Learning+From+Student+Work

// “To be a teacher in the right sense is to be a learner. Instruction begins when you, the teacher, learn from the learner, put yourself in his place so that you may understand what he understands and in the way he understands it.” -Soren Kierkegaard // Learning From Student Work is a process when a small group (ranging from 2-10) of educators review one or more pieces of student work in relation to specific criteria. This process is designed to serve as a tool to guide a small group of educators to discover what students understand and how they are thinking. · Professional development · Informing instruction · Accountability (determining effectiveness of curriculum and instruction) · Exploring the relationship between the student work and established criteria · Reflecting on student learning and development Student work is the centerpiece of the discussion. The piece(s) of work/task chosen should involve a lot of thinking and provide students with some freedom in how they approach the task. The work should also be aligned with explicit criteria. Avoid work that consists primarily of answers with very little explanation or that involves the application of a well-defined procedure. At times, it may be useful to share several pieces of student work that show different approaches to the same assignment. The teacher presents the student work and accompanying criteria by providing a very general description of the piece of work and the task. When describing the student work and the task the teacher should also provide the context for the work, which should include its relationship to the particular unit of study and curricular goals/objectives. The presentation should be non-evaluative. The teacher(s) may choose to give some background information about the child who produced the work. 3. **A Descriptive Review (5 minutes)** Participants engage in dialogue about the student work that should address the following questions.
 * Tracks A and B: Learning From Student Work **
 * What is Learning From Student Work? **
 * What is the purpose of Learning from Student Work? **
 * What is the protocol? **
 * 1. Selecting Student Work to Share **
 * 2. Presenting Student Work (5 minutes) **
 * · What do you see?
 * · What is the student trying to accomplish?
 * · What critical thinking skills are visible in the work?
 * · What does the student know how to do (skills)?
 * · What does the student appear to value?
 * · What does the student seem on the verge of understanding?

Participants review the work in relation to prescribed criteria/rubric and address the following questions.
 * 4. Looking at Criteria (15 minutes) **
 * · To what extent does the work meet the standards expressed in the criteria?
 * · What criteria does the work meet? Not meet? Partially meet?
 * · How does your review influence the evaluation of the piece of work?
 * · How do you know that your evaluation is reliable?

5. **Reflection (5 minutes)** The reflection is when the learning should be summarized.
 * · What did you learn about how this student thinks and learns?
 * · What did you discover about this piece of work in relation to the criteria?
 * · What about this process helped you see and learn new things?

6. **Questions** The dialogue and the reflection should include questions that are posed by the facilitator and raised by the teacher presenting and other members of the group.

Good questions
 * are probing or clarifying.
 * are open-ended.
 * are invitational and approachable in “voice”
 * are non-judgmental.
 * contain exploratory, tentative language.
 * contain positive pre-suppositions.

The Administrator and HOD will write up summary documenting the reflective dialogue that takes place about the student work. The summary will address the following:
 * 7. Summary **
 * · Evidence of student thinking and critical thinking
 * · Relationship between student work and criteria
 * · Questions