Discuss:
- What are the key ideas?
- What 3 things do you want to take away from this section and use in the future?
- What was a powerful quote from the section? Why?
- What are the implications for teaching and learning? What do these ideas suggest for our teaching practices
1. On-going assessment should be done during, and even before, instruction. This should NOT be graded because of its use before/during instruction. Self-assessment leads students to be goal-oriented.
ReplyDelete2. Most students do not know how to self-assess and need to be taught. Formative assessments and their feedback should not be just teacher work and gives students the chance to see how to improve. True formative assessments are not graded, even though some assignments might be labeled and counted as formative assessments due to computer grading programs being set up with formative assessments.
3. ..."formative assessment is an essential part of teaching and learning. They emphasize planning instruction and assessment around desired understandings. These desired understandings are the learning targets that should focus both formative and summative observations." (page 5) This quote encourages mastery of standards!
4. Students are aware that they have the opportunity to learn and master before the teacher moves on too quickly. Teachers will regularly, daily perhaps, have to adjust lessons and dates for assessments. It does not make sense for a teacher to be evaluated based on that teacher not being on schedule. Also, teachers need every second of their precious planning time available to them so they can re-adjust lessons as necessary. I feel teachers already have too much of their time stolen away from their regular planning time, and that time will be even more valuable when formative assessments are occurring as they are supposed to. I also feel some standards are too vague or general for even the teacher, let alone the students, for students to realize if what they are learning is truly connected to the standards. Perhaps some standards should be restated to allow for more specific goals that can be clearly connected to the standards.
Judy Martin said . . .
ReplyDelete1. Formative assessment is a 'recursive' process to access and reach educational goals. Therefore, self-assessment requires a higher level of critical thinking as well as mastery of basic skills and concepts. Learners must become "full participants" in this process to become true life-long learners. However, grades inhibit progress for learners with low self-esteem, and therefore, should not be the focus.
2. First, formative evaluations weighted as 30 percent of students' grades should always include options for re-testing within a reasonable length of time and guidelines. Second, criteria for evaluation rubrics should be used to introduce and evaluate student achievement; the formative thru summative process of self-evaluation, peer-evaluation, and finally teacher evaluation is a sound teaching and learning strategy. Finally, self-assessment functions as a learning tool as well as a goal for life-long learners.
3. "For unsuccessful learners, feedback must deal with negative feelings first, to break the cycle of failure." This quoted statement suggests that the focus of teaching and learning has to evolve one-on-one between the master and the student with respect for the process. If the true goal is to overcome ignorance, students must be educated first on existing options.
4. Teaching and learning is a collaborative process and can be successful with active participation of all stakeholders in the process. Mastery learning requires maximum effort as well as basic ability levels; however, traditional assessment methods such as standardized multiple choice tests should be adapted to include performance or creative options of the learners' choosing. The art of teaching and learning is a creative process that flourishes when afforded mutual respect by those actively involved.
Discuss:
ReplyDeleteWhat are the key ideas? The key idea in this section is that of formative assessment. Formative assessment is an ongoing process that both students and teachers take part. The idea of formative assessment is to see "where you are", "where you're going" and "where you want to be".
What 3 things do you want to take away from this section and use in the future? 1. This solidifies what I've always thought and have done in my classroom, formative assessments(questioning, discussion with students, quizzes, and assessments) tends to give a time table of when to summative assess. 2. Try to understand and demonstrate more than I already do, the motivational benefits of formative assessment. 3. Peer and self evaluations are two key items I'm taking away from this section.
What was a powerful quote from the section? Why? "Motivational equity", that while no two children come to school with equal academic abilities and backgrounds, there is no reason that they should not all have access to equally motivational feedback. This is powerful to me because I always try to find something positive to say in relation to quizzes, homework, etc. I believe it gives them a sign of hope, that even though they are't proficient yet in a skill, they have done something to get closer to the goal of proficiency.
What are the implications for teaching and learning? What do these ideas suggest for our teaching practices
Teaching and learning go hand in hand. If the teacher formative assess often enough and catch the problems then it will help students learn and become successful in a way they may have not been before. These ideas suggest again that learning and teaching is a process that must have the effort of both student and teacher.
1. What are the key ideas?
ReplyDeleteFormative assessment (FA) involves both students and teachers. FA helps students learn how to monitor their own performance and transition to independent learning. FA keeps students active in learning, focused on tasks and learning goals. Peer evaluation and self-evaluation help students with the social aspect of knowledge. FA allows students to know what to do next to get better. FA gives a teacher information about how long to "form" and when to "sum". FA can be seen in a variety of ways.
