Meaningful Feedback in Minutes

Posted on February 14, 2017 by Beyond The Apple

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 simple template used to gather and record this information during your conference with a student. Sharing the information ensures the student is aware of progress and has a sense of what’s coming next. It also provides an ongoing record of student progress that is useful for you, the students and the parents.

screen-shot-2017-02-13-at-1-29-25-pm

For more conversations about education, please visit: Beyond the Apple . . . Reframing Conversations in Education .

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Writing Valid (Equitable) Assessments

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Beyond The Apple

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 referred to as “items.” Items fall under two categories: Selected Response (Multiple Choice) items and Constructed Response (Open Response) items. While both categories can be used for assessments administered in written, oral, visual, or other formats, it’s important that all items provide valid information. Here are the pros, the cons and the how to’s selected response of item writing.

Selected Response Items

PROs:

  • Selected Response Questions provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding without writing a response.
  • Selected Response Questions provide students with an opportunity to consider and compare a variety of options before responding.
  • Selected Response Questions, when written according to guidelines, are faster to score.

CONs:

  • Selected Response Questions increase the reading load of the assessment.
  • The number of selected response options provided may cause confusion.

A valid and equitable selected response item is written according to the following guidelines:

  • The focus of the item reflects information that has been taught.
  • The answer must reflect the student’s ability to gather information from the text, not the student’s background knowledge. If a student can answer a question without reading the text, the question is invalid.
  • The students understand they are looking for the “best” answer among the options provided (between 3 and 5 options are usually provided)
  • The stem is written as a complete statement or question, not an unfinished sentence.
  • The stem is written in language familiar to the students.
  • The context (but not the content) of the question reflects student experience.
  • The stem is concise; extraneous words are removed.
  • The stem must not include negatives; for example, “Which of these is not an example of . . .”. NOTE: If a negative in a stem is unavoidable, underline or bold the word and use positive options to avoid a double negative structure.
  • The sentence structure of the options should be parallel.
  • The options do not include “all of the above”, “none of the above” or “a and c, but not b and d”.
  • All options must be plausible – do not include “joke” options.
  • The correct answer must not be present in another item.
  • To ensure students are not searching for patterns in correct letter response (“option C has been correct 3 times already, so it must be something else”), it can be helpful to organize the options in alphabetical order.

 Constructed Response Items

PROs:

  • Constructed Response Questions provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding in their own words.
  • Constructed Response Questions may be easier for the teacher to write.

CONs:

  • Constructed Response Questions increase the student writing load.
  • Students who have difficulty transferring their thinking to writing may be disadvantaged.
  • Constructed response items take longer to score.

A fair (equitable) Constructed Response Item is written according to the following guidelines:

  • The focus of the item reflects information that has been taught.
  • The answer must reflect the student’s ability to gather information from the text, not from the student’s background knowledge. If a student can answer a question without reading the text, the question is invalid.
  • The stem is a complete question or statement.
  • The stem is written in language familiar to the students.
  • The context (but not the content) of the question reflects student experience.
  • The stem is concise; extraneous words are removed.
  • The task is described with clear verbs, such as “list”, explain, draw a diagram of, or complete the chart, etc.
  • The amount of detail (“give 3 examples”) expected.
  • The answer is not embedded in another question.
  • The space provided for the answer reflects the length of response expected.

Remember: Share the secrets about assessment items with your students.

  • Provide students with information about the purpose of the assessment and how the results will be used.
  • Teach students how to approach and respond to the Selected Response Items and Constructed Response Items.
  • Teach students the “text features” of an assessment – the icon indicating the value of each question, how and where to record an answer, the timings (when applicable), the icons for “start” and “stop” etc.
  • Teach students to learn how to highlight the key points of the question, how to think about what the question is asking, how to formulate a response, and how to best convey that response to others.
  • Ensure students are aware of time limits (when applicable).
  • Teach students how to check their responses.

Sources:

Trends in Internationals Mathematics and Science Study: 2011 Item Writing Guidelinestimssandpirls.bc.edu/methods/pdf/T11_Item_writing_guidelines.pdf

Nova Scotia Dept. of Education: Evaluation Services. Guidelines for Item Writers

For more conversations about education, please visit:Beyond the Apple . . . Reframing Conversations in Education .

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Using the Poems and Songs of Home Language as Anchors for Literacy Learning

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Beyond The Apple

The potential of using home language as an entry point to school literacy learning is an important topic for a professional learning conversation.

Home language is situated in the heart of a community.  The vocabulary, structures, and rhythms of one’s home language reflect the history of a community and the roots of a community’s cultures.  The task faced by teachers is to ensure this fund of knowledge is linked to, not separated from, school literacy learning.

Let’s explore that link by reflecting on our own home language and how it impacted our learning.

