3. MULTIPLE DRAFTS & CRITIQUE Module Summary This module focuses on critique and multiple drafting strategies to support pupil learning in REAL Projects. Students will develop an understanding of the necessary components for developing a critique culture in their classroom, and will analyse best practices of critique in the UK. They will select and adapt a critique technique for use in their classroom. What You’ll Learn: 1. The essential components of critique cultures 2. New critique and multiple draft techniques 3. How to introduce critique and multiple draft into the classroom

1. Read “Making Critique Work”, by Briony Chown

READING & RESPONSE

Briony makes a case for using checklists to support students to engage in quality critique sessions. Response: How does she reason that checklists impact the equity of student voice and the quality of student feedback? Describe her process for utilising checklists in her critique cycles.

HTH GSE » UnBoxed » Issue 11 » insight

Making Critique Work

Briony Chown Explorer Elementary Charter School

Like many educators, I introduced critique to my class after reading Ron Berger’s manifesto, An Ethic of Excellence. Following Berger’s example, I explained to students that critique should be “kind, specific and helpful” (Berger, 2003, p.93). Initially, the feedback they gave each other was kind and specific but not particularly helpful — certainly nothing like the feedback Berger described his students giving to each other. For the most part, my students corrected each other’s punctuation and grammar. From speaking to other teachers in elementary, middle and high schools, I have found this to be a common problem. After trying a number of strategies, from children writing a question that critiquers must answer to modeling what good critique looks like, I found a simple solution: provide children with a checklist detailing what should be in the writing. I give this to the children before they start writing and then again when they are critiquing each others’ work. This checklist differs from a rubric because it does not evaluate the piece of writing and there is no sliding scale for success: the writing either has an element or it does not. Equipped with this checklist, every child in the class can look at a peer’s work and say what the writer has included, and what is unclear or left out. The

Goals

of

Critique

Creating the conditions for peer critique to thrive is one of the core principles of my classroom. Without a culture of collaboration and critique, it falls upon teachers to impart knowledge, advise, judge, and guide. This is inefficient, and it creates learners who do not have ownership of their learning. In his conversation with Paulo Freire in We Make the Road by Walking: Conversations on Education and Social Change, Myles Horton explains that when we come to an idea ourselves, rather than because an authority has told us, it is far more likely to be retained (Horton, 1990). This sounds ridiculously

simple but it is not the way that most people experience school. In a 2013 interview, the actor Daniel Radcliffe (best known for playing Harry Potter) spoke for the majority when he said he didn’t do well in school because, in his words, “I am not somebody who will learn best when you tell me to sit down and be quiet and sit still. I learn by talking back and engaging in conversation and walking around.” (Hattenstone, 2013). By allowing for many voices to be heard, a culture of critique enables us to begin to build the conditions for this active learning and collaboration. Juli Ruff, a ninth grade humanities teacher at High Tech High explains this well. In her work on using student voices to improve student work, Ruff explains that critique “invites students to take a critical eye to their own and others’ work, and puts the student in a place of power, by asserting that his or her opinions and judgment about what makes for quality work matter” (Ruff, 2010 p. 6). Another reason that critique is a powerful force for improvements in student work is that it allows students to see what their peers are producing. This creates a healthy sense of competition that is not to be underestimated. In fact, the single most useful thing that I can do to improve the quality of writing in my class as it is happening (as opposed to during critique) is to walk around the classroom and read aloud exemplary words or phrases that different students have used. Sharp-eyed readers will note that in the example above, the teacher is still the arbiter of quality and imparter of knowledge, and when I introduced critique sessions, I found it difficult to step back (and difficult for students when I did so). The trouble was that after nearly two decades of formal education and several years of experience as a teacher, I had internalized schema for the elements of high-quality work that the students had not yet developed. Thus, left to their own devices, they honed in on what they knew (or thought they knew): grammar. As a result, I observed many children leaving critique sessions disappointed - they hadn’t received useful feedback, they didn’t feel like their peers had noticed what they had done. This wasn’t because the students I teach didn’t want to critique well, it was because they didn’t have the skills to do so. That is where a checklist comes in: it provides a basis for conversation, a starting point and a focus. In his 1993 article, ‘Choices for Children’ a teacher told Alfie Kohn “I’m in control of putting students in control.” Checklists do just that. Why

Checklists?

Within the last two decades, checklists have revolutionized medicine. In The Checklist Manifesto, surgeon Atul Gawande explains how in 2001 Peter Pronovost, a critical care specialist at John Hopkins Hospital, implemented a checklist outlining the steps needed to correctly insert lines into patients in the ICU. He plotted the five steps needed to avoid infection and then authorized nurses to stop doctors if they were skipping a step. In the year after the checklist had been implemented, the ten-day line infection rate went down from 11% to zero. After two years Pronovost and his colleagues estimated that the checklists had saved eight lives and two million dollars. In addition, he found that the checklists “helped with memory recall and clearly set out the minimum number of steps in a process.” Moreover, the checklist actually

“established a higher standard of baseline performance” (Gawande, 2009, p. 39). The impact of these findings have led to other hospitals around the United States and Europe adopting checklists for patient care. It seems absurd to equate the classroom with an intensive care unit. However, in both situations, a simple checklist has made a dramatic difference to the quality of the work. Similarly to Pronovost’s findings in the ICU, I found that checklists provided students with a map for each step of their work and a tool to help them assess the work of others. Furthermore, these checklists improved the work of every student — just as Pronovost had found in the hospital. In addition to helping students to assess the work of others, checklists have led to greater equality of feedback in the classroom. One of the challenges in a critique session is that some students are much better at it than others. While every student has a valuable contribution to make, many are not yet able to formulate their ideas in a way that can be easily understood by their peers. Checklists provide a structure upon which students can base their responses. Every student, whatever level they are working on, can look at the work of every other student and provide them with clear and useful feedback. Checklists

in

the

Classroom:

The

Results

At first, I created checklists that simply contained a series of topics that needed to be included in the work. I introduced my first checklist when students were writing artist statements for paper cuttings (see picture below) that we had produced to tell the story of somebody who immigrated to California. Each group had chosen one person who had come to California and then divided up their journey into separate sections that were worked on individually. The paper cuttings were beautiful but they needed some explanation. After much discussion, the class decided that each group should write one joint artist statement to describe what the paper cuttings showed and how they fit together as well as individual artist statements. The components that students identified were the elements I compiled into the checklist. The finished artist statements were excellent. (See them all at http://eeroom15.weebly.com/a-room-of-their-own-onlineexhibition.html) However, this was a lot of work for the students and one group in particular needed a lot of support with the checklist.