2. What 3 things do you want take away from this section and use in the future?
(1) Students need and deserve an opportunity to learn before they are graded on how well they have learned.
(2) Formative Assessment allows students to receive feedback on precisely what they need to do to improve.
(3) For unsuccessful students, feedback must deal with negative feelings first, to break the cycle of failure. Feedback should begin with statements of accomplishment and small doable steps for improvement.
3. What was a powerful quote from the section? Why?
“Students are free to pay attention to figuring out how they are doing and what they need to work on without worrying about a grade.” This statement supports the idea of learning a skill for the sake of learning it. There a many life skills that should be learned that will never have a grade attached to the skill. The most important reason for learning something is because you want to.
4. What are the implications for teaching and learning? What do these ideas suggest for our teaching practices?
The greatest implications will be for planning time and professional learning in the area of meaningful written feedback based on a learning target. Teaching students how to peer evaluate and self evaluate is time consuming and difficult but necessary. Another good quote …”These specific acts of self-assessment during the formative assessment process are critical building blocks as well as strategies for achieving the immediate learning goals.
1. Formative assessment is a process that requires teachers and students to focus on the learning goals, assess how current work/content relates to the learning goals, and take action to get closer to achieving the learning goals. Formative assessment requires students to apply higher order thinking skills to analyze the learning goals, identify the gaps in their knowledge that might keep them from reach these goals, and become internally motivated to learn what they need to successfully reach the learning goals.
ReplyDelete2. i. Formative assessment starts with the teachers modeling self-evaluation and peer-evaluation.
ii. Formative assessment allows for tutoring, reteaching, and re-assessing the learning goals/GPS.
iii. Formative assessment requires analytical thinking skills and an interest in self-improvement.
3. "For unsuccessful learners, feedback must deal with negative feelings first, to break the cycle of failure." Many of our students have experienced a lot of failure in school. They need to be taught how to deal with their negative emotions in constructive ways. This will benefit them personally and academically. It will also benefit the school culture and progress made in class because there will fewer disruptions.
4. Teachers will have to balance meeting the standards, getting students as close as possible to grade level, teaching students how to analyze and evaluate work, and help students work through the negative emotions many of them have towards school. This will require a massive instructional overhaul for many teachers. However, the work required will benefit students by creating lifelong learners, teachers by getting students focused on the content/learning goals, and the school by creating a school culture where thinking and learning are a priority in every classroom and in every person at the school.
What are the key ideas?
ReplyDelete- Focus is on LEARNING GOALS
- Involves both teachers and students
- Provides possibility proactive actions toward particular goals
What 3 things do you want to take away from this section and use in the future?
1. The continuing discussion about the issue of GRADING in general
2. Relationship between summative and formative
3. Discovering potential motivational benefits
What was a powerful quote from the section? Why?
"The trick is to find out what is motivating for each student." Because of its potential POWER to change the school one student at a time
What are the implications for teaching and learning? What do these ideas suggest for our teaching practices?
- Success
- Change
- Path of continual growth and learning
1. Formative assessment is a nongraded means of assessing mastery. It is used by both teacher and students as a springboard to motivate and guide to greater understanding of content.
ReplyDelete2. Formative assessment is motivational, is non-graded, and is done by both teachers and students.
3. "The best formative assessment involves both students and teachers in a recursive process." Both teacher and student are accountable.
4. Students should learn to self-assess to progress. Students should be more involved in his/her learning process.
W. Halter, J. Miller, M. Fitzgerald, G. Kirkland
Good evening colleagues! While I do not have this book in my library, I am so impressed with the infusion of technology into the PL at VHS. Kudos to everyone posting their comments. Technology can become a powerful tool as we continue to refine our craft. I can't think of a better place to begin this technological PL journey than with the subject of formative assessment. If there are any extra books I would like to be a part of this experience.
ReplyDeleteWow! I am blown away! What amazing insights and thought provoking responses from 3 pages of reading! In reading and reflecting on the comments so far, I find it interesting that we have identified many of the same powerful quotes. In my reading of the pages last month, I have underlined all of the same quotes! We have a common theme - our students need to become comfortable with feedback. I think if I had to pick one of the quotes I underlined in my book as my favorite and most powerful to me, I would pick "Feedback is a message, so the effect depends not only on the information itself but also on the characteristics of the people who send (teachers) and receive (students) the message." (p. 5) Brookhart goes on to say that one student may hear the feedback as a way to improve while another may hear a confirmation of how stupid he is.
ReplyDeleteKelly's comment is powerful - we need to create a "school culture where thinking and learning are a priority in every classroom." It may be a slow process - but I am thrilled to say that we are on our way.