Think of a song you listened to or a poem you recited before you learned how to read. Recollect the images the words of the song evoked, the connections you imagined, the questions the songs provoked, and the fun you had while sharing the song. These songs and poems provided you with an implicit understanding of the basic tenets of literacy learning, such as:

  • words convey meaning
  • the more words we know, the more meaning we are able to gather
  • words and phrases work together to  create a story
  • individual words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs provide opportunities to think with images, connections, and questions.
  • literacy is a shared event that leads to individual learning
  • the intonation, phrasing, and rhythm of language impacts meaning
  • the order of words has an impact on meaning
  • the sounds of a language can be played with and altered to create to meaning
  • individual words have a components that can be rhymed, segmented and blended

When our home language is the same as the language of school instruction, these implicit understandings about literacy provide us with the foundation needed for our teacher’s explicit literacy instruction. But what if one’s home language is different than the language of instruction?

For the purposes of this discussion, let’s highlight a child whose home language was Creole. (For those unfamiliar with Creole, here’s a sampling of some Creole songs)

Although the child arrived at school knowing the language of his home, it quickly became apparent that his language was not the language of instruction. The child felt unable to communicate with others and couldn’t participate in lessons. But let’s re-frame that notion from the deficit perspective of  “unable” and “couldn’t” to an additive perspective of seeing home language as a fund of knowledge that can and should be used as an anchor for literacy instruction. For example, the home language can be included in:

  • comprehension strategies (All students draw a picture or storyboard of a favourite song or poem. Regardless of the language used, the student demonstrates understanding and shares the meaning through the pictures drawn)
  • oral language vocabulary development (Students share their drawings and describe their image to a peer. Students of all languages (and often the teacher) benefit from this exposure to new vocabulary )
  • phonological awareness (The teacher listens for elements of the song or poem that are anchors for concepts such as rhyme, segmenting, blending, syllabication. In the case of alphabetic languages, many initial and final consonant sounds are more similar than dissimilar, so linking the phonology of home language and classroom language creates a meaningful bridge)

Needless to say, when one’s home language is not the language of school instruction, bridges that allow access to the school language are important. An example of such a bridge is the personal thesaurus, which  provides the student with a resource to notice, contrast, and record the vocabulary of home language with Standard Wnglish.

Here’s a an example of how a personal thesaurus works, using  the home language version of Vincentian Creole song Dampiana.

Dampiana (Vincentian Creole)

Dampi oh dampiana
Farine oh Dampiana
Gee me de farine yo mek from cassava
Farine oh Dampiana
Bake um, tun um, soak um wid water
Farine oh Dampiana
Too much farine na good fuh yo daughter
Farine oh Dampiana
Mix zaboca an farine together
Farine oh Dampiana
Gee she de bowl an gee me de brawta
Farine oh Dampiana

Dampiana (English)

Dampi, oh Dampiana,
Farina, oh Dampiana
Give me the farina you make from the cassava,
Farina, oh Dampiana
Bake it, turn it, soak it with water,
Farina, oh Dampiana
Too much farina’s not good for your daughter,
Farina, oh Dampiana
Mix avocado and farina together,
Farina, oh Dampiana
Give her the bowl and give me the extra,
Farina, oh Dampiana.

After the children listened to the song and sang the song, they were taught how to contrast the vocabulary of the Vincentian song with an English version  of the song. Words of interest were noted in personal thesaurus. Sample pages of a personal thesaurus included:

On the “G” page, “Gee” is contrasted with “give”

On the “M” page, “mek” is contrasted with make, create, cook, etc.

On the “Z” page,  “zaboca” is contrasted with “avocado”.

NOTE: During the pre-reading stage, pictures can replace words.

As the contents of a personal thesaurus grow, a student has a link between his or her home language and the language of the classroom. The child then learns which language best suits each situation and why.

To sum up . . . using the home language as a foundation for literacy instruction is an essential component of any child’s literacy learning.

For more conversations about education, please visit:Beyond the Apple . . . Reframing Conversations in Education .

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1st TODIE??? Seeing errors as a call to action

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Beyond The Apple

Taking time to unpack the thinking involved in noticing and correcting an error is a powerful way to better understand the layers of cognition an error sets in motion.

Here’s an example:

On first glance, I read the title of this James Patterson book as “1st TODIE” (think toadie).  Since “1st TODIE” had no meaning to me, I was baffled. That moment of confusion sent me straight into probelm solving mode.

patterson071

Below is charted deconstruction of that experience. As you can see, resolving the error turned out to be a full body experience, complete with a physical response, an inner dialogue, imagined sounds, and mental images at each step of process. (Note: While this process looks lengthy,  the entire process of correction took less than 2 seconds.)