I have since moved on to creating separate checklists for each stage of the work. This allows the students to critique using a manageable amount of foci. For example, when my class wrote biographies, the first checklist indicated, paragraph by paragraph, what should be included, the second checklist focused on accuracy and meaningfulness to the subject of the biography, and the third checked for accuracy in writing conventions. At the end of the project in which the students wrote biographies, I set up an anonymous survey to gain student feedback on various parts of the project. We had completed four critique cycles—the critiques based on the checklists listed above and an initial gallery walk. One question in the survey asked students to rate how the different critique sessions helped them to improve their biographies. Students chose from a Likert scale with the following options: it was extremely useful, it was useful, it wasn’t useful, and I didn’t do this. There are 24 students in my class and 18 of them completed the survey. Out of those 18, 16 children rated the three checklist critiques as either “useful” or “extremely useful.” This is a contrast to the 11 children who rated our first gallery walk critique as “useful” or “extremely useful” (in fact, only 4 out of the 18 found that gallery walk to be “extremely useful”). Creating

the

Conditions

for

Success

A good checklist is one that is created with the students (Berger, 2003, p. 70). In order to do this, my class and I pore over models, both professionally written ones and those written by me to find out what makes a good biography, diary entry, newspaper report (or whatever we are writing). We talk about what we like, jot down phrases or words that we want to use and pull out the elements that make that piece of work successful (or not). As Ron Berger points out, using student work as models is particularly effective. Typically, I know the students are ready for a checklist when they are able to

answer the question “What makes a good…” on the chart that they read when they come into school in the morning. I then organize these answers into a checklist, expanding on each point or breaking it down as necessary. In his 2006 article, “The Trouble with Rubrics,” Alfie Kohn states that “rubrics are, above all, a tool to promote standardization” through a “narrow criteria for what merits that rating.” He then questions whether “standardizing assessment for learners may compromise the learning” (pages 6 - 12). Kohn’s criticism of rubrics is predicated on the idea that rubrics are evaluative and prescriptive. On the other hand Ron Berger sees rubrics, not as a way to narrow student work but as a way for us to “try to name features of the work that we feel are making it successful.” (Berger, 2009). In An Ethic of Excellence, he explains that projects “begin with a taste of excellence.” The teacher and the students work together to “critique and discuss what makes the work powerful” (Berger, 2003, p. 31). These “list(s) of strong dimensions” (Berger, 2009), containing elements of success to guide students to creating powerful pieces of work are what the students create when they reply to my question on the morning message chart. I then organize and expand upon their thoughts to create a checklist. To keep checklists from becoming, in Kohn’s words, “tools to promote standardization,” it is important to explain to students that checklists are not rule books. While the first checklist for our biographies stated what information would be useful in each paragraph, writers could choose whether to follow it. In addition, no student was required to alter their work based on the critique—if the critiquers had noticed that information was missing but the writer didn’t wish to include it, then that was their decision. However, most children leapt on the critique sheets when they were returned. From scanning down the list of checks and crosses they quickly identified which areas the critiquers hadn’t found in their work and they rushed to the computers to make changes. Finally, I have found that checklists work best when students work in pairs to read each other’s work and then check that all the elements have been included. When children critique individually, they are more likely to be too accommodating or too exacting but critiquing in pairs slows down the process and means that the critiquers must be able to discuss and justify their judgments. A

Mental

Map

Providing useful critique is hard. It is hard for adults and it is even harder for children. As a result, loosely structured critique can leave students frustrated, confused and even more reliant on their teacher than they were before. I found that checklists gave students the mental map they need to see the piece of writing that they were critiquing as both a whole and a set of components. It is clear from the student survey responses that the children I teach found that checklists helped them to improve their work and gain relevant feedback. Without a clear structure, the critique process can reinforce inequality between students. With the transparent structure that a checklist provides, critique can become a powerful force where every voice is equal and

important. References Berger, R. (2003). An Ethic of Excellence: Building a culture of craftsmanship with students. Heinemann Berger, R. (2009, September 16). On feedback rubrics and models [web blog comment]. Retrieved from http://blogs.hightechhigh.org/bendaley/2009/08/29/on-feedback-rubricsand-models

Expeditionary Learning, (2013), Austin’s butterfly: Building Excellence in Student Work - Models, Critique and Descriptive Feedback [Video file]. Retrieved fromhttp://vimeo.com/38247060 Gawande, A. (2007). The Checklist. The New Yorker, 83(39), 86-95. Gawande, A. (2009) The Checklist Manifesto: How to get things right. Henry Holt and Company, New York. Hattenstone, S. (2013, November 23), Daniel Radcliffe: ‘There’s no master plan to distance myself from Harry Potter’, The Guardian. Retrieved fromhttp://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/nov/23/daniel-radcliffe-interview-noplan-distance-harry-potter

Horton, M., & Freire, P. (1990). We Make the Road by Walking: Conversations on education and social change. Temple University Press. Kohn, A. (1993). Choices for children: Why and how to let students decide. Phi Delta Kappan, 75(1). Kohn, A. (2006). The trouble with rubrics. English Journal, 95(4), 12-15. Michaels, K. (2012). Clear guidelines, open response: Introducing peer critique, Unboxed,9. Ruff, J. (2010). Peer Collaboration and Critique: Using student voices to improve student work. To learn more about Briony’s work at Explorer Elementary, visit http://eeroom15.weebly.com

Appendix 1: paragraph by paragraph checklist

Appendix 2: truthfulness and meaningfulness checklist

Appendix 3: writing conventions checklist

2. Read “Fostering an Ethic of Excellence”, by Ron Berger

READING & RESPONSE

Ron insists that quality student work is born from a culture, an ethic of excellence. Response: What do you think is the ethic at your school? How might you begin to build an ethic of excellence in your classroom?

Fostering an Ethic of Excellence Ron Berger

For 25 years I've led a double life. I'm a fulltime classroom teacher in a public school. To make ends meet for my family, I've worked during the summers, and sometimes weekends, as a carpenter. In carpentry there is no higher compliment builders give each other than this: That person is a craftsman. This one word says it all. It connotes someone who has integrity, knowledge, dedication, and pride in work—someone who thinks carefully and does things well.

_____________________________________________________________________________________ I want a classroom full of craftsmen.

_____________________________________________________________________________________ I want a classroom full of craftsmen—students whose work is strong, accurate, and beautiful; students who are proud of what they do and respect themselves and others. In my classroom I have students who come from homes full of books and students whose families own almost no books at all. I have students for whom reading, writing, and math come easily, and students whose brains can't follow a line of text without reversing words and letters. I have students whose lives are generally easy, and students with physical disabilities and health or family problems that make life a struggle. I want them all to be craftsmen. Some may take a little longer; some may need to use extra strategies and resources. In the end, they need to be proud of their work, and their work needs to be worthy of pride.

I'm concerned when I pick up a newspaper these days and find an article about the "crisis" in education and how a new quick fix will remedy things. I think as a nation we've gotten off track regarding education. Our concern seems to be centered on testing and on ranking students, schools, and districts. I believe our concern should be centered on what we can do in our schools and communities to bring out the best in kids. Some schools are very good; some are not. Those that are good have an ethic, a culture, which supports and demands quality work. Those schools that are not effective need a lot more than new tests and new mandates. They need to build a new culture.

In my work with schools across the country, I encounter places where students are remarkably good at something. These schools dominate state competitions in orchestra, chess, wrestling, visual arts, debate, and essay contests, and have done so for years.

