Teaching critical thinking doesn’t have to be overwhelming; it can be easier to integrate into a busy teaching day than one might think especially when educators deliberately use Classroom Assessment in the service of Learning. One example is co-constructing criteria.
When teachers co-construct criteria with students for a product or a process students are expected to do or know, students come to better understand quality and proficiency.
Co-constructing criteria gives students the information they need to self-monitor their way to success. When students self monitor in relation to criteria, they have a chance to practice using the language of assessment and learning. Co-constructed criteria gives students the tools and the words needed for critical thinking.
Three Examples
- Three practical and powerful examples of engaging students in critical thinking while meeting other curriculum outcomes at the same time are:
Tickled Pink and Green to Grow - Co-constructing Criteria for Narrative Writing
- Co-constructing Criteria for A Research Report
#1 Tickled Pink and Green to Grow
In the student work below, notice the highlighting in pink and green. “Tickled Pink” highlighting is for something the student is proud of and “Green to Grow” highlighting is to show evidence of a goal the student is working towards. Teachers use this type of strategy to both give feedback and to support students to give themselves feedback (self-assessment) in relation to criteria.
I first saw “Tickled Pink and Green to Grow” being used in a classroom in New Zealand. The teacher explained that she began by using highlighters to give feedback to students in their daily writing notebooks.
When ready, the teacher involves the students in highlighting evidence of learning in their own work. This is feedback to themselves (and shared with teacher).
Young children often begin verbally explaining why they are highlighting certain parts of their work. When ready students explain in writing the reason for the highlighting (may be digital or analog). Notice how the sentence stem, “Please notice…. ” supports the student’s self-assessment in relation to criteria.
Another example is a teacher of high school English who asks students analyze their assignments in relation to criteria using highlighters prior to handing in their work.
Students use highlighters to show in their work the best evidence for each criterion. Students also add digital sticky notes that tell why and how each highlighted area meets the criterion.
This is critical thinking in action.
#2 Narrative Writing
The first step to understanding quality and proficiency is to help students understand what they need to learn – to do, to know, to articulate – and to what degree of quality.
Teachers do this by involving students in examining samples, analyzing demonstrations and/or models and co-constructing criteria (Gregory et al, 2011).
In the photos below the teacher is working with a multigrade 3-4-5 class to analyze a piece of writing. The teacher models writing a story for a friend and talks aloud to share her thinking about the writing as she writes.
The teacher pauses every two or three minutes and asks the students to talk about what they are seeing and hearing. The ideas are recorded by students or adults in the room. This analysis continues until there is a comprehensive list of ideas about what matters, what counts and what is important.
As you look at the photos, notice the first of the four photos shows the large group of strips after the analysis was complete. The next three photos show the strips after the students, with the teacher’s support, grouped similar ideas together.
Once the strips are sorted, the students and the teacher together develop the labels for the criteria using clear phrases (like a good headline) to describe quality. In this example the criteria are:
- Others can read my writing.
- My writing follows the rules of writing
- People want to read to the end of my writing.
Once the process is complete (this example took about 45 minutes), the criteria is posted so everyone can see it and use it.
#3 Research Report In Secondary
The question the teacher asked in this secondary classroom was, “What’s important for a quality research report and poster?
There are four steps:
Step 1: Analyze a model, sample, or demonstration, and create a list of ideas to describe quality and proficiency.
Step 2: Sort and group the ideas.
Step 3: Label the groups with a phrase or “headline” that captures the big idea. Make and post a T-chart.
Step 4: Use the criteria. Revise it. Use it again.
Example from Making Classroom Assessment Work 4th Ed (2020).
Summing Up: A To TEACH List and A To LEARN List
When educators deliberately engage students in analysis of work samples or demonstrations to co-construct criteria, students are using criteria to NOTICE and NAME evidence of quality in their work.
This is a key foundation for critical thinking.
These experiences help students LEARN and teachers TEACH.
Assessment in the service of Learning strategies such as co-constructing criteria engage students in critical thinking.
They give students the learning experiences they need to make a difference in the world.
You can also learn about these ideas and more by exploring the books recommended below.
All my best wishes to you and yours!
Anne
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