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Also published by ACEL • e-Shortcuts – Wisdom for successful school leadership and management• e-Leading – Management strategies for school leaders• e-Teaching – Management strategies for the classroom • e-Early Learning – Thinking on early learning

e-Technology July 2016 (6) – researched and prepared for ACEL by Jason Coleman, Year 5 Classroom Teacher/Digital Learning Leader, Ivanhoe Grammar School, Melbourne, Victoria

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JULY 2016 (6)

We live increasingly busy lives, both in the workplace and personally. We have deadlines, reminders, things to do, projects to start and finish, the list goes

on and on. We create never-ending tasks lists that begin to seem so out of reach we constantly push them aside and move onto the things we are actually interested in. Teachers are not immune to these pressures, both in and out of the classroom, and often become the organisers and workflow managers for the students in their classrooms. The demands continue to increase with time and we need to find creative ways to reduce the workload on teachers and support students to increase independence and develop understanding of the importance of organisation and collaboration. This is where workflow can help.

With increasing demands on students, particularly in the upper primary region, we need to develop clear and easy pathways in order to

support learners to manage their time and achieve work completion success. Classroom teachers often employ flexible routines that not only present the workflow to students but allow for feedback loops that enhance the learning and successful meeting of selected outcomes. These routines must give ownership to the student and a level of accountability to motivate each learner. These routines must also enable teachers to track progress and provide meaningful opportunities to assess student learning, including skill and knowledge development and collaborative skills.

The literacy block is often one area in which teachers find the easiest solution to this classroom demand. Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop routines are widely used in many primary school classrooms. They can come in many different forms based on the school’s understanding or the teacher’s professional judgement in relation to the cohort they teach. In

Writing digital workflow

We create never-ending tasks lists that begin to seem so out of reach we constantly push them aside and move onto the things we are actually interested in

these routines, learners and teachers work together to unpack literary texts, to make connections and develop the skills that readers use, and process pieces of writing from an idea to a published piece.

While both of these routines are extremely robust and flow well in traditional classrooms, the processes rely heavily on the teacher maintaining the flow. The student works through a written response or draft and submits for the teacher’s review. The teacher reads through the responses and provides feedback either written or verbally through scheduled conferencing. The teacher and student usually conference or meet to discuss the responses or written work at least once during the week and for a small period of time, especially in the large classroom.

There are a number of different ways for a classroom workflow to occur. Many classrooms use a series of drawers or trays where work is submitted and returned. The use of filing and folder tabs systems maintains the organisation that both teachers and students require. These systems are reliant on students moving the work back and forth, feedback being given and employed, and progress is demonstrated with the work being checked and revisions analysed.

As teachers we are able to work with students and provide feedback for growth in new and exciting ways. Traditionally students need to wait for the teacher to provide the feedback, often waiting for days and even weeks. Providing timely feedback is essential to maximise the students’ ability to understand and employ guidance. Often the students rely on the teacher’s verbal comments rather than the written comments, some even only looking for the teacher to complete the revisions for them.

The use of digital technologies to organise the feedback loop is enabling educators to process

student work, write collaboratively with students and provide reflective feedback in a more timely manner.

One of the key tools for this process in my classroom is Trello.

Trello is a collaborative tool that organises tasks and ideas into boards in a digital format. These boards can be seen as agile boards; the task or project moves from idea to completion, in a way similar to the literacy processes in my classroom. The boards are accessible via mobile devices as well as through the use of web browsers, and connect users in real time. This creates a more authentic feedback workflow, one that empowers students and promotes greater connection between teachers, students and the work.

Students connect their Trello Boards to their teacher and are given access to board templates in order to follow the usually organised structure of the classroom routines. The board becomes the digital version of the hardcopy, however, the workflow changes in order to support communication and feedback for the student.

Each card represents one writing idea. My classroom uses a Writer’s Notebook routine to generate ideas and unpack thinking. Once an idea is unpacked, it is added to the student’s board. This idea is now accessible by the student and teacher and the writing process begins.

From this moment, teacher and students engage in meaningful dialogue digitally and verbally to process an idea from thought to published piece. The collaborators engage in messaging, create checklists, attach drafts, as well as revisions and, set due dates. Trello enables users to attach anything from images to links, which helps provide students with feedback, assistance in particular areas of writing and helps support the student in developing a complete piece of writing. The feedback can take the form of

Figure 1: The Writing Process workflow

Figure 2: The Trello Writer’s Workshop Board Template

Trello is a collaborative tool that organises tasks and ideas into boards in a digital format

annotated images, video feedback or traditional written feedback.

The feedback dialogue loops back and forth from teacher to student until the piece is completed. Comments can be left by each collaborator, promoting discussion for improvement of the work. Other examples of work and success criteria can be added in order to drive the work towards a successful piece of writing.