What's going on here? I don't think this is genetics or luck. Private schools and universities can recruit talent, but these are public schools. Every year they take whatever kids they happen to get and make them stars. This phenomenon isn’t limited to special areas. My colleagues at the Central Park East High School in Harlem and the

Fenway High School in Boston work with urban students, almost all of whom are lowincome and non-white, for whom the predicted graduation statistics are dismal. These schools graduate 95% of their seniors and send about 90% to college. These schools don't have any special magic. The key to excellence is this: It is born from a culture. When children enter a family culture, a community culture, or a school culture that demands and supports excellence, they work to fit into that culture. It doesn't matter what their background is. Once those children enter a culture with a powerful ethic— an ethic of excellence—that ethic becomes their norm. It's what they know.

_____________________________________________________________________________________ When students enter a culture that demands excellence, they work to fit in.

_____________________________________________________________________________________ Unfortunately, most students, I believe, are caught on school treadmills that focus on quantity of work rather than quality of work. Students crank out endless final products every day and night. Teachers correct volumes of such low quality work; it's returned to the students and often tossed into the wastebasket. Little in it is memorable or significant, and little in it engenders personal or community pride. I feel that schools need to get off this treadmill and shift their focus from quantity to quality.

Work of excellence is transformational. Once a student sees that he or she is capable of quality, of excellence, that student is never quite the same. There is a new self-image, a new notion of possibility. There is an appetite for excellence. After students have had a taste of excellence, they're never quite satisfied with less.

Five practices (see box below) are essential for creating and sustaining a classroom culture of excellence: (1) assign work that matters; (2) study examples of excellence; (3) build a culture of critique; (4) require multiple revisions; and (5) provide opportunities for public presentation. Classroom Projects That Inspire Excellence

When I speak, I begin with slides of children's work— work by my own students and students in other classrooms in our school. People sit up. They point to things on the screen. There's electricity in the room. A science project

I show slides of my 6th-grade students managing a scientific project, done in collaboration with a local college laboratory, to test the town's homes for radon gas. The slides show students preparing surveys, kits, and informational packets for the families in town and learning the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet program to do data

analysis of results. They show pages from their final radon report for the town. The report turned out to be the first comprehensive radon picture of any town in the state. After being featured in the media, our report was requested by towns all over the state, by the state radon commission, and even by the federal radon commission. The slides show a classroom transformed into something like a non-profit company— printing and mailing off copies of the report, responding to requests and questions with individual cover letters. This was work that mattered. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CREATING A CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE: FIVE PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES

1. Assign work that matters. Students need assignments that challenge and inspire them. At the Raphael Hernandez School in Boston, for example, middle schoolers took on a study of vacant lots in their Roxbury neighborhood. Students researched the history of the sites and interviewed neighborhood members regarding what uses they would prefer for the lots. Their proposals were formally presented to the mayor of Boston and his staff, and one of the sites was later converted into community gardens.

2. Study examples of excellence. Before they begin work on a project, the teacher and students examine models of excellence—high-quality work done by previous students as well as work done by professionals. What makes a particular science project, piece of writing, or architectural blueprint so good? What was the process of achieving such high quality? What mistakes and revisions were probably, part of the process?

3. Build a culture of critique. Formal critique sessions build a culture of critique that is essential for improving students’ work. The rules for group critique: “Be kind; be specific; be helpful.”

Students presenting a piece of work first explain their ideas or goals and state what they are seeking help with. Classmates begin with positive comments and phrase suggestions as questions: “Have you considered . . . ?” The teacher uses the critique session as the optimal opportunity for teaching necessary concepts and skills. Through this process, students have regular experiences of being able to improve the quality of a piece of work as a result of feedback from others.

4. Require multiple revisions. In most schools, students turn in first drafts—work that doesn’t represent their best effort and that is typically discarded after it has been graded and returned. In life, when the quality of one’s work really matters, one almost never submits a first draft. An ethic of excellence requires revision.

5. Provide opportunities for public presentation. Every final draft students complete is done for an outside audience— whether a class of kindergartners, the principal, or the wider community. The teacher’s role is not as the sole judge of their work but rather similar to that of a sports coach or play director—helping them get their work ready for the public eye.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Biographies of seniors. In another project, my 6th-graders interviewed senior citizens and wrote their biographies. No one needed to tell them the reason for doing a quality job. These books were to be gifts to the seniors, gifts that might become precious heirlooms. Because their work would have this public audience, students were motivated to seek critique from everyone. They read the drafts of their biographies to the whole class for suggestions. They labored, draft after draft, on their cover designs. They wanted their books to be perfect. This, too, was work that mattered.

_______________________________________________________________________________________ Once students see that they are capable of excellence, they are never quite satisfied with less.

_______________________________________________________________________________________ Archiving Excellence One of my jobs as a teacher is to be an archiver of excellence. Wherever I am, in my school or in other schools, I am on the lookout for models of beautiful work, powerful work, important work. These examples set the standards for what my students and I aspire to achieve in school.

In my library I have photographs of historical architectural scale models built by 4th-graders in Decatur, Georgia, that would set a high standard even for high school students. I have a field guide to a pond in Dubuque, Iowa, written and illustrated by elementary school students, that is bookstore quality. I have statistical math studies designed by 3rd-graders in Maine. I have photocopies of students' stories, essays, reviews, novels, and poetry. I have videotapes of portfolio presentations by students from all over the country. And I have 25 years of models from my own classroom and school—copies, photographs, slides, and videotapes—that I draw from almost daily.

When my class begins a new project we begin with a taste of excellence. I pull out these models of work by former students, videotapes of former students presenting their work, exemplary work from other schools, and examples of work from the professional world. We discuss what makes the work powerful; what makes a piece of creative writing compelling; what makes a scientific or historical research project significant, and stirring. Culture Matters

The achievement of students is governed to a large degree by their family culture, neighborhood culture, and school culture. Students may have different potentials, but in general their attitudes and achievements are shaped by the culture around them. Students adjust their attitudes and efforts in order to fit into the culture. If the peer culture ridicules academic effort and achievement—it isn't cool to care openly about school—this is a powerful force. If the peer culture celebrates investment in school, this is just as powerful. Schools need to consciously shape their cultures to be places where it's safe to care, cool to care.

When children first come to school, they do care. An enthusiastic attitude toward learning seems universal in kindergartens. By secondary school, however, things are very different. I am struck in particular by conversations with middle school and high school students from poor urban or rural neighborhoods who attend large schools. When I ask about the social norm for showing interest in learning, I am often met by friendly laughter. Students say you would be out of your mind to raise your hand in class or otherwise show interest in school. This attitude appears to be a primary obstacle to achievement in these schools. Jason's Story: The Power of Positive Peer Pressure

I was raised with the message that peer pressure was something negative. Peer pressure meant kids trying to talk you into smoking cigarettes or taking drugs. I realized after ten years of teaching that positive peer pressure was often the primary reason my classroom was a safe, supportive environment for student learning. Peer pressure wasn't something to be afraid of, to be avoided, but rather something to be cultivated in a positive direction. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Schools need to create a culture where it's "cool to care." ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ A few years back I got a boy who was new to my school as a sixth-grader. He entered the class with a bad attitude and wasn't about to change it to please an adult.

