Rita Winslade

Tuning Protocol Directed Questions

1. Differentiate between “Looking at Student Work” as an individual teacher and collaboratively with peers.

Looking at student work, as an individual is important to review and ask oneself, “What should I do differently the next time I teach this,” but it is hard to point out all of your own shortcomings. Collaborating with peers is much more effective in reviewing a lesson or student work. It’s easy to see that two or more heads are better than one. With more than one person reviewing the work much more can be accomplished.

2. Why should you look at student work at the end of your field experience/student teaching? How will this practice play a part in your future professional experience?

I should look at the work in depth to be sure that I am ready for the classroom. Since I haven’t had the experience with my own classroom and/or students, I am not an expert on lesson planning. With the tuning protocol I will have a better idea of where I lack as an educator. I can point out shortcomings on my own, but my peers will find things that I had never thought of. They will critique my work honestly so that I can fine-tune my own approach in teaching.

3. In your own words, describe the Tuning Protocol.

Protocol is a structured procedure. A tuning protocol is a structured procedure where an educator can asks a specific question to peers about a lesson that he or she has implemented in the classroom. By asking peers a specific question and reviewing the student work that came from the lesson, a teacher may edit and revise the lesson to make it more effective in the future. The tuning protocol is important because others may be able to point out things that the teacher did not.

4. In your own words, describe the Collaborative Assessment Conference.

A collaborative assessment conference can be held as a formal way to learn more about the student and at the same time gives a teacher an assessment of his or her own teaching. A teacher gathers with a group of five to ten peers and presents a

piece of student work. The conference will be led by a facilitator who guides the group to help the teacher think more deeply about the issues that arise from the student work. The group describes the work in detail, asks questions about the work, and discusses any problems or issues they find within the work.

5. What KEY questions do you feel would be important to consider when participating in the Tuning Protocol on November 29?

How can I modify my lesson to reach every student in the classroom?Was the assessment right for the objective of the lesson?

6. Give several examples of WARM FEEDBACK.I liked it.This is great writing.Great job with ____.

Warm feedback is where peers point out where the teacher met his or her goals and provides evidence supporting it. Here peers name what was effective in the student work or lesson that is being reviewed.

7. Give several examples of COOL FEEDBACK.How can this be described better?Did you ever consider another form of assessment for this piece?Can you describe to me what you were really looking for here?

Cool feedback is asking “What if...” when peers believe the work needs more thought or consideration. It is a way for peers to point out areas of weakness in the lesson by asking questions, rather than just pointing out problem areas.

8. Thinking ahead, what lesson or type of lesson would you like to plan and teach for this assignment, and what type of student work would you possibly bring back to use in the tuning protocol practice.

I plan to use a lesson in language arts for a tuning protocol. I will most likely present a piece of student writing to be reviewed by my peers. Soon, our cohort will begin our class in language arts and will be assigned to teach lessons in that area. I will use one of these to be tuned.