The key idea is to focus on learning GOALS. Additionally, we should make certain we are conveying the goal to students, and not forgetting to involve them in a reflective process that will help them attain goals. This section reminds us as teachers that the learning is (or should be) "about the students" as much as it is about us. I will remember (take away) that aspect, as well as to incorporate more formative assessments that I can track without actually "grading." The powerful quote is "Students need - and deserve - an opportunity to learn before they are graded on how well they have learned." The implications are for us to reflect more on what works and what doesn't, as well as to realize that improvement is a process. Teachers and students should keep that in mind, and we should work together, especially to help students overcome negative feelings and approach the learning with the "possibilities" in mind.
ReplyDelete1. The key ideas is understanding how formative assessment can be beneficial for the teacher and the student in the classroom. Using Formative Assessment helps the teacher to learn about student learning.
ReplyDelete2. It reminds me that "practice makes perfect" and that the students need the oppportunity to view their performance before they are graded. Formative assessment should be a good motivator, not for a grade.
3."These feelings (failure) get in the way of processing additional information about their learning." Too much emphasis is put on getting grades in the "book." If we are to truly use formative assessment so that the student is provided with proper feedback, we might need to backoff of this expectation.
4. The implications for teaching and learning, in my opinion, are that we test too much, and should restructure the way we proceed in the classroom. Integrating formative assessment, as I understand from the reading, would require a "revamp" in classroom procedure. Self-assessment by the student is necessary.
1. The key idea is realizing that formative assessement does not have to be a grade. Formative assessment is a learning tool for the teacher and student. The students need to self-assess their work in order to have a better understanding of the mastery expectation.
ReplyDelete2. First, is that formative assessment is a work in progress. It is not the final grade on the progress report. Second, is that formative assessment must have student self-assessment as a major contributor. Students must have a clear understanding of what is expected. Third, is that formative assessment takes time. It will not all be perfect. Rome was not built in one day, and neither will good formative assessment. It is a work in progress.
3. "For unsuccessful learners, feedback must deal with negative feelings first, to break the cycle of failure." I believe that many times, we as teachers, do not consider what our students' past experiences are. Many students believe that they have failed a course before ever beginnning it.
4. Teaching and learning using formative assessments are works of progress. They are not the final mastery of a standard. The self-assessment of learning should geatly impact the future teaching in the classroom.
Section one focuses on defining formative assessments and explains the purpose of formative assessments. The author provides strategies and tools that a teacher should use to assess student progress. The author also explains the difference between formative and summative assessments as well as student benefits.
ReplyDeleteMany of the business education classes we offer are performance-based. The students spend a lot of time in class creating and formatting documents. If they are able to produce or format the document correctly, then they have learned the skill. In most cases the students follow along as the skill is demonstrated and then the students are expected to duplicate the process.
“Students need – and deserve – an opportunity to learn before they are graded on how well they have learned.” I think that students should be given assignments that are checked and marked for correction, but not recorded in the grade book. This gives students the opportunity to see what they are doing wrong and the chance to correct their mistakes, without hurting their grade. In some cases, I think completion grades are appropriate as long as the teacher actually looks over the work and marks the assignment for correction.
1. The key ideas are that formative assessments are not what we as educators have typically thought them to be. Instead of being a quiz or chapter test, they are not graded and should be given more often and cover less material. Which allows us to better determine what are students are understanding or not understanding.
ReplyDelete2. To utilize formative assessments both at the beginning of class and the end as a review. That there use will increase my students motivation. And for my students to take more responsibilty for their learning.
3. "Motivational Equity" That all our kids need to be motivated, not just the "uber kids" or the "at risk" kids, but all of them.
4. Faster feedback, the ability to make changes in our curriculum and classroom instruction to make sure that our kids master the material. More chances for positive feedback to encourage learning.
Formative assessment is a two-way learning process. Grading is not the sole purpose for assessment. The process of students learning to learn is an essential component of an instructional environment.
ReplyDeleteI have been using formative assessment for awhile but did not define it as such because it was not for grading purposes but for me to determine how successful students were understanding the material being taught. I often struggle with students understanding the need for guided practice as well as independent practice before being assessed. Maybe more time dedicated to teach students the process of learning and purpose of different instructional methods.
One of the quotes I will always remember is "Formal assessment gives a teacher information on how long to "form" and when to "sum". Teachers often confuse concept of formative and summative and this is a good way to remember the difference.
Moving forward to adopting the concept of formative assessment as described byt the author will require additional training and patience for both student and teacher.
What are the key ideas?
ReplyDeleteFormative assessment (FA) is an on-going process that is not graded. FA is used to provide feedback. It also helps determine when self-assessment takes place.
