February 22, 2015
Here is another wonderful resource shared today by Edutopia titled “53 Ways to Check for Understanding”. This 2 pages PDF features a host of useful strategies to use for formative assessment in class. Formative assessment, as we have agreed elsewhere, is assessment for learning which is completely different from summative assessment, which is assessment of learning. The insights gained from formative assessments are usually used to decide on the next instructional steps and also inform teachers as to the additional opportunities needed to ensure students' success. Examples of formative assessment include: assigning projects and performances, giving writing assignments, and asking questions.
When you are creating a course, strive to design with the end in mind. After you have established a set of measurable learning objectives for your course, work to develop assessments that are aligned with your stated learning objectives. Think of the learning objectives as a set of skills, knowledge, or abilities that your students will be able to demonstrate a mastery of at the end of the course. Then consider the assessments as a way for the student to prove they are capable of that mastery.
Some great ideas for formative assessment and feedback geared towards high school.
The worlds largest collection of Common Core aligned resources
Through alternative formative assessment, teachers can check for student understanding without falling back on the tedious or intimidating pop quiz.
What is Formative Assessment? Gives teachers information to drive instruction; provides ongoing feedback; helps students identify their strengths and weaknesses.
Find and share ideas for checking in with students during a project, class, or semester to assess their learning and see if content or instruction needs adjusting.
Discover standards-aligned content, customize content, and track student progress through data analytics.
Comprehensive assessment embraces the whole system of assessing student understanding as a mechanism to improve teaching and learning.
Look beyond high-stakes testing to learn about different ways of assessing the full range of student ability -- social, emotional, and academic achievement.
Blendspace allows educators to blend their classroom with digital content.
Common Sense Graphite is a site by teachers, for teachers that helps you find the best educational technology resources and learn the best practices for implementing them in your classroom. Brought to you by Common Sense Media: Empowering kids to thrive in a world of media and technology.
The leading K-12 online resource with performance tasks, literacy tasks, constructed responses, and real-world video. Useful in preparation for Smarter Balanced Assessment and PARCC Assessment.
Web 2.0 tools
Resources for Teachers - Tools, Information and Resources to Help Teachers Increase Student Learning
The kids weren’t doing their homework, and I had resorted to the age-old stratagem of quick reading quizzes at the beginning of the period to remind them that they were accountable. However, I had run into a snag: students were failing the quizzes even though they had done the reading.
These tools are for immediate use with students in the classroom. They are suitable for use in many different contexts and are aimed at improving assessment practices.
Free resources and tips to help educators and administrators use Exemplars' assessments and lesson plans in the classroom effectively.
Here’s a comprehensive list of 33 digital tools and apps that teachers can use in their classroom to effectively implement formative assessment.
Piazza is a free online gathering place where students can ask, answer, and explore 24/7, under the guidance of their instructors. Students as well as instructors can answer questions, fueling a healthy, collaborative discussion.
Audience response system that uses mobile phones, twitter, and the web. Responses are displayed in real-time on gorgeous charts in PowerPoint, Keynote, or web browser.
