# data[].attributes.body
Feedback Form

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
IB_assessment portion of learning and teaching doc

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Cite this guide: Bowen, R. S. (2017). Understanding by Design. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved [todaysdate] from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/understanding-by-design/.

Overview

Understanding by Design is a book written by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe that offers a framework for designing courses and content units called "Backward Design." Instructors typically approach course design in a "forward design" manner, meaning they consider the learning activities (how to teach the content), develop assessments around their learning activities, then attempt to draw connections to the learning goals of the course. In contrast, the backward design approach has instructors consider the learning goals of the course first. These learning goals embody the knowledge and skills instructors want their students to have learned when they leave the course. Once the learning goals have been established, the second stage involves consideration of assessment. The backward design framework suggests that instructors should consider these overarching learning goals and how students will be assessed prior to consideration of how to teach the content. For this reason, backward design is considered a much more intentional approach to course design than traditional methods of design.

This teaching guide will explain the benefits of incorporating backward design. Then it will elaborate on the three stages that backward design encompasses. Finally, an overview of a backward design template is provided with links to blank template pages for convenience.

The Benefits of Using Backward Design
"Our lessons, units, and courses should be logically inferred from the results sought, not derived from the methods, books, and activities with which we are most comfortable. Curriculum should lay out the most effective ways of achieving specific results... in short, the best designs derive backward from the learnings sought."
In Understanding by Design, Wiggins and McTighe argue that backward design is focused primarily on student learning and understanding. When teachers are designing lessons, units, or courses, they often focus on the activities and instruction rather than the outputs of the instruction. Therefore, it can be stated that teachers often focus more on teaching rather than learning. This perspective can lead to the misconception that learning is the activity when, in fact, learning is derived from a careful consideration of the meaning of the activity.

As previously stated, backward design is beneficial to instructors because it innately encourages intentionality during the design process. It continually encourages the instructor to establish the purpose of doing something before implementing it into the curriculum. Therefore, backward design is an effective way of providing guidance for instruction and designing lessons, units, and courses. Once the learning goals, or desired results, have been identified, instructors will have an easier time developing assessments and instruction around grounded learning outcomes.

The incorporation of backward design also lends itself to transparent and explicit instruction. If the teacher has explicitly defined the learning goals of the course, then they have a better idea of what they want the students to get out of learning activities. Furthermore, if done thoroughly, it eliminates the possibility of doing certain activities and tasks for the sake of doing them. Every task and piece of instruction has a purpose that fits in with the overarching goals and goals of the course.

As the quote below highlights, teaching is not just about engaging students in content. It is also about ensuring students have the resources necessary to understand. Student learning and understanding can be gauged more accurately through a backward design approach since it leverages what students will need to know and understand during the design process in order to progress.
"In teaching students for understanding, we must grasp the key idea that we are coaches of their ability to play the 'game' of performing with understanding, not tellers of our understanding to them on the sidelines."
The Three Stages of Backward Design
"Deliberate and focused instructional design requires us as teachers and curriculum writers to make an important shift in our thinking about the nature of our job. The shift involves thinking a great deal, first, about the specific learnings sought, and the evidence of such learnings, before thinking about what we, as the teacher, will do or provide in teaching and learning activities."

The Backward Design Template

A link to the blank backward design template is provided here ( https://jaymctighe.com/resources/), and it is referred to as UbD Template 2.0. The older version (version 1.0) can also be downloaded at that site as well as other resources relevant to Understanding by Design. The template walks individuals through the stages of backward design. However, if you are need of the template with descriptions of each section, please see the table below. There is also a link to the document containing the template with descriptions provided below and can be downloaded for free.

Backward Design Template with Descriptions (click link for template with descriptions).

References

1. Sample, Mark. (2011). Teaching for Enduring Understanding. Retrieved from http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/teaching-for-enduring-understanding/35243.

2. Wiggins, Grant, and McTighe, Jay. (1998). Backward Design. In Understanding by Design (pp. 13-34). ASCD.

This teaching guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
by Ryan S. Bowen Print Version Cite this guide: Bowen, R. S. (2017). Understanding by Design. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved [todaysdate] from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/understanding-by-design/. Overview The Benefits of Using Backward Design The Three Stages of Backward Design The Backward Design Template Overview Understanding by Design is a book written by Grant Wiggins and Jay...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
RubiStar is a tool to help the teacher who wants to use rubrics, but does not have the time to develop them from scratch.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Listen to my interview with Joe Hirsch (transcript):
Sponsored by Kiddom and Pear Deck

As teachers, we pretty much give feedback all day long. We tell students how they can improve on assignments, we praise them for things they're doing well, we correct their incorrect responses, and we redirect them when they behave in ways that aren't helpful to learning.

And that's just the students. We also give feedback to our colleagues, although in most cases, these exchanges don't happen as often or as freely as they probably should. We receive plenty of feedback as well, from our students, their parents, our administrators, and our peers. And we encourage our students to give feedback to each other, albeit with pretty uneven results. Really, the experience of school could be described as one long feedback session, where every day, people show up with the goal of improving, while other people tell them how to do it.

