5.1 Assess student learning 
5.2 Provide feedback to students on their learning 
5.4 Interpret student data 

Continuing on with evidence from my English unit plan on language features for the small Years 3-6 class, in demonstrating APST (5.1) and (5.2), my supervising teacher and I co-taught an explicit mini feedback session on marked formative work. After reflecting upon previous student work, my supervisor and I decided that being mid way through the unit, it was critical to give students further direction and feedback on language feature use in order to reinforce their learning (5.2) (Churchill et al, 2019). 

In the lesson previous to this, students were given stimulus pictures of Australian landscapes and asked to write sentences including appropriate language features to describe those images for formative assessment (5.1) (Artefact 1). Additionally, each student was given a different texta colour so that I could recognise the author of the sentences across the eight pictures. Upon analysing the sentences, I recognised that a few students had not quite grasped the concept of writing with language features and that I would have to modify my teaching strategies in order to better support their understanding (5.4) (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, n.d.). I demonstrated APST (5.2) by carefully curating the mini feedback session with my supervisor to ensure every student had the opportunity to experience success in future language feature tasks (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, n.d.; Education Council, 2019). Churchill et al (2019) states that feedback should be valid, timely and allow students to improve upon their current knowledge to use moving forward. Rather than singling out particular students, the teacher and I wrote down examples from the stimulus of what was or was not the correct use of language features and we then guided a class discussion encouraging student input or justifications (5.2) (Churchill et al, 2019). To avoid students feeling negatively about feedback, we were mindful of focusing on what the students did well and delivered constructive feedback where necessary (Churchill et al, 2019; Pendergast & Main, 2019). In applying the feedback, I then gave students examples of a variety of sentences I wrote from the same stimulus. Some incorporated language features such as onomatopoeia and similes and some had none. I split students into mixed ability groups and they had to think-pair-share and discuss what each sentence contained before coming back to a whole class discussion to further reinforce learning (Pendergast & Main, 2019; Fellowes & Oakley, 2014). This lesson was successful in providing students with timely feedback that they could continue to utilise in their learning going forward (5.2). 

A result of facilitating feedback for the students of differing abilities was that the students who were not quite grasping the concept of writing with language features were able to improve their knowledge as demonstrated in their subsequent think-pair-share discussions (5.2). However, in extending the lower ability student understanding, this was at times a detriment to the higher ability students who were already across the content and were occasionally disengaged in the feedback session. As a beginning teacher, I will consider other strategies of giving feedback that benefits each individual learner regardless of their location on the learning continuum (Churchill et al, 2019). In relation to assessing and providing feedback on student learning in demonstrating APST Standard 5, I also intend to improve upon my recording and reporting of student achievement as this will be critical in keeping parents and carers informed (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, n.d.; Churchill et al, 2019). 

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (n.d.). Literacy. Australian Curriculum. Retrieved September 18, 2021, from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/literacy/

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (n.d). Australian professional standards for teachers. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards

Churchill, R., Godhino, S., Johnson, N., Keddie, A., Letts, W., Lowe, K., Mackay, J., McGill, M., Moss, J., Nagel, M., Shaw, K., & Rogers, J. (2019). Teaching: Making a Difference (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons Australia. 

Education Council. (2019). Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration. https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/final_-_alice_springs_declaration_-_17_february_2020_security_removed.pdf

Fellowes, J., & Oakley, G. (2014). Language, literacy and early childhood education. (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.  

Pendergast, D., & Main, K. (2019). Teaching primary years: Rethinking curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. Allen & Unwin.