College-Ready Promise: Checking for Student Understanding

THE COLLEGE-READY PROMISETEACHER TRAINING MODULE CHECKING FOR STUDENT UNDERSTANDINGIndicators 1.5B, 3.4A

Overview Rationale and Purpose TCRP Rubric Defining Teacher and Student Actions Example Strategies Incorporating into Lesson Plans Adjusting Instruction

Rationale Checking for students’ understanding • Engages students • Provides real-time data on student understanding • Allows the teacher to determine effectiveness of lesson/instructions • Allows the teacher to adjust instruction

Purpose • To assess students’ prior understanding • To gauge students’ understanding of concepts during a lesson • To determine whether students understand procedures • To assess students prior to guided practice or independent practice • To delve deeper into students’ understandings and misconceptions

Types of Assessments and their Effect on Student Achievement High Stakes/Public Perception Checking for Understanding Benchmark Assessments Final Exams Exit Slips Unit Tests Quizzes CST Frequency/Effect on Student Achievement

Teaching Standard Rubric Levels 1.5 B) Progression of Assessments

TeachingStandard Rubric Levels 3.4 A) Checking for understanding and adjusting instruction: suggest adjustments in the instruction to meet their needs.

Defining Teacher and Student Actions • Teacher question is phrased with several options, i.e. • Multiple choice • Agree/Disagree • True/False • All students respond and provide teacher with feedback • Teacher should check for student understanding at least once every 15 minutes • Teacher utilizes student responses to: • Probe reasons for student responses • Determine next steps for instruction

Checking for Understanding How can teachers effectively increase students’ understanding? By using different techniques of oral language By using quizzes and tests By using different types of questioning techniques By using a variety of writing assessments Accountable talk Value lineups Retellings Think-pair-share Misconception analysis Whip around Multiple choice Short answer True or False Essay Response cards Hand signals ElectronicResponse Systems ReQuest Socratic seminar Interactive writing Read-write-pair-share Summary writing

Using Oral Language Accountable Talk Students are taught how to be accountable with each other (staying on task, using accurate and appropriate information for the topic, and thinking deeply about what their partner says) to forward the conversation and deepen their understanding of the topic at hand. One way to teach accountable talk is through reciprocal teaching. Value Lineups Students develop in-depth knowledge by enabling them to explore core concepts and understanding problems by first analyzing their beliefs and then listening to positions held by others. (See depth and complexity.) Retellings Students process large segments of text, think about the sequence of ideas or events and their importance, and then have students orally summarize what they understand. Teacher should take notes as students retell.

Using Oral Language Think-Pair-Share Students discuss their responses with a partner before sharing out with the whole class. Partners can also pair up with another set of partners to discuss in a quad before sharing out with the class. Misconception Analysis Students have an opportunity to discuss, often in small groups, misunderstandings they have about the topic at hand. Teacher should circulate and take notes on what the students are saying. Whip Around Students make a list of at least three items in response to a question; every student then stands up and as one student calls out the answer, other students cross that item off their list. When all items are crossed off their list, that student may sit.

Practice: Whip Around What is the purpose or the rationale of Checking for Understanding? Write 3 answers to the question. Purpose To assess students’ prior understanding To gauge students’ understanding of concepts during a lesson To determine whether students understand procedures To assess students prior to guided practice or independent practice To delve deeper into students’ understandings and misconceptions Rationale Checking for students’ understanding: Engages students Provides real-time data on student understanding Allows the teacher to determine effectiveness of lesson/instructions Allows the teacher to adjust instruction

Using Questioning Techniques Response Cards Index cards, signs, dry erase boards, magnetic boards, or other items are simultaneously held up by all students in class to indicate their responses to a question or problem. Hand Signals Thumbs up, thumbs sideways, and thumbs down to indicate understanding, confusion, or a misunderstanding. Electronic Response System Electronic clickers can display multiple-choice responses in chart form so students and teacher get immediate feedback on each problem. Socratic Seminar A group of learners engages in conversation and a series of questions. Reciprocal Questioning (ReQuest) See next two slides.

Using Questioning Techniques Reciprocal Questioning (ReQuest) Students take on the role of the teacher by formulating their own list of questions about a reading selection. The teacher then answers the students' questions. This exercise assists reading comprehension at two levels. Students deeply analyze the reading selection to extract their "teacher" questions. The teacher, in turn, reinforces learning by answering the questions and, if necessary, helping students to refine their work into more focused questions. Procedure: Divide the class into small groups and provide each group with a reading selection. 2. Explain the ReQuest process: students read a selection and develop discussion questions directed toward the teacher. Students should be familiar with the Bloom’s question stems. continued

Using Questioning Techniques Reciprocal Questioning Procedure (continued) 3. Allow time for students to read their selections independently and to write their own list of potential questions. 4. Have the groups combine and revise the team members' questions into a final form. 5. During the class discussion, a spokesperson for each group asks the questions to the teacher. The teacher answers the questions to reinforce learning. 6. In a post-exercise discussion, ask students to identify strategies they used in writing and refining questions.

