Formative Assessment/ Assessment for Learning A4L

1. Formative Assessment/Assessment for Learning A4L

2. A4L • Knowing where you are • Knowing where you need to get to • Knowing how to close the gap • Students are given the knowledge and tools to become self regulatory learners

3. Self-assessment: “I have understood the difference between mean and median and know when each should be used” • Peer-assessment: Two stars and a wish

4. White & Frederiksen • 12 classes of 30 students 7th grade learning physics • Control group discussed the work, the experimental group engaged in peer and self assessment • The exptal group out-performed the control gp on 3 measures • The low achievers scored the same as the high achievers – scoring higher than AP physics students

5. Diagnostic Feedback • 18 6th grade classes, half gave scores on maths homework, half gave diagnostic comments (Elawar & Corno) • The students receiving comments learned twice as fast as the control group, the achievement gap between male and female students disappeared, and student attitudes improved. • 3 groups – grades, feedback, grades and feedback. (Butler)

6. A4L Strategies • Self and peer assessment – bring students “into the guild”, what meets the criteria? • Diagnostic comments instead of grades • Students design assessment questions • Traffic lighting as ongoing feedback – on work, as lesson progresses, for grouping… • Questioning - needs to focus on student ideas, needs long wait time.

7. To read: • Paul Black, Christine Harrison, Clare Lee, Bethan Marshall, and Dylan Wiliam, Assessment for Learning: Putting It into Practice (Buckingham, U.K.: Open University Press, 2003).

8. Growth Mindset Task Framework • Open: Multiple solution strategies, Multiple entry points, Multiple ways to “see” the problem, Multiple ways to show learning • Involves a mathematical concept(s) and a practice(s) • Every team member can contribute • Task focuses on learning: opportunities to learn something rather than demonstrate what you know • Clear learning goals and opportunities for feedback.

9. Task Framework

10. 1 ÷ 2/3 • Cathy Humphreys, 7th graders • Mathematics as sense-making • Task, teacher affect, calling on students, dealing with wrong answers

11. The “Didactic contract” (Guy Brousseau)

13. Reflecting on Claude Steele’s talk • How is having the brown eyed kids sit in the back of the room different to being placed in the low track group? • What cognitive diminishment is likely? • How can we counter this when teaching low track groups? Eg Changing the conditions of life – “a huge political effort” / Critical mass/ drawing from diversity/ “the simple relationship”, the power of teachers

14. Tasks • Pile Pattern • Where’s the 10 • Beans in bowls • Matching Representations • Number Talks • 1 ÷ 2/3