THE TUNING PROTOCOL
The Tuning Protocol includes a timed schedule. The main parts of the protocol are the following:
- Introduction. Facilitator briefly introduces goals, guidelines, and schedule. Participants introduce themselves.
- Teacher presentation. The teacher describes the context for the student work and poses a focusing question for feedback; participants are silent.
- Clarifying questions. Participants ask clarifying questions, and the facilitator decides which questions involve more than a very brief, factual answer and belong in the warm-cool feedback portion of the assessment.
- Examination of student work samples. Participants examine samples of student work and/or video clips of presentations.
- Reflection on warm and cool feedback. Participants take a few minutes to reflect silently on what they would like to contribute to the feedback session.
- Warm and cool feedback. Participants share feedback while the teacher is silent; the facilitator may remind participants of the original focusing question posed by the teacher.
- Reflection. The teacher speaks to those comments or questions he or she chooses to respond to. The facilitator may intervene to focus or clarify while participants are silent.
- Debrief. The facilitator leads an open discussion about concerns raised and what was effective.
Go to the Tuning Protocol Web site for more information about the approach to examining student work.
THE COLLABORATIVE ASSESSMENT CONFERENCE
The main parts of the Collaborative Assessment Conference are these:
- Getting started. The group selects a facilitator to keep the group focused on the particular issue addressed in each step. The presenting teacher provides copies of the student work, saying nothing about the work. The participants observe or read the work in silence, making notes about what they notice.
- Describing the work. The facilitator asks: "What do you see?" The group responds without making interpretations, evaluations about the work's qualities, or personal preference statements. If evaluations emerge, the facilitator asks for evidence based on those comments.
- Asking the questions about the work. The facilitator asks: "What questions does this work raise for you?" Participants ask questions about the work, the child, the assignment, the circumstances it was carried out in, and so forth. The presenting teacher makes notes about these questions but does not answer them.
- Speculating about what the student is working on. The facilitator asks: "What do you think the child is working on?" Participants make observations about the work and offer suggestions about the problems or issues that the student focused on in carrying out the assignment.
- Hearing from the presenting teacher. The teacher provides her or his perspective on the student's work, describing what she or he sees in it, responding to the questions raised, and adding any other information that she or he feels should be shared. The teacher also comments on anything surprising or unexpected that she heard during the describing, questioning, and speculating phases.
- Discussing implications for teaching and learning. The facilitator invites all participants, including the teacher, to share any thoughts they have about their own teaching, the child's learning, or ways to support this particular child in future instruction.
- Reflecting on the collaborative assessment conference. Participants reflect together on their experiences or reactions to the conference as a whole or particular parts of it.
- Thanking the presenting teacher. The session concludes with acknowledgement and thanking of presenting teacher.
Go to the Collaborative Assessment Conference for more information about the approach to examining student work.
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