And it doesn't always go well. As we give and receive feedback, people get defensive. Feelings get hurt. Too often, the improvements we're going for don't happen, because the feedback isn't given in a way that the receiver can embrace.

It turns out there's a different way to give feedback that works a lot better, a way of flipping its focus from the past to the future. It's a concept called "feedforward," which was originally developed by a management expert named Marshall Goldsmith. As far as I can tell, not a lot of educators are familiar with the practice of feedforward, and I really think if we learned how to do it and started using it more consistently, it could make a huge difference in how our students grow and how we grow as professionals.

In this week's podcast, I interview Joe Hirsch, author of The Feedback Fix: Dump the Past, Embrace the Future, and Lead the Way to Change. ( Bookshop.org | Amazon). In the book, Joe digs deep into the practice of feedforward and shows us how and why it works. You can listen to our full conversation in the player above, read the full transcript, or stay right here-I'll give you a quick overview.

What's Wrong with the Way We Give Feedback?

When we give feedback to our students, or when our co-workers or administrators give feedback to us, the focus is on the past. "People can't control what they can't change, and we can't change the past," says Hirsch. "And that happens to be the focus of most of the feedback that we give or receive."

More specifically, backward-looking feedback doesn't often get good results for three reasons:

It shuts down our mental dashboards. "When we get negative feedback about something that we can't change or control," Hirsch says, "our brains flood with stress-inducing hormones, cortisol, that trigger our threat awareness and put us on the defensive. The parts that are responsible for executive function, for creativity, the parts that allow us to sort of set our agendas and make rational decisions, essentially we are in a state of mental paralysis."

It focuses primarily on ratings, not on development. Most of feedback's time and energy is spent on looking back and rating (or grading) performance that's already over, rather than focusing on what can be done from now on. "When feedback consists of an impersonal set of performance standards, we're overlooking the essential goal of feedback, and that's to create positive and lasting improvement."

It reinforces negative behaviors. "When we hear about flaws that we can't fix anymore-because they're in a past that we can't change-it creates a feeling of learned helplessness, the feeling that we are unable to do anything about our future. Instead of committing ourselves to improvement, which is what we would hope would happen, we hold onto this debilitating view of who we are instead of focusing on who we are becoming."

What is Feedforward?

When we give feedforward, instead of rating and judging a person's performance in the past, we focus on their development in the future.

Suppose my student is writing an essay. Instead of waiting until she is finished, then marking up all the errors and giving it a grade, I would read parts of the essay while she is writing it, point out things I'm noticing, and ask her questions to get her thinking about how she might improve it.

In his book, Hirsch takes this broad concept of feedforward and defines six components of it, six specific characteristics of feedforward that make it so effective. He refers to these by the acronym REPAIR (regenerates, expands, particular, authentic, impact, refines).

So let's take a look at each of these. If you want to implement feedforward well, it should have these attributes:

It REGENERATES talent.

The most effective kind of feedforward helps people see opportunities for growth-ways they could take on new opportunities and roles. "At the simplest level," Hirsch writes in his book, "it leads to the unmistakable feeling that we're moving forward in our professional and personal lives. Getting positive feedback about our performance may feel good, but it doesn't break new ground. It merely confirms what we already know about ourselves and our talents, essentially holding our growth in check. But when feedback gets us thinking about how to spread that talent to others, it has a multiplying effect."

So when we notice that a student is developing a strength or an interest in an area, instead of just pointing that out, we might give the student an opportunity to enter their work in some kind of competition, publish it in some way, or share it with others in a presentation, rather than simply keeping it to themselves. This helps students see themselves in a new light and gets them thinking about ways they could grow.

It EXPANDS possibilities.

Effective feedback starts with what is and helps add to it, expanding what's possible, rather than simply pointing out problems. In his book, Hirsch describes a concept used by Pixar studios called "plussing." When Pixar's creators get together to review a day's work, they are expected to give each other feedback to improve the work. What makes these sessions so effective is one important rule: Participants can't point out a problem without proposing an alternative, saying "What if?" to a problem.

This concept of "plussing" could work wonders in staff or committee meetings: When we are discussing possible solutions to an issue, rather than shooting down ideas that might not work, we could add to them by making small tweaks. "That's an interesting idea. What if we made this small change and tried that?" This technique would also work beautifully with project-based learning tasks, when students may need to come up with several ideas for solving a problem before arriving at the best solution.

It is PARTICULAR.

Far too often, feedback is given in an "information dump," with lots of criteria being measured and reported on at the same time. This can be a pretty ineffective way to help people grow. "There's a limit to how much we can absorb and operationalize in any given time," Hirsch says. "Feedforward is really about picking your battlegrounds strategically and selectively." He advises us to make feedback an ongoing process that is embedded in the day-to-day work, and to only focus on a few things at a time.

So rather than wait until an assignment is done to point out all the ways a student can improve, find ways to give them specific pointers while they work, and only one thing at a time, so students can process and act on it right away.

It is AUTHENTIC.

