CEDO 525 Feedback That Fits

After reading the article "Feedback That Fits" (http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/dec07/vol65/num04/Feedback-That-Fits.aspx), I have been thinking about/reflecting on the way I provide feedback to my students. One of the main points of the article says, "Feedback should be specific enough that the student knows what to do next, but not so specific that you do the work. Identifying errors or types of errors is a good idea, but correcting every error doesn't leave the student anything to do." In one of my classes, the students do a written research report on a given topic. The students are told that they can submit their report ahead of the due date, and I will look it over and give them feedback so they know if they are right on track or if modifications need to be made. After reading the section in the article called "A Tale of Two Feedback Choices", I realize (again, with one of those 'DUH' moments) that the feedback I'm providing to the students who submit their work early is mostly about the mechanics of the research paper and not about the content itself. 99% of the feedback I have given students is about the grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. rather than feedback on the content of the assignment. In Figure 2, there are many great examples of suggested feedback that provide a great basis for some constructive feedback points. I like how many of them are worded and will try to use them as a platform for writing more effective feedback on student work in the future.