FAME - Community/Change of Practice

April 21, 2015

FAME Goal

Task(s)

Time

Deepen and extend

Positive Thoughts
20 minutes
my understanding of
What small
formative assessment
things from Modules 1-3
have you attempted
since we last met?
How have these
small shifts in practices
impacted your students?
Celebrations?

Notes
Julie: Record Keeping of
where students are on the
learning progression
Jamie: Formative doesnt
mean formal - shift in
thinking
Becky: I am able to gather
information without as
many summative
assessments
Becky: Report cards vs
summative assessment How to integrate those
two?
Kelly: Kids are looking
forward to next steps
they want to go to the next
level
Erica: Reflective practice we made a learning
progression - we
improved - our kids are
improving
Lynn: Student-centered - I
know what it is and why it
matters and how
formative assessment
plays a role in it

Deepen and extend

Module 4 Reflection
my understanding of
Complete Note
formative assessment
catcher independently
Discuss with
another person not on
your grade level team
Share out as a
whole group and trend
information

20 minutes

Learning progressions Student-Centered

feedback
Modeling of feedback is a
critical component of the
feedback process
Fixed mindset - How do
we get kids out of that and
move that to a growth
mindset?
Feedback cultural shift -

beyond the school walls

Praise can be harmful

Deepen and extend

Praise vs. Feedback
my understanding of
What is the
formative assessment
difference?
Why does it
matter?
How do we
develop a culture
conducive to feedback?

20 minutes

Integrate key
concepts of formative
assessment into
classroom practice

60 minutes

Feedback
What does good
feedback look like?
Br
oad guidelines
for feedback
discussion
H
ow can we
interpret these
guidelines for our
students?
Best practices
for feedback
D
emonstration
activities

C
hocolate

B
all
Feedback
Activity
(see
below)

When should I
use peer feedback and
when should I use selfassessment?
R
oundtable
discussion
Why should we
bother taking all of this
time to talk about
feedback

Feedback is actionable.
Praise is a dead end.

etacognition

attie

Find the Ball: An Exercise in FeedBack

OBJECTIVE: To experience different feedback "styles" and get a feel for the effects that they
have upon the receiver. The lesson that you're trying to drive is how specific feedback that is
delivered in a positive way really does impact someone's performance.
TIME FRAME: 15 Minutes
PROPS: one golf ball
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Ask for 4 volunteers from the group. Copy their names onto a flipchart or
whiteboard, then inform them that they will be called back into the room one at a time to
search for a golf ball. Ask them to leave the room.

2. Coach the remaining participants about the process and their roles at each
stage:
Silent Feedback: when volunteer #1 enters the room, the
participants are to remain completely silent and motionless.

Negative Feedback: when volunteer #2 enters the room, all

participants should give negative feedback, no matter how close or far away the
searcher is from the ball. Be sensitive to your group, but instruct them to give the
kind of negative feedback that they might hear back in the workplace when
someone is dissatisfied with their performance (and with certain audiences - rig
hands, for example - this gets kind of raw ... make sure you know your group).
Participants should NOT respond to any requests for direction or assistance
(except with derision).

 Positive Feedback: when volunteer #3 enters the room, all

participants should give positive but non-specific feedback (e.g., "attaboy," "way
to go," "I really like how you get after it," etc.), no matter how close or far away
the searcher is from the ball. Participants should NOT respond to any requests
for direction or assistance (except with further exclamations of "you can do it" or
"we have faith in you").

Specific Feedback: when volunteer #4 enters the room,

participants should provide specific hints and suggestions for finding the ball,
without giving it away. They should respond to yes/no questions.

3. Ask the group to help you choose which of the volunteers will receive the
different types of feedback. Note that some individuals get upset with the negative
feedback, even though it is a simulation. Ask your group which of the volunteers would
have the least difficulty with the ribbing involved.

4. Hide the golf ball. Invite the participants in one at a time. Each volunteer receives
the prescribed feedback noted above.
Silent: Hide the golf ball in a not-too-difficult location within the
room. Allow 2-3 minutes for the search.

Negative: choose a more difficult spot. Allow 2-3 minutes for the

search.
Positive but General: choose a more difficult spot. Allow 2-3
minutes for the search.

Specific: choose a more difficult spot. Allow 2-3 minutes for the

search.

5. Debrief. Suggested process: ask the volunteers, one person at a time, in the
order in which they came into the room ...
How did you feel while looking for the ball?
What did you think/feel as a result of the feedback you received?
How did the feedback you received affect your performance?
What did the feedback you received prompt you to think/feel about
the other folk in the room who were giving it?

 If this was the type of feedback that you received every day, how
do you think it would impact your desire and/or ability to keep yourself and your
teammates safe.