Formative Assessment

Formative Assessment

As I look back and reflect on blogs, class discussion and reading from the Formative Reflection class, I feel it has opened my mind to use assessment differently in my classroom and engage students to be owners of their own learning.

In my past teaching I really didn’t use formative assessment to organize or gage my curriculum.  I used daily work or homework as practice but graded the assignment in my grade book as daily work.  Then after completion of daily work I had chapter or unit tests then moved on to the next unit.  Not really taking in to account what concepts my students were having trouble with.  If they did well on their daily work they should know the concepts and pass the tests.  But what about those students who didn’t do well on their daily work did they just not do it or truly don’t understand the concepts.  Also you may have students who did fine on their daily work, but did they complete it independently or help from a friend. 

Currently I have used my daily work as practice and use formative assessment strategies in my classroom to gage how my students are understanding concepts.  I do not grade these assessments they are simply practice of the knowledge taught in the unit.  I organize my curriculum by results that I have obtained from the formative assessments.  This change is not easy.  To be honest it was a lot easier teaching my old way; teach, daily work, test, and move on.  I do realize that I was not reaching all my students and many failing students were not failing because they didn’t know the concepts but just didn’t do the work.  So you may call this “The Great Awakening”.  How do I really know if my students are grasping the concepts taught?  Formative assessment has helped guide me through this change or enlightenment.  Not necessarily doing formative assessment, which I always did, but using the formative assessment results to help me become a better teacher. 

I have to admit that I have not totally accepted the whole No Homework, Formative Assessment model but it has opened my eyes to adjusting my teaching methods.  I feel there is always room for change and advancement in the classroom, and taking a risk and climb out of our comfort box and try new ideas.  I see the benefit but in a typical school structure the resources are not available to fulfill all steps of Formative Assessment.  Scheduling, teacher aides and classrooms to help with the results of formative Assessment are difficult to provide.  Formative Assessment strategies do have an active role in the classroom and their results can help teachers activate students and help them become owners of their own learning. 

Formative Assessment

Formative Assessment

Unit:  Colonial America Road To Independence

As I work in a Unit I have the students prepare by reading the assigned material in the textbook along with some Historical Documents that pertain to topic.  Such documents as:  Journals from an indentured servant traveling to America, families of colonies, Salem Witch Trials;   May Flower Compact, Fundamental Constitutions of Colonies, Declaration of Independence support this unit.

After reading preparation, class time would be used to discuss and do pencil paper work such as:  notes, worksheets, maps.  Usually a topic each day is discussed, example “Taxation Without Representation.”  I use worksheets to organize facts and events and then we will discuss by me formulating Big Idea question based off reading and work.  Informally this would be my first formative assessment to see if the class is grasping the concept as a whole-no official collecting of date.  Either that same class period I may do an exit quiz or an entrance one the following day.  This would be my first collection of data.  It may be a simple 2 question assessment or a 10 mini quiz; 5 vocab and 5 Multiple Choice. 

After correcting the assessment I sort and analyze my data: 1.  Sort into two piles one pile proficient/got it and the other developing/confused. I note to myself students that were inadequate/totally misinformed and have them come see me at SRB (Student Responsibility Block) 2.  Analyze which questions seemed to trouble most students.  3.  Return assessment back to the students and break them up in the two groups that were represented in my first step.  I allow them to discuss and correct their mistakes. Once we are all back as a whole class I make sure the students have the correct information before we go on to the next concept. Readdress the group concerns.  These formative assessments are used to create the Summative Assessment.  During the analyzing stage I also use the historic concept and address power standards from the the Departments Power Standards

I continue the above process for each concept and once the unit is covered I review all formative assessments with students and prepare for the summative assessment which will be their grade for that Unit. 

If students fail to meet the Summative Grade I use the SRB block for a reassessment. 

Obviously I vary from this routine depending on projects I may have or enrichment I may add to the Unit.  Also if a concept or skill requires me to break down the material into more details and time. 

I struggle with organizing my class room to accommodate the students that master the concept while I need to work with students who need more time or in that developing step.  Social Studies is a unique study because we address Historical concepts and common core is more skilled based.  So when creating assessments it becomes difficult to  assess students because we have to look at historical content and common core skill.