The board becomes a record of the entire process. Drafts and revisions are added to each card and students have the ability to look back on previous feedback when developing future pieces. This aspect can also be powerful when assessing during reporting periods or as examples for progress during parent meetings and conferences. The development of the writing becomes clear to all and successful progress is evident to all stake holders, especially the learner.

The digital process that Trello can provide assists teachers and students with an authentic feedback workflow system that can be employed from primary classrooms through to university level classes. The free flowing nature of the digital process can enhance communication between the key collaborators and creates a greater sense of ownership for the students.

Other uses for Trello in the classroom have been

vast. I have watched in awe as my students take it upon themselves to create their own boards with their peers in order to complete group projects in writing. They share and comment on each other’s work, providing responses and examples to support the growth of the individuals of the group in order to achieve group success. Students are now empowered to make decisions for their own learning and they can choose to add the teacher as an observer or collaborator. By working together with others, new learning is easily managed and peer support becomes the normal way of achieving goals. Students can achieve amazing things when given the power to decide where the learning is going and how it should look. As a teacher, I can provide guidance each step of the way, ensuring that particular learning outcomes are met. It enables me to view each student’s work in group tasks and enables me to assess progress in a timely manner. Trello offers a wonderful digital solution to a common process. It enhances the classroom environment and has been an extremely positive part of the teaching and learning in my classroom.

Trello is an excellent tool that can be used in a number of different ways by students and teachers. The collaborative nature of Trello improves communication and work completion in many areas. The use of Trello is flexible and it meets a

Figure 3: The Digital Writing Process Workflow

Figure 5: Work checklistsFigure 4: Work attachments

The feedback dialogue loops back and forth

from teacher to student until

the piece is completed

number of different needs. Some of the ways that it can be used in schools are:

Group collaborationTrello allows users to work on collaborative projects and assignments in real time. Boards can be set up that reflect the research process, assign smaller tasks to work towards the end goal or simply make the project process transparent. Users can be added to view, which can ensure external feedback for the users of the board. Members of the group are accountable for the work and the feedback loop is user created rather than managed by someone else.

Reading journalsTrello could be used to track reading in the classroom. Students could log their reading on a daily basis, adding a new card with every new book started. They would be able to add a series of comments, videos or audio of their reading or add responses to demonstrate connection and comprehension of each text. Both teachers and parents could be added to the board so they can track and provide feedback about the reading, text selection or depth of responses. As each entry on a card is timestamped, it enables clear tracking of student reading.

Teachers could use Trello to track professional reading. New cards are added with each new text, and notes, thoughts and reflections could be added in the comments. Checklists can be created to map out plans for the use of new learning and other links to useful connected websites can also be added.

Teacher assessment portfoliosTrello can be used to create portfolios for reporting and assessment. This could be especially useful in specialist subjects such as Art. Teachers could set up boards for each class with a new list for each new project or assessment task. Students could be assigned a card in these lists, and photos, video and anecdotal notes could be added. The card is then time stamped for the entry so teachers can see when each piece was completed. Teachers may also like to track the progress from week to week too. In upper grades, students could create their own boards and

share them with teachers. This creates a work flow that ensures accountability for the student in terms of work completion and reflection. Assessment documents and videos could be added at the completion of each class to provide feedback to the student from the work completed in that lesson. Students would be able to view the feedback before the next lesson and this will enable them to have a clear understanding of what needs to be done next. This would improve the use of instruction time and give the student more time to complete the required work.

Student assignment trackingTrello is perfect for students in tracking work assignments, due dates and assessment criteria. Boards could be created to add new pieces of work on a lesson-by-lesson basis, add homework assignments, and major assignments would be easily tracked too. Teachers and students could share boards in order to ensure work is completed and appropriate feedback is given in a timely manner. The agile nature of the board will enable students to see the work being completed and develop a stronger sense of achievement. Adding due dates and the use of checklists in each work piece breaks work flow up into more manageable parts.

ConclusionThe use of digital technology in this format has enhanced my teaching practice and continues to develop my ability to provide reflective feedback for my students. The technology is not a replacement for the teaching; it is an enhancement for the normal processes found in my classroom.

Trello is a large part of my daily work life. It allows me to be organised, share with my colleagues and work with others to achieve school project goals. Trello is an outstanding example of how technology can be used in a variety of ways that are simple and authentic for students in classrooms. I encourage others to view the use of digital tools such as Trello as clearer pathways for learner organisation and development.

www.trello.com

Figure 6: Student Collaboration BoardThe use of digital technology in this format has enhanced my teaching practice and continues to develop my ability to provide reflective feedback for my students