Error solving processes Physical response to error  
 Inner thoughts of error solving process Mental image of error solving process
 Imagined sound of error solving process
1.Dissonance noted: What? Todie???? Jolting to a stop What’s a Todie? This doesn’t make sense! stop-2 Screeching tires

2.Problem solving begins

 Webbing connections between I know, what I expected and potential solutions. What’s a Todie? Could it be pronounced Toddie? Should I reread? What else could it be? web Car trying to go forward, then  reversing, then turning
3.Arriving at a possible solution

Pausing and reflecting on possibilities:

Is there a space between two words? 

 Hmmm…. it seems like a solution, but will it make sense as a book title?
 (note the dotted, less than confident check)check
 Car accelerating cautiously
4. Checking for accuracy and a match to the context Relieved, confident, relaxed Yes! That makes sense.  thumbs-up Car driving smoothly at speed

This exercise highlights the importance of learning how to problem solve strategically:  

  • noticing the disequilibrium caused when things stop making sense
  • searching for information that restores understanding and equilibrium
  • confirming that the solution truly fits the full context (mystery novel), not just the item (correct pronunciation)

Learners of all ages benefit from seeing this type of problem solving made visible. During a professional learning conversation, a colleague connected a poorly kicked soccer ball his error to the physical response, sound, inner thoughts, he experienced. This connection allowed him to understand what it felt like to make an error and how the error, in his words, “wasn’t just a mistake, it was a call to action”. Even at this late stage of his academic career, he was astounded by this new, and very useful, perspective on errors.

Now, take it to your classroom. The next time you make an error – stumble over a word, miscalculate an algorithm, or miss a step completing a fail a pirouette –  pause and share your error experience with your students.

Now, ask the students to do the same thing.

Learning to embrace an error as a “call to action” allows students to feel the potential of an error to develop a whole new perspective on problem solving.

Beyond the Apple Professional Learning Discussion Guide: Errors as a Call to Action: Making Problem-Solving Visible

Purpose of the Session

To help educators:

  • Reframe errors as productive moments of cognition rather than failures
  • Examine the layered thinking (cognitive, physical, emotional, sensory) involved in noticing and correcting errors
  • Explore how making error-solving visible can deepen student learning and resilience

Opening Reflection (5–10 minutes)

Prompt (Silent Write):
Think of a recent moment when something didn’t make sense—in daily life, reading, math, movement, technology, etc.

  • What signaled to you that there was a problem?
  • What did you do next?

Optional Share:
Invite 1–2 volunteers to briefly share. Do not analyze yet—just listen.

Anchoring Text Discussion: The “1st TODIE” Example (10–15 minutes)

Facilitator Move:
Revisit the example of misreading 1st TO DIE as 1st TODIE and the charted deconstruction of the experience.

Discussion Questions

  1. Noticing the Error
    • What was the first indicator that something was wrong?
    • How is “disequilibrium” described in this example?
  2. Layers of Cognition
    • What types of responses were involved in resolving the error?
      • Physical
      • Emotional
      • Cognitive
      • Sensory (sound, image)
    • Which of these layers do we typically name in classrooms? Which are usually invisible?
  3. Speed vs. Complexity
    • The correction took less than two seconds. Why is it important to slow it down and unpack it anyway?
    • What does this suggest about how much thinking happens beneath the surface for learners?

Reframing Errors (10 minutes)

Key Idea from the Text:

“The error wasn’t just a mistake, it was a call to action.”

Discussion Questions

  • How is this framing different from how errors are often treated in classrooms?
  • What messages do students receive—explicitly or implicitly—about errors?
  • How might this reframing change:
    • Student risk-taking?
    • Perseverance?
    • Identity as a learner?

Connection Prompt:
Where do you already see students responding to errors as calls to action (even if they don’t name it that way)?

Classroom Transfer: Making Error-Solving Visible (15–20 minutes)

Facilitator Prompt:
The post encourages teachers to pause during their own errors and narrate the experience for students.

Small-Group Discussion

  1. What types of teacher errors are most powerful to share?
    • Academic (misreading, miscalculating)
    • Procedural (missing a step)
    • Physical (sports, arts, movement)
    • Technological
  2. What might students learn if they regularly heard:
    • Inner dialogue
    • Physical reactions
    • Strategies for restoring understanding
    • How context is checked for accuracy
  3. What might feel uncomfortable about doing this? Why?

Student Application: Inviting Learners Into the Process (10 minutes)

Prompt:
Imagine asking students to chart or describe their own error-solving experiences.

Discussion Questions

  • What scaffolds would students need to do this meaningfully?
  • How might this look different across:
    • Grade levels
    • Content areas
    • Learner needs

Possible Student Reflection Frames (Discuss, Don’t Distribute Yet):

  • “When something didn’t make sense, I noticed…”
  • “My body reacted by…”
  • “The questions I asked myself were…”
  • “I knew my solution worked because…”

Synthesis and Closing Reflection (5 minutes)

Whole-Group Prompt:

  • How does this perspective change the way you think about:
    • Mistakes?
    • Feedback?
    • Assessment?
    • Student confidence?