No one particularly likes giving criticism. "We see problems, we see pitfalls in other people, and we know it's a problem," Hirsch says, "but we don't want to be mean, right? We don't want to crush them. So the tendency is to either avoid giving feedback altogether or to disguise it as a praise sandwich, where we basically slip one piece of criticism in between two very, very surface level gauzy praises."

The problem with that approach, Hirsch explains, is what's called the recency effect: People remember most the thing they heard last. So when you tack on some praise after delivering constructive feedback, the person doesn't really absorb the critical part as well as they would if you'd just given it to them more directly.

Hirsch recommends a more direct approach: Describe what's happening, explain why it's a problem, then prompt the person for a solution. "When delivered this way," Hirsch explains, "it puts people at ease, it takes them off the defensive. It is clear, it is concise, it's locating the problem, it's looking for solutions together. People don't want a praise sandwich. People want the truth."

This approach could work with academic situations or classroom management problems: If you're dealing with a student who is disrupting class, describe the behavior you're seeing, explain why it's a problem, then ask the student for ideas on how to solve it. It sounds really simple, but if what you're doing right now isn't giving you the results you want, it's worth a try.

It has IMPACT.

One of the reasons people don't make progress after receiving feedback is that they don't necessarily know what to do with it. "If you want feedback to make an impact," Hirsch notes, "you have to put it in terms that people can operationalize." In his book, he cites studies showing that regular feedback doesn't typically result in a transfer of new skills or habits, but when that feedback is combined with coaching, the transfer skyrockets to 95 percent.

So if a student regularly forgets to bring materials to class, rather than simply telling him to change, help him make a specific plan for improvement. Ideally, that plan should have lots of small steps to make it achievable, and the student should take the lead in developing that plan.

It REFINES group dynamics.

"Feedback is a team sport," Hirsch says. "It is not just something that happens one to one. It happens in groups and across and within organizations. And when we dump that command and control nature of traditional feedback, we make room for something much more collaborative and shared."

So rather than give feedback in a top-down, hierarchical model, open up more pathways for people to get feedback from their peers, even those whose jobs might on the surface have little in common with our own. In his book, Hirsch borrows a term from management circles known as "creative abrasion," which is what happens when people with opposing views work on the same task together. Although it can result in more conflict, the contributions from different points of view usually produce a higher-quality product in the end.

This idea can play out in a lot of educational settings: Instead of just having our department head observe our teaching, why not get feedback from someone who teaches a completely different subject? When students go to the same peers for feedback on their work, have them seek out the opinion of someone new, or consider getting the input of a group of students from a different class or grade level entirely.

There's nothing simple or straightforward about telling people how to improve. So it's no surprise that we're still figuring it out and finding new ways to refine it. If the feedback you're giving to your students, your coworkers, and even the people at home isn't having quite the effect you intend, try shifting to a feedforward approach. Doing so can help us, as Hirsch says, stop seeing ourselves just as who we are, but who we are becoming. ♦

Learn more about Joe Hirsch on his website or visit his LinkedIn page. Teachers who read The Feedback Fix should also grab this free Discussion Guide for Teachers to help apply the book's principles to your own work.

Come back for more.
Join our mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration that will make your teaching more effective and fun. You'll get access to our members-only library of free downloads, including 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, the e-booklet that has helped thousands of teachers save time on grading. Over 50,000 teachers have already joined-come on in.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Instead of rating and judging a person's performance in the past, feedforward focuses on their development in the future.

# data[].attributes.body
Stronger together!
Add your resources to share here!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Nearpod: Foster a love of learning in every student

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Create active learning experiences students can’t wait to be a part of.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
PZ’s Thinking Routines Toolbox | Project Zero

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Sara Bell, Tim Power and Sarah Rich · 27 March 2019

Share this post

This is a practical guide to using thinking routines in the classroom, with quality ready-to-use activities for each type of routine. This guide begins with a short summary of the research that underpins the use of thinking routines and the purpose of making thinking visible.

Thinking Routines and Activities

What are Thinking Routines?

Thinking routines teach students to make their ideas visible and accessible. This is done through a variety of graphic organisers which help structure ideation and reasoning. They are simple to use, yet powerful in impact.

The purpose of thinking routines is to promote a deeper understanding of content, and help students understand how they think and learn. As Margaret Mead writes:

"Children must be taught how to think, not what to think."
Margaret Mead

A substantial body of research (Hattie, Murdoch, Ritchhard and others) underpins the development of thinking routines in the classroom. One of the benefits for teachers in using visible thinking routines, is being able to see learning through the eyes of students.

Why make thinking visible?

For many students the thinking behind answers and how other students and teachers reach conclusions is ' invisible'. By making thinking ' visible' students are let into the 'secret' of learning by seeing teachers and peers explain their thinking and reasoning.

"Learning is a consequence of thinking, not something extra we tack on for good measure but something in which we must actively engage to promote our own and others' learning."
Ron Ritchhart, Creating Cultures of Thinking (2015)

For learners to thrive in the 21 st century, they must be able to share their thinking in the most accessible way for ' active engagement ' with others.

What are some good Thinking Routines?

