Formative Assessment in Science

1. Formative Assessment in Science Fife SD August 28, 2009 Kirk Robbins Regional Science Coordinator

2. Kirk Robbins • Molecular Biologist • Elementary Teacher • K-6 Science Specialist • Science Assessment Leadership Team (SALT) • Educational Consultant • Research Coordinator • Part-time Lecturer UWT • Science Standards Revision Team member • Regional Science Coordinator @ PSESD • Co-Director of South Sound LASER Alliance

3. Getting to Know You • Name • Grade • Building • # of years in teaching • ONE feature of effective science instruction

4. BLOG teachscience4all.wordpress.com WIKIkirkworkshop.wikispaces.com

5. Goals Participants will: • Increase understanding of common misconceptions in science • Increase understanding of formative assessment strategies • Increase effective use of instructional strategies in science • Practice how to examine student thinking

6. Norms • On Task Conversations • Participate • Take a risk in a safe environment • Assume positive intentions • Honor Time • Limit Side Conversations • Attention signal- “Attention Thank You”

7. Sticky Dots

8. Two Hats Teacher Hat Learner Hat

10. Your Initial Ideas about Misconceptions Individual responses: 4 min Give One, Get One- 2 min Whole group share

11. Where does the mass of a tree come from?

12. Showtime • What misconceptions do the students have? • Are they similar to some of your misconceptions? • What is the UNDERLYING misconception that is holding the learners back?

13. How has your thinking about misconceptions changed?

14. Connecting to the research Research on How People Learn (HPL)

15. Revisit Your Misconception Thinking

16. What do we know about Formative Assessment? • With a partner: add ideas on sticky notes to poster Formative Assessment

18. Formative vs Summative Summative: The Autopsy Formative: The Checkup

19. Characteristics of Formative Assessments • They are assessments FOR learning, not assessments OF learning • Designed to assist learning, not grading • Make students’ thinking visible to themselves and to others • Formative Assessment is a process not any particular test • Formative Assessment takes place during instruction • The function of this feedback is to help teachers and students make adjustments that will improve learning

20. Formative Assessment “Formative assessment is a planned process in which teachers or students use assessment-based evidence to adjust what they are currently doing.” -W. James Popham Transformative Assessement

21. Formative Assessment Continuum Informal Unplanned Formal Planned Planned-for-Interaction Embedded-in-the-Curriculum On-the-Fly

22. Anything to add to Frayer Model?

24. 1. Write-to-learn Prompts RAFT • R= role • A= audience • F= format • T= topic

25. 1. Write-to-learn Prompts • Role: a tree • Audience: light • Format: text message • Topic: thanks for what you give me

26. 1. Write-to-learn Prompts OTHER PROMPTS • Admit Slips: Describe how sound waves travel. • Crystal Ball: What will we learn about today? • Exit Slips: The 3 best things you learned today…

27. 2. Fact First Questioning • State the Fact • Why is X an example of Y? EXAMPLES Glucose is a form of food for plants. Why is glucose considered a food for plants? Sandstone is a sedimentary rock. Why is sandstone considered a sedimentary rock?

28. 3. Annotated Student Drawings http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=c3f70187a007859af892

29. 4. Graphic Organizers FRAYER MODEL CONCEPT MAPS • Assessment for learning • Makes student thinking visible • Check for understanding • For feedback not grading • Happens during learning • A process not a particular test Formative Assessment • Probes • Whiteboards • Clickers • Graphic organizers • WASL • End of unit tests • SAT • GRE thinkingmaps.com

30. 5. RESPONSE CARDS Response Cards: index cards, dry erase boards, magnet boards Checking For Understanding--(Fisher & Frey, ASCD 2007.) Audience Response Systems (ARS): clickers, eggs, active expressions, responders, cell phones- technology based response systems

31. 6. Physical Response GET UP & MOVE HAND SIGNALS Thumbs Fist to Five • Human Scatterplots • Four corners • Sticky Bars

32. Four Corners • Show students a Friendly Talk, Concept Cartoon, Familiar Phenomenon, or Prediction probe • Students go to a “corner” of the room based on their answer choice • Students discuss answer choice with their common response group

33. Human Scatterplot • Give students a formative assessment probe with 3-4 choices • Students create a scatterplot based on a answer choice (A, B, or C) and confidence in answer. Front of room Confidence: High to Low

34. Sticky Bars • Give students a probe with 3-5 forced choices • Students anonymously write answer choice on a sticky note • Create a bar graph of choices a a b c a b c a b c d

35. 7. Give One to Get One • This technique is best done when students are using science notebooks. The entire activity should be done with students in a standing position. • Each student is asked to find a partner with whom he/she compares notes. • The student takes a moment to identify the information they have in common.

36. 8. Think, Pair, Share • Think-Pair-Share and Write-Pair-Share • Think or write about your answer individually. • 2. Pair with a partner and discuss your answers. • Share your answer (or your partner’s answer) when called upon.

37. 9. REFLECTIVE PROMPTS I USED TO THINK BUT NOW I KNOW

38. Formative Assessment Resources • Science Formative Assessment: Keeley • Checking for Understanding: Fisher + Frey

39. Formative Assessment Menu Take 5 minutes: pick a strategy from the menu or book Share with a partner how you will use this strategy? AND Be prepared to share out with the group

40. 10. Formative Assessment Probes & Concept Cartoons • A probe is a purposefully designed question that reveals more than just an answer. • A probe elicits a response that helps teachers identify students’ ideas about phenomena or a concept. • Probes are also used to encourage thinking and sharing of ideas.

41. Developing Probes Specific learning goal(s) Commonly held ideas + Assessment Probe

42. Prompt Forced Choice(s) Justification

43. Types of Probes Justified List: Determines how students apply scientific ideas to a variety of objects or phenomena.

44. Types of Probes (continued) Prediction Probe Asks students what they think will happen in a familiar situation

45. Types of Probes (continued) Familiar Phenomena Probe Elicit thinking about relevant, everyday phenomena.

46. Types of Probes (continued) Friendly Talk Probe Set in a context where two or more individuals talk about their ideas of science concepts. Can also be in the form of a Concept Cartoon

47. Types of Probes (continued) Comparison Probe Students are given contrasting objects or processes to compare and are asked to select and justify which one matches the given statement.

48. Formative Assessment Probe Books Vol. 1-4 • Preview books • Pick a probe that you will try • Share with a partner

49. Exit Slip • 1 new learning this week • 1 thing you would like to know more about

50. Resources • National Science Education Standards • Science Curriculum Topic Study • Science Matters • Science For All Americans • Benchmarks for Science Literacy • Making Sense of Secondary Science