Exit Reflection (Written or Spoken):

  • One idea from today I want to try
  • One belief about errors that shifted
  • One question I’m still holding

Key Takeaway: Errors are not interruptions to learning—they are invitations into it.
When educators make the full error-solving process visible, learners gain access to strategies, confidence, and a deeper understanding of how thinking works. The following samples reinforce this strategy for A) primary school students and B) secondary students:

A) Primary School: When I Make a Mistake

Mistakes help my brain grow!

  1. I Knew Something Was Wrong When…

☐ It didn’t make sense
☐ It didn’t sound right
☐ It looked funny
☐ I felt confused

🖍 Draw or point:

What made you stop?

  1. My Body Did This

☐ I stopped
☐ I felt wiggly
☐ I felt tight
☐ I took a breath

🖍 Show it with your body or draw it.

  1. I Said in My Head…

☐ “Huh?”
☐ “Let me try again.”
☐ “That’s not right.”

🗣 Teacher can model saying this out loud.

  1. What I Tried Next

☐ I looked again
☐ I tried a new way
☐ I fixed it
☐ I asked for help

🖍 Draw what you did.

  1. Then It Made Sense!

☐ Yes!
☐ Almost
☐ Not yet

💬 Tell or draw how you know.

⭐ My Big Learning

Finish together:

My mistake helped me _______________________.

How to Use This With Young Learners

Best practices:

  • Do this together, not independently at first
  • Accept talk, drawing, pointing, or acting
  • Keep it short (2–3 minutes max)
  • Revisit often so it becomes normal

Teacher Think-Aloud Example:

“Oops! That didn’t sound right. My body stopped. I thought, ‘Let me try again.’ I looked again… Oh! Now it makes sense.”

Classroom Language to Reinforce

  • “Your brain noticed something.”
  • “That mistake helped you think.”
  • “What did you try next?”
  • “Mistakes tell us what to do.”

B) Middle School and Secondary Level: When I Got Stuck: My Error Reflection

Optional Visual Support (Anchor Chart Headings)

  • 🚦 I stopped
  • 🧠 I thought
  • 🔍 I tried
  • ⭐ I learned

Remember: An error is not a failure — it’s a call to action.

  1. The Moment I Knew Something Was Wrong

What made me stop or feel confused?
☐ It didn’t make sense
☐ It didn’t sound right
☐ The answer didn’t fit
☐ Something felt “off”

✏️ Write or draw:

  1. My Body’s Reaction

What did my body do when I noticed the error?
☐ Froze
☐ Paused
☐ Felt tense
☐ Took a breath
☐ Other: ______________________

✏️ Describe it:

  1. My Inner Thoughts

What was I saying to myself?
☐ “Wait… what?”
☐ “That can’t be right.”
☐ “Let me try again.”
☐ “What else could this be?”

✏️ My thoughts:

  1. What I Tried to Fix It

What actions did I take?
☐ Reread
☐ Rechecked my work
☐ Tried a different strategy
☐ Looked for clues
☐ Asked a question

✏️ What I tried:

  1. Did I Picture or Hear Anything in My Mind?

Some people think in pictures or sounds.

☐ I saw an image
☐ I heard a sound
☐ I didn’t notice this time

✏️ Describe (optional):

  1. Finding a Solution

What helped things start to make sense again?

  1. Checking My Answer

How did I know my solution really worked?
☐ It fit the whole problem
☐ It matched the context
☐ I could explain it
☐ I felt confident

✏️ Explain:

⭐ What This Error Taught Me

Finish the sentence:

This error helped me learn that ____________________________.

Teacher Tip (not shown to students)

  • Model this tool using your own real error
  • Accept drawings, bullet points, or oral responses
  • Use it after productive struggle, not during frustration
  • Emphasize: speed doesn’t mean shallow thinking

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How to Score Student Work Equitably

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Beyond The Apple

Contrary to public perception, scoring student assignments and tests goes well beyond determining whether an answer is correct or incorrect. To score equitably, a teacher needs to be familiar with the art and the science of scoring. It’s an important task and there’s a lot to think about. Here are some things to thunk about:

1. Determine a rationale for the method of scoring you’ve chosen – letter grade, percentage, comments, rubric, level, etc –  each has a purpose and a place.

2. Use a scoring guide (a list of possible correct and incorrect responses) and refer to it throughout the scoring process.

3. If time permits, share scoring tasks with another teacher. This increases the reliability of the results.

4. As each assessment item is scored, be aware that correct answers can be expressed in different ways –  but ensure the student answer meets the criteria of the scoring guide. In other words, don’t “read into” the student answer or make assumptions about “what the student meant”.

