Fueling Feedback: A Lesson Using Freeform

How do you fuel feedback and reflection in your classroom? Using Freeform, students can create an opportunity to display growth in any subject.

In this lesson, students will design their own template to showcase the first and final drafts of their work along with documenting feedback received. 

The process of integrating feedback into your classroom is not an activity that is completed in one class period. It is designed to be initiated once a first draft or first attempt at learning has been completed. Following the steps below, students will create a reflection of their work that serves as documentation of growth as they learn a specific skill or concept.  

The Steps

Step 1: Open Freeform and create a new board 

iPad OR Mac

Step 2: Create a reflection template 

This template will serve as a visual placeholder for student work and feedback received.

To create:

• Direct students to the shapes tool. Select “basic” and choose the square (either curved edge or straight edge) shape. 
• Students will repeat this action so that two squares are visible.
• Students will drag one corner of each shape to make the shape bigger.
• Place the squares next to each other.
• TIP: Use the guidelines to align your shapes and ensure sizing is similar.
• TIP: Instead of adding two separate shapes, students can press and hold (iPad) or "control" click (Mac) to duplicate the shape.
• Optional: Insert and place an arrow (from shapes) in between the two squares to show progression from one shape to the next.

Two blue rectangles to hold images are side by side with an optional arrow placed in between to show progression.

• Next, direct students to the sticky note tool. 
• Students will tap on the sticky note tool to generate a new note.
• Students will repeat this action so that three sticky notes are visible. Kindly note that the number of sticky notes is based upon the teacher's protocol for collecting feedback.
• Place the sticky notes below the squares. 
• Finally, students will add text boxes to label the sticky notes using a teacher selected “Feedback Protocol” such as T.A.G. (Tell me something, Ask me a question, Give me a suggestion), “Two Stars and a Wish,” etc..

Three sticky notes are placed below the rectangles as a place for feedback to be collected. Kindly note that the number of sticky notes is based upon the teacher's protocol for collecting feedback.

Step 3: Put this self created feedback tool into action

• Once a first draft or first attempt at learning has been created during a unit of study, ask students to capture an image of their work by tapping on the “media” tool and selecting the appropriate option.
• Students will then insert this image into the square on the left of their recently created Freeform template.
• Following the teacher’s protocol for collecting feedback, students will collect feedback from this first attempt in learning.
• Kindly note: 
• Establishing/reinforcing a culture of care and support before collecting feedback is key to supporting this practice.
• This process may take as much time as directed by the teacher barring lesson length, depth of content, etc.. Students may talk to each other and take notes on this template, or students may exchange devices and input feedback.
• This process may utilize various tools for collecting feedback such as text, picture/emoji, drawing, image, video, etc.. Any of the aforementioned tools are able to be used in Freeform.
• This process can be enhanced by hosting a class discussion to lift up the various strategies used to answer or respond. 

Student work that shows the first attempt in learning along with feedback gathered from peer or teacher.

• Students will use the collected feedback to revise and create a final draft of their work.
• Once a final draft is completed, ask students to capture an image of their work by tapping on the “media” tool and selecting the appropriate option.
• Students will insert this image into the square on the right of their Freeform template.
• Encourage students to celebrate the growth of their own work as they reflect on the process of how their learning began to how it came to a close.

Taking it Further:

• Students may insert personal reflections of their growth process using text, shape, picture/emoji, drawing, image, video, etc.. (Remember, any of the aforementioned tools are able to be used in Freeform.)
• Students can tap into the vast space that one Freeform board offers by utilizing this one Freeform board as an ongoing journal. Students may also consider creating one Freeform Board per subject or content area.
• Students can invite others to digitally collaborate on their Freeform board (Assuming your district has managed Apple ID's).

Reflection:

Fueling feedback and reflection of growth in one’s work is a great opportunity for students and teachers to deeply connect with the content. While helpful, this is not something that a teacher will consider doing for every single lesson in every subject. I would recommend using this activity for a minimum of one learning experience per unit of study.  It is also important to note that growth isn't finalized once a second attempt has been made. For the sake of time in a real classroom environment coupled with the idea that this feedback tool could be used for many different subjects, I only included a first and second attempt space in the template. Teachers may always remix this idea to incorporate multiple attempts if desired!

For any students, having a teacher-created example on display before students begin building their feedback template in Freeform is helpful. I, personally, show my screen and then I build the template along with the students. 

Allowing students to personalize their template is welcomed!

Lesson Recap:

This activity is a way to encourage students to be intentional about reflection on their work and celebration of growth. When students are made aware that a piece of their work is going to grow through teacher/peer/self feedback, the engagement increases and therefore the connection to the content increases as well.

The power of feedback is incredibly important in any classroom environment. Using Freeform allows one to have access to multi-modal tools along with a wide open space for documentation and reflection. 

How will you provide opportunities for students to GROW based upon feedback?