Providing+Feedback+(Frank)

**__ Providing Feedback __** **__ Overview __** The action of providing timely and instructive feedback to a student is a primary component in developing the student’s academic achievement. It should be noted that, feedback should be responsive and specific to the particular work that the student is engaged in during homework exercises or prior exam submissions. Research suggests that teachers should create a significant linkage between the student’s answers and their feedback comments in order to reinforce the opportunity for learning. Teacher feedback that is corrective and explains why a student’s answer is in error appears to increase student learning (Lysakowski & Walberg, 1981, 1982; Walberg, 1999; Tennenbaum & Goldring, 1989). Interestingly, effective learning results are also indicated when students provide their own feedback by comparing their work against recognized standards (Trammel, Schloss, & Alper, 1994; Wiggins, 1993). It is also noted that teachers should avoid the simple scoring or grading when providing student feedback but also interject their written comments and points of view. Student feedback should be timely because a longer delay lessens the beneficial effect of the teacher’s feedback effort.

Source: Focus on Effectiveness-Providing Feedback, []

**__ 1st Technology __** __(Handheld)__ Apple iPod Touch http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_ipod/family/ipod_touch?mco=MTM3NTEy

Affording the opportunity for timely student/teacher feedback is a key ingredient for academics success in students. This thought could also be extended to the importance of student/student academic feedback and collaboration as well. The use of the cell phone in secondary schools is often prohibited because of some student’s preoccupation with activities like texting and web surfing. In addition, cell phone ringing tends to interrupt teacher’s classroom environment. In spite of this bad rap, the cell phone or today’s smart phone has the potential to add greatly to the 21st Century learning process. In considering the need for timely academic feedback to students, the smart phone could become a quick and easy solution to a problem that can take hours or even days to resolve. “Students should receive feedback on their homework. Student achievement can vary based on the kind of feedback provided by the teacher” (Walberg, 1999). Teachers, schools and parents could benefit from using the Internet access, Texting and Emailing capabilities of the smart phone with their students. Using this handheld device in the learning process could take using some level of creativity as will as overcoming the past fears of using this device in the classroom. None the less, this handheld device will become more intricately involved in the learning process as technology integration moves forward in the traditional classroom.
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WiFi/Smart Phone/Digital Internet access Cost: $229.00
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**__ 2nd Technology __**  ( __Web Environments)__ ** Teacher Communication Suite, [] **

** The Teacher Communication Suite states its mission as a design to “use technology to provide solutions to today’s national education crisis. Teachers Communication Suite (TCS) was created to provide educators with a low-cost, easy to implement and use set of technology tools. TCS provides the means for educators to meet government reporting mandates, encourage parental involvement in the education process, and establish air-tight accountability for student performance.” **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Effective and timely parental feedback is just as important as student/teacher feedback, especially when corrective actions are involved. The literature suggests that significant academic learning occurs when corrective feedback is highlighted in student communications (Lysakowski & Walberg, 1981, 1982; Walberg, 1999; Tennenbaum & Goldring, 1989). Parental feedback that originates from the school and teachers could fall through the cracks due to the time constraints of the typical school week and this web could provide some extra measure to combat this problem. “Feedback has been shown to be one of the most significant activities a teacher can engage in to improve student achievement” (Hattie, 1992). The TCS website also provides virtual tools to help teachers avoid having to send repeated notes home and making phone calls to parents. This web service can automatically create an archive of communication instances with parents and students by the teacher.
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">An up to date Computer with High Speed Internet access <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Cost: The Free to low cost use Internet web environment
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Resources needed: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">__**3rd. Technology**__ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">(Web Environments) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Kid Blogging Website, [], <span style="background: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> This Kid Blog website is designed by teachers with the idea of having the students explore the advantages of collaborative thinking. This website is promoted as providing a kid friendly blogging environment to suite the needs of the lower grade levels in secondary schools. “ Kidblog meets the need for a ** safe ** and ** simple ** blogging platform suitable for elementary and middle school students. Most importantly, Kidblog allows teachers to monitor and control all publishing activity within the classroom blogging community.”

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; font-weight: normal; margin: auto 0in;">The obvious advantage to students who use this website is their opportunity to exchange ideas and to share school work activities. It is common knowledge that students often learn from one another and this is the basic foundation for expanding collaborative thinking and 21st Century learning skills. “Effective learning results from students providing their own feedback, monitoring their work against established criteria” (Trammel, Schloss, & Alper, 1994; Wiggins, 1993).
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; margin: auto 0in;">Rationale: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; font-weight: normal; margin: auto 0in;">An up to date Computer with High Speed Internet access <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; font-weight: normal; margin: auto 0in;">Cost: The Free to low cost use Internet web environment
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; margin: auto 0in;">Resources needed: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">**Education Challenge:** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">The educational challenge for this strategy would be to insure that all stakeholders utilize and recognize these feedback tools as being important to the learning process. Providing timely student and parent feedback could become time consuming because it can take away from the personal time of the teachers and students. The challenge would be to create incentives to help motivate the consistent involvement of all stakeholders. By simply saying that it’s an important activity may not be enough of a motivator, this could involve using some form of a tangible reward for being involved in this process.