Formative Assessment
Without formative assessment, teachers have a sea of blank stares in front of them, not knowing if students truly understand. Waiting until the end of the unit to test summatively is too late. Quizzing along the way without taking understanding, or lack thereof, into consideration defeats the purpose of giving a quiz. We must "take a temperature" of student learning throughout the learning process in order to better drive instruction.
"Formative assessments lead to differentiation. If differentiation is not on the menu--if the teacher is going to proceed as scheduled without regard to who knows what--then what would be the point of formative assessment? That may explain why so many teachers don't do it! We're either teaching students or we're teaching the curriculum, regardless of the students."
- Amy Benjamin, Author
- Amy Benjamin, Author
Formative Assessment
Consider the below formative assessment tools to
"take a temperature" of your students during the
learning process.
When in your lesson can these assessments take place?
The beginning?
The middle?
The end?
How can they work to help you further instruct the students?
Using technology is a great way to formatively assess your students.
It allows for high student engagement
and interactivity, as well as ease of data analysis to drive further instruction.
Explore ~ Share ~ Pair
Below is a list of just a few options.
1) Explore your assigned tools.
2) Note interesting features by clicking in your assigned "Explore~Share~Pair."
3) Pair to discuss.
4) Pair again to discuss.
Explore and Share 1
- Pear Deck - Teachers create presentations with embedded and varied questions that allow for student interactivity.
- QuickKey - A mobile scanning app for scoring multiple choice questions.
- Quizizz - Formative data is collected from visually appealing, teacher-created "quizizz." Students participate in a separate web link.
- PlayPosit - Engaging and interactive video that yields instructional data for teachers.
Explore and Share 2
- Flip – Students can use 15-second to 5-minute videos to respond to prompts; teachers and peers can provide feedback.
- Google Forms - Using Google Forms to create quizzes allows for formative analytics to be provided.
- Testmoz - Create graded online tests.
- Socrative - Student response system for on the spot assessment. - Intro and Quick Tutorial
Explore and Share 3
- SeeSaw - Tool that allows students to document learning and share with others, allows teachers to formatively assess, and parents to have a "window" into their child's learning.
- Mastery Assess - Teachers can easily track student mastery of standards with Mastery Assess's features. As a collaborative tool, Mastery Assess allows teachers to create and share common assessments and have them graded with GradeCam. This data can then be used to create differentiated groups to better guide instruction Resources that align to standards and support individual learners can be saved in a student playlist.
- Padlet - A collaborative wall of responses, ideas, and understandings.
- Kahoot - A fun game-style web-based assessment tool where questions are created and students access with a class code and answer on a cell phone or computer.
Explore and Share 4
- EdPuzzle - A collection of videos from all sources that allow for teachers to add to and put their own spin on it to accommodate for their own learners. View a tutorial here.
- Zip Grade - Use a bubble template and an app and student data is instantly collected.
- Plickers - Create a page for each student and Plicker will code in students names and answers on printable cards for them to hold up when you ask verbal questions. When you use the Plicker app on your smartphone, to view the class through your camera, each student name will appear and whether they got the answer correct or incorrect. Great for a classroom that is not one-to-one. Click here for more info.
- Poll Everywhere - Students use their cell phone or a computer to respond to questions that allow for immediate response results.
How about non-tech formative strategies?
How could these play a role in your class?
Check out this additional list of formative assessment activities as well as this list of technology formative assessment tools.
How could these play a role in your class?
Check out this additional list of formative assessment activities as well as this list of technology formative assessment tools.
RECORD KEEPING SOLUTIONS
In order to formatively monitor student proficiency with specific skills, this assessment form example provides a method for recording how well students are doing. It is one component to creating a "photo album" as opposed to a "snapshot" of students' progress using both qualitative and quantitative measures.
In order to formatively monitor student proficiency with specific skills, this assessment form example provides a method for recording how well students are doing. It is one component to creating a "photo album" as opposed to a "snapshot" of students' progress using both qualitative and quantitative measures.