This boy, whom I'll call Jason, was clear about who he was. The evening of the first day of school I read through his background sheet, an introduction form he had filled out to let me know a bit about his life and interests. I met with him the next day to learn more about him. I learned that Jason's father was a logger who spent his life alone in the woods cutting firewood. Jason worked with him whenever he had the opportunity—clearing brush, cutting and stacking wood, and working with heavy equipment. Jason was proud of his skill in the woods, and he loved his life there.

Jason hated school, he said. He hated teachers. He had always done terribly in school, but it didn't matter; he didn't need school—his father hadn't needed school, and he didn't either. Soon he could leave school and cut wood full-time and make a living. He hated the fact that he didn't live with his father. He hated the fact that his mother had moved to this junky town. He hated women and girls in general. Jason made no friends the first two days of school. In the classroom and on the playground he was suspicious and unfriendly. On the third day, I took the class and their parents on an Outward Boundtype adventure trip to build a sense of community and challenge. We climbed a mountain and went cave-exploring together. The students and parents were scared and excited and knew they had to work together as a team. Underground, in the dark, Jason couldn't worry about whose hand he was grabbing for help. He helped others, even girls, and they helped him. He got compliments from others for his support in the tight squeezes and smiled for the first time. But he wasn't a new person. The trip had been a beginning, had built important bridges, but back in the classroom it wasn't long before his scowl returned. He'd be darned if he was going to put any effort into his schoolwork.

Adult Approval Was Not Enough

If my teaching personality were all I had going for me with Jason, I wouldn't have gotten too far. Adult approval was not the big motivator in his life. Fortunately, I had the power of the school culture on my side. Students in my school have learned to care since pre-school. They have shared their work with pride with different audiences since they were four years old. They have been surrounded by models of strong work and children who enjoyed school, cared about their work, and were outspoken about it. They have learned to feel that a safe and inclusive emotional environment is the norm. This is not to say that work or behavior is always good, but rather that it is expected. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Our students have learned that in order to fit in, working hard and respecting others are expected. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ There was no role for a mean-spirited class clown in our classroom. Jason may have garnered social power and attention in other schools by cracking jokes at the expense of others or at the expense of class lessons, but here he got only frustration and complaints from peers. Jason may have fit in fine in other schools by turning in lousy work, but here, during our regular classroom critique sessions, he was met with critical eyes and helpful suggestions from peers. When Jason turned in sloppy, meager work, other students advised him to put a little more care into it. At first, he met their suggestions with defensive anger.

The turning point for Jason came when he pinned up something for class critique that was well done and was showered with compliments from the class. They knew what a breakthrough this was for him. He actually blushed. In the same way, the first time Jason stepped out of his role as a bully to do something nice for another student, it was discussed during our morning meeting, and he was met with unfamiliar praise.

During the course of the fall, Jason's work began to improve, along with his attitude. At one point he looked at his work and smiled. "I'm proud of this," he said. "I think it's the first good thing I've ever really done in school. I think the class will like this." ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Jason had bought in to school. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Jason's academic skills didn't become stellar overnight, and his personality remained difficult at times. But he was a different kid. He made eye contact with me and with others. He was proud of his work. He was willing to put time into reading and writing. He had bought in to school. An Ethic of Excellence

How do I really know what I have done for students? How do I know what my school has done? I think of my life in my small town. The policeman is a former student. I trust him to protect my life. The nurse at my medical clinic is my former student. I trust her with my health. The lifeguard at the town lake is my former student. She watches my grandsons as they swim. There may not be numbers to measure these things, but there is a reason I feel so thankful trusting my life to these people. They take pride in doing their best. They have an ethic of excellence.

Adapted from Ron Berger's An Ethic of Excellence: Building a Culture of Craftsmanship with Students (Heinemann, 2003). Ron Berger was a public school teacher for 28 years and is now a school consultant/designer for Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound. He can be reached at [email protected].

More than a strategy, critique and multiple drafts is about an ethic Berger shares his passion for beautiful student work in this short

EXTENSION

text about school culture, work of excellence, and teaching of excellence. Response: We would invite you to read this with colleagues, or blog quotations, questions, and your comments about the ideas presented and share with our Google+ community.

WATCH

REAL Talk: Multiple drafts and student critique

Critique Planner Complete the Critique Planner. Practice the strategy you designed in your classroom.

ACTIVITIES

Team Task: Pair up with a colleague and plan to observe one another leading a new strategy for critique. Debrief your observations and reflect together on what you noticed and what you wondered. Reflect back highlights from the experience with your team.

Module 3 / Multiple Drafts & Critique

Critique Planner

Module 3 Multiple Drafts & Critique Critique Planner

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Module 3 / Multiple Drafts & Critique

Critique Planner

Critique Planner Brief 1. Reflect: What are your goals or desired outcomes? If you have done critique in the past, what problems or difficulties arise?

2. Explore: Take note of critique structures that support your goals and/or address your difficulties.

3. Design: Make adjustments or adaptations to your selected structure to meet your time constraints and specific context. Don’t be afraid to experiment!

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Module 3 / Multiple Drafts & Critique

Critique Planner

Reflect on Goals & Difficulties What are your goals or desired outcomes for introducing critique? Students learn from exemplar work Students receive encouragement and/or support from their peers Support students to create quality work and demonstrate standards Support students to develop their ability to give critique Develop a stronger culture of critique in my classroom Establish the purpose of critique Other:

If you have done critique in the past, what problems or difficulties arose? Multiple drafts do not improve the quality of student work Insufficient time to engage in quality critique practices Students struggle or neglect to implement improvements to their next drafts Students have insufficient understanding of the model Students neglect to provide specific feedback Students demonstrate nervousness to engage in critique practices Other:If you have done critique in the past, what problems or difficulties arose?What are your goals or desired outcomes for introducing critique?

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Module 3 / Multiple Drafts & Critique

Critique Planner

Explore Critique Structures Gallery Critique A whole class critique session to focus on bright spots and develop criteria for success.

In-Depth Critique A whole class critique session to discuss and compare two pieces of exemplary critique.

Quick Checks A whole class visual check to assess the quality of critique received.

Focus Drafts

Checklists

Critical Friends

A method to structure revision and development of student work to standards.

A method to support students focus on standards of quality work. Can be self- or peer-assessed.

A peer critique structure to enable students to develop trust and relationships to support the culture of critique.

Carousel Critique

Departments

Active Listening Triads

A whole class critique session to allow all students to receive some feedback on their work.

A management structure to help students play to their strengths, develop leadership, and support one another’s work.

A small group structure that supports students to develop their writing, reading, and listening skills.

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Module 3 / Multiple Drafts & Critique

Critique Planner

Explore Critique Structures Conferencing A structure to support the development of student work through one-on-one conferences.

Tuning Protocols A structure to enable students to tune ideas or projects in a small group setting.

Fish Bowl A strategy to introduce and model new structures of critique.

