Ladder of Feedback: Writing Presentation

Benton- Ladder of Feedback from Courtney Humphreys on Vimeo.

Ladder of Feedback Reflection from Courtney Humphreys on Vimeo.

We used the Ladder of Feedback thinking routine on Friday as one student presented his narrative writing submission on WPP on the Smartboard. As we approach the WrAP test, I think the best way for my students to understand what strong writing looks like is to see each other's work and critique it. The student read his story aloud, and we then moved through the steps of the Ladder of Feedback: clarifying with questions, valuing the work, sharing concerns, and then providing suggestions. As we have used the routine more throughout the year, my students are becoming more comfortable with it. As you can see in the video, the steps in the routine sometimes get blurred together, but I do feel that they know what it means to ask clarifying questions versus valuing the work, etc. What excited me most as I watched this video after class was to see them making connections betweent their own writing and other students'. One student stated, "You're having the same problem I am...". I like that they are not afraid to admit their weaknesses in writing, and then look to each other for support and guidance. They have become more reliant on peer editing and feedback, and this routine adds an even deeper level of peer feedback to their writing.

Author's Purpose

Yesterday we discussed the author's purpose in class, and I was excited about the way we were able to talk about this concept. I basically wanted to convey that authors write for one (or more) of three reasons: to persuade, to inform, or to entertain. Instead of telling the boys these categories, I just started the conversation by asking them why authors write. This was a simple lesson, but I think it shows how my mindset is really beginning to change about the way I teach. I didn't want to tell them what to think because I see what a difference it makes in their learning when they generate the ideas and reach conclusions on their own. Yet again, I see the need for my students to feel a sense of agency and autonomy in our class. One student pointed out that the author's words on a page are like hands that come out to grab you, and another noted that some people write to try to teach a lesson (they used the example of the movie "Blindside") because it showed one student how lucky he is. Basically, they were able to generate the three categories on their own with a small amount of guidance from me, and I was excited we were able to have a lively conversation with almost everyone engaged in what we were discussing.