5. Ensure that the scoring is not impacted by irrelevant factors. For example: spelling errors must not have a negative impact on a math assessment.

6. Be aware of the “halo effect”, which occurs when a teacher’s prior knowledge of student performance impacts the scoring process.

7. If an unexpectedly high percentage of students answer a question with an incorrect response, examine the wording of the question for clarity. If judged to be unclear, do not include the question in the final tally of results. If clarity is not a problem, ensure that the content has been covered in class. If not, do not include the question in the final tally of results.

8.  If a high percentage of students achieve an exceptionally high score, the task may be too easy. Assignments and tests that are too easy provide little information about recent student learning.

9.  If a high percentage of students receive an exceptionally low score; the test may be too hard. Assignments and tests that are too hard provide little information about recent student learning.

10. Provide students with feedback and an opportunity to reflect on their answers and in a timely manner – asap!

11. Feedback should acknowledge what’s been accomplished as well as an indication of  the next steps of learning. For example:

“I notice that you can . . .”

“Tell me how you did this . . . ”

“The next step of learning is . . .”

12. If students or parents/guardians have questions about the results, be willing to review the scoring process with them.

13. Use the assessment information about what the student has accomplished to inform the next steps of instruction.

For More information about fair student assessment practices, read Principles for Fair Student Assessment Practices in Canada

You can also visit our video about equitable scoring: Scoring Tests: Keeping it Fair

For more conversations about education, please visit:Beyond the Apple . . . Reframing Conversations in Education

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When Students Think They Can’t Read

Posted on September 9, 2016 by Beyond The Apple

“Non-reader.”
It’s a label far too many students attach to themselves—and one that often sticks from an early age. By high school, that belief can feel permanent.

The script below is a verbatim-style exchange between a workshop facilitator, teachers, and a high school student who had long given up on reading… and what began to shift when the story changed.

I Can’t Read!

Characters: Workshop Facilitator, Workshop Participant, Narrator, Principal, High School Student (T)

Narrator: After an Engaging the Disengaged presentation to a group of high school teachers, the facilitator thanked their hosts, gathered her papers, and prepared to leave. A participant approached the dais.

Workshop Participant: That was a good presentation, and I get what you’re saying. I agree in theory—but what about students who are finishing high school and simply can’t read? We’ve tried everything. Some kids just can’t read. Are you willing to visit our school and show us how to put your words into action?

Workshop Facilitator (thinking): Okay… this is where the rubber hits the road. If teachers are willing to listen to me talk the talk, I can respect their time by walking the walk.

Narrator: One week later, the facilitator returned to the school and met with the principal, homeroom teacher, and resource teacher to talk about a student we’ll call T.

Workshop Facilitator: Tell me about T.

Narrator: The conversation began with a list of problems—skipping school, disruptive behaviour, suspensions, testing results labelling him a non-reader, siblings who were non-readers, unfinished work. From the facilitator’s perspective, the list explained only what T couldn’t do—and nothing about who he was.

Workshop Facilitator: What is T interested in?

Principal: Kirk Johnson. T lives and breathes Kirk Johnson.

Narrator: To provide context, Kirk Johnson established himself as a world-class boxer. During the 1980s and 90s.

Workshop Facilitator: That’s the information I need. I’ll be back in two days.

Narrator: Over the next two days, the workshop facilitator gathered information about Kirk Johnson and wrote short paragraphs at varying reading levels. Each paragraph looked identical—same font, size, and layout. Two days later, she met with T.

T: (Entering, hood up, slumped) This sucks. I can’t read, and I’m sick of tests. I’ve had a hundred tests. I know I can’t read. I can’t wait to get out of this place.

Workshop Facilitator: Let’s just talk. I heard you know a lot about Kirk Johnson, so I looked him up.

Narrator: As the workshop facilitator shared what she knew, T eagerly filled in the gaps—training routines, recent fights, the media’s bias when covering Johnson’s fights. His knowledge was deep and confident.

Workshop Facilitator: You know a lot more than I do. I brought some information about Kirk Johnson for you to read. Some of these paragraphs will be easier to read than others. We’re going to find one you can read.

T: I just told you—I can’t read! Why don’t you listen?

Workshop Facilitator: Because many people who say they can’t read actually can.

T. Yeah, yeah . . .

Workshop Facilitator: Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll give you some paragraphs about Kirk Johnson, and you take a few minutes to look through them. Some might seem hard and some might seem easy.

T: Easy! Right! I can’t read, so that won’t happen. <During the conversation below, T continued to be slumped in the chair, his hoody still covering his face.> 

Workshop Facilitator: After you look over the paragraphs, I’ll ask you to choose one to read to me. I’m going to listen for how your reading sounds . . . I’ll listen to hear if the words you read are correct, if your reading flows fluently, if you notice a mistake, if you fix up a mistake and how you fix up a mistake. I won’t mess around – if it’s too hard, I’ll tell you; if it’s too easy, I’ll tell you.

