“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.”
The purpose of education can be best described in these words. However, these words lost their relevance when grades were introduced into education system. Quoting Charles Dickens’ metaphors from Hard Times, education became more about filling “pitchers” (students) with “facts”. The subjectivity of grades put a burden on students and report cards became the reason for several sleepless nights.
But now the game is going to change. The true spirit of education is going to be restored. And WizIQ is proud to be a part of this mission with Mark Barnes, world renowned educator, speaker, researcher, and author.
We plan to create an education system where there are no A and F students and free students from the tyranny of grades and instill in them the love of learning.
Make learning a celebration!!
Mark stopped marking his students with grades when he realized that they were making students fearful about learning. After doing an intensive research he devised a revolutionary feedback system which is based on SE2R approach:
- Summarize- A general outline of one or two sentences on the task accomplishment. Example:- “You have done a remarkable job of writing a story on such an interesting topic.”
- Explain- A detailed description of the student’s understanding of the task and presentation. Example:- “Your writing clearly demonstrates that you enjoyed the activity and connected with each character. I have noticed a great improvement in the way you write.”
- Redirect- In case the student shows some learning deficit in the task, he/she is told to revise and make improvements. Example: “You may notice that I have highlighted some words. I suggest you to refer to thesaurus to find their synonyms. Synonyms bring brevity in writing.”
- Request Submission- After redirecting the student to re-learn, he/she is told to re-submit the task for further evaluation. Example: “Please send me a message on my email-id when you make suggested changes in your story.”
After implementing this system in his teaching, Mark noticed that it eliminated the fear of grades in students and gave them an environment where they were eager to receive feedback and make improvements. And the success of this approach reinstates the fact that encouragement is the best gift you can give to anyone.
The kind of feedback that a teacher gives to his/her students plays a vital role in shaping their future. Positive feedback can help students develop self-belief and make efforts to be the best they can and thrive on the road to constant learning. Quoting Stephen Covey’s words,
Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be.
If you want to be part of the change and learn more about Mark’s SE2R approach, enroll for his live one-hour webinar on “Throwing Out Grades: Revolutionize Student Feedback System” on Aug 26, 2014 at 11am EST (3pm GMT).