by Steve Peterson, DMS 5th Grade Teacher
A few years ago ace-colleague, Heath Kelley, converted me to Google Apps and I came to love the comment features in them. I do most of my work in Google Apps now, but I still struggle with making sure my teacher tone is appropriate in my written comments and that I’m specific and detailed enough to make a difference for learners.
Sometimes in my written comments, I find that I’m not reacting authentically as a reader, something that assessment guru, Dylan Wiliam, suggests is crucial to effective feedback. Instead I react as a judge. I wished I could encourage and point out the good stuff that is happening in student work AND the next steps that I see without that dreaded evaluative tone coming out in my written comments. How can I provide better “comments alone” response that learning research suggests inspires learners to be more intrinsically motivated? On Twitter, recently, I read about teachers (@alicekeeler, for instance) who used a Chrome extension, ScreenCastify, to provide feedback to students. I’m writing to report that I’m trying it out, too. As you can see from the example below, I record myself talking while I’m scrolling through the student’s work. I’m able to speak specifically about things that I see and how I react to them; I think I’m also able to be a little more human in my presentation. Tone and specificity mean a lot. And we all know that learners do better if they feel that they have been heard, understood, and taken seriously.
My protocol is to scan the student work with my rubric in mind. I pick out the 1-2 main ideas that I’d like to get across and highlight these in the text. I might add a short phrase using the comment feature to help me and the student locate and remember the spots I want to comment on.
I make sure that I spend some time on issues that the learner is doing well, or I have seen improvement, so I can notice and name what I see a learner trying to do, as Peter Johnston talks about in his terrific book, Choice Words. I record my thoughts on ScreenCastify as I go. One thing that makes ScreenCastify so easy to use is that it automatically places the video in a Google Drive folder (which it creates for you!) and then it generates an easily accessible shareable link without you having to leave the recording page. I copy the link and paste it in the student’s work, or in private comments. Simple. The student can listen to the recording while they follow along with my comments. Students have said that screencast is sometimes more helpful than a face-to-face conference because they have a record of the conversation that they can listen to again. Since the extension is so easy to use, I am also experimenting with students using it as a tool for their own reflection. So far I’ve had them explain their work to me regarding a visually-based project. They take a photo of the project and walk me through their thinking process. Next steps include using the tool as a way to reflect on their portfolio of student work that they are creating using Google Sites. My ultimate goal is to help students become more reflective, thoughtful, and intentional about the choices they make and the work they do. If you have any insights on how you are using screencasting for feedback or for student reflection, I’d love to hear it. Also, if you’d like help setting ScreenCastify up and their videos don’t do it for you, drop me a line and I’ll help you.
7 Comments
Heath Kelley
4/13/2017 04:27:32 am
Thanks for posting about this Steve. I like the idea of students reflecting about their progress. To go a step further, I think it would be interesting to have students use the tool to give feedback to each other. Since it can be a challenge to give quality feedback to all students, teaching students to give each other feedback using this tool would be a way to develop more of a collaborative culture.
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Steve Peterson
4/20/2017 12:58:36 pm
I agree that it would be great to use the tool as a way for students to give feedback to each other. Like you said, this isn't the only tool, nor is this the most original use of the tool, but it is a way I'm trying to give more feedback to students.
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Ellen Hilger
4/13/2017 05:41:44 am
I love this, Steve!! So cool and powerful for the students! I like how you can leave a written comment along with the verbal comment so the student can go back to it when they are editing. I know that Canvas has a similar feature where you can record your feedback. I haven't explored it enough to know which is more user friendly, but I know it's a possibility. Thanks for sharing!
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Steve Peterson
4/20/2017 01:00:38 pm
I've tried the Canvas tool (and it works, too!) but I'm finding that I like to have things right there in Google Docs, not a 3rd party app. SC works so well with Drive.
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Holly Fish
4/13/2017 07:40:21 am
Thank you for sharing Steve. As a student, (especially at this age) I remember reading my teachers comments over and over thinking, "what do they mean by that?" "I wonder if I did anything right!" When you ScreenCastify on what you notice and name a learner trying to do, it seems very beneficial, and I love the visual aspect. Thinking of myself as a visual learner, this would be something I needed then and now as a student!
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Steve Peterson
4/20/2017 01:06:11 pm
Thanks for reading, Holly. I agree that tone is really important, especially for those who seem to always get feedback about what is wrong...sigh.
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Carole E Sand
9/25/2017 08:01:17 am
This is an excellent idea, Steve! Thanks for explaining it in detail. I wonder if you could add a comment about the recording boxes you have in your room for students to record more privately.
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