Why are checklists important in education?
Teachers are eternally prey to disappointedexpectations. Students gets stuck, and stop. Their work lacks essential features, which have been emphasised many times. Teachers repeatsimple points, again and again. Theseomissions, misunderstandings and misrememberings are frustrating and time-consuming, for students and teachers alike. How can we reduce uncertainty and remindstudents of key actions, without adding to the welter of existing demands we face? Show Checklists are a powerful way for teachers to recall key actions under pressure, buttheir power for students is greater still. They offerimmediateaccess to support, hints and reminders. Students using them experience productive independence, as they takeresponsibility for recalling and completing key actions. They are also a powerful tool for formative assessment:
Two examples: A product checklist: Is this work ready to hand in?If teachers are to spend their timesupporting students on complicated problems, we must automate simple ones. If we are to use our time and expertise to help students understand the knotty problems of our subject, we cant waste it on things students can solve for themselves. This checklist applies this idea to written work, by making students responsible for fixing simple points before handing their work in allowing the teacher to focus on deeper issues. Pause point:This works wellonce students have completed their work, but before they hand it in; asking a peer to check increases the likelihood errors will be spotted.
Itspainfully simple, but it saves a surprising amount of time and reminds students of expectations whenever we use it. Examplesof more sophisticatedessay checklists in English and history arehere. A process checklist: How do I draw a graph?I include this because Ive seen it invented in two separate training sessions on checklists. When I first discussed checklists in professional development, my colleagues in the Science Department created this immediately: This is a slightly adaptedversion fromTicked Off: When to use it?Students should proceeed through the checklist one item at a time.
Following the process using the checklist ensures students graphs represent data clearly, without the teacher having to firefight errors. A similar checklist could be created for any method that students are asked to employ regularly, whether for individual tasks (such as solving quadratic equations) or larger processes (like planning an investigation). Combining the checklist with models can offer a reminder of what the key points on the checklist mean. ConclusionEveryone benefits from student checklists. Students:
Meanwhile, teachers can focus on the most complicated questions and the students who need their help most. By addressingthe fundamental problem in teaching: infinite needs, finite resources, checklists provide a crucial tool for efficiency, excellence and autonomy in the classroom. There are many more checklists for students in Ticked Off; Share this:Like this:Like Loading... Related |