SEL FORWARD

Social and Emotional Learning Towards Meaningful Social Contribution

Pre- Instruction Survey

This survey will allow the teacher to gain information about student’s prior knowledge, understanding, and misconceptions. It is through this form of assessment that teachers will be able to create or redesign their instruction based on the information they will have gathered from the pre-instruction survey.

Although, the sample link provided is intended to be a post-instruction assessment, this curriculum aims to make use of it before the unit begins. Teachers can add, remove and modify questions from this sample guide based on the depth and breadth of information that he/she may require. While drafting the pre-instruction survey, teachers must be aware of the dynamic composition of the learners thereby re-designing the context of the survey according to students' cultural backgrounds and orientations. In doing so, teachers will make the assessments relatable to the learners. Considering the factors mentioned above, teachers are encouraged to tailor the survey to meet the needs of the learners.

Below is a sample Pre-instruction Survey from Second Step.

Group Discussion

According to Sawyer (2004), articulating and learning go hand in hand, in a mutually reinforcing feedback loop (p. 10). Sawyer emphasizes that it is when students start thinking out loud that deep learning happens. As learners articulate and reflect their unformed and still developing knowledge they continue to deepen their understanding of the information.

One of the ways to establish this is through social learning, a theory developed by Lev Vygotsky in the 1920s (Sawyer, 2004, p. 10). In order to employ and establish social learning, group discussions will play a significant role in the formation of students learning in this curriculum.

Observation

This form of assessment will go alongside group discussion as well as during the process of creating the summative project as a form of teacher record keeping (Valle & Connor, 2011, p. 145). It is crucial that teachers engage and listen intently in the group discussions and take notes about the learners and their understandings to provide accurate and personalize feedback that may address students' misconceptions and assumptions as well as challenge their thinking in order to broaden their perspectives.

Through targeted observations, the teacher can take notes of the students strengths, areas of need, necessary feedback to broaden students perspective, as well as what to look for as the class progress to the next stages.

Reflection

Similar to group discussion, reflection is another form of articulating understanding.
As cited by Sawyer (2014) from Winde & Azevedo (Chapter 4), one of the reasons that articulation is so helpful to learning is because it makes possible reflection or metacognition. Studies have shown that reflection fosters deeper understanding.

However, according to Sawyer, it is important to note that as students articulate their developing understanding, the learning environment must support them in their reflection (p. 10). In this curriculum, this form of assessment will be used across all four units and must be supported with learning resources in multiple forms (e.g. video, literature, resource speakers, field trips, etc.).

Journal

Journal logs can be used for younger children as a form of reflection. Students can reflect on their feelings and values. This reflection can build on strengthening students' knowledge of self, others, and how these understandings relate to their surroundings.

This form of assessment can be used in the beginning of the day and/or at the end of class. Students can begin the day by writing how they feel and can end the day by identifying a small moment where they may have felt happy, excited, or encountered a problem while solving a situation (Valle & Connor, 2011, p. 150).

Peer review

Peer reviews encourage students to look out for their peers and provides them with the opportunity to take ownership of not just themselves but also their classmates (Jacobs, G. M., Renandya, W. A., & Power, M., 2016, p. 22). Students stand to learn a lot by reviewing their peer’s input and action, irrespective of the relative quality of their work (Jacobs, G. M., Renandya, W. A., & Power, M., 2016, p. 20).

Self Review

Along with peer reviews, students will jot down their reflections and thoughts on how they operated individually and within the group. Students can use notes from the peer review and compare them with their self-review notes.

Engaging in the self-review after the peer review is complete will allow students to identify next steps for themselves in terms of behavior and general input.

Note catchers

Note-catchers or checklist will provide students with the opportunity to jot down and show their thought process.

This can also be used for the purpose of organization and self-management that will help students to navigate their growth of understanding and learning process.

Note-catchers or checklist will provide students with the opportunity to jot down and show their thought process. This can also be used for the purpose of organization and self-management that will help students to navigate their growth of understanding and learning process. Tools that can be used for note taking are Google Docs and Padlet which were discussed in the Technology Integration.

Exit Tickets

This form of assessment is designed to show cognitive growth and can establish deep understandings that learners have acquired through the unit. While exit tickets are considered to be a traditional form of assessment, it will serve as a guide on whether students are on track to achieve the desired learning goals and identify learning growth, rather than put a grade on students abilities.

Exit tickets will prove to be a useful tool for teachers and students alike. It will allow teachers to broadly gauge where students are in order to make  decisions about future instruction which will positively impact students’ contribution and achievement in the social action project (Conderman, G., & Hedin, L., 2012, p.163).

Project Based Learning

Preceding assessments will prepare students for this summative form of assessment, Project-Based Learning (PBL). Sleeter (2005) emphasizes this classroom-based, democratized assessment, as it allows students to show what they know and can do (p. 64). Through the form of PBL it will also prompt evaluation of the curriculum itself, as teachers will try to make sense of how students perceive and experience this final task (Sleeter, 2005, p. 65).

Anyon (2000) asserts when critical educators involve students in contention via issue campaigns, we teach students the civic skills necessary for meaningful participation. We provide opportunities for them to develop the skills and experience the successes, that can create in them a sense of efficacy as change agents and effective actors in their communities (p. 392).

Rubrics

While the rubrics created in this curriculum provides students with the criteria of what a teacher expects, and thus what is expected of them, this rubric above is purely a sample.

While the rubrics created in this curriculum provides students with the criteria of what a teacher expects, and thus what is expected of them, it is purely a sample. As discussed in the piece Un-Standardizing Curriculum, we will invite students to provide their input and thoughts on the rubric and modify it accordingly (Sleeter, 2005, p. 74).

After students provide their input, the final rubric will be created and teachers will be encouraged to discuss, deliberate, explain and break down each parameter of the rubric. This will, in turn, result in the rubric not just being a tool that teachers use during the unit to fine-tune their instruction, but also a tool for self-empowerment that provides children with the criteria to self-evaluate, reflect and constantly improve their work (Sleeter, 2005, p.74).

©2018 Bhavi Doshi, Alice Kahng, Joan Calandria-Nelson and Paulo Ribeiro
Teachers College, Columbia University