T: Yeah, yeah.

Workshop Facilitator: Please choose one of the paragraphs and read it aloud to me.

T: Out loud???!!! No way! That sucks!!!

Workshop Facilitator: I know, but right now, I need to hear you read, so I can get information about how you read.

T: <Starts to read at approximately 40% accuracy and in a very halting way. At unfamiliar words, he mumbled. He quickly becomes frustrated. See! I can’t read! I told you!

Workshop Facilitator: You’re right – you know some of the words, but that one looks like it’s too hard. Try this one.

T: <Grabs another paragraph and starts to read. His accuracy improved. It’s clear that T noticed this improvement, because his “presence” changed. His back straightened a bit and his head raised enough that the lower half of his face became visible.>

Workshop Facilitator: You’re getting more words right, but you’re mumbling some of the tricky words and it still sounds choppy, so let’s try this one.

T: <Starts read the new paragraph. His accuracy is now above 80% and he’s reading fluently. His postured changed again. Now  the narrator could see his face. As he read, the narrator saw the hint of a smile emerge – but just a hint. The Workshop Facilitator had the feeling T was surprised by his reading and was trying to suppress the urge to truly smile.>

Workshop Facilitator: So, you can read.

T: Yeah, I guess, but it’s about Kirk and I know this stuff. <T seems intrigued with the paragraph and read it again silently. His posture straightened even more.>

T: Can I keep this?

Workshop Facilitator: Yes. It’s yours to keep.

T: So, yeah, I read it, but this isn’t as hard as what we’re supposed to read in class.

Workshop Facilitator: You’re right. It’s easier. But you can read it.

T: So, I can only read easy stuff?

Workshop Facilitator: No, this is just the start point. You now know that you can read because you heard yourself reading. You can start by reading text like this and then you’ll learn how move on to more difficult text on a wider range of topics. The more you read and the more you learn about reading, the better reader you’ll be.

T: When can we start?

Workshop Facilitator: Right now, let’s look over the notes I made as you were reading. First, I’ll show you what you were doing well, then we’ll talk about what you can work on next. After that, you’ll read something else and practice what you learned. That’s how it will go.

Beyond the Apple Discussion Guide: I Can’t Read!

Aligned with Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL),

Framing Statement
“Nonreader.” It’s a label far too many students attach to themselves—often shaped by schooling experiences that overlook identity, culture, language, and strengths. By high school, that belief can feel permanent. This discussion explores how culturally relevant and universally designed teaching can interrupt that narrative.

Purpose

To examine how teacher choices, student identity and interests, and responsive, flexible instruction can shift a student’s identity from “non-reader” to reader—honoring culture, voice, and multiple pathways to learning.

1. First Impressions: Identity & Asset-Based Thinking (CRP)

  • What do we learn about T beyond academic labels?
  • Which assumptions about “non-readers” does this story challenge?
  • Which moment most clearly disrupted T’s belief about himself?

CRP Lens:
How does this story shift the focus from deficits to assets?

2. Teacher Decision-Making: High Expectations + (CRP)

Discuss:

  • Why was centering T’s interest (Kirk Johnson) more powerful than relying on testing data alone?
  • How did the facilitator communicate belief in T’s ability without minimizing challenge?
  • How did listening function as an instructional move, not just a relational one?

CRP Lens:
How did the facilitator position T as knowledgeable, capable, and worthy of intellectual respect?

3. Evidence of Growth: Multiple Means of Engagement & Expression (UDL)

  • What changes did you notice in T’s posture, voice, and engagement?
  • How did adjusting the text level create access without stigma?
  • Why did hearing himself read successfully matter more than being told he could read?

UDL Lens:
How did the facilitator remove barriers while preserving the goal of reading competence?

4. Instructional Takeaways: Flexible Pathways to the Same Goal (UDL)

  • Why is accessible text a legitimate starting point, not a lowering of expectations?
  • How did the facilitator scaffold skill development without labeling or tracking?
  • What made the learning progression feel natural, dignified, and motivating?

UDL Lens:
How were multiple entry points and gradual release used to support skill growth?

5. Classroom Application: From Theory to Practice (CRP + UDL)

Reflect:

  • Think of a student who may identify as a “non-reader.”
    • What cultural knowledge, interests, or lived experiences do they bring?
    • How could you design a reading entry point that reflects those assets?
    • What options could you offer for how they engage with and demonstrate reading?
  • Beyond test scores, how might you notice and document:
    • Confidence?
    • Persistence?
    • Willingness to take risks?
    • Reading identity?

Action Step

Identify one instructional change you can make this week that:

  • Centers student identity or interest (CRP), and
  • Removes a barrier by offering choice, flexibility, or scaffolded support (UDL).