Written Conversations A structure for students provide feedback to one another through rounds of written comments.

Expert Mentors

Focus Questions

Students work directly with an expert to facilitate the development of their work.

A strategy to help students engage in critique structures by first thinking critically about their work and posing questions for review.

Visual Rubric A support strategy to assist students to give specific feedback with visual cues and short comments.

Google Doc Comments Pairs or small groups of students provide written feedback to one another via the comment function on Google Docs.

Question Prompts A support strategy to assist students to select from a few questions provided to identify a focus question for critique.

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Module 3 / Multiple Drafts & Critique

Critique Planner

Design New Structures 1. Culture: How can you support and/or develop the culture of critique in your classroom?

2. Time: How much time do you have for this critique session? How much time do your students require?

3. Scaffolds: What do your students struggle with? How can you support them to provide quality critique?

Page 6 15년 6월 17일 수

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

BRIGHT SPOTS CRITIQUE

A whole class critique session to focus on bright spots and develop criteria for success. Time: 30 minutes Group size: Whole class (20–30 students)

Bright Spots Critique Protocol Step 1: Students display work ​ (5 minutes) Step 2: Silent gallery walk​ (5 minutes) ● Students walk around the classroom, silently observing all the displayed work. They may take notes if they wish. Instruct the students to identify one piece of work that strikes them and be ready to share their reasoning. ● Students can also stick post-its with their comments on pieces of work. Step 3: What did you notice? ​ (5 minutes) ● In this discussion, students can only comment on what they have noticed (eg. this portrait is centred on the left eye, this poem doesn’t use any punctuation except commas, this solar oven uses mirrors as well as foil). They cannot offer any opinions or judgments. ● The purpose of this is to get people to notice specific aspects of the work, and to listen each other’s ideas in a low-stakes environment. Step 4: What do you think?​ (15 minutes) ● In this discussion, students point out what they found most compelling and interesting in the work they observed. Each time they choose a piece of work, they must say exactly what they found compelling about it – being as precise as possible (they may need help from the teacher and their peers in order to draw this out). ● The teacher also points out what they found particularly interesting in the work that they observed. ● The teacher writes down students’ insights in order to identify and codify specific strategies that any of them could use to improve their work.

Source: Adapted from Patton, Alec. ​ Work That Matters​ , p. 99. Innovation Unit. 2012

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

INSTRUCTIONAL CRITIQUE

A whole class critique session to discuss and compare two pieces of exemplary work. Time: 35-40 minutes Group size: Whole class (20–30 students)

Instructional critique protocol Preparation: Selection of work for critique ● There are two important criteria for the work you are choosing: it should exemplify the kind of thing your students will be producing, and it should be work of quality (though it doesn’t need to be the work of an ‘expert’ – for example, it’s likely you’ll want to hold a critique of the model of the product that you’ve produced yourself). Step 1 (optional): Framing the critique​ (5 minutes) ● The teacher tells students what aspects of the work they should be focusing on, and displays them at the front for everyone to see. ● This step is especially useful with a group that has never done critique before, because it gives a clear focus to the critique. ● The downside of this step is that it imposes boundaries on the discussion, which may prevent other insights from emerging – so in some instances, it will be better to skip this step and have a more open-ended critique. Step 2: Silent examination ​ (10 minutes) ● Every student studies their own copy of the work, taking notes on what impresses them most about it, and what they think could be done to improve it. Step 3: Discussion in small groups ​ (10 minutes) ● In groups of 3–5, students discuss their observations about the work. As a group, they decide on six aspects of the work that they admire, and three recommendations for improving it. ● If you are framing the critique, remind students to make sure their list covers all the aspects of the work that you have told them to focus on. Step 4: Whole-class discussion​ (15 minutes) ● The goals of this discussion are to identify the attributes of excellent student work for this particular assignment, and to show how these could be applied to the work under examination (thereby modelling the process of revising your work). Once those attributes are identified, they need to be named by the students so they so that they can be used. ● By the end of the discussion, the class will have a list of attributes of excellent work, as well as a set of strategies for revising their drafts so that they become excellent. If you used a set of lessons to ‘frame’ the critique, the list should cover them, though it may also include things that you hadn’t thought of before.

Source: Patton, Alec. ​ Work That Matters​ , p. 98. Innovation Unit. 2012

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

QUICK CHECKS

A whole class visual check to assess and support the quality of critique received. Time: 5 minutes Group size: Whole class (20–30 students)

Quick Checks Assessment Quick Checks can be used after a short critique session. Try partnering this assessment with Gallery Critiques or Written Conversations. Step 1: Ask students to think critically about the feedback they received ​ (1 minute) ● Remind the students that critique should be kind, helpful, and specific. Ask them to reflect on  the feedback they received for how it measured up to these criteria. Step 2: Students grade their feedback by a show of hands​ (1 minute) ● Ask students to give their feedback a grade, and to indicate with their hands the grade it received. For example, “​ Raise two hands if it was very helpful, you know exactly what you need to do now. One hand if it was a little bit helpful, but only so-so. And keep your hands on the table if it wasn’t helpful at all.” Step 3: Highlight some bright spots ​ (3 minutes) ● Ask one or two students with two hands up to share the critique they received and why they feel it was very helpful. You can also ask a student with just one hand up to share the feedback they received, and what they think might have made it more helpful. This technique gives you an “at-a-glance” perspective of how well students are critiquing one another’s work, and also provides models of great feedback for students to learn from.

Source: Classroom observation of Andy Cooper at Oasis Academy Brislington. 2014.

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

FOCUS DRAFTS

A method to structure revision and development of student work to standards.

Focus Drafts Technique Focus Drafts can be used with any assignment. Try partnering this method with the Instructional Critique Protocol, Conferencing, Small Group Workshops, or any of the critique structures. The principle behind Focus Drafts is that each draft of student work will focus on an essential standard. Each progressive draft will allow students to shift their focus and develop the quality of their work. Step 1: Introduce the assignment and provide time for students to complete their first draft ● The focus for the first draft of work is always to “get it down” onto paper. For the first draft, you may encourage students not to worry too much about spelling, grammar, or conventions, but to do their best and complete the assignment in the time allotted. Step 2: Identify a second focus area ● For the first revision, introduce the second area of focus. Depending on the nature of the assignment, this might be to edit for energy, accuracy, color, grammatical conventions, style, voice, or imagination. ● You may identify focus areas in advance, or you may review student work to notice trends in what students need to improve. Step 3: Provide time for students to revise their work based on the new focus ● You may wish to lead an Instructional Critique with this step, identifying work that exemplifies the new focus. ● You can introduce focus drafts without providing opportunities for critique, but the time to examine work and discuss it as a class or with a peer helps to deepen student understanding of each criteria. Step 4: Continue to repeat steps 2 and 3 until all students have created work of excellence. ● It will be helpful to have students do a “fine-tooth edit” focus for their final drafts of work, particularly if their work is being published. ● Students will be more motivated to complete multiple drafts of their work if you are creating the work for an authentic audience and displaying their work at a public exhibition.

