21st-century students tend to be excellent communicators. Wait…let me rephrase that. 21st-century students tend to be excellent communicators when the communication is taking place through the aid of technology. Texting, Instagramming, Snapchatting (and whatever else is the latest fad) are immediate and gratifying ways of communicating for today’s tweens and teens. They are quick and to-the-point. You might be thinking that this current shift of such direct, sometimes impersonal communication is negative, but it can be used for good.
Take, for instance, peer feedback activities.
What is the goal of these types of tasks? We want students to give meaningful feedback to peers with direct suggestions to help improve their work or simply to facilitate the process of working. Many times we want these activities to move quickly and efficiently. With all of their lightning-speed tweeting, posting, and commenting, 21st-century students should be phenomenal at leaving succinct feedback for their peers. And the truth is, they can be. We as teachers just need to provide the right avenue to direct that communication in a clear path.
One of the best ways I have been able to lead students in leaving meaningful and effective peer feedback is to use the TAG method. This method has been around for a while, most typically used in Language Arts classes for peer editing. I have found it’s a simple, quick way for my students to leave feedback for one another. The direct nature and simplicity of this activity lends itself easily to the strengths of 21st-century students.
The TAG process is outlined below.
TAG is short for:
T – Tell the artist something you like.
A – Ask the artist a question.
G – Give the artist a suggestion.
The next time you conduct a peer feedback activity in your art room, consider the communication strengths of your students. The TAG method is a quick and efficient way for students to communicate meaningful suggestions, all at the speed of a text.
If you’d like to try the TAG method in your classroom, click below to download a helpful guide.
Click for free download!
How do you promote constructive peer communication in your class?
What methods do you find work best for peer feedback?
This article was written by AOE Content Director Tracy Hare. Tracy teaches middle school art for a small district in central Minnesota. Tracy received her M.Ed. from the University of Minnesota and strives to deepen her students’ 21st century skills by encouraging them to practice critical thinking, solve open-ended problems creatively and work together to produce, connect and share their artwork.