Highlights from the session by Clare Kanakis and Simon Kanakis at the International Visible Learning Conference in Carlsbad, CA.
Contributed by Jeffrey Spanier, English and AVID teacher, Carlsbad High School, CA
A similar story told at this breakout session: Visible learning alive and well, but thriving in classrooms less than half the size of those my colleagues are facing in California. As an AVID trained teacher, I use Socratic Seminars, learning circles, inquiry-based study, and collaboration as core techniques in my classroom. The shared experiences of Clare and Simon Kanakis supported these approaches that put the learning into the hands of the students.
Sometimes the simplest example can open up a whole new 
understanding for at teacher. I had such a realization when Clare explained how class surveys are given by teachers to students to assess the success of a lesson, unit or assessment. The ability to build relationships of trust and community through carefully designed surveys woke me up to dozens of possibilities. The realities of a 40 student classroom (which many California teachers face), demand new ways of building classroom community. It takes me months to develop the rapport I used to develop in a matter of 3-4 weeks. Using surveys I can give every student an immediate voice in the classroom as well as getting useful feedback regarding my own teaching effectiveness.
I am excited to implement surveys to my classes. I have already marked my calendar for the first two surveys and extended the idea for working within my department. Thank you to Clare and Simon for a fantastic teaching tool!