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

CHECKLISTS

A tool to support students to focus on standards of quality work which can be self- or peer-assessed. Class Time: 15-25 minutes in class Group size: 1 or 2 students

Checklist Critique Tool Step 1: Prepare a checklist with success criteria ● Your checklist can target specific success criteria, or create a larger checklist to be all-inclusive. You should consider both style and content as areas to assess. ● You can support student learning by examining exemplar work together and working as a class to generate success criteria. ● To support students of all learning styles, you could include visuals such a grid to help them assign levels to each criteria or boxes for students to leave short comments on the work. Step 2: Provide the checklist to students and time to closely examine their drafts ​ (10-15 minutes) ● You can use the checklists in different ways, sometimes allowing students to do a self-assessment, and other times allowing them to do a partner assessment. Step 3: What did you notice? ​ (5 minutes) ● Whether you asked students to work individually or with a partner, after they have reviewed the checklist, provide time for them to discuss their work with a peer. This will help them verbalise what came up from their assessment, and will also give them time to communicate things that go beyond the checklist. Step 4: What are your next steps?​ (5 minutes) ● The students can work independently or with a partner to create a to-do list with revision tasks for their next draft of work. Encourage the students to be as specific as possible.

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

CHECKLIST Critic:___________________________ Presenter:_______________________ Critique Tool ​ (to be filled out by critic): Presentation Component

Success Criteria

Visual Aid -Student uses a powerpoint, prezi, ted talk, poster, or whiteboard to help convey their message.

▢visual aid contributes to the overall presentation ▢if it is a powerpoint or prezi it: ● has limited words ● uses clear font ● doesn’t read from it during presentation ● uses colors that are easy to look at ● uses clear images

Presentation Skills -Student effectively demonstrates presentation skills such as eye contact, voice inflection and volume, preparation, and professionalism.

▢catches the audience’s attention with a good hook in the introduction ▢makes eye contact ▢speaks clearly ▢speaks slowly ▢is dressed professionally ▢uses inflection in his/her voice ▢does not read word-for-word from cards ▢uses good transitions

Next Steps ​ (to be filled out by presenter)​ :

What Did You Notice?

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

CRITICAL FRIENDS

A peer critique structure to enable students to develop trust and relationships to support the culture of critique. Critical Friends (CFs) is a structure to allow students to work closely with a peer during the entire drafting process. Critical Friends work best when structures allow the students to develop a real friendship and trust for one another’s feedback on their work. They will read every draft and provide feedback at each stage of the work’s development. They will be the first person that students can go to when they need support, encouragement, or advice about what to do next. Time: 25 minutes to introduce, and then varies Group size: Whole class (20–30 students)

Critical Friends Structure Step 1: Choosing assignments ​ (10 minutes) ● Ask students to write down ​ three​ people with whom they would most like to work, ​ one person with whom they feel they could absolutely not work, and whether or not they prefer to work with a specific gender. You can allow students to provide reasoning for their selections, although it is not necessary. ● Instruct students that you will do your best to honour their preferences, although it may not be possible in every assignment. ● From there, you can make assignments for critical friends, honouring their preferences about who they would like to work with, as well as who they feel they cannot work with for whatever reason. This step is important because it provides a foundation for trust and friendship to develop between the students, and gives them a degree of choice in the decision. Step 2: Critical Friend introductions ​ (15 minutes) ● When you announce the assignments, remind the students that the purpose of critical friends is for them to have someone to get to know them and their goals for their work, and who will be the first person to give advice and support. ● The first time students meet together, they should generate ideas for conversation starters. Make sure they include “How are you” as one topic, as it allows students an opportunity to talk about the positive psychology needed when doing real work, and how sometimes our mental status is relevant to the work that we are trying to do. Other good starters are what are your strengths, what are your concerns for your work, how can I help you? Step 3: Critical Friend check-ins ​ (varies) ● Check-ins with CFs can happen as often as it makes sense in the project. The CF can be a person that is the first to review their work. They can check in at the start, middle, or end of each day. The check-ins can be casual, or more structured. It is up to you. It is helpful to make a point to have CFs meet in a structured way at least once in each project day, otherwise the students may forget that they have a CF.

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

● You can partner this strategy with other critique structures, such as Checklists, Guiding Questions, and Small Group Workshops.

GALLERY WALK CRITIQUE

A whole class critique session to allow all students to receive some feedback on their work. Time: 30 minutes Group size: Whole class (20–30 students)

Gallery Walk Protocol The Gallery Walk Protocol can be used when you want to provide space for all students to display their work and receive some feedback on it. Try partnering this with Guiding Questions, Guiding Question Prompts, and Quick Checks. Step 1: Students display work ​ (5 minutes) Step 2: Silent gallery walk​ (10-15 minutes) ● Students walk around the classroom, silently observing all the displayed work. ● Students write notes on the drafts, or affix post-its with general impressions and suggestions for improvements. Step 3: What did you notice? ​ (5 minutes) ● After the gallery walk, students return to their seats. You can provide time for them to read their comments, and discuss their ideas about the feedback with a partner. ● The students can then create a short list of revision tasks to implement in their next draft. Encourage the students to be as specific as possible with their goals and changes that they want to make.

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

Gallery “TAG” Critique be kind - be specific - be helpful

Feedback for:__________________ Feedback from:__________________ Tell something that you like:

Ask a question:

Give a suggestion:

Gallery “TAG” Critique be kind - be specific - be helpful

Feedback for:__________________ Feedback from:__________________ Tell something that you like:

Ask a question:

Give a suggestion:

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

Source​ :​ “TAG” Critique adapted from a tool by ​ Chris Edwards at St. Giles Academy in Lincoln.

DEPARTMENTS & ROLES

A management structure to help students play to their strengths, develop leadership, and support one another’s work. Time: Varies Group size: 3-6 students

Departments & Roles Structure Step 1: Student identify strengths and select preferred roles ● Present the students with a variety of roles that model the professional world. Each role should be clearly defined and include practical description. ● Depending on the nature of the project and the readiness of your students, you may wish students to take a strengths assessment or apply for the job with a resume or cover letter. Step 2: Assign roles and/or create departments ● Review the students’ preferences and assign roles based on their strengths. ● You can create groups that include one person from each role, or create departments by clustering students with the same role together. Smaller departments work best to ensure that each student has space to contribute. Step 3: Utilise roles during project work time ​ (5 minutes) ● Create a workflow so that the students exercise their roles within their groups or departments. This may mean allowing students to support one another through their roles during work time, or creating routines where students can submit their work to a department for review.

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

Source: Classroom observation of E. Clements at Oasis Academy Brislington. 2014.