This guide includes 22 thinking routines which you can use in your classroom and school. Each thinking routine is linked to a lesson within inquisitive.com, showing how they come alive as visible thinking activities.

See Think Wonder

The curiosity of students is ignited by using a simple object, picture, video, artwork or artefact (stimulus). This is a great introductory thinking routine.

Inquisitive uses an enticing video to introduce the unit Great Journeys (History, Years 3-4). Students are prompted with the question, 'What was the age of exploration?' They dive into a See Think Wonder routine, as their inquiry unfolds.

Lesson: What was the Age of Exploration?

Compass Points

This thinking routine is used to assist students in thinking deeply about a proposition or idea from four perspectives (Compass Points).

Students are presented with an idea and immediate responses can be recorded. They are then asked to look at this idea using the compass point routine. Students record what excites 'E' them about the idea presented, and also consider the negative side of the idea by recording what worries 'W' them. They are then asked to think about what else they would need 'N' to know before accepting or denying the idea. Lastly, students are asked to record their suggestions 'S' for moving forward with the idea. Once complete, students can be asked to reflect on how their thinking has changed throughout the process.

In the Inquisitive unit, A Diverse and Connected World (Geography, Years 5-6), students are asked to think about global connections in the context of tourism. Students watch a short video advertisement for the Best Job in the World, being caretaker of Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef. They then use the Compass Point thinking routine to help them assist in the evaluation of this job opportunity.

Lesson: I've Been to Bali Too

Peel the Fruit

In Peel the Fruit, students are asked to 'peel' back the layers of the issue.

In the Inquisitive unit, Democracy and Citizenship (History, Years 5-6), students are asked to investigate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Rights throughout the 20 th Century. Students are posed the question 'How fairly do you think the Aboriginal people were treated in the early 20 th Century?' They are then asked to colour a square on an Opinion Meter demonstrating how important they believe this issue to be. A variety of statements, images and questions are then shared with the students throughout the unit. Students are consistently asked to return to the 'Peel the Fruit' image to assist them with showing their learning and understanding of this complex issue. Once complete, the students are then asked to graph their answer to the original question and reflect on any changes to their original opinion.

Lesson: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People Rights

Question Organiser

This is a graphic information organiserwith spaces for questions which begin: when, why, who, where and how. It is designed as a visual guide to help students progressively delve deeper into a question or topic to reach a stronger understanding of the chosen area.

Celebrations and Commemorations (History, Years 3-4) is a unit that focuses on cultural celebrations and commemorations around the world. Students are asked to organise themselves into a small group. Each group member selects a different celebration or commemoration to research. Students use the Question Organiser to develop their thinking and assist in breaking down the research question into manageable parts. Students then use this information to create a chapter in a book or film documenting different celebrations and commemorations from around the world.

Lesson: A Celebration of Cultures

3-2-1 Bridge Organiser

This organiser is used to record initial thoughts, ideas, questions and understandings about a given topic. After reading an article or watching a video, students are then asked to rethink their initial opinions after learning more about the topic. The idea is for bridges to be built between ideas when new information is obtained. Students should be focussing on the idea of understanding and connecting their thinking and ideas.

The 3-2-1 Bridge thinking routine is used in the unit The Australian Colonies (History, Years 5-6). In this unit, students are asked to watch a video about the spread of European settlement across Australia during the 1800s. They are then asked to write down three facts, two questions and an interesting observation, from which students research the answer to the two questions they posed.

Lesson: A Story of Australian Settlements

Six Thinking Hats

This thinking routine assists students by looking at things from a number of different points of view ( hats). The Six Thinking Hats technique was created by Edward De Bono. It is good for developing decision making and creativity in thinking. Students are able to put on a hat to view things from a different point of view. The six hats are:

White Hat: Information. What are the facts?

Yellow Hat: Positives and advantages.

Black Hat: Difficulties and dangers.

Red Hat: Emotions and feelings.

Green Hat: New ideas and creativity.

Blue Hat: Managing the thinking process.

In the unit, Different Environments (Geography, Years 3-4), students are introduced to the natural features of Australia. In a differentiated activity, students are asked to use the thinking hats routine to do some research into traditional musical instruments made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples using natural materials from their surrounds. They are asked to use known information and apply white, yellow, black and green hat thinking.

Lesson: The Great Southern Land

Think Puzzle Explore

The Think Puzzle Explore routine can be a useful way to complete a formative assessment before starting a new learning journey.

Inquisitive uses the Think Puzzle Explore routine to introduce the topic of the United Nations in the unit, The World's Cultural Diversity (History, Years 5-6). Student curiosity is sparked with a stimulus video: Kid President visits the UN. Following the video, they are invited to write down their thoughts on what they know about the UN, what still puzzles them, and which aspects of the United Nations they should further explore.

Lesson: Human Migration

Plus Minus Interesting

In the unit, Features of Places, (Geography, Years 1-2), students are asked to think about the way features of places have changed over time. They select a feature of their local area and examine how it has changed. They brainstorm ways this feature could be improved in the future and as a group, vote on the idea they liked best. Students then use a PMI chart to consider the positive (plus), negative (minus) and interesting aspects of the improvement that most people voted for.

