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Has there ever been a time when teachers can't give feedback or adjust their own teaching because students refuse to do what was intended as an instructional task for learning? As an educator, I have some students who don't want to do anything, even when given a choice on how they might show their learning.

Unfortunately, at least in my teaching experience, in content areas other than reading and writing, I have run into many teachers who believed in the Bell Curve still for classroom grading. Their numbers are dwindling, but they still exist along with teachers who believe, "I told them once. They should have it." I'm so glad your experiences make your question even possible. That is growth and improvement in instruction.

I have found that learning goals are broader in scope since we no longer memorize, skill and drill, and have the detailed oriented mechanisms of learning in place. Maybe I am missing the boat, but I want my students to be: great speakers who project their voice(yes, I do use a decibel reader) when they are public speaking. It's a great to incorporate the science of speaking. I do want them to be great writers, and I will say a well written rubric can enhance this. I am also after great thinking and problem solving. I have found that the middle level learner can seem to problem solve in some situations, yet they have become inept at problem solving on how to "get a pencil" when they don't come to class with one in their possession. Being able to get along with many within their peer group would be great. This seems to be an ongoing battle for some individuals who "want to work" by themselves. I have had my share of accountants in my classroom.... :)

Are you saying accountants are loners? They have to be able to work with clients :) (I'm a business teacher and just couldn't let this slide :)

Jodi, That was a narrow view, please forgive me. I stand corrected by you....Thank you for your correction. I will say, I have students who want to work by themselves....that is great for reflection, yet collaboration is a skills that we all need to develop.

Mary, You are definitely not missing the boat! All those goals are excellent and very necessary for students to obtain. Do not give up on your broader learning goals and keep letting your students know that this is what you want for them. You might need a poster in your room with your broader goals stated on it as a constant reference for you and your students, and then post on your board your daily learning goals for your students. You are such a wonderful teacher and your students learn so much from you! Keep up the good work!

Mary, I can absolutely relate to your comment about students that want to work by themselves! Some TAG students are "past masters" of wanting to do things on their own - I live with one!! Learning to collaborate is often a very difficult task for them in middle or high school. In my own experience, this improves for these high achievers when they reach college and are able to work with others that have similar abilities.

I have found it interesting how the "Boy's Town" model from a long time ago....always started with a positive statement of praise and supporting details; yet if negative feedback was needed, it would weave in concern statement that didn't use words like "but or however". For example: I can appreciate how your started your paragraph with energy and great discriptive words. As you work on your thesis, you may want to keep in mind.....or have you ever thought of....? Yes, constructive feedback is an "art form" when communicating to students who think they have excellence, yet fall short....I mean way short.

I have never heard of the "Boy's Town" model but I like how you wrote about giving concerns to a student without using "but" or "however'- I can see that making such a difference and being more influential and beneficial to students!

Too often the feedback is merely "corrective" - a check mark or "ok".

I don't believe that a machine will every take the place of a teacher.  Building relationships with students is crucial to their success.  No significant amount of learning occurs, when a student's needs are not met.  Student-teacher relationships are fundamental to a student's academic success.

I don't mean to disagree with you Lisa but I think good programs can replace poor teachers. I agree the programs can't replace a good teacher. A good teacher will learn how to use it as a supplement and teaching tool.

Good programs are very valuable but I don't think teachers need to worry about being replaced. Students can get instruction but still need the interaction with others.

Students that struggle academically will not be motivated to learn with out without adaptive technologies. A great relationship with a teacher can engage the student to learn and adaptive technologies are a great resource to aid that teacher!

Many of my students have indicated that they prefer online learning over the traditional classroom.  Sometimes I worry they aren't getting the same education but at the same time I am thankful they have the opportunity to learn.  I imagine that many of them would have dropped out, if this option was not available.

I agree with you Lisa that for some students, online learning is an option that has helped keep them in high school. I think it is important to talk to students who are thinking of dropping out to find out why. The issue may not be school but life. Though having an online program is often a way to help them return if they have left school.

