Workshopping and networking

Student voice and involvement in your CLLC project

Dr Anne CloonanDeakin University

Anne Cloonan 2012

What are Backchannel & TodaysMeet?

TodaysMeet is a microblogging social media helps unify the backchannel so the audience (class) can share insights, questions and answers.

Like Twitter but a ‘quiet’ and private ‘room’ where you see only what you need to see, and audience doesn't need to learn any new tools like hash tags to keep everything together.

Anne Cloonan 2012

Backchannel is where people ask questions, make comment and share feedback in real time.

Protocols for collaborating in Today’s Meet

- One computer per school (or we’ll bring down the system)- An quickly agreed group response - Professional tone- Stay on topic

What is your current research question?

http://todaysmeet.com/CLLC2012

Anne Cloonan 2012

Anne Cloonan 2012

What does ‘student voice’ mean to you?

PLT Brainstorming in Todaysmeet

Student voice is

…not simply about the opportunity to communicate ideas and opinions; it is about having the power to influence change (West 2004).

…focused predominantly on the design, facilitation and improvement of learning (Mitra 2004).

Why is student voice/involvement important?21st century expectations of learners

Most studies include:

Ability to communicate (new & traditional ways)Adaptability to changeAbility to work in teamsPreparedness to solve problemsAbility to analyse and conceptualiseAbility to reflect on and improve performanceAbility to manage oneselfAbility to create, innovate and criticiseAbility to engage in learning new things at all timesAbility to cross specialist borders

(Wardlaw, Mathematics in Hong Kong/China- Improving on being first in PISA)Anne Cloonan 2012

Need to be

active and

responsible

in their

learning!!

1.Providing effective feedback to students2.Actively involving students in their own learning3.Adjusting teaching to take account of the results of assessment4.Recognizing influence of assessment on motivation & self-esteem5.Developing students’ abilities to assess themselves and understand how to improve.

Black, P. & Wiliam, D. 1999. Assessment for Learning: Beyond the Black Box, Assessment Reform Group, University of Cambridge, School of Education

Improving learning through assessment 5 (deceptively simple) key factors

Anne Cloonan 2012

Need to active

and responsible

in their

assessment!!!

PLT Brainstorming in Todaysmeet

Name one opportunity your school gives students to influence their literacy learning? (140 characters)

Anne Cloonan 2012

Some cautions…

• Dialogue and action require trust and openness• Notice quiet voices – hearing only the opinionated and articulate can

disenfranchise less confident students • Avoid hierarchies where some students have voice and others don’t • Monitor authenticity – if its not important to them or if we use language

they find alienating/patronising may not be productive• Let students know the results of their feedback (what is and isn’t possible

given diverse opinions and external pressures) (Rudduck & Flutter, 2003)

Anne Cloonan 2012

Exploring opportunities for increased student voice/involvementSome ground rules

Ground rules: Responsibility and trust

E.g. A trust license

Worn on a lanyard; grants students negotiated privileges in return for respectful and responsible actions

Can be taken from them (demerit points system)

Can be earned back

Anne Cloonan 2012

Anne Cloonan 2012

PLT Brainstorming in Today’sMeet

What protocols do you use to set up trusting relationships?

http://todaysmeet.com/CLLC2012

Anne Cloonan 2012

Anne Cloonan 2012

Pedagogical choice/negotiation in literacy tasks:

e.g. Negotiable and Non Negotiable Tasks

Anne Cloonan 2012

TodaysMeet – brainstorming student voice in pedagogy

Pedagogy: What choice do you offer? What feedback mechanisms to affect future pedagogy?

Anne Cloonan 2012

Assessment: Negotiated design of rubrics

Anne Cloonan 2012

Assessment: Together setting and MONITORING learning goals

Anne Cloonan 2012

Assessment: student-led conferences

• Communicate with teacher re work samples and progress• Prepare cue cards• Rehearse and present to peers; gain feedback• Present to parents with teacher

Anne Cloonan 2012

TodaysMeet – brainstorming student voice in assessment

Assessment: How do you involve students? What feedback mechanisms do you have in place?

Anne Cloonan 2012

TodaysMeet – brainstorming student voice in curriculum

Curriculum content: What choice and opportunity for feedback do you offer?