Lesson: Change http://www.inquisitive.com/lesson/238

Inquisitive uses this thinking routine in many of its lessons. In Past and Present Family Life (History, Years 1-2), students are asked to think about how families have changed over time. Photos from the past are displayed showing large families with numerous children. Two questions are presented for discussion which follow the think, pair, share routine: What would be the good things about living in a big family? What would be the bad things about living in a big family?

Lesson: Families Then and Now

Venn Diagram

Venn Diagrams are used to compare two or more things and to show both their similarities and differences. A Venn Diagram is usually made up of two or more circles that overlap. In the outer circles students are able to record how things differ and within the overlapping section they record the similarities. By using this routine, students are able to compare and contrast ideas for a greater understanding. Venn Diagrams can be used for a variety of purposes in all subjects.

Within First Contacts (History, Years 3-4), students are presented with differing ideas and opinions of what has taken place in modern Australian History. This lesson is entitled Terra Nullius? and asks students to research this term. The class is then asked to think about the decision of the British to declare Australia as 'Terra Nullius' and form an opinion on this. Students then create their own Venn Diagram to show the similarities and differences between the views of European and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples towards land ownership. Students are then asked to reflect on how these opposing views would have impacted on the early relations between the European and Aboriginal Peoples.

I Used to Think... Now I Think

This routine captures a change of opinion or perspective from what a student ' used to think' to what they ' now think.'

It enables students to reflect on their learning, be willing to consider different ideas and to be able to acknowledge when their opinion has changed. It can be a useful routine to use for topical or emotive issues. It also gives students the opportunity to reflect on why their thinking may have changed and enhances reasoning skills.

In First Contacts (History, Years 3-4), students are asked to identify who they think discovered Australia. They research a range of explorers who made a significant contribution to the 'discovery' of Australia. Students are asked to think deeply about this question and justify their reasoning and response. They are given opportunities to change their mind, reflecting and analysing along the way. Students are then asked to consider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' feelings about this question.

Lesson: Who Discovered Australia?

Mind Map

Mind maps are diagrams to visually organise information branching out from a central concept. The branches unpack the central concept into smaller categories. They become a map of a student's thinking.

There are two forms of mind maps: unstructured or structured. An unstructured mind map can be used to assist the recording of free-flowing ideas related to a singular concept. A structured mind map is an excellent way to guide students in their research to help them identify key areas related to a topic or concept. It helps order thoughts and divide concepts into categories.

In the unit, The Earth's Environment (Geography, Years 3-4), students are guided through a study of Brazil. They are provided with a quality eBook about Brazil, and asked to summarise the information of interest to them, using a mind map.

Lesson: South American Country Study

Connect Extend Challenge

This Connect Extend Challenge routine helps students make connections between new and prior knowledge, with an implicit guide as to how to develop their interest further. Recording students' ideas and using them at a later time can also be useful for reflecting on their understanding.

Students are then invited to write their questions on sticky notes and display them in the classroom. The class works together to write their own intergalactic address, starting with their classroom and expanding out until they identify their planet.

KWHL Chart

This chart helps students to organise their thinking before, during and after conducting research.

K stands for what you alreadyKNOW about the subject.

W stands for what you WANT to learn.

H stands for figuring out HOW you can learn more about the topic.

L stands for what you LEARN as you read.

Students structure their research by stepping through each part of the process and also recording what they learn as they go.

Whilst working through the unit, The Earth's Environment (Geography, Years 3-4), students are asked to consider the concept of sustainability. They are given the option of researching one of the most sustainable cities in the world, provided with guided research links to websites and then use the KWHL chart to record their thinking.

Lesson: Who's Looking after this Home of Ours

Colour, Symbol, Image

In the unit, A Diverse and Connected World (Geography, Year 5-6), students learn about global connections through the study of the Olympic Games. In one particular lesson, they are shown a moving video of athlete Derek Redmond running in the Olympic semi-finals in Barcelona in 1992. Students are encouraged to record anything they find interesting, important or meaningful. They are then asked to use the Colour, Symbol, Image routine in relation to one of these observations.

Lesson: Faster, Higher, Stronger

Jigsaw Strategy

The Jigsaw Strategy is achieved by forming groups with 5 or 6 students. Each student in a group has to investigate and learn about a different piece of the overall topic ( jigsaw). They become the expert of that piece. If you have multiple groups, the experts from each group focussing on the same piece, can join together in researching and attaining key insights, before returning to their group to share.

Use of this strategy ensures that all students contribute equally in a group that is inclusive of all. It gives individuals autonomy and responsibility as well as the opportunity to become an 'expert' whilst being supported and guided by those around them.

This routine is completed using the following steps:

1. Students are placed into a group of 5 or 6.

2. Individuals are each given an inquiry question (all groups are given the same set of questions).

3. Students then find others from different jigsaw groups who have the same question. This is their expert group.

4. In their expert group, students discuss the inquiry question. They should record prior knowledge and work together to research and record the information required.

