THAN JUST KEY WORDS
FIRST QUESTION = WHY? In blue, fairly usual reasons WANT TO TALK ABOUT TOP 3 IN RED(ISH): Challenge teacher trainees: how more than activity manager? Important question : self-study resources available: in studies evidence-based teaching, one of factors makes biggest difference Help Ss notice gap between language they are using natural English (interlanguage), encouraging them extend language Celebrate achievement, easy to forget when new, focus on errors, but if T enthusiastic about success -> students keep succeeding, high achievement classroom
OUTCOME, clearly explained = sth can be easily assessed, commented on by teacher/students Difficult if T just says ‘read a text’ with no outcome; students don’t know how to read a text can be simple outcomes e.g. what most interesting info/opinions/quote MONITORING is key! Only when have some idea of attainment is appropriate feedback possible
Not just ‘Well done’ to mark transition from one activity to another (Scott Thornbury calls it ‘ritualised behaviour’ in ‘Teachers research teacher talk’ in ELTJ 50-4-1, p.281) Praise effort as well as achievement, students experimenting new language, interest shown in other opinions, sounding natural. Opportunity to reinforce behaviour you want, esp. for YLs
Talked about before. Often Ss struggling to express an idea, you can note down and put it up for Ss to use next time
Obvious, but important to focus on probs. If everyone’s got most answers right, give them quickly and focus on probs; otherwise v ploddy, dull for Ss Evidence is important for things like reading, but again, focus only on difficulties you’ve IDed, then ask Ss if any other issues
Instruction: what Ts are normally trained to do, not going to go into details on error correction here!
Strategies: if important, ask Ss how did sth. Essential to do activity yourself before class and reflect on it (esp. In exams), so you can join in discussion and perhaps model for Ss with fewer strategies In my boardwork for exam classes, key lang. column but also strategy summary column; Ss can suggest things to go there, not just me
Key things students can’t get from self-study is evaluation from an expert language user; effect of Ss’ communication has on you Suggestions about improvement – perhaps Ss not aware Of course, Ss can evaluate each other (if not trust each other, get Ss looking for good points, not criticisms) And self-evaluate e.g. how well did task and why, what most useful language to remember to use different contexts like socialising, emails, exams P R A I S E ! Trying to work on sublimal messages, but not quite got hang of it!
Two tips: If Ss practising target lexis, feedback: how natural did it sound, was there enough emotion in it? Put up short list of words/phrases on board and ask Ss to check with partner for 20 seconds how to say them: monitor, drill problems and done!
Sometimes, realise when Ss are communicating: really obvious phrase would be v useful, that expert speakers use all the time OR When Ss talking, an area they could take conversation, esp. if you know Ss and interests well
Ss : high degree of cognitive challenge when communicate about sth. If repeat tasks, can use same language more effectively/fluently and/or experiment new language you’ve taught ‘em
Respond to content: again, sth. that new teachers sometimes don’t do convincingly. Token: ‘that’s interesting’ when Ss give opinions Brief but personal response shows that you value their opinions e.g. reminds me of … And YOUR RESPONSE models appropriate language to respond to ideas P U R R ! Of course, I’d never put up cute cat picture to distract you because really obvious
(PURR?) Advice: just do a few of these things and mix them up; feedback can be interesting time for Ss Ask them what feedback they want! Rule of thum: observation study for Diploma: roughly same time on activity and feedack, except listening: f’back twice as long
Take suggestions in dialogue box Answers next!
Reformulation: ‘I didn’t say anything’ to ‘I was starstruck’ Reformulation: ‘Wow, you don’t like popular music!’ to ‘be a music snob’ SO, CAN COMBINE (4 ) ELEMENTS ON BOARD, 4 min feedback on 4 min activity
TEACHER TO STUDENTS Plan kind of monitoring and feedback to focus on: mix it up! Post-its: personal feedback that doesn’t interrupt Ss (ask them not to look), praise as well as errors Try not saying anything in f’back: put up answers and invite Ss to ask qs – Ss have bit more ownership of lesson
STUDENTS TO TEACHER Hotspots: learnt on Cert course, I teach to centre right naturally. Keen Ss often sit in these zones. Don’t just invite f’back from these Ss. Stand in different place in classroom to avoid teaching to hotspots. Ss opting out? Dylan Wiliam, Prof or Educational Assessment, Uni of London, The Classroom Experiment on BBC: r eference on later slide suggested using mini whiteboards to get answers from all Ss Pulling out lollipop sticks at random from a pot every time T has a question : ensures everyone engages Traffic light cups another idea he supports: green = S is OK, yellow = S struggling a bit (e.g. teacher going too fast), red = really stuck and needs help Get feedback from Ss about how they did especially after they set selves targets/goals before activity!
STUDENTS TO STUDENTS First one bit of a mantra on my Cert course: enables T to monitor, don’t always do it! Students feeding back to each other (with time limit) often throws up things they don’t say in T-centred feedback – and T is free to monitor and help later. Students can negotiate answers together!
TYPICAL! SESSION ON FEEDBACK WITHOUT MUCH/ANY!
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