ACTIVE LISTENING TRIADS

A small group structure that supports students to develop their writing, reading, and listening skills. This is a “light” critique structure in that it helps provide students with an audience for in­class writing,  as well as gives them an ear for what writing “sounds right” through reading their writing aloud. It  helps them gain new perspectives on their work and develop a sense of voice. This structure focuses  on bright spots in the writing, rather than what needs corrected, and can be useful to develop a safe  and open critique culture in your classroom.    Time: 20-22 minutes Group size: 3 students

Active Listening Protocol Step 1: Introduce the purpose of the activity ​ (3-4 minutes) ● Explain that Active Listening is a technique to honor someone’s writing by giving them full attention and identifying lines that strike you from their work. ● Assign students to work in groups of three. You can allow them to choose, or group them randomly, depending on your classroom culture and expectations for your students. Step 2: Students cluster eye-to-eye, knee-to-knee​ (2-3 minutes) ● Students move to sit in groups with their writing, a piece of paper and writing utensil to take notes. The groups should spread out as much as possible, and sit close together so they can hear one another’s reading. Step 3: Students take turns presenting and listening ​ (15 minutes) ● The first student reads their writing aloud, while the audience ​ takes notes on lines and  phrases that strike them for whatever reason.  ● Afterwards, the audience takes turns sharing back the lines that struck them.  ● The audience can also pose questions or wonderings that were evoked by the writing, or  speculates about the meaning of the author’s work.  ● This process continues until all authors have shared their writing.

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

 

ACTIVE LISTENING NOTES Take notes when you are listening to your group’s pieces  Author 1____________________________  Something s/he likes…      Something s/he wonders…      Notes:                                     

Author 2____________________________  Something s/he likes…      Something s/he wonders…      Notes:           

  ACTIVE LISTENING NOTES for the AUTHOR  Take notes when your group is sharing their thoughts about your piece                 

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

               

CONFERENCING

A structure to support the development of student work through one-on-one conferences. Time: 5-8 minutes per student Group size: 1 student

Conferencing Protocol Step 1: Student presents work ​ (2 minutes) ● Meet with the student and invite them to share their work with you. This may be done through a casual conversation, or with a more formal structure. If it is a presentation, you may ask that they present their work orally. Step 2: Teacher shares warm and cool feedback ​ (2-3 minutes) ● Start the conference by celebrating the work that the student has shared, and identify the aspects of the work that excel. Be as specific as possible, so that the student has a clear understanding of the bright spots of their work. ● Share where you would like to see students extend their thinking or tell more. You may also question aspects of the work that you did not understand, or where you felt the need for more elaboration. Invite a dialogue with the student about their work. ● Finally, share cool feedback and areas for improvement. Step 3: Student clarifies suggestions and forms goals ​ (1-2 minutes) ● Continue to dialogue with the student about your suggestions. Make sure that you or the student are taking notes, so that the suggestions can be catalogued and implemented into the next revision. ● You may invite the student to make corrections and revisions immediately after the conference while the ideas are fresh in their mind.

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

FISHBOWLS

A strategy to introduce and model new structures of critique. Time: 20 minutes Group size: Whole class (20–30 students)

Fishbowl Strategy This is a structured and public dialog that is useful for introducing new structures of critique, and also for analysing helpful and unhelpful behaviors in critique conversations. Try partnering this strategy with the Tuning Protocol, Small Group Workshops, or other multi-step critique structures. Step 1: Select volunteers to model the new structure ​ (2 minutes) ● Request student volunteers to participate in modeling the new structure. Inform the volunteers that you will guide them through the process every step of the way, and that the class will analyse their participation afterwards. Step 2: Introduce the new structure ​ (3 minutes) ● Discuss the steps of the new critique structure. It will be helpful to have this information written on the board or provided in a printed handout for students to reference. ● Remind the class that they not only act as an audience to observe the new structure in action, but they should also think critically about what helpful and unhelpful behaviors they observe in the fishbowl. Step 3: Guide the students through the structure ​ (8-10 minutes) ● Facilitate the new structure introducing each step. It is not important to use the full time for each step, but just give the class an experience of the flow of the activity. Each student in the fishbowl should have an opportunity to contribute warm and cool feedback for the presenter. Step 4: What do you think?​ (5 minutes) ● Invite the audience to share out specific behaviors that they noticed that were helpful for

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

the conversation. Write these on the board. ● Then invite them to consider what unhelpful behaviors they noticed. Write these on the board, as well. ● Thank the volunteers for participating in the fishbowl, and now all students should be able to participate in the new structure with a clear knowledge of best practices.

SMALL GROUP WORKSHOPS Students are in groups of three with specific guiding questions about the product in hand. Each student spends about 10−15 minutes on presenting and receiving feedback/critique. Time: 40-55 minutes Group size: 3 students

Small Group Workshops Step 1 (Optional): Students prepare their work to present ​ (5 minutes) ● Students should compose one or two questions about their work that they would like to receive feedback on during the critique. Alternatively, you can provide students with guiding questions to help focus their critique in a more specific way. Step 2: Students workshop in small groups​ (10-15 minutes each) ● Students take turns presenting their product to the two other students and then discussing the questions as a way to improve product quality. Step 3: What are your next steps? ​ (5 minutes) ● The students can work independently or with their small group to complete a to-do list with revision tasks for their next draft of work.

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

TUNING PROTOCOL

A structure to enable students to tune ideas or projects in a small group setting. Time: 65-80 minutes Group size: 4-5 students

Tuning Protocol   The Tuning Protocol helps students to have a safe, structured critique session by diving deep into  each student’s work. By having a prolonged discussion about the work, it encourages students to  honor one another’s ideas, as well as give time to discuss refinements in a small group.     Step 1: Introduce the norms ​ (3­5 minutes)  ● Remind students to be “Hard on the content, soft on the people” which means to respect the  presenter, but also not to hold back on giving great feedback on the work. Secondly, to “Share  the air (or step up, step back)” and try to make sure that everyone has a chance to contribute  ideas. Finally, to “Be kind, helpful and specific.”   ● Make sure each group has a handout of the Tuning Protocol, or that it is clearly written on the  board.    Step 2: Students work in small groups to tune their work ​ (15 minutes)  ● Present​  (3 minutes) Presenter gives an overview of the work and explains what goals he/she  had in mind when designing the project. Group members can look at the work (sketches,  reference photos, drafts) if the presenter would like to share. The presenter then poses a  question for the group to address during the discussion.  

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES







Questions​  – (3 min) The group should then ask questions of the presenter. Questions can  either clarify the work itself and the process OR questions can probe the presenter to think  about their work in a new way.  Discussion​  ­ (5 min) The presenter reframes the question if necessary and physically  removed herself from the group (but is close enough to hear the discussion). The group  discusses the work and attempts to provide feedback on the presenter’s question. Begin with  warm feedback, such as “What do you like about the work?” and then move on to cool  feedback.  Cool feedback includes a more critical analysis of the work, as well as providing  suggestions for the presenter’s question.  Response​  – (2 min) The presenter may share what struck her and what next steps might be  taken as a result of the ideas generated by the discussion. 

  Step 3: Repeat the protocol until all students have presented their work ​ (45­60 minutes) 

Project Tuning Student Sheet Directions​ : As you listen to the presenter, take notes on the following: 1) What are the basic details of the project?

2) Is there anything about the presentation that isn’t clear?

3) What good ideas do you hear?

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

4) What ideas do you question?

5) What advice/feedback do you have for the presenter?