From my experience working with at risk students at the high school level, along with the intermediate level, most all of them prefer some online learning.  They thrive at the opportunity to use technology.  The only thing I hope we don't do is deface the value of making a connection with the at risk student.  These students not only like non-traditional, they also thrive with making a connection with teachers/adults who show interest in their well-being.  I love the technology, but also love the interaction and connections I make with students.  

I agree, online learning has definitely kept some of my students in school. 

I agree that the kids need to have a connection with a teacher, too. Our online credit recovery students are encouraged to work in the library on their classes. They know that the library staff will help them. They also have gone to the content teachers for help if they don't understand the explanation online. In addition to the facilitator of our credit recovery program, they have other staff members who are looking out for them and helping them succeed.

In my classroom, this might be allowing students to choose themes or subjects for their final projects while using the techniques we are studying.  

I find that the possibilities are endless in the English classroom as well. I use RAFTs often where students choose the role of themselves as the writer, their audience, the format of the writing, and the topic, and they excel with this. With English, work is not just organized around a work of literature, it's really much more about what is gained through that exposure to said literature. This really helps makes giving choices possible in this type of environment. It is hard to give much choice when students need to be able to write a research paper in MLA format, however. They do have the opportunity to choose a topic, resources (I give them some, but do not force them to use the ones I provide because they are pretty knowledgeable when it comes to tech resources). The research paper is probably the most difficult unit for students and I think it is because it is so rigid of an assignment. I would love to offer more choice with this, but I am not sure if that would be possible. Choice in my classroom relates to learner interest as well. I always make sure to offer options that appeal to all, whether it is acting out a scene, writing an alternative ending, creating a Facebook account for a character, a podcast, writing a blog, or creating a comic book storyboard. 

This is very true.  As I attempt to make sense of this for my classroom, I am realizing the amount of prep work that is involved.  I realized I can continue to develop the resources that I make available to students, but I want it to be meaty to begin with.  

I am often overwhelmed by the amount of resources there are for Spanish since there are 20+ Spanish speaking countries.  It is often difficult to know where to start since I write my own curriculum. 

This is also true in the special education environment. Each student is working individually on the subject they need assistance with or on an IEP goal area. It is often difficult for people who are not familiar with what we do to see what we are working towards. 

This quote really spoke to me.  This is often what an art room looks like.  To a degree it is already personalized, but it can be more personal for the students.  That is my goal. It is funny because so many times administrators assume I can do more because I 'just' give my students a project and they work on it all week, so of course I must have all kinds of time.  But really the classroom is constantly in motion, I just don't stand at the front and direct all the motion.  It really does take an understanding administrator for this to work well.  

This spoke to me as well. Working in an alternative education environment, I may have 10 students working on 10 different classes at any one time. Some may be working on-line while others are working out of a text book. Others may be in the hallway doing some fitness activities and still others curled up in a comfy chair reading a book. I, in the meantime, am usually traveling from student to student providing assistance. There is never a dull moment, that is for sure! And yes, an understanding and supportive administration is KEY!!

What is normal to the spider is chaos to the fly. That is how I view my job! I love when administration walks in shakes their head and leave!

technology has made access to formative assessments easier (in my opinion) because once they are created.... they are usually there forever

There are so many strategies that teachers can use to formatively assess. Some can be more informal than others, but they provide great insight into supporting teachers with the planning of their next steps.

This can be a challenging concept to teach, especially to high schoolers--- that they need to take part of their own responsibility in learning

I agree that students do need to take responsibility in their own learning. Many times high school students don't do this, they just do the work asked and it is up to the teacher to do all the work in order for them to learn or understand.

I have not personally done this, but data notebooks are a great example of this. I have students reflect on scores but I have not asked them to keep a notebook or journal.

Yes! We struggle so much getting students to self edit their papers. However, it is important for them to review what they have written and improve their skills. The more we can encourage students to do this the better.

I know that often times teacher build in stepping-stones (formative feedback) to give students feedback on larger writings or projects along the way. What happens when kids don't turn these rough drafts in on time, though?

That is a great point. Some of my LA teachers "assign" a copy to every student in Google Classroom - this way they can monitor the student work as it is being completed. Many give feedback throughout the process and are able to catch issues and help students to fix them before the rough draft is turned in. Is it perfect - far from it - but students are getting more timely feedback.