Day 31 - Feedback

Part of the learning process is learning from mistakes and the teacher can enable the learner to effectively move forward if the mistakes they have made are highlighted in a positive way. I'm always in search of opportunities to give individual feedback to students as it's only through the teacher connecting with each of her or his pupils that progress can be made. Having said that sometimes group activities and therefore global comments can enable learners to feel they are moving on with their peers. I use Showbie as a file sharing app because it is a very simple, effective and versatile way to give feedback.

Today I used the fabulous website www.echalk.co.uk which needs a subscription but is invaluable for excellent resources especially for numeracy and literacy. It also is iPad compatible which is an added bonus! I set the tasks up on Showbie to allow a tap and go with the tasks, wasting no time in getting straight into the task. With the Christsmas play rehearsal taking up time today, ithis feature was invaluable. The students had autonomy as they could set their own level of chilli challenge and get to feel responsible for their work. This always raises self esteem. The completed work was shared effortlessly back to their folder in Showbie through the open in another app feature. I was then able to give feedback in a variety of ways to suit the type of comment or the students needs.  Verbal through a voice note, written for clarity and drawn to illustrate a point. 

Finally, the voice note giving a personalised feedback to alert the pupil to the next step that they need to take can be added in seconds and uploaded simply. The ongoing dialogue between teacher and pupil builds a special relationship, one that I believe encourages the pupil to feel important and to create a honest conversation which can come into its own when the pupil is having difficulty. It's at these occasions when the pupil has to believe in their teacher and rely on their professional guidance.