Making Classroom Assessment Meaningful

*Tools for Assessment

*I Can:

1. Create a classroom environment that fosters learning through student goal setting. 2. Establish norms that promote peer and self evaluation to provide evidence of learning 3. Involve students in an ongoing dialogue about assessment including setting criteria for assessment4. Gather criteria for differentiation through pre-assessment and ongoing formative assessment

*Fostering a Climate of Trust

and Collaboration

*Your contribution matters here today.

*Participants always get more out of learning from each others’ experience and guidance than they do from presenters!

*We need to be free to take risks, speak honestly, and collaborate meaningfully!

* Types of Classroom Assessment

Making assessment an integral part of daily mathematics is a challenge.

It requires planning specific ways to use assignments and discussions to discover what students do and do not understand.

It also requires teachers to be prepared to deal with students’ responses.

Merely spotting when students are incorrect is relatively easy compared to understanding the reasons behind their errors.

Burns 2005, p.31

*Problem/Solution Toss

*After reading that passage:

Individually: Choose one of the problem/solution graphic organizers at your table. Record one challenge on the problem side

When you are done, crumple your paper!!! We will throw our problems away!!!

*Shifting the Balance

Western and Northern Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Education. (2006).

*Assessment of Learning vs

Assessment for Learning

*Concept Attainment Activity: Work with a partner

* Comparing Assessment for Learning and Assessment of Learning Adapted from Ruth Sutton Learn Alberta

Assessment for Learning Assessment of LearningChecks learning to determine what to do next and then provides suggestions of what to do –teaching and learning are indistinguishable from assessment.

Checks what has been learned to date.

Is designed to assist educators and students in improving learning.

Is designed for the information of those not directly involved in daily learning and teaching(school administration, parents, school board) in addition to educators and students.

Is used continually by providing descriptive feedback.

Is presented in a periodic report.

Usually uses detailed, specific and descriptive feedback in a formal or informal report.

Usually compiles data into a single number, score or mark as a formal report.

Is not reported as part of an achievement grade. Is reported as an achievement grade.

Usually focuses on improvement, compared with student’s “previous best” (self-referenced, making learning more personal).

Usually compares student’s learning either with other student’s learning or the standard grade level.

Involves student. Does not always involve the student.

WNCP, 2006

*Assessment for Learning

Formative Assessment:

Assessment and teaching should be integrated into a whole

Ongoing assessment allows teachers to monitor students on a daily basis and modify teaching based on what students need to be successful

Improves our teaching practices

Provides students with timely feedback that they need to make adjustments to their learning.

Assessment for Learning

*Individual Reading and

Group Sharing

*http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/aer2/aervideo/planningassessmentwithinstruction.html

*“I can’t say enough about how impressed I am by how specific and articulate my students have become as a result of setting criteria, doing reflections and keeping learning goals portfolios”

* -A high school English Teacher

I think I Can, I think I Can…..

1. Create a classroom environment that fosters learning through student goal setting. 2. Establish norms that promote peer and self evaluation to provide evidence of learning 3. Involve students in an ongoing dialogue about assessment including setting criteria for assessment4. Gather criteria for differentiation through pre-assessment and ongoing formative assessment

This is our half way point “check in” with our learning goals of the day

*Groups

*K-4 10:00

*5-8 11:00

1. You will be given an “expert” team

2. Each “expert” team member will be given reading material

3. Move to your “expert” group where everyone in the group has the same topic/ reading

4. Work with members of your “expert” group to read/ learn your material. 20 min to read and preparePrepare a short presentation. On flip chart paper, prepare a non-linguistic representation to accompany and focus your teaching.

5. Share to “home” team which in today’s case will be the entire group. 5 minutes to present to groupReflections/Comments or Questions

Modified Jigsaw K-4

*I Can:

1. Create a classroom environment that fosters learning through student goal setting. 2. Establish norms that promote peer and self evaluation to provide evidence of learning 3. Involve students in an ongoing dialogue about assessment including setting criteria for assessment4. Gather criteria for differentiation through preassessment and ongoing formative assessment

1. You will be given an “expert” team

2. Each “expert” team member will be given reading material

3. Move to your “expert” group where everyone in the group has the same topic/ reading

4. Work with members of your “expert” group to read/ learn your material. 30 min to read and preparePrepare a short presentation. On flip chart paper, prepare a non-linguistic representation to accompany and focus your teaching.

5. Share to “home” team which in today’s case will be the entire group. 8 minutes to present to groupReflections/Comments or Questions

Modified Jigsaw 5-8

*I Can:

1. Create a classroom environment that fosters learning through student goal setting. 2. Establish norms that promote peer and self evaluation to provide evidence of learning 3. Involve students in an ongoing dialogue about assessment including setting criteria for assessment4. Gather criteria for differentiation through preassessment and ongoing formative assessment