Anne Cloonan 2012

Exploring on paper and in BackchannelWhat degree of involvement to we offer?

Sophisticated opportunitiesLinking student voice with action;

collaborating with adults to improve:- teaching- curriculum - approaches to student assessment- teacher-student relationships - teacher learning

Anne Cloonan 2012

Basic opportunitiesStudents share opinions about and potential solutions to problems (Mitra, 2004)

Anne Cloonan 2012

PLT Exploring levels of student choice, voice and involvement (use the handout)

•What level of opportunity do we offer for student voice, choice and involvement? •What else might be productive?

Moving into PARTNERSHIPS with adults: Designing & implementing curriculum, pedagogy and assessment

Anne Cloonan 2012

Anne Cloonan 2012

Asking for and responding to student opinions re curriculum and pedagogy

When you are writing a story on a computer it is quicker to make changes and go back … if you want to check and listen to what you have written you can use some sites to check it.

If you make a presentation on PowerPoint it’s a lot easier to stand up and speak in front of people having that next to you on the projector so you can point to things rather than standing up holding a poster no one can see which makes you more nervous.

Anne Cloonan 2012

Asking how changes made are impacting on student learning

Anne Cloonan 2012

Teachers share their learning goals (developed with coach) and their progress towards meeting these goals

with their students and gain student feedback

To improve the quality of feedback I give on student writing through rubrics

To improve my use of the IWB so that its more than ‘a blackboard’

Anne Cloonan 2012

Students as curriculum planners

‘Not Your Usual Planning Day’ teacher bloghttp://onestep.global2.vic.edu.au/2011/06/13/too-much-chocolate/

Anne Cloonan 2012

We want our students to own their learning – how can you own your learning if you are not responsible for it?

We want our students to be engaged – how can you be engaged if someone else makes all the decisions?

We want our students to know how it feels to make mistakes, be uncomfortable and not be in control – therefore we need to put ourselves in the same situation!

We want our students to take risks and be challenged – fair enough that we do the same!

• How can we develop PARTNERSHIPS with students in their literacy learning?

What mechanisms can we use for ALL students to influence the design and implementation of literacy curriculum, pedagogy and assessment?

Anne Cloonan 2012

FOR STUDENTS• a stronger sense of

membership, more positive about school and learning

• a stronger sense of self worth; more positive about themselves

• a stronger sense of self-as-learner better able to manage own learning

• a stronger sense of agency; see contributing to improving teaching and learning as worthwhile (not passive).

FOR TEACHERS

• deeper insight into young people’s capabilities• the capacity to see the familiar from a different angle• a practical agenda for improvement• a renewed sense of excitement in teaching..

Rudduck & Flutter (2003)

Conclusion: Benefits of incorporating student voice

Anne Cloonan 2012

Valuing literacy learners as leaders

1. student involvement in school and community literacy development

2. students as researchers and co-enquirers into their literacy learning

3. student feedback on literacy teaching and learning 4. students as peer-tutors in literacy5. student involvement as a manifestation of inclusion

principles (Jackson, 2005 with references to literacy added)

Anne Cloonan 2012

PLTs

• What does incorporating high levels of student voice mean for you/your PLT/your school?

• What blocks us from building partnerships with ALL our students re the design and implementation of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment in literacy?

Anne Cloonan 2012

ReferencesBruner, J. 1996, The Culture of Education, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University. Davis & Reid, (2008) Students as Literacy Researchers, e-lit, Primary English

Teaciong Association.Dietel, R. J., Herman, J. L. & Knuth R. A. 1991, What Does Research Say about

Assessment? Oak Brook: NCREL. Fielding, M. & Bragg, S. (2003) Students as Researchers: Making a Difference.

Pearson Publishing, Cambridge.Mitra, D. (2004), The Significance of Students: Can Increasing ‘Student Voice’ in

Schools Lead to Gains in Youth Development, Teachers College Record, Volume 106, Number 4. Teaching and Learning Research Briefing (2003) Consulting Pupils About Teaching and Learning, University of Cambridge, Number 5.

Rudduck, J & Flutter, J. (2003) Involving Pupils, Improving School, London: Continuum.

Anne Cloonan 2012