Reciprocal Questioning Read the TCRP rubric descriptors of practice for Standard 3.4, Indicator A. Follow the procedure for ReQuest. 3.4A Checking for Understanding

Using Writing Interactive Writing Students share the pen or dry erase marker with the teacher in whole or small groups. Read-Write-Pair-Share Students read the material, write in response to the information, engage in a partner conversation about they’ve read and written, and then share their ideas with the whole class. Quick Write-Pair-Share Several times throughout the lesson, students are given 1 minute (or 2 minutes) to write about what they’ve learned. They then engage in a partner conversation about what they’ve written, and then share their ideas with the whole class. Summary Writing Students write a summary about what they have read, viewed, done, or learned. Could be used as an exit slip or as a Do Now.

Practice: Quick Write-Pair-Share Take one minute to write about what you’ve learned so far in this presentation. When the time is up, share your writing with a partner or a small group.

Using Quizzes Multiple Choice Gauges students’ understanding fairly quickly. Short Answer Measures if students can accurately recall specific information. Can also be used to measure higher cognitions. True or False Determine if students understand the correctness of statements of fact, if they agree with opinions, if they can define terms, or if they understand a principle. Essays Requires students to consolidate their understanding of a topic, organize their thinking, and present it by providing an opportunity for students to synthesize or evaluate information.

Practice: Multiple Choice and Short Answer In indicator 3.4A, at a level 2 practice the teacher uses ______________ techniques to accurately check for students’ understanding. Frequent Varied Limited The four categories of checking for understanding are writing, questioning, quizzes and ______________________. Response cards Oral language Quick Write

Practice: Multiple Choice and Short Answer Teachers should check for understanding at least every ____ minutes. 15 30 Only as needed The type of assessment that has the most direct effect on student achievement is _______________________________. checking for understanding

Incorporating into Lesson Plans • Identify which strategies fit your style • Determine when during the lesson the checks should be included • Write out the questions to ask students • Over time, as you become comfortable with using them, the need to plan out your strategies in detail will decrease.

Sample Plan Checking for Understanding oral language quizzes questioning techniques writing After I present the Powerpoint and have given students the information about the topic, I will have them do a WHIP AROUND Before students exit the class, they will answer 5 MULTIPLE CHOICE questions. When students are finished with their group work, I will have them WRITE A SUMMARY of what they learned. Students will share their summary in a pair-share. Before students begin their group work, I will ask questions and students will hold up their RESPONSE CARDS

Adjusting Instruction Plan your checks at strategic points in your lesson, so if you need to re-teach a few students, the remainder of the class can continue independent or group work. Anticipate that not all students will demonstrate understanding. Budget time in your lesson plan to accommodate re-teaching.

Adjusting Instruction If only a few students don’t understand, immediately bring them forward for re-teaching. Have at least two more strategies to use. Try teaching with different modalities.

Adjusting Instruction If half the class doesn’t understand, try having students who do understand explain it in their own words. If that doesn’t work, allow the proficient students to continue their work and you re-teach the students who still need it. Have at least two more strategies to use. Try teaching to different modalities.

Adjusting Instruction If most of the class doesn’t understand, group the students by readiness or common misunderstandings and assign the few students who do understand to re-teach a group. You work with the most intensive learners. As students show understanding, they can continue with their independent work. Eventually you will have only a few students to call up for further re-teaching. Have several strategies ready, including teaching to the students’ learning modalities or to Garner’s multiple intelligences.

Sample Plan Sample Plan Checking for Understanding Checking for Understanding oral language oral language quizzes questioning techniques writing After I present the Powerpoint and have given students the information about the topic, I will have them do a WHIP AROUND Before students exit the class, they will answer 5 MULTIPLE CHOICE questions. When students are finished with their group work, I will have them WRITE A SUMMARY of what they learned. Students will share their summary in a pair-share. Before students begin their group work, I will ask questions and students will hold up their RESPONSE CARDS

Evaluation What do I still need to know? What did I learn? How could this module be improved? What did I learn that I will use tomorrow?

College-Ready Promise: Checking for Student Understanding