Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching
Assessment Waterfall Chart - Getting Feedback From Your Peers:
As The College continues with its Professional Learning, with a focus on student engagement, it is timely to consider how students can use each other as resources for learning.
The aim is to empower our students to become more engaged in their learning journey. At St John Paul College, we strongly believe in fostering an environment that promotes active student participation and collaboration. In this week’s newsletter, I would like to highlight two valuable approaches for students to consider: peer assessment and working in groups.
Peer Assessment:
Encouraging students to assess their peers' work not only develops critical thinking skills but also promotes a deeper understanding of the subject matter. By engaging in peer assessment, students actively analyse and provide constructive feedback on their classmates' assignments, presentations, and projects. This process benefits both the assessors and the students being assessed.
Here are a few ways students can make the most of peer assessment:
- Constructive Feedback: students provide specific feedback that focuses on strengths and areas for improvement. Emphasis is placed on the importance of offering suggestions and examples to help their peers enhance their work.
- Clear Criteria: Students ensure they have a clear understanding of the assessment criteria. Rubrics or guidelines that outline the expectations, enabling students to provide objective feedback based on predefined standards are key to its effectiveness.
- Reflection and Self-Assessment: Peer assessment also allows students to reflect on their own work by comparing it with their peers'. Students analyse the feedback they receive and identify areas where they can make improvements in their own learning journey.
Working in Groups:
Collaborative group work provides students with opportunities to learn from their peers, develop communication skills, and appreciate different perspectives. By working together towards a common goal, students actively engage in problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making.
Here are a few tips for successful group work:
- Clear Roles and Responsibilities: Assign specific roles within the group to ensure everyone contributes and understands their responsibilities. This helps in creating a sense of ownership and accountability.
- Effective Communication: Encourage students to actively listen and communicate their thoughts and ideas respectfully. The emphasis is on the importance of valuing diverse perspectives and working collaboratively to achieve shared objectives.
- Task Breakdown and Timelines: Students break down complex tasks into smaller manageable parts. Establishing clear timelines for completion ensures progress and avoids last-minute rushes.
- Reflection and Evaluation: Students are encouraged to reflect on their group work experience and evaluate their individual and collective contributions. This promotes self-awareness and continuous improvement.
By embracing peer assessment and collaborative group work, our students can become active learners, develop critical skills, and experience increased engagement in their studies. I encourage parents and carers to support and reinforce these practices at home, as they will enhance our students’ educational experience.
Study Skills
Learn more about the ‘managing stress’ resources through the units on www.studyskillshandbook.com.au . Our College access details are:
School’s Username – stjohnpaul
School’s password – 89success
In addition, our subscription to Elevate Education may assist in this area.
This online platform contains resources and useful study tips that all SJPC students will find effective. We encourage them to access this Student Portal and try some of the strategies. Students have the password to this site. The password can also be found on the Curriculum Noticeboard.
AMDG
Assistant Principal
Learning and Teaching