5. When time is up, students are to return to their jigsaw group with the information collected and present their puzzle piece to their group.

When all the puzzle pieces are put together students then have the complete research project.

Inquisitive uses this routine to assist students in locating and analysing information relating to the development of the Australian Colonies after 1800. This lesson, from the unit The Australian Colonies (History, Years 5-6), starts off with a 3D animated presentation introducing the changes made during this time. Students then use the Jigsaw Strategy to investigate inquiry questions in Expert Groups before reporting back to their original Jigsaw Group.

Lesson: A Colonial Puzzle

3-2-1 Graphic Organiser

In the unit, The Earth's Environment (Geography, Years 3-4), the focus is on how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples live sustainable lives. During this research, students are provided with a link to a website about Kakadu, which teaches them about Bininj and Mungguy peoples. Students select an area to research. To assist in summarising this research, a 3-2-1 Graphic Organiser is provided requiring the following information:

Record three things you have learned about protecting the environment, using resources and/or sustainability.

Record two interesting facts you discovered.

Record one new word for your vocabulary.

Lesson: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Sustainability

Tug of War

The Tug of War routine uses students' familiarity with this game (two teams pulling against each other on a rope) to demonstrate ways in which arguments can be put across to ' pull ' an audience to one side of a debate. Teachers can easily bring this routine into their classroom with a variety of issues and topics in different subjects. This can be completed in pairs, small groups or as a whole class.

In the unit, Australia as a Nation (History, Years 5-6), students are taught about human rights, and learn that privacy is one of those fundamental rights under the UN Declaration of Human Rights. Notwithstanding this, children and adolescents often use the Internet in ways which put their privacy at risk.

Students are posed the question: Does a parent's concern for the right to a safe environment interfere with a child's right to privacy?

An image of a Tug of War rope, with people on opposing sides, is placed in the classroom. Students are asked to think of reasons for both sides of the argument and justify them, recording this on a sticky note to display on each side of the image. Students are then asked to discuss each side. After the discussion, each student is asked to write a recommendation about how rights of safety and privacy for children using the Internet, could be managed.

Concept Map

A concept map is used to show how ideas are connected. Starting with a main idea or topic, arrows fan out to circles and boxes for associated ideas. It allows students to unpack and organise their thinking, and is a powerful way to enrich and deepen student comprehension.

Inquisitive guides students through the creation of a concept map whilst teaching students about traditional land ownership in the unit, Factors that Shape Places (Geography, Years 5-6). Students spend time researching an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander land management technique, and are required to present their findings in a concept map.

Lesson: Traditional Land Management

Infographic

An infographic is a way to present information as a diagram, using pictures, graphs, symbols and images. Text is also important on an infographic but should only be in small sections and be short and to the point. Presenting information this way can assist visual learners in understanding the information presented, being easier to read, and designed to be more memorable than paragraphs of words. By using this strategy in the classroom, students are asked to clearly summarise information that they have learned and share it with others.

In the unit, Community and Commemorations (History, Years 3-4), students are asked to research either the International Day of Peace or International Mother Earth Day. They are provided with links to assist in their research. Once they have learned about the significance and origin of their chosen international day, students are asked to create an infographic to share their knowledge.

Lesson: International Celebrations and Commemorations

Step Inside: Perceive, Know, Care About

The Step Inside routine, asks students to consider ( step inside) events or topics from the perspective of different people, or even the perspective of animals, objects or other phenomena. From this unique perspective, what do they perceive, know and care about?

Asking children to look at things from another point of view helps them understand our world and gain empathy and understanding of others. This routine can be used in many different subject areas in a variety of ways. For example, students could be asked to write about a bushfire, however they could be asked to write from the fire's perspective. Students may be shown a picture of the moon landing. Students could discuss the point of view of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, the moon, the people watching at home, the Russian astronauts. All of these would have different ideas, opinions and feelings about the same event. Even the youngest students can benefit from this routine.

Inquisitive provides opportunities for Foundation students to place themselves inside a picture. In the unit People Live in Places (Geography, Foundation or Kindergarten Year), students are asked to think about places they belong. They are then asked to think about what it would be like to be in another place. Students are shown visual images of a roller coaster, a waterfall, a birthday party and a dental surgery. They are then asked to step inside each picture and describe what they might see, hear or smell whilst there.

Lesson: Places I Belong To

10 x 2 Visual Thinking Strategy

In the 10 x 2 Visual Thinking Strategy, students are shown an image of an artwork for 30 seconds and then asked to write down ten words or phrases that come to mind regarding the picture. Once students have completed their 10 words/phrases, they repeat the activity, with another 30 seconds to relook at the artwork, and then recording another ten words or phrases, different from the first.

By using the 10 x 2 Visual Thinking Strategy, students have the opportunity to look more deeply into a piece of artwork. It helps students to slow down and make detailed observations beyond a first impression.

Paintings can be used as an historical source to provide insight into the past. In the unit, The Australian Colonies (History, Years 5-6), students learn about the History of Australia beyond 1800. Students are provided an eBook of paintings created by Joseph Lycett, a convict sent to Australia after being sentenced for money forgery. Lycett's talent was discovered by the settlement's commander and he was given the task of recording and painting scenes of the new settlement and its surrounding environment.

