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Hey Robert,
I think your point about reflecting on learning and academic progress being a two-way conversation is key. It destigmatises the fear of being wrong or needing to know everything for the pupil and can support them in understanding that this is exactly how we learn and improve.
Dylan William (2014) Paper Review:
William focuses on how formative assessment helps teachers adapt learning as it happens. His central point is contingency, which is the idea that teaching should directly respond to what assessments reveal about student understanding in real time. He breaks this concept into two main types: immediate, minute-by-minute adjustments during a lesson, and short-term planning changes made between lessons based on collected work.
Ultimately, William argues that assessment is only truly formative if the evidence gathered is used to adapt instruction. Collecting data or assigning exit tickets is meaningless unless we as teachers act on that information to close learning gaps and guide students forward.
It delineates the concepts of AfL and AoL quite clearly for my own practice. For AfL, I must action the assessment in the short to medium-term in order for it to take place, be it adjusting subsequent lessons to support or extend the learning needs as appropriate. In short, it places AoL as the final snapshot of achievement, while outlining AfL as the engine that drives my day-to-day teaching decisions.
Google Form: https://forms.gle/gSDViWm1P724EKRS6
For this task, I created a Google Form as a Post-Assessment for learning about Renewable Energy in Science. When synthesising this, I considered the class level (5th and 6th) and what information I wanted to gather. I used topic-specific vocabulary (environment, renewable energy technology, fossil fuels) whilst keeping the questions concise. I used a blend of short answer, multiple choice, and check boxes. Finally, I included a self-assessment at the end using a linear scale of 1 to 5, with 1 meaning the student is needing more support on the topic and 5 indicating they fully understand it.
Running a Google Form like this gives me quick, clear feedback on how the class did. Comparing their answers with their self-assessment scores helps me spot any gaps in understanding right away. From there, I can tweak my next lesson to revisit specific terms or extend pupils as appropriate.
Hi Robert,
I think it is very important that you used Google Forms as a means of collecting data on Wellbeing at your school and I’m assuming you can action specific plans based off your results. It’s an increasingly important area and the anonymity element that Google Forms can provide also aids in getting honest feedback.
For this task, I used a 5th/6th Class-suitable learning activity on investigating renewable energy.
To support inclusion, pupils could use the built-in accessibility tools in Google Docs. For example, reluctant writers or students with specific needs in this area can use Voice Typing to record observations and scientific definitions without the barrier of spelling issues, while the screen reader feature enables pupils with reading difficulties to independently review their written drafts
Pupil engagement can be enabled by using a collaborative learning approach. The students work in groups to collect and compile research, before inputting their findings into Google Docs, and subsequently, Google Slides. Empowering the students to add their own preferences in what they think would make a slide engaging would support this goal, as well as providing valuable feedback on the students themselves and what they perceive an engaging slide looks like.
Feedback can be embedded at each stage using Formative Assessment, but using a quick Google Forms exit ticket to assess their understanding of key concepts would gain key insights into how well the students learned post-task.
The above could all be used in a School Self-Evaluation (SSE) at my school, in particular the exit ticket on Google Forms, which can also be used to acquire a deeper understanding in how students are engaging and interacting with the digital learning.
Hi Nicola, I think your adjustment idea of adding audio instructions and narration to each slide is a good one. It is sometimes difficult to integrate and meet all learning types when planning and implementing a lesson, but digital technology can really help with this.
Class Level:
5th and 6th Class
Topic:
History – Students research a historical period. They collaborate to write a structured narrative, organise digital resources, submit drafts to edit, and build a digital presentation to present to the class.
One Design Choice:
I created a simple, predictable order of tasks that breaks the project down into manageable steps so students can check off one goal at a time without feeling overwhelmed. By structuring the lesson through a clear sequence of writing in Docs, organising in Drive, submitting in Classroom, and presenting in Slides, students always know which tool serves which purpose. Ensuring I kept a consistent structure (which if it was efficient I’d use for subsequent tasks), it means students could follow clear directions without becoming side-tracked.
How it Supports Clarity, Sequence or Consistency:
As per above, providing the students with concise, to-the-point instructions in a predictable order and flow reduces the cognitive load and allows them to check off each task efficiently.
One Adjustment:
I could flip the order and have students present their Slides first, and then use Docs to have them write a summary of one other research topic that they observed.
Link to Reflection or SSE:
Google Classroom could be used to create a survey to question the students on their engagement/enjoyment etc. of this specific task and what could be improved on for tasks in future.
Google Workspace supports School Self-Evaluation by reflecting evidence of digital learning in action. Google Forms quickly is an efficient method for acquiring feedback from pupils and staff to show where digital skills are strong and where more support is needed. At the same time, Google Drive and Classroom store student/teacher work, making it easier as a teacher to have all files in one place to reflect on and share in future.
Hi John,
I like your idea about using the Google Drawings resource to create student-specific social stories for children with additional needs. With students becoming increasingly attuned to and engaged by digital resources, I think this would be a very worthwhile and meaningful strategy.
Consider how you can use Digital Technology in your classroom to enhance students learning?
There are a number of ways I use digital technology in the classroom to support student learning. Specifically, helping students build digital literacy through Google Workspace to enhance their classwork. For example, students can use Google Docs to draft and edit written work in English (taking advantage of built-in spell and grammar checks), or Google Slides to present projects in Geography, History, and Science. Digital applications also allow them to dive much deeper into research topics. Finally, from a teacher’s perspective, using Google Sheets to log and analyse assessment data throughout the year is invaluable for identifying and targeting specific areas where students need extra support. With that said, I still feel I am only scratching the surface in terms of the opportunity and potential that is provided through this mode of teaching, hence my enrolment in this course!
How can you now apply School Self Evaluation Guidelines to your teaching?
The SSE guidelines provide a solid framework for using evidence from our day-to-day practice to drive teaching and learning forward. For me, the real value comes when it’s collaborative, bringing together feedback from students, parents, and teachers to highlight what’s working and what needs work. However, implementation has to be flexible because it needs to reflect the unique demographic, community, and context of each individual school.
What impact can developing your own use of Digital Technology have at school level (SSE)?
The possibilities are endless when it comes to developing my own use of digital technology in the classroom, especially with AI tools still in a relatively youthful phase. Ultimately, my main goal is to support students in their learning in a meaningful and efficient manner. Digital technology certainly holds the potential to do this when managed carefully.
Google for Education’s Teacher Centre Resource:
Google Workspace: Sheets – Part 2
https://edu.exceedlms.com/student/path/1606732-google-workspace-sheets-part-2
Google Sheets is an invaluable tool for tracking assessment data and translating numbers into actionable learning support. By logging assessment results throughout the term, I can quickly analyse individual progress and identify broader class trends. Formatting functions makes it easy to highlight learning gaps, enabling me to differentiate instruction effectively by grouping students who need additional scaffolding or further extension.Having clear, objective data readily available is particularly useful for parent communication. It allows me to share concrete evidence of a student’s growth and areas needing attention during parent-teacher meetings, ensuring conversations remain supportive and grounded in facts.
Longer-term, maintaining standardised spreadsheets lets me track learning progression year to year. Comparing performance between different year groups helps pinpoint curriculum gaps, evaluate teaching methodologies, and ensure learning targets remain realistic and school-specific.
