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Welcome back friends to PassedTPA. Today we will be discussing Student Voice.
Please pause this presentation and search your handbook for the phrase, “student voice”
to get a sense of how this instructional practice is integrated into the tasks across your edTPA
portfolio.
Welcome back. You probably observed the phrase, “student voice” in your handbook about
two dozen times. The glossary provides a definition, which states, “Student Voice is ongoing
reflective self-assessment expressed in the words of the learner for the purpose of improving
teaching and learning. In addition to student work, student voice is important evidence
of student understanding of his/her own learning process and progress toward the learning target(s).”
Before we go any further, let’s establish that student voice is dependent on a lesson
learning target. If your lesson does not have a clear, well-authored learning target that
is comprehensible to students, then engaging students in self-reflection characteristic
of student voice will be difficult to do. This will become more apparent as we learn
about the definition and features of student voice. For now, it’s sufficient to understand
that the two are interdependent.
Student voice is fundamentally about students assessing their performance on the lesson’s
learning target. Students may also self-assess on the central focus of the lesson sequence.
Nevertheless, there are many ways students engage in student voice. Students may
explain the learning target in their own words, through writing or speaking;
by knowing what is required to meet the learning target;
expressing why the learning target is important; describing whether they have achieved the
learning target; describing progression of learning across
learning targets; analyzing their work to describe progression
across the lesson sequence; describing strengths, weaknesses, ways to
improve; describing resources for improving performance
on a learning target; and, evaluating resources for improving performance
on the learning target.
Recall from previous modules that there are 18 rubrics applied to an edTPA portfolio.
Five specific rubrics are applied to each task, but 3 rubrics are applied across all
three tasks.
The three rubrics applied to each task are used to assess student voice. These three
rubrics describe how candidates integrate student voice, as well as how students may
respond. Candidates communicate the learning target, refer to the target across the lesson,
use a strategy for engaging students in self-assessment of the target, and analyze results as students
self-reflect for making decisions about instruction – specifically ways to support learners.
Similarly, students articulate the learning target, describe why it is important, and
assess their performance on the target as well as identify resources for improving their
performance.
Also recall from our previous discussion that there are three key sources of evidence in
an edTPA portfolio. For Task 1 we identified lesson plans, for Task 2 it was videos, and
for Task 3 it was the student work samples.
However, there are other sources of evidence which you will want to include. For example,
assessments are another source of evidence for Task 1. Candidates may also include a
three minute video showing evidence of student voice for Task 2. This video may be added
on top of the videos permitted as evidence for Task 2. Finally, candidates may include
student self-reflections for Task 3. In summary, the assessments, the 3-minute video, and student
self-reflections are additional sources of evidence for student voice.
To get a better idea of the various sources of evidence that are included in a portfolio,
here is a sample of the Pearson ePortfolio upload dashboard. When you submit your portfolio
to Pearson for scoring, you will use a web-based electronic system like this one. Examining
the Pearson ePortfolio dashboard shows the various containers available for uploading
portfolio evidence. Notice that evidence is uploaded by task. Also notice that there is
a container in Task 1 for assessments, a container in Task 2 for video clips, and a container
in Task 3 for student self-reflections.
To earn points on the three rubrics assessing student voice, it is necessary to show evidence
across all tasks.
It is also necessary for the candidate to integrate student voice activities across
the lesson. This lesson outline shows space for an opening activity focused on student
voice, along with two opportunities for informal assessment across the lesson. Informal assessment
opportunities are efficient places to ask students questions about the learning target
to engage them in student voice.
This lesson also concludes with an activity to assess students in student voice.
Let’s look at some examples of student voice. These first examples earned 3s and 4s on the
three rubrics assessing student voice. As we look at these examples, identify some of
the characteristics they have in common and decide how you can integrate these characteristics
into your lessons and into your assessments.
Here is a self-reflection in Performing Arts. Notice the question referencing the central
focus. In this case, students are assessing there performance on the central focus. This
is okay, since the central focus is the goal used to unify the learning targets. This self-reflection
also has a survey-type question asking the student to self-assess on a scale of 1 to
5. Also notice the question which asks the student where to go for help.
Here is another self-reflection. This one asks how fractions are used in the real-world
and also why fractions are important. By answering these two questions, the student is expressing
the importance of the learning target. Remember that expressing the importance of the learning
target is one way to show student voice.
Here is another example. Notice that it has descriptive questions, and a survey-type question,
along with plenty of teacher feedback, and a student response to the teacher’s feedback.
These three reflections are different. For example, they *** different content areas
and different grades. However, they also show some similarities. One similarity is that
these self-reflections were included on the assessment for Task 3. The assessment for
Task 3 was also used as the student work sample. This enabled the candidate assembling the
portfolio to use the assessment for multiple purposes. In summary, candidates can use the
assessment as the student work sample and also as the self-reflection.
All of the self-assessments included qualitative elements, such as having students write descriptions
of their performance. It should be noted that if students are too young to write that the
teacher can record student responses. Most of the self-reflections also included a quantitative
element, in this case a survey item having the student self-assess on a scale of 1 to
5. Finally, each self-reflection included feedback from the teacher, which identified
strengths, weaknesses, and where to go for help. Self-reflections showing students responding
to the teacher’s feedback, or making corrections, earned even more points.
Here are a few more self-reflections which scored mostly 3s. While these next examples
are quite good, they are missing at least one element in comparison to the previous
examples. Here is one for secondary science. It’s missing feedback and the student response
to feedback.
Here’s another in elementary mathematics. It has feedback, but it doesn’t have a quantative
element, like a survey question requiring students to rate their performance on the
learning target.
Here is another for secondary science. Like the others, it is quite good – but it’s
missing feedback and student response to feedback.
This one was used with kindergartners. The pictures help if students are not completely
literate. However, it is also missing feedback and student response to feedback.
Finally, this one is missing feedback and more importantly, there isn’t a whole lot
of student writing to analyze. Note that it may be helpful to select student self-reflections,
or work samples, that have enough writing for analysis.
The examples shown here were written sources of self-reflection. It may be viewed as somewhat
unconventional to include written self-reflections in some disciplines, such as physical education
or performing arts. However, keep in mind that edTPA focuses heavily on literacy and
omitting written sources of evidence may leave gaps in your portfolio.
Also note that each handbook permits addition of a 3-minute video showing evidence of student
voice. The 3-minute video may be added on top of the number of minutes of video allowed
for Task 3. Although this video is optional, all candidates are encouraged to include it
with their portfolios.
In summary, student voice is self-reflection with respect to performance on the learning
target. Engaging students in student voice is dependent
on a well-written learning target that is comprehensible to students.
Student voice may be shown in many ways, such as having students explain the importance
of the learning target, or describe resources for getting help.
Student voice is assessed with 3 of the 18 rubrics and evidence for student voice needs
to be shown in the lesson plans, assessments, videos, and work sample.
The rubrics assessing student voice focus on the candidate communicating the learning
target, referring to the target across the lesson, using a specific strategy to assess
student voice, and using student voice feedback from students to identify steps to support
learners. Although written self-reflections are an important
source of evidence for student voice, there are others like lesson plans and the 3-minute
video. Finally, some characteristics of effective
self-reflections include qualitative questions showing descriptions of performance, quantitative
questions like a survey item, teacher feedback, and students responding to feedback. Another
characteristic, which is more of a strategy for efficiency, is to use the assessment as
the work sample and to include questions assessing student voice.
Thanks again for joining me for this module of PassedTPA, Student Voice.