Students select a painting to focus on. They use the graphic organiser provided to structure their thinking. In the centre circle, students write the name of their chosen painting. They are given 30 seconds to do nothing but look at the image they have chosen. They then record ten words or phrases about the image. Students repeat the activity, recording their next ten words in another colour.

Lesson: Two Worlds

About Inquisitive

Inquisitive is the Australian education company with a mission to simplify access to quality lessons, so that teachers can enjoy teaching and students can learn with purpose and depth.

This research into thinking routines and visible thinking, informs the ongoing development of inquisitive.com. From this base of research, Inquisitive lessons are then trialled, workshopped and refined in classrooms.

Contact us if you would like to write for Inquisitive.

Head of Education: Sarah Rich

Telephone: +61 2 9969 1885
Email: support@inquisitive.com

Further Research and Acknowledgements
http://www.pz.harvard.edu/resources/visible-thinking-tools https://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_ISS.htm www.visiblethinkingpz.org/VisibleThinking_html_files/03_ThinkingRoutines/03a_ThinkingRoutines.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Teacher's Guide to Visible Thinking A... | Inquisitive AU

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sara Bell, Tim Power and Sarah Rich · 27 March 2019 Share this post This is a practical guide to using thinking routines in the classroom, with quality ready-to-use activities for each type of routine. This guide begins with a short summary of the research that underpins the use of thinking routines and the purpose of making thinking visible.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this time of remote learning, it is important that we take a moment - no matter what our comfort level with remote teaching - to find a way to stay connected with our students and to truly understand where they are in the learning process Even remote learning can be student-centered.

To do this we need to find a way to hear form our students. They can do this easily using a parent's phone and apps like Seesaw and Flipgrid.

Better Understand Our Remote Learners with Visible Thinking Routines

In their book, Making Thinking Visible, authors Ron Ritchhart, Mark Church, and Karin Morrison describe these thinking routines, many of which classrooms use to uncover the root of the thinking process. These routines can help students tell us more about what they are doing and learning at home and how they are progressing. Having students tell us about their learning is important because, during these unique times, we need to know more about their thoughts and ideas - as well as provide an opportunity to connect as close to face to face as possible and some apps allow teachers to do this easily and with only the need of a smartphone.
Free Flipgrid One-Hour Course: infused.link/online
We know students will be doing work at home, reading books at home, practicing math at home. No matter if you have sent home packets or are continuing the learning on Microsoft Teams or Google Classroom, we need to hear from them. This is the perfect time to employ thinking routines to get at what they are actually learning and where they are in the process.

How Can We Make Visible Thinking More Effective?

We can have students reveal their insights by offering the use of apps that allow them to articulate and record their learning experiences, ideas, and thinking. This is especially important because at the foundation of all good, cognitive learning
The chart is broken up into three sections: the routine itself, when to use it, and what tool can be used to make learning visible.
Thinking routines remind us that learning is not a product, but a process of understanding. During that process, we should encourage our students to verbalize and explain what they're learning, as well as what is and isn't working, what struggles they're facing, what comes easily, and whether they believe they've reached the learning target.

To find out more about how to become a more effective Remote Teacher Check out The Google Infused Classroom and The Microsoft Infused Classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Visible Thinking Routines for #RemoteLearning - The Infused Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this time of remote learning, it is important that we take a moment -no matter what our comfort level with remote teaching - to find a way to stay connected with our students and to truly understand where they are in the learning process Even remote learning can be student-centered.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Formative assessment-discovering what students know while they're still in the process of learning it-can be tricky. Designing just the right assessment can feel high stakes-for teachers, not students-because we're using it to figure out what comes next. Are we ready to move on? Do our students need a different path into the concepts? Or, more likely, which students are ready to move on and which need a different path?

When it comes to figuring out what our students really know, we have to look at more than one kind of information. A single data point-no matter how well designed the quiz, presentation, or problem behind it-isn't enough information to help us plan the next step in our instruction.

Add to that the fact that different learning tasks are best measured in different ways, and we can see why we need a variety of formative assessment tools we can deploy quickly, seamlessly, and in a low-stakes way-all while not creating an unmanageable workload. That's why it's important to keep it simple: Formative assessments generally just need to be checked, not graded, as the point is to get a basic read on the progress of individuals, or the class as a whole.

7 Approaches to Formative Assessment

1. Entry and exit slips: Those marginal minutes at the beginning and end of class can provide some great opportunities to find out what kids remember. Start the class off with a quick question about the previous day's work while students are getting settled-you can ask differentiated questions written out on chart paper or projected on the board, for example.

A quick way to see the big picture if you use paper exit tickets is to sort the papers into three piles: Students got the point; they sort of got it; and they didn't get it. The size of the stacks is your clue about what to do next.

No matter the tool, the key to keeping students engaged in the process of just-walked-in or almost-out-the-door formative assessment is the questions. Ask students to write for one minute on the most meaningful thing they learned. You can try prompts like:

What are three things you learned, two things you're still curious about, and one thing you don't understand?

