Workshopping and networking Student voice and involvement in your CLLC project

1. Workshopping and networking Student voice and involvement in your CLLC project Dr Anne Cloonan Deakin University Anne Cloonan 2012

2. What are Backchannel & TodaysMeet? Backchannel is where people ask questions, make comment and share feedback in real time. TodaysMeetis 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

3. 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

4. PLT Brainstorming in Todaysmeet What does ‘student voice’ mean to you? Anne Cloonan 2012

5. …not simply about the opportunity to communicate ideas and opinions; it is about having the power to influence change (West 2004). Student voice is …focused predominantly on the design, facilitation and improvement of learning(Mitra 2004).

6. Why is student voice/involvement important? 21st century expectations of learners Most studies include: Ability to communicate (new & traditional ways) Adaptability to change Ability to work in teams Preparedness to solve problems Ability to analyse and conceptualise Ability to reflect on and improve performance Ability to manage oneself Ability to create, innovate and criticise Ability to engage in learning new things at all times Ability to cross specialist borders (Wardlaw, Mathematics in Hong Kong/China- Improving on being first in PISA) Need to be active and responsible in their learning!! Anne Cloonan 2012

7. Improving learning through assessment 5 (deceptively simple) key factors Need to active and responsible in their assessment!!! Providing effective feedback to students Actively involving students in their own learning Adjusting teaching to take account of the results of assessment Recognizing influence of assessment on motivation & self-esteem 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 Anne Cloonan 2012

8. PLT Brainstorming in Todaysmeet Name one opportunity your school gives students to influence their literacy learning? (140 characters) Anne Cloonan 2012

9. Exploring opportunities for increased student voice/involvement Some ground rules 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

10. 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

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12. PLT Brainstorming in Today’sMeet What protocols do you use to set up trusting relationships? http://todaysmeet.com/CLLC2012 Anne Cloonan 2012

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14. Pedagogical choice/negotiation in literacy tasks: e.g. Negotiable and Non Negotiable Tasks Anne Cloonan 2012

15. TodaysMeet – brainstorming student voice in pedagogy Pedagogy: What choice do you offer? What feedback mechanisms to affect future pedagogy? Anne Cloonan 2012

16. Assessment: Negotiated design of rubrics Anne Cloonan 2012

17. Assessment: Together setting and MONITORING learning goals Anne Cloonan 2012

18. 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

19. TodaysMeet – brainstorming student voice in assessment Assessment: How do you involve students? What feedback mechanisms do you have in place? Anne Cloonan 2012

20. TodaysMeet – brainstorming student voice in curriculum Curriculum content: What choice and opportunity for feedback do you offer? Anne Cloonan 2012

21. Exploring on paper and in BackchannelWhat degree of involvement to we offer? Sophisticated opportunities Linking student voice with action; collaborating with adults to improve:- teaching- curriculum - approaches to student assessment - teacher-student relationships - teacher learning Basic opportunities Students share opinions about and potential solutions to problems (Mitra, 2004) Anne Cloonan 2012

22. 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? Anne Cloonan 2012

23. Moving into PARTNERSHIPS with adults: Designing & implementing curriculum, pedagogy and assessment Anne Cloonan 2012

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25. 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

26. Asking how changes made are impacting on student learning Anne Cloonan 2012

27. 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

28. Students as curriculum planners 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! ‘Not Your Usual Planning Day’ teacher blog http://onestep.global2.vic.edu.au/2011/06/13/too-much-chocolate/ Anne Cloonan 2012

29. 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

30. Conclusion: Benefits of incorporating student voice 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.. 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). Rudduck & Flutter (2003) Anne Cloonan 2012

31. Valuing literacy learners as leaders • student involvement in school and community literacy development • students as researchers and co-enquirers into their literacy learning • student feedback on literacy teaching and learning • students as peer-tutors in literacy • student involvement as a manifestation of inclusion principles (Jackson, 2005 with references to literacy added) Anne Cloonan 2012

32. 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

33. References Bruner, 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