Formative assessments are a tricky deal. The term seems to be a part of edu-speak (or common language in the world of education), but do we really understand what this means? And more importantly, do we use formative assessments as they are intended to be used?
In Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning, Jan Chappuis says, "formative assessment is not an instrument
or an event, but a collection of practices with a common feature: they all lead
to some action that improves learning"(4). In other words, formative assessment is when teachers assess student knowledge and use the information to guide the instruction. This seems simple enough, yet we find it difficult to find the time and resources to effectively do this.
1) walk away with a set of tools teachers can use right away
2) see how teachers can get help with formative assessments
3) learn how to give quick feedback to the students without sacrificing more time
The feedback from the participants was positive, so I figured I would provide a cliff-notes version of this class in a blog post.
Goal #1- Walk away with a set of tools teachers can use right away
All one would need to do for this is talk to a fellow teacher or Google "formative assessment examples". But here are three ideas that do not require much preparation beforehand.
1) My Favorite No- Assign students a warm up problem or two. Hand out index cards to the students. Sort the index cards into yes/no piles. Choose your favorite no response and analyze it as a class.
2) Chalkboard Splash- Numerous students respond to a prompt/question on the chalkboard, whiteboard, or a Google Doc at the same time. The teacher calls on students to elaborate on some of the topics, vocabulary, strategies, and systems they see on the board.
3) Hit the Learning Target- Have students show how they have mastered the learning target from the lesson (either verbally or written) before they leave the classroom.
Goal #2- See how teachers can get help with formative assessments
The term "two heads are better than one" can definitely be applied to formative assessments. Teachers can, and should work with others to create and analyze formative assessments, including...
1) Students
1) Students
- students can assist in identifying high quality work
- they can help identify methods of assessment
- students can assess the assessments
- other teachers can give examples of assessments they have used
- they look over student work examples and collaborate to make instructional changes (this is especially helpful for colleagues who teach the same courses)
- ICs can brainstorm effective types of formative assessments for specific situations
- they can model how to implement and grade a formative assessment in the classroom
- ICs can also co-teach a lesson, so one person can assess the students and provide feedback while the other teacher facilitates a different activity (plus, they can help make instructional changes based on the data collected)
Goal #3- Learn how to give quick feedback to the students without sacrificing more time
Formative assessments should not take away valuable time from a teacher's life. Below are some strategies for saving time when assessing student learning.
- Have students grade their own assessment
- Have students grade each other’s assessments
- Simplify grading
- Example- grade on a scale of 1-5 (1= did not understand the concept, 3= in the middle, 5= mastered the concept)
- Use technology to assess the learning
- Examples include Kahoot and Flubaroo
- Have only one period do a formative assessment on a certain day, so that a teacher will only have one class set to look over.
- Focus on only one skill at a time
- Example- give 1 paragraph to write, but only focus on the summary and thesis found in an intro paragraph.
- Build time for assessing learning during class
Formative assessments should be a tool that is used frequently in classrooms and guides instruction. It should not be time-consuming, nor a discarded practice. But if used appropriately, formative assessments will improve student achievement.
