View this material in a Google Doc: Providing Culturally Sustaining and Responsive Feedback
Objective: To determine and implement guidelines for providing effective feedback to students in response to their learning and developmental needs within a remote or hybrid learning environment.
The estimated time for this activity is 20–30 minutes.
Watch This Video
“Think of feedback that is received not given.” — John Hattie
In the NYSED’s Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework, the second principle is high expectations and rigorous instruction. The bullet below is part of the student expectations for this principle:
- Strive and take pride in producing high quality work, using feedback to revise work, continuously improve, and set new goals.
Feedback is essential to student success. However, not all feedback is effective. Watch this video on providing feedback that is effective and responsive to student learning and development:
Feedback in a remote or hybrid learning environment requires that you utilize your digital tools to be responsive to the needs of your community of learners throughout instruction in a way that is culturally affirming, rigorous, and growth oriented.
Take Action
Use the chart below to consider the different modes of providing feedback to students when in a remote or hybrid setting.
Live One-on-One/Individual Conferencing
- Have students sign up for one-on-one conferences by sending individual invitations for a virtual meeting.
- Leverage screen share to model or demonstrate skills.
- Involve students by having them implement feedback live or in the moment by using collaborative/shared documents.
- Allow your students to share their screen, show their work, and explain their thinking.
- Have students set and establish a challenging yet appropriate goal to work toward before the next meeting. This goal can be placed in a shared digital portfolio or notebook that will be revisited at each meeting.
Live Small Group
- Create virtual small-group mini-lessons where 3–5 students can engage in targeted instruction.
- Utilize breakout rooms to divide students into targeted groups.
- In a hybrid setting, consider pairing 1–2 students at home with students who are working in person to foster collaboration and community.
- Utilize shared documents and activities that group members can work on collaboratively.
- Have students engage in peer-review feedback and goal-setting.
Live Whole Group
- During whole-group lessons, share feedback that all students can benefit from.
- Allow students to share their screen and demonstrate skills/concepts to peers.
- After feedback is given, students can enter into “stealth” mode (camera and mics off) and break off into smaller groups to implement feedback given before coming back together as a whole to synthesize their thinking.
- Invite all students to use the chat box or meeting polls to respond to the feedback given. How well do all students understand the feedback shared? Do they understand the purpose of feedback given? How confident do they feel in implementing the feedback given, etc.?
- Students can utilize the chat feature in virtual meetings to communicate feedback with text or emojis.
Asynchronous
- Create screencasts or “Insight Videos” that highlight specific trends seen.
- Allow students to record and share videos on how they implemented feedback.
- Use digital comments to leave a variety of text, audio, or video feedback according to student learning profiles and styles.
- Create instructional videos to model the “how” of implementation that students can use as an additional support.
In every interaction, through text, audio or video, find opportunities to highlight growth, progress toward goals, and overall success, while providing directives for next steps and activities to further challenge and extend learning and practice.
Stop and Think
(Key: T — Teachers, SL — School Leaders, DL — District Leaders)
The following questions can be used for individual reflection or group discussion:
- After viewing the video, how would you evaluate your current approach to giving feedback to students? What next steps would you like to consider? (T)
- A framework for providing culturally sustaining and effective feedback practices should include alternative metrics that support academic growth (i.e., character development, executive function, social and emotional learning, cultural values, etc). Discuss which metrics you value the most when considering providing feedback to students, and explain why. How might these metrics be culturally sustaining and affirming to students? (T, SL)
- In what ways can you ensure student involvement and partnership in your remote or hybrid feedback processes? (T)
- How can schools evaluate what effective feedback looks like within remote and hybrid classroom settings? (SL, DL)
- How can culturally responsive and effective feedback practices be used in coaching and supporting teachers in remote and hybrid learning environments? What practices are already in place? What should be incorporated? (SL, DL)