How would you have done things differently today, if you had the choice?

What I found interesting about this work was...

Right now I'm feeling...

Today was hard because...

Or skip the words completely and have students draw or circle emojis to represent their assessment of their understanding.

2. Low-stakes quizzes and polls: If you want to find out whether your students really know as much as you think they know, polls and quizzes created with Socrative or Quizlet or in-class games and tools like Quizalize, Kahoot, FlipQuiz, Gimkit, Plickers, and Flippity can help you get a better sense of how much they really understand. (Grading quizzes but assigning low point values is a great way to make sure students really try: The quizzes matter, but an individual low score can't kill a student's grade.) Kids in many classes are always logged in to these tools, so formative assessments can be done very quickly. Teachers can see each kid's response, and determine both individually and in aggregate how students are doing.

Because you can design the questions yourself, you determine the level of complexity. Ask questions at the bottom of Bloom's taxonomy and you'll get insight into what facts, vocabulary terms, or processes kids remember. Ask more complicated questions ("What advice do you think Katniss Everdeen would offer Scout Finch if the two of them were talking at the end of chapter 3?"), and you'll get more sophisticated insights.

3. Dipsticks: So-called alternative formative assessments are meant to be as easy and quick as checking the oil in your car, so they're sometimes referred to as dipsticks. These can be things like asking students to:

write a letter explaining a key idea to a friend,

draw a sketch to visually represent new knowledge, or

do a think, pair, share exercise with a partner.

Your own observations of students at work in class can provide valuable data as well, but they can be tricky to keep track of. Taking quick notes on a tablet or smartphone, or using a copy of your roster, is one approach. A focused observation form is more formal and can help you narrow your note-taking focus as you watch students work.

4. Interview assessments: If you want to dig a little deeper into students' understanding of content, try discussion-based assessment methods. Casual chats with students in the classroom can help them feel at ease even as you get a sense of what they know, and you may find that five-minute interview assessments work really well. Five minutes per student would take quite a bit of time, but you don't have to talk to every student about every project or lesson.

You can also shift some of this work to students using a peer-feedback process called TAG feedback (Tell your peer something they did well, Ask a thoughtful question, Give a positive suggestion). When you have students share the feedback they have for a peer, you gain insight into both students' learning.

For more introverted students-or for more private assessments-use Flipgrid, Explain Everything, or Seesaw to have students record their answers to prompts and demonstrate what they can do.

5. Methods that incorporate art: Consider using visual art or photography or videography as an assessment tool. Whether students draw, create a collage, or sculpt, you may find that the assessment helps them synthesize their learning. Or think beyond the visual and have kids act out their understanding of the content. They can create a dance to model cell mitosis or act out stories like Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" to explore the subtext.

6. Misconceptions and errors: Sometimes it's helpful to see if students understand why something is incorrect or why a concept is hard. Ask students to explain the " muddiest point" in the lesson-the place where things got confusing or particularly difficult or where they still lack clarity. Or do a misconception check: Present students with a common misunderstanding and ask them to apply previous knowledge to correct the mistake, or ask them to decide if a statement contains any mistakes at all, and then discuss their answers.

You can use sticky notes to get a quick insight into what areas your kids think they need to work on. Ask them to pick their own trouble spot from three or four areas where you think the class as a whole needs work, and write those areas in separate columns on a whiteboard. Have you students answer on a sticky note and then put the note in the correct column-you can see the results at a glance.

Several self-assessments let the teacher see what every kid thinks very quickly. For example, you can use colored stacking cups that allow kids to flag that they're all set (green cup), working through some confusion (yellow), or really confused and in need of help (red).

Similar strategies involve using participation cards for discussions (each student has three cards-"I agree," "I disagree," and "I don't know how to respond") and thumbs-up responses (instead of raising a hand, students hold a fist at their belly and put their thumb up when they're ready to contribute). Students can instead use six hand gestures to silently signal that they agree, disagree, have something to add, and more. All of these strategies give teachers an unobtrusive way to see what students are thinking.

No matter which tools you select, make time to do your own reflection to ensure that you're only assessing the content and not getting lost in the assessment fog. If a tool is too complicated, is not reliable or accessible, or takes up a disproportionate amount of time, it's OK to put it aside and try something different.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
7 Smart, Fast Ways to Do Formative Assessment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Within these methods you'll find close to 40 tools and tricks for finding out what your students know while they're still learning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
7 Ways to Grade FASTER in Google Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
About

About Us

Whiteboard.fi is created by Sebastian Laxell and Jaakko Virtanen, and is run by Digital Teaching Tools Finland Ltd - a Kahoot! company. We have experience in teaching and IT-management - so we know the struggle in finding good digital tools.

Certificates

FERPA Certified

COPPA Safe Harbor

California Student Privacy Certified

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Whiteboard.fi - Free online whiteboard for teachers and classrooms

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Whiteboard.fi is an instant formative assessment tool for your classroom, providing you with live feedback and immediate overview over your students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Engaging techniques for effective teaching

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.