WRITTEN CONVERSATIONS Students provide feedback to one another through rounds of written comments.

Time: 25-35 minutes Group size: 4-6 students

Written Conversations Protocol Step 1: Students prepare their work to present ​ (5 minutes) ● Instruct students to identify a section of their work to present for critique. The work should be selected such that it can be closely examined or read in 1-2 minutes. ● Students should compose one or two questions about their work that they would like to receive feedback on during the critique. Step 2: Rounds of critique ​ (4-5 minutes each) ● Students pass their work to the left to receive written feedback. ● Instruct students to review the section of work and leave kind, specific, and helpful feedback. Time permitting, they can read the comments left in previous rounds to agree or add-on to the suggestions of others in the group. ● Go through 2-3 rounds of critique. It is not essential that everyone comments on each piece of work in the group.

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

Step 3: What are your next steps?​ (5 minutes) ● The students can work independently or with a partner to create a to-do list with revision tasks for their next draft of work. Encourage the students to be as specific as possible when creating their lists.

WRITTEN CONVERSATION 1.    Identify a section of your work to be critiqued and write below.                          2.    List one or two questions or challenges you have about your work.            Review the work and the creator’s questions, and provide feedback on their work so far.   

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

Round #1                      Round #2                     

GOOGLE DOC COMMENTS

Pairs or small groups of students provide written feedback to one another via the comment function on Google Docs. Time: 25-30 minutes Group size: Whole class (20–30 students)

Google Doc Comments Critique This strategy for critique is similar to Small Group Workshops, but entirely digital and silent. This type of activity may be difficult for your more talkative students, but may be helpful for students who benefit from quiet environments to concentrate. Try partnering this strategy with Guiding Questions or Checklists. Step 1: Students share work with their partner(s) via Google Docs ​ (5 minutes) ● Students unfamiliar with Google Docs may require additional assistance to toggle the share settings on their document. Encourage students to ask one another for help and monitor that all students have successfully shared their documents with their partners. ● You may also request students to share their document with you so that you can monitor their critique and leave additional comments as desired.

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

Step 2: Silent critique​ (15-20 minutes) ● Students leave comments on different sections of their partners’ work. Encourage students to balance their feedback by being positive (What do you like about their work?), suggestive (What should they do differently?), and inquisitive (What is unclear? What do you want to know more about?). Step 3 (optional): Group discussion ​ (5 minutes) ● You may conclude a silent digital critique with a short opportunity for students to ask questions aloud to clarify any confusing feedback, or to get additional support for next steps. Depending on the readiness of your students, this step may be critical for students to get the most out of the critique session.

Critique Sentence Starters Directions As you look at your peer’s work, consider using some of these sentence starters whilst leaving your feedback.

Warm Feedback  

Cool Feedback  

● I immediately understand ______.   

● I would like to see more of ______.   

● You do a good job of ______.   

● I did not understand why ______.   

● You did ______ really well, because  ______.   

● I would like to learn more about  ______.   

● I like how used ______ in order to  ______.    ● What really stood out was ______. 

● Can you explain why ______.    ● It is difficult for me to understand  ______ because ______. 

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

 

  ● I like the way you wrote ______. 

● This point is unclear. You could  improve it by ______.   

EXPERT MENTORS

Students work with an expert to facilitate the development of their work. Time: Varies Group size: 4-5 students

Expert Mentors Step 1: Solicit support from experts ● This critique strategy requires some advance preparation. Identify experts in the field who would be willing to dedicate 30-45 minutes of time to virtually critiquing student work for the duration of their project. ● Consider contacting professionals, retired professionals, or young people who study this field. Anyone with more experience than your students can be considered an expert, even if they are still in school.

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

Step 2: Students introduce themselves to their mentors​ (10 minutes) ● Instruct students to compose a short, professional email to their mentors to introduce themselves and to thank them for supporting their work. ● If students are working in groups, then an expert can be utilised to support that group of students. Otherwise, you may ask the expert how many students they would like to work with. Step 3: Expert critique sessions ​ (20 minutes) ● Students should scan or attach their work in an email to their expert, along with questions for their mentor to answer. ● Invite the experts to critique student work after they have gotten feedback from their peers and their teacher. Plan to invite expert critique two or three times at key stages in the development of the work, and anticipate that experts may require several days to respond to the work.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

A strategy to help students engage in critique structures by first thinking critically about their work and posing questions for review. Time: 5-10 minutes Group size: 1-2 students

Guiding Questions Strategy This strategy works well in conjunction with other critique structures, such as Written Conversations, Tuning Protocols, Small Group Workshops, or Gallery Walks. Step 1: Students identify a piece of work to receive critique ​ (2-3 minutes) ● Instruct students to identify a section of their work to present for critique. The work should be selected such that it can be closely examined or read in 1-2 minutes. Step 2: Students prepare a question to guide ​ (3-7 minutes)

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

● Students should compose one or two questions about their work that they would like to receive feedback on during the critique. ● You might solicit some ideas from the group before students work to craft their question and/or allow the students to generate their questions in partners.

 

Guiding Question Critique Prep   Identify a section of your work to submit for critique:                                

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

              Something I like about this section is…                   Something I am wondering about this section is….                  

GUIDING QUESTION PROMPTS

A support strategy to assist students to select from a few questions provided to identify a guiding question for critique. Preparation time: 30 minutes Time: 10 minutes Group size: Varies

Guiding Question Prompts Strategy This strategy is a scaffold for students that struggle with meta-level thinking. It provides support by identifying guiding questions in advance, and asking students to think critically about the questions and their work. Try partnering this strategy with the Gallery Walk, Written Conversations, or Small Group Workshops.

CRITIQUE & MULTIPLE DRAFTS STRUCTURES

Step 1: Review student work to generate guiding questions ​ (20 minutes) ● Critically review student work to identify areas where students have common struggles. ● Generate 3-4 guiding questions based on areas that they need to refine their drafts. Step 2: Prepare guiding question prompts for students ​ (10 minutes) ● Type the questions with plenty of space between each question and print out on a half-sheet of paper. Print enough copies for each student or group of students. Step 3: Students identify a question to pose about their work​ (5 minutes) ● Provide the guiding question prompts for students to review alongside their draft. Direct students to review their work, and circle the question that they would like to use for their critique session. ● If you include multiple sections of student work, they may match a second guiding question to their work for review. ● Monitor the students as they identify their guiding questions to ensure that they understand the activity and are thinking critically about the questions they select. Step 4: Students write their guiding question on their draft ​ (5 minutes) ● Instruct students to write the guiding question that they selected on the draft of their work.

Source: Classroom observation of Jess Hughes at School 21. 2015.

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REFLECTIONS

• What went well in your classroom critique? • What will you do differently next time? • How might you invite other teachers into the conversation about critique and multiple drafting?

3. multiple drafts & critique

This module focuses on critique and multiple drafting strategies to support ..... Student Work - Models, Critique and Descriptive Feedback [Video file]. ..... Critique Protocol, Conferencing, Small Group Workshops, or any of the critique structures.

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