What 3 things do you want to take away from this section and use in the future?
1.Formative assessment is an on-going process
2.Use formative assessment as feedback
3.Promote student self-motivation
What was a powerful quote from the section?
"The trick is finding out what is motivating for each student".
Why? Eliminate loss of time trying to motivate students in class.
What are the implications for teaching and learning?
Teachers will assume more of a role in the classroom as a facilitator and students will assess their learning.
What do these ideas suggest for our teaching practices?
Change.
1. Formative assessments are on-going and are used by both the teacher and the student. Teachers use formative assessments to gauge a student's understanding of a concept. Formative assessments are not graded; they are simply a running record of student achievement.
ReplyDelete2. We as teachers should teach and guide students to self-assess their own work so that the students can monitor their own learning. Feedback is key when using formative assessment. Also, teachers should utilize formative assessments to help motivate students.
3. "This process is the essence of learning-the continuous process of assessing one's own mastery of content and skills, and discerning and pursuing next steps to move forward toward a goal. I find this quote important because self-assessment is key when learning. Even in life, self-assessment is key when looking at one's own actions.
4. Teaching and learning go hand in hand. We teach our students to teaching and assess themselves. At the time we are teaching and assessing our students, we are learning from them.
1. Formative assessment involves both teachers and students; teachers model and students duplicate. Formative assessment is not to be graded, it's only used to show where students are in their learning and to prepare them for an eventual summative assessment. Formative assessment identifies what students can do with help and what they can do on their own and it serves as a motivator.
ReplyDelete2. I would like to be able to see the motivational effects of self-evaluation as we begin to implement formative assessment more and more. I would like to see students take formative assessment and use it as a resource to prepare for summative assessment. I would also love to see my students use self-evaluation more
3. "When students and teachers routinely share information about the quality of student of student work relative to the learning targets, learning improves." I think this is a powerful quote because it doesn't place all the responsibility of learning on just one person, the student or the teacher to improve learning. It places the responsibility of learning on the relationship and interactions between student AND teacher. Also, the interactions and sharing between student and teacher is not just every now and then, but it says that there is sharing of information "routinely". When teachers and students realize that learning is dependent upon this interaction then learning will drastically improve.
4. Teachers must be focused on students' success. In order to do that teachers must have the goal of making sure that everyone in the classroom in being successful which means possibly going through the curriculum a little slower, changing from "this is how I've always done it" to "what can I do to make sure every student is learning". There must be ongoing communication between students and teachers in regards to learning so that teachers know where their students are and they can make necessary adjustments in their formative assessment to prepare students for learning.
1. The key points to Section 1 of the reading begin with the fact that formative assessment, if practiced ideally, is the responsibility of the teacher and students. Formative assessment is also not a practice that should affect a student’s grade. The goals of formative assessment should be the same as those of summative assessment. Formative assessment also can improve student motivation although it may take some practice to provide feedback, even critical feedback, to students in a positive way as to make them not feel like a failure.
ReplyDelete2. Based on the reading, there are three areas of formative assessment I will improve/implement in my classroom. (1) Allow students more time to self-assess themselves. (2) When a student gives an incorrect response, I will try to focus on any progress towards the learning goal, even if it is a small one. (3) I will not be so quick to slap a grade on every assignment and try to help students see the value of ungraded work.
3. “Formative assessment helps identify what students can do with help and what they can do independently.” In math, students frequently fall victim to the misconception that understanding the steps the teacher takes when solving the problem equals the student understanding the steps when they work independently. Students must learn that teacher-guided practice is a supplement to, and not a substitute for independent practice.
4. We as teachers could know our content better than anyone and explain it to the best of our ability to our students. But if the students are not learning, then we have room for improvement. We must constantly try to create new and innovative ways to track our students’ progress. It is a difficult task and I don’t think it’s a task that we’ll ever truly master. But the day we become complacent and stop trying to improve our strategies is the day we should find another profession.
1. Formative assessment is focused on learning goals. It involves both teachers and students. Formative assessments should be self assessed and not graded.
ReplyDelete2. a. Show students what the finished product (goal) should look like.
b. Formative assessment should be a tool used to allow students the opportunity to learn before assessing for a grade (summative).
c. It should be used before and during the learning process.
3. "Students need-and deserve-an opportunity to learn before they are graded on how well they have learned." Students should be given the opportunity to attempt the work without the fear of a bad mark on the assignment. They are more likely to try an activity if they know they will not be penalized for their efforts.
4. We will have to change the mindset of both the teachers and the students. Teachers will need to be trained on the best ways to implement formative assessment as a learning tool.