Closing Reflection

How might shifting from “What can’t this student do?” to
“What does this student care about—and how can I build from there?”
change not just reading outcomes, but students’ beliefs about themselves?

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Appreciative Inquiry: Beyond the Apple’s Applications for Education

Posted on August 26, 2016 by Beyond The Apple

There’s a lot of interest in Appreciative Inquiry and its application for educational change.

Appreciative Inquiry (AI) was designed by David Cooperrider as a strategic planning tool; its applications in an educational setting are creating a lot of excitement.

Here’s Beyond the Apple’s introductory discussion about Appreciative Inquiry with a focus on education.

If you and your colleagues are interested in educational change, here are some videos and  articles that provide some opportunities for a shared or jigsaw reading and follow up discussions.

1) First, be aware that there’s bound to be an initial skepticism about the AI approach. Sarah Lewis addresses this well.

2) In Case Study of a School Wellbeing Initiative: Using Appreciative inquiry to Support Positive Change, Waters and White (2015) provide a deeper look at the tenets of Appreciative Inquiry (the Four Ds: Discovery, Dream, Design, Destiny) and how they can be applied to school change. This is a good foundation on which to build staff discussions about change initiatives with impact.

3) We found the next article in The Center for Appreciative Inquiry’s August, 2016 newsletter. You and your colleagues may enjoy Todd Conkrite’s  Transforming Human Rights With The Right Questions . While Conkrite writes about AI’s applications to the world of human resources, the application of his ideas to teaching staff are obvious.

As a problem solving process, Appreciative Inquiry’s strength is in how it changes one’s perception of the problem and how the problem solving process proceeds. AI requires a shift in thinking:

from

focusing on and fixing a problem

to

identifying and then building on what’s been accomplished.

This shift in thinking has, quite honestly, renewed many educators’ passion for teaching because it requires a teacher to really know the student and to search through the student’s written, oral, physical, or artistic work for information that answers the questions, “What does this student have under control?” and “How can we build on that foundation?” The answer to these two questions creates a framework of building on accomplishments rather than fixing what’s wrong. It seems to be a simple shift, but in practice, it’s dramatic.

That’s not to say that AI sees the world through a lens of sunshine and lollipops; in fact, AI begins with capturing a real world view – it’s how that real world is described that makes the difference.

Here’s an example of how an Appreciative Lens captures the real world of an elementary student’s writing:

Moving from elementary school to high school, here’s a conversation with an 18 year old student was convinced he could not and never would read. By adopting an appreciative lens, the teacher acknowledges the concern, but begins the problem solving process by gathering information about the student and what he knows. From that foundation, the path to reading success begins.

So that’s a good start for a few professional conversations about the application of Appreciative Inquiry to education. There will be more soon.

For more conversations about education, please visit us at Beyond the Apple . . . Reframing Conversations in Education

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Arts based pedagogy: gaining insight through multiple lenses

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Beyond The Apple

The idea of teaching through the arts is embraced by some, questioned by many, and ignored by others. We’re excited by the opportunity to explore the multiple lenses the arts provide. Here are our first thoughts – they might be useful as an introduction to arts based pedagogy.

Arts based pedagogy knows no age limit nor is it confined by a discipline. Arts based pedagogy invites students to use multiple formats to demonstrate what they know, what they are thinking, and what they question. It’s important to note that arts based pedagogy is not about creating “fine art” to represent content; it’s about representing learning and thinking in an alternate form. That form can include poetry, visual arts, theater, dance – the sky is the limit.

Arts based pedagogy is a powerful instructional strategy that is accessible to all students. Here’s a reader’s submission to the journal, Teacher:

“Using arts-based pedagogies or arts-inquiries goes beyond singing the times-tables or watching a topical DVD, it is about framing learning experiences to connect the cognitive with the emotive, to critically examine assumptions, understandings and beliefs, to view things from different perspectives, and create a space for experimentation where alternative views can be explored. It is about creating a space where self-esteem, identity, voice, compassion and empathy can be developed and expressed. It is student centered, participatory and socially constructed. It can be used within single subjects but is a natural way to integrate or teach across the curriculum and has the greatest pedagogical impact in developing an understanding and potential engagement in social justice” You may wish to share the full article Arts Based Pedagogy, The Natural Partner for Social Justice  with your teaching colleagues.

So what does this look like in the classroom? As the instructor, you don’t need to identify as an artist, but you do need to feel comfortable exploring information in creative ways. To begin, here’s the simplest possible way to demonstrate how a the most basic of artistic representations, a “squiggle” can lead to deep thinking, questioning, intriguing conversations and new ideas.

This TED Talk by astronaut Mae Jemsion, who states that the science and the arts are different manifestations of the same thing and sees “the arts and science as avatars of human creativity”.

