She arranges the class into random groups and asks each group to write all the character traits of Scout that they can think of on individual yellow sticky notes—one trait per note—and then do the same for Holden Caulfield, this time using blue sticky notes. Then each group posts their responses on the original list of traits, alongside each character trait. Areas of agreement and disagreement are discussed. Chavez uses a questioning strategy to elicit information and to clarify any lingering gaps in understanding or accuracy.
Following this, students work on their own to create a T chart for each character, using the left side of the T to list life experiences and challenges and the right side to list how these factors have influenced traits and behaviors. Note that Mrs. Chavez has done very little lecturing or whole- class teaching to this point, making for a very student- focused lesson.
Formative Assessment Is Instructionally Informative. During instruction, teachers assess student understanding and progress toward standards mastery in order to evaluate the effectiveness of their instructional design.
Both teachers and students, individually and together, review and reflect on assessment outcomes. As teachers gather information from formative assessment, they adjust their instruction to further student learning. In brief: Formative assessment.
Provides a way to align standards, content, and assessment. Allows for the purposeful selection of strategies. Embeds assessment in instruction. Guides instructional decisions. In practice: During a high school social studies unit on the development of American nationalism after the War of 1. Mr. Sandusky uses a series of assessments to monitor his students' developing understanding of the presented material.
Sandusky begins with a pre- assessment focused on content similar to what students will encounter in the final selected- response test. After reviewing the pre- assessment data, he concludes that his students either remember little of their prior learning about the material or haven't been exposed to these topics before. He had intended to begin the unit with a discussion of how the popularity of “The Star- Spangled Banner” fueled nationalistic spirit but decides to alter those plans somewhat by having students read articles about the War of 1. One group reads about the reasons the United States and Britain went to war, another reads about specific events that occurred during the war, and a third reads about Francis Scott Key.
Each group reports out, sharing information with the rest of the class. As the unit progresses, students keep track of their learning and assignments on a work- along, turning it in to Mr.
Sandusky every day for a quick check. For example, they describe causes of the war, answer a question about Key's motivation to write “The Star- Spangled Banner,” and note the location of the battle he observed (Baltimore's Fort Mc.
Henry). This is followed by a Corners activity where students pick different lines of the song to analyze and respond to in terms of relevance to current events. Later, after a discussion of the diverse opinions on the War of 1. To probe students' understanding of the significant outcomes of the war, he asks the class to describe three specific changes in the power of the U. S. In these activities, Mr. Sandusky works to align his formative assessment questions with the lesson's specific objectives, incorporate the questions into instruction, and use the information to guide future instruction.
Formative Assessment Is Outcomes Based. Formative assessment focuses on achieving goals rather than determining if a goal was or was not met, and one of the ways it does so is by helping to clarify learning goals and standards for both teachers and students.
Teaching and learning are based on these standards. Students know the criteria for meeting the standards and are frequently shown exemplars. Teachers give frequent and substantive feedback to students about their progress, pointing out both strengths and areas that need improvement.
Teachers plan steps to move students closer to learning goals. Work is assessed primarily on quality in relation to standards rather than student attitude or effort. In brief: Formative assessment. Emphasizes learning outcomes.
Makes goals and standards transparent to students. Provides clear assessment criteria. Closes the gap between what students know and desired outcomes. Provides feedback that is comprehensible, actionable, and relevant. Provides valuable diagnostic information by generating informative data. In practice: A curricular standard for 1.
Biology requires that students understand the chemical basis of all living things. In her classroom, Ms. Cd Labeling Software Os X. Jefferson asks students to track their progress toward the specific objective of describing, comparing, and contrasting the molecular structure of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. The applied learning comes from explaining how these differences are exhibited by foods that students eat every day. Jefferson uses a signaling activity to get a baseline assessment of where her students stand; afterward, she delivers a traditional lecture, beginning the lesson (as she will all lessons) by stating the specific learning outcome students are expected to master and then focusing on transitioning students from what they know to what they need to know.
Students keep a record of their learning by recording specific content knowledge in lab report notebooks. In one section, they draw the molecular structure of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.