Student Feedback On My "Voices" Unit

Here is an excerpt from the unit outline I created for my ELA 30-1 Voices Unit:

What does it mean to have a voice? In this unit we are exploring the concept of “voice” and how it is projected through different written and visual forms by comparing the responses of several authors to the same event: The Holocaust. We will think critically about how and why voices are exchanged in society and the important themes that emerge from these conversations. A number of important themes will emerge from our exploration of Holocaust literature. We will concentrate on: Affirmation on the Human spirit; the human will to endure or survive, Experiences which change one’s perception of self and the world; turning points, limitations, and How social conditions affect the individual’s attitudes, values, and behavior.

Despite the dark nature of Holocaust studies, I was very excited to share this unit with my students at DCHS. I developed this unit as a highly formative learning experience and was excited to see how students would react. Here is a brief description of some of my activities and assessments:



Postcard Assignment: to learn about "voice" students were challenged to write a series of postcards from the perspectives of a German soldier, a German civilian, and a concentration camp prisoner.



Postcard Assessment: Students shared their first two postcards in peer review workshops. They were divided into small groups and given the marking rubric that I would be using on the final postcard. The students recorded their constructive feedback in reflective journal entries and used it to improve their next effort. I evaluated the final postcard in one-on-one conferences with the students so they would have an opportunity to see how I evaluate and to justify their written and visual choices.



Reflective Journalling Assignment: Students were given reflection assignments related to the different works we studied. Ie) A found poem in response to the imagery of Night by Eli Wiesel, A cartoon frame analysis in response to Art Spiegelman's Maus, and a variety of personal response questions.



Reflective Journalling Assessment: Throughout the unit I took the students journals in to read and respond to them. In advance I told the students that I would decide which entries would be officially marked at the end of the unit. I selected four substantial entries and evaluated students using a rubric focused on the quality of though and effort they put into their entries rather than technical details or specific answers.



The final entry that I assigned the students was an evaluation of the unit. I wanted to critique the content of my unit, the assessment techniques I used, and my instructional strategies. Fabulous responses! These students have a great handle on the concept of constructive feedback. I recorded their observations in my own notebook:



Overall I really enjoyed this unit. Witnessing and reading the passion of students is a priceless experience. The topic provoked powerful discussions in class and brilliant written responses- critical, creative, and personal! I will be using the critical feedback I recieved to fine tune this unit in case I can use it again (*crosses fingers... let there be an ELA position open!!!). Notably, some students struggled with the "openess" of the reflective journal assignments I gave them. Though I wouldn't change that challenge, I will borrow some exeplar responses from this go-round so my future students have an idea of what is possible.