Finding Work Samples and Giving Feedback
If you have not watched this video yet, what are you waiting for??!! It has helped over 11,000 people figure out this part of edTPA.
The Facts:
Wait until Task Three to find your focus students.
Your focus learners do not have to be in your Task Two videos.
You are actually choosing work samples and naming the work samples Focus Student 1, Focus Student 2, and Focus Student 3.
Exceptions to above exist for SPED, PE, or Early Childhood.
To Find Work Samples, follow these steps:
Collect and analyze student work from your whole class.
These work samples may be text files with scanned student work OR, for oral assessments of pre-k or primary grade students, a video or audio file. For each focus student, a video or audio work sample must be no more than 5 minutes total running time. Video and audio work samples are an option for any handbook.
Identify three learning patterns (or trends) from the assessment that you have decided to analyze for Task 3. To find patterns, look for commonalities in the class - what they understood, what they struggled with, misconceptions, common errors, misunderstandings.
For each pattern of learning, find a work sample that demonstrates that pattern.
For most handbooks, the students whose work samples you have chosen become your focus students. (PE and Early Childhood are examples of handbooks where you need to know who your focus students are before you begin Task 3).
For example:
First learning pattern = first work sample = Label it Focus Student 1
Second learning pattern = second work sample = Label it Focus Student 2
Third learning pattern = first work sample = Label it Focus Student 3
The handbooks suggest that one of the work samples be chosen from a student who has specific learning needs. Don't stress about this. It can be a struggling reader or an advanced student ... it doesn't really matter. Just choose one that you want to talk about in your analysis.
These work samples will be submitted as Task 3 Part B Work Samples. They may be document files, video files, or audio files.
Now you are ready to begin writing prompt 1, I suggest that you
Watch the video below on how to write prompt 1.
How to give high scoring feedback.
There are two rubrics concerning feedback, Rubrics 12 and 13, which are very different. We are only talking about Rubric 12. The evidence the scorer will use to evaluate the quality of the feedback that you give students will come from the actual samples of feedback. The feedback is a written on video or audio artifact. You cannot just describe your feedback.
On page 30 of Making Good Choices, it says:
"You should not provide a description of the feedback, but rather submit the specific feedback given to the focus students. The feedback can be written on work samples, provided orally within video work samples, or provided in separate video or audio files, as long as it is the actual feedback given directly to the focus students."
What you will write in Prompt 2a and 2b simply helps the scorer understand the context of your feedback and it gives you an opportunity to point out specific qualities of your feedback to the scorer.
It is easier to tell you what it isn't! These things are NOT feedback: grades, scores, checks, x's, your corrective notes, smiley faces, emojis, praise, or completed rubrics.
Checklists and completed rubrics may supplement your feedback file but they will not work as well by themselves. If you have Early Childhood or a primary student, a rubric is not developmentally appropriate as feedback. For upper elementary - secondary, you could put the rubric at the top and then your comments at the bottom.
Feedback should be written or recorded comments on
what your student did well,
what your student struggled with,
suggestions or strategies for improvement.
VERY IMPORTANT: Your feedback must be related to the objectives!
Above all your feedback must be related to the objectives! It doesn't matter if their handwriting is great if they wrote the wrong thing.
Comments may be written but if your students cannot independently read your feedback then you MUST RECORD YOURSELF GIVING THE FEEDBACK. It literally can be a voice recording of just you telling the student what they need to do. Pick up your phone and do a voice recording!!! The student does not need to be present for the recorded feedback. Think about it: students are present when we write their feedback so why would we require them to be present when you record the feedback?
It is my personal opinion that rubric 12 is the easiest rubric to score well on and you have a clear path to a five on this rubric if you do these things:
Create a separate feedback file. Even if you wrote comments and grades on your students' work, go back and create a good solid feedback file.
Make sure your feedback is tied to the objectives.
Make sure your feedback includes three things:
What the student did well.
What the student needs improvement on.
Suggestions for improvement or greater challenge.
If you're in Elementary grades where the students can read, then you can give them a Glow and Grow feedback document. (Google it!)
If you're in Secondary or Middle grades, you probably won't want to say "Glow and Grow" because that is a little insulting to adolescents. Instead, just write or type out three sections or use a sheet like the one I have attached to this post.
If you are in Pre-K, Kindergarten (or maybe first grade), you will make a big mistake if you do not record your feedback. If you give written feedback to a student that cannot read that feedback independently, then that is developmentally inappropriate and that is an automatic one. It can get you an automatic one on Rubric 12 (which is a wasted opportunity). Be smart! Video record you giving feedback to those cute little kiddos. The scorer will love it! Can't do that? Well, you have a phone, right? Get out your phone and voice record your feedback!
Your feedback must be about how well the students performed on the objectives. Even if you know for certain that the student did poorly because he didn't try, DO NOT SAY THAT. You aren't analyzing his effort.
Now you are ready to write prompt 2a and 2b. Use this for support.
Don't let edTPA stand in your way!
Hugs,
Mamaw Yates
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