Can you hear the learner’s voice?

Do conventional report cards give parents a true description of a child’s learning? If not, what would improve them?

This was the driving question behind yesterday’s #edchat conversation. I assume that ‘conventional report cards’ vary in different educational contexts around the globe. And I’m sure they have much in common in the attempt to reduce the exciting, messy, complex process of learning to something tiny and uniform that fits into an envelope.

Can you hear the learner’s voice in your reports?

It never ceases to amaze me how many people think that teachers can ’cause learning without the student’s help,’ as Dylan William says in this great little clip about metacognition. 

The most telling part of my school’s reports is the student reflection. It reveals a great deal, not just about the learner but  about how the learning takes place…

Some snippets from our current Year 5 and 6 report reflections:

Compare these, which focus on ‘work’ and ‘results’…

‘I worked really hard… and in the end it all paid off because I got an A.’

‘I have improved immensely in spelling. I got 41 out of 50 however, I still think there is room for improvement.’

‘In maths I don’t think I am living up to my potential, as I am not getting the results I would have liked to.’

‘I think I need to work on listening to instructions more carefully.’

… to these, which focus on learning…

‘This year I have extended my knowledge, matured and have shown that I can overcome anything if I really focus and concentrate on all the obstacles that are in the way of my destination – succeeding and doing my utmost. I think that I am a curious and open minded learner. ‘

‘In Inquiry, I’m like someone running and picking up speed and momentum. Last year, finding a big question was so baffling but now it’s simple. These last three inquiries have been so absorbing, I have been like a sponge waiting for more knowledge to absorb into my brain.’

‘Throughout primary school you do units of inquiry. At the beginning of this semester, I thought that I was locating facts and presenting them. In this semester, I have learned not just facts but deeper understandings and meanings. I have also improved my creativity in linking ideas in units of inquiry’.

‘I have learnt many skills about writing speeches and how they are not just a read-out narrative, how to raise my voice when talking about something important, speak in a different tone or to move my hands in certain way to get people’s attention. I still think I need to improve on my writing skills and how to convert thoughts into words and get them on the paper.’

Can you hear the learner’s voice?

Related post: 10 ways to encourage student reflection

If it works for us…

As an educator, what’s the most valuable kind of PD been for you? In what context has your most meaningful or most exciting learning taken place?

Reflecting on my own professional learning in recent times and considering what was most effective for me, has made me think… If it works for us, it should work for them.

The most valuable learning for me has been through:

1. Blogging

Writing a blog has been a tool for synthesising my thoughts, clarifying my ideas and reflecting on my practice. Commenting on other blogs and responding to comments on my own has allowed me to engage in professional dialogue.

2. Following my passions

I love technology and the possibilities it opens up for flattening classroom walls.  I have spent the past year experimenting with ways to make it happen across the school and learned a huge amount in the process.

3. Collaboration

Collaborating with my online PLN in a variety of ways has supported my learning in so many ways. I have an in-school PLN too and we achieve our best thinking and learning when we work together.

4. Global connections

The benefits of  learning from and with interesting people around the globe are immeasurable. My learning is enriched by interactions, through Twitter, blogs and Skype, with people of other cultures, different backgrounds and varied interests.

5. Owning my learning

My most valuable learning has been in areas I have chosen, not via any compulsory staff PD. We’re making sure all staff PD for next year is based on choice.

6. Knowing why

Related to the one above,  starting from the ‘why, rather than ‘what’ or ‘how” makes all the difference to learning. Matching learning to goals and interests means getting much more out of it.

7. Meaningful feedback

Sharing my learning with colleagues at school and a global audience on my blog has meant opportunities for specific feedback to push my thinking forward and help me decide where to take my learning next.

8. Not sticking to the job description (curriculum)

I have learned a huge amount in the past few years by using my initiative to explore new possibilities and create my own opportunities. If I had limited myself to what was expected, I wouldn’t have moved forward in the ways I have.

9. Being curious

Asking questions. Experimenting with new ideas. Seeking information. Making new connections. Being open-minded.

10. Focusing on learning, not on teaching

The more I have focused on learning, both my own and that of my students, the better my teaching has become. It’s that simple.

If these are the factors that have enhanced my own learning, shouldn’t I be providing my students with exactly the same sorts of learning opportunities? Shouldn’t we all?