Author Archives: Beyond The Apple
Re-framing Conversations About Disengaged Students
At a recent a professional learning session focused on re-engaging the disengaged student, we asked each participant to write a few words on a post-it to describe a disengaged student. The completed post-it notes were attached to a white board. … Continue reading
A Student’s Self Assessment of Listening
Let’s start the conversation with Beyond the Apple’s video about teaching students how to listen: When our students sit up straight, look at the speaker, be silent, and keep hands still and visible, we assume through their posture that our … Continue reading
Student Writing: An in-depth look at the assessment and feedback process
Let’s begins this conversation with Beyond the Apple’s video “Assessing Student Writing Through an Appreciative Lens”. This video suggests that learning to assess student writing may begin with listening to a student’s writing before seeing a student’s writing. The writing … Continue reading
Using Old Stuff (3): Making comparisons
Completing this activity with your colleagues allows you to experience how comparing the old with the new is an engaging cross curricular experience that has many applications for classroom instruction. This activity begins with a homework assignment designed to instill … Continue reading
Exit Slips and Feedback Revisited
Let’s face it . . . when we rely on tests to gather information about student learning, not only do students become test weary, the process of test development, marking, and providing feedback become the bane of any educator’s existence. … Continue reading
Using Old Stuff (2): Searching for information
This old phone (found in Nelson Ghost Town, Nevada) provides an opportunity for teachers and students to experience how examining old things (with some guiding questions) provides an opportunity to experience how thinking, analyzing, synthesizing, and sharing information leads to … Continue reading
Using Old Stuff (1): Developing questioning and research skills
Old stuff instills a sense of wonder, provides an authentic start point for developing questions, and creates an engaging focus for research. So . . . let’s celebrate old stuff! Have a look at this bottle and work with your … Continue reading
Writing Valid (Equitable) Assessments
A well-written test, quiz, or examination will complement the many other forms of formative assessment we use, so it’s important to know the how to’s of valid and equitable test construction. In the jargon of assessment development, test questions are … Continue reading
Culturally Inclusive Classrooms
A culturally aware and inclusive classroom recognizes that identity is complex and multi layered and encompasses race, gender and gender identity, socio-economic status, sexual identity, ethnicity, and religion. As we build culturally inclusive classrooms we need to be mindful about … Continue reading
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Meaningful Feedback in Minutes
The purpose of feedback is to: acknowledge evidence of progress search for and share evidence of “the known” within the student’s misunderstandings provide the student with a focus for the next steps of learning Here’s an example of a very … Continue reading →