ICYMI - Approaches to Lesson Planning Part 3: Exploring the Role of Feedback
July 13th, 2021 @ 12PM – 1PM EST
ONLINE VIA ZOOM
FREE FOR MEMBERS & NON-MEMBERS
Dear Members & Artists Educators Community,
On Tuesday, July 13th, Arts Education Network of Ontario (formerly PAONE) held its first event under our new name, and the final part of our Approaches to Lesson Planning series for artist educators. Focusing on incorporating feedback into lesson planning, attendees broke off into small groups to discuss case studies that provoked different types of responses to dealing with and incorporating feedback as facilitator. While case studies offered specific scenarios, groups included a random mix of facilitators with different arts backgrounds, experience levels, and artistic perspectives, allowing for a diverse range of responses to each of the examples. Here are a few notes that came out of these discussions:
Case Studies
After delivering your introductory presentation and the first technique demonstration, you send your adult drawing and painting students to their workstations to begin their activity. As you walk around the room, you notice a number of adults have not started their sketches. You see adults looking around the room and making eye contact with others, and laughing nervously when you come closer. The adults who have started are making quick progress on the activity and you think you recognize them from previous sessions. As time goes by, you start to see adults sitting back from their workstations, leaving for the washroom, and so on. How would you respond?
If you are noticing that learners are not engaged after a set of instructions it may be a clue that not enough time was given for learners to “warm up”. Talking time to ease the group into the workshop with a game, or an icebreaker so the learner has to to get situated.
SOCIAL SAFETY- participants need to feel safe in their social surroundings to be able to engage in what you are offering them
Introductions are a chance to introduce each other and acknowledge everyone in the room.
A chance for self reflection- am I being clear as an instructor? Have I made the instructions as clear as possible? Do I need to find another way to communicate the concept I am offering?
Have lots of extra prompts and ideas to spark their interest or add to what they've started in a way that is challenging or interesting to them.
Having different kinds or versions of an activity, especially to meet different access needs and skill sets of the learners you are working with.
Also be aware of different types of learners - some need to hear instructions, some need to see instructions, some need to do.
2. You are facilitating a weekly program for young learners online. The group meets once a week over the course of a year. For the past couple of weeks you have noticed less and less enthusiasm from the participants. While attendance remains consistent, some participants are not turning on their cameras and engagement is low. With several weeks left of the program how to reinvigorate your young participants to stay engaged with material?
How would you respond?
Ice breakers - Aim for more engagement and take more time establishing a safe/brave space where everyone is seen and important.
Invitation to share an item that brings them joy and share it with others in the session! Participants will feel engaged and show something about themselves. "Run and grab" scavenger hunt idea - grab an item that is red, show us something that represents you, etc.
Bring back a theme they like and want to play around, games they want to play. Ensure you’re asking for this information and listening to what the group wants. You may have to adjust your planning if the theme, energy, or experience of the group is different than what you anticipated.
Pre-planning ideas: Make sure you’re talking about a subject or activity they are interested in! Ask on the first day!
Small group work is less intimidating and can be more fun!
Change up the dynamic - various group sizes, activities and types of engagement, online tools and platforms like:
mentimeter (word cloud), Kahoots, Slido, padlet, whiteboard on Zoom, Google Jam Board, Google form/survey
Using "hide self view" can help unwilling participants on Zoom. There's an element of screen fatigue and not wanting to see yourself that can be helped if the participant chooses not to see themselves.
Invitation to participate without screens/videos on so that when the expectation is to be on camera, it’s special.
Don’t assume they are disengaged if videos are off.
Requesting feedback throughout the term or multiple sessions: We use occasional check in google forms to get feedback and find out what direction they want to go moving forward.
Back in our large group, we shared findings and suggestions from the case study discussions and came to an understanding of three separate types of feedback.
Three Categories of Feedback:
Self-Reflection
How do YOU reflect on how it went? Take a moment after you’ve said goodbye to the participants to reflect and sit in your body and mind.
Taking care of yourself when receiving challenging, constructive, negative feedback. Try to let go of things that didn't necessarily go the way you want them to - learn from it instead of dwelling!
What would I do differently next time?
Participant Feedback
During the session - What do you do when things aren’t going according to plan?
After the session - How and when do you ask for/collect feedback from your participants?
This could be in the form of a survey, email, hand-written form or share in a Zoom chat, etc.
Feedback/self-reflection approach: Rose, bud, thorn. Rose - something that went well. Bud - an idea that you think deserves more attention. Thorn - something that came up that was thorny that you want to be better prepared for next time. (or “two stars and a wish”)
Feedback from the organization/company you’ve been hired by
Acknowledging before the session how success is being measured: How does that feedback happen? Beforehand with the lesson planning? Afterwards from other staff/organizers as well as participants?