And what about assessing arts based pedagogy – can you actually assess creativity?  It a great topic for discussion. Grant Wiggins thinks we can and we agree. Check out what Wiggins has to say and his handy rubric Creative.

If we’ve piqued your interest, and want an idea for classroom practice, check out our blog Exploring Social Studies Through Arts Based Pedagogy.

For more conversations about education, please visit: Beyond the Apple . . . Reframing Conversations in Education

Posted in Learning is About Wondering, Questioning and Problem Solving | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Effective Listening, the key to success in a professional learning community.

Posted on June 15, 2016 by Beyond The Apple

The success of a professional learning community is heavily influenced by how effectively  the participants communicate with each other. Clearly, this is obvious, but what’s not obvious is that it’s not only how we speak to each other, it’s how we listen to each other.  Listening is the most used and the most important communication skill; however, listening is the least acknowledged and the least practiced communication skill.

To ensure a successful framework for your school’s or organization’s Professional Learning Community, you may wish to invite the participants to think about the impact of how colleagues listen to each other. Here’s a lighthearted look at listening at its best and its worst. As you watch, think about what’s working, what’s not working, and why.

So, are you a listener or a “waiting to talker”?

You and your colleagues may also want to check out Dick Lee and Delmar Hatesohl’s  “Listening: Our Most Used Communication Skill”. It’s a very interesting look at the best and the worst of listening. Here are some quotes from the article:

“. . . the  difference between speaking speed and thought speed means that when we listen to the average speaker, we’re using only 25 percent of our mental capacity. We still have 75 percent to do something else with. So, our minds will wander.”

“Ralph G. Nichols, long-time professor of rhetoric at the University of Minnesota (now retired), says in his book Are You Listening? that “if we define the good listener as one giving full attention to the speaker, first-grade children are the best listeners of all.””

We also recommend the article  The Art Of Listening Well  by Eugene Raudsepp who begins with the comment, “Forget about what you were going to say next. Make sure you hear what the other person says.”

After reading and discussing these articles, work with your colleagues to create a personalized list of what they value in listening. This serves as an ongoing self-assessment of listening and a way to monitor how and why some conversations are effective and why some go awry.

If your PLC is comprised of teachers, there are bound to be questions and comments about the listening skills of students, such as, “What are the expectations for our students – is effective listening as important to them?”  The answer is absolutely!  Effective listening is a learned skill – a skill that needs a teacher to model and monitor. Here are some thoughts about listening in the classroom context and an idea about teaching students how to listen. . .

. . . to follow up, check out our Beyond the Apple blog about student listening.

Classrooms where teachers listen and students listen are classrooms where lives are changed. Karen Engels’ article What’s Love Got To Do With It? describes how listening is an integral component of effective classroom practice. It’s another great conversation starter for your PLC. Engels shares the words of Torraine to describe the impact of listening:

“I could always tell when a teacher actually saw me as a human to be invested in …who really saw me as an individual. There are maybe three teachers in my life who have stood out to me as incredible influences on the person I am today. They made me feel understood and listened to. They made me feel like my life mattered. …

For more conversations about education, please visit:Beyond the Apple . . . Reframing Conversations in Education.

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Wondering Leads to Learning

Posted on June 7, 2016 by Beyond The Apple

Can you remember the last time you had a chance to simply sit and allow your wind to wander? If you can’t remember, now’s the time to try it.  Have a look at our video about wondering and open the doors to your thoughts.

The next time you schedule a professional conversation with colleagues, take some time to celebrate wondering.

You might want to begin with, “Why are most pencils yellow?” (no Google searches, just wonder about possible reasons)

img_3484

Begin the conversation with a shared reading of Chris Bodenner’s “There Is a Creative Purpose to Daydreaming, Even Boredom”.  Bodenner’s thoughts remind us of Wittgenstein’s words, “the key to thinking is the three B’s: bed, bath, and bus. In other words, we can actually think when we’re unfocused, unconcentrated, or even semi-conscious.” A wandering mind allows us to wonder; wondering can have a powerful impact on thinking; and thinking has a powerful impact on learning.

Wondering is about considering possibilities and what’s possible about impossibilities. Wondering creates a web of the known that provides various pathways to the new. So, why not explore one of those new pathways? Take some time to work with your colleagues to create a group illustration Albert Einstein’s quote:  “The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mysterious. It is the power of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead.”

We don’t often picture the Wall Street or Bay Street gang taking time to wonder, but Jeff Hoffman knows the truth about wondering –  spend some time viewing Hoffman’s TEDxWall Street video, The Power of Wonder with your colleagues.

To finish up, here’s some research on the power of wondering:

The Wonder Approach to Learning by Catherine L’Ecuver. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 06 October 2014 |

For more conversations about education, please visit: Beyond the Apple . . . Reframing Conversations in Education

Posted in Learning is About Wondering, Questioning and Problem Solving | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments