Formative Assessment February 2016

Fraction Action

Table Discussion How might you use this activity in your math classroom? What might you look for as your students play the game?

Think-Pair-Share How are assessment and instruction related? InstructionAssessment I AIA

Formative Assessment is like GPS Where are we going? Where are we NOW? How are we getting there?

What ultimately distinguishes assessment processes as summative or formative is how the results of assessment are used. The defining characteristics of formative assessment “is that evidence about student learning is used to adjust instruction to better meet student needs” (Wiliam 2007)

Table Activity Examine the productive and unproductive beliefs about mathematical assessment. Place U beside a belief you feel is an unproductive belief about assessment, and a P beside the beliefs you feel are productive.

Unproductive Beliefs About Assessment The primary purpose of assessment is accountability for students through report card marks or grades. Assessment in the classroom is an interruption of the instructional process. A single assessment can be used to make important decisions about students and teachers.

Productive Beliefs About Assessment Multiple data sources are needed to provide an accurate picture of teacher and student performance. Assessment is a process that should help students become better judges of their own work, assist them in recognizing high-quality work when they produce it, and support them in using evidence to advance their own learning.

Steps to Solving 1.Sort problem cards and equation cards. Read each problem card to determine which equation card could be used to find the solution to the problem card. 2.For each match identify what each term in the equation represents from the problem and record on chart paper.

Steps to Solving 3.Select two of your problem cards. 4.Select the solution card(s) that could represent a piece of the answer process for that problem card. Complete the missing steps on chart paper and tape the solution card(s) and problem card with your work. 5.Justify your work using words.

Writing Prompt Reflect on your participation with the Steps to Solve activity and then complete one of the following statements: – I discovered that I (or we)… – The most difficult part of the activity for me (or us) was… – I (or we) got stuck when…

Reflection What evidence could this type of task give us about a student’s knowledge? What role does the writing prompt provide?

Target 1 Game Directions: 1.Players take turns rolling a decahedra die. 2.After each roll, a player decides which column to place the digit rolled. 3.That player then adds the value to his/her total. 4.The player who is closest to the target (in the last total) without going over wins. * All players must roll the die all 8 rounds.

What questions might you hear a teacher ask during this activity?

Types of Questions Question TypeDescriptionExample Gathering Information Student recalls, definitions or procedures How far away are you from creating a sum of 1? Probing Thinking Student explain, elaborate, or clarify their thinking What number do you hope to roll next? Making the Mathematics Visible Students discuss mathematical structures and make connections among mathematical ideas and relationships If you were able to go back and move one of your digits to another value, which would it be? How would that be helpful? Encouraging Reflection and Justification Students reveal deeper understanding of their reasoning and actions What strategy would you want to use if we were to play this game again?

As a table, what types of questions did you brainstorm?

When questions become patterns… All 4 types of questions are asked during a lesson. Gathering information questions should not dominate the lesson. If fact, they should play a minor role. Patterns emerge as questions are asked.

FYI:

Thinking vs. Getting the Answer

Eliciting and Using Evidence of Student Thinking What counts as evidence? Interpreting student thinking. Making in-the-moment decisions.

What Counts as Evidence?

Making Use of Evidence: What do we notice? 1.As a table review each of the student samples. 2.List the strengths and weaknesses of each sample performance. 3.After reviewing the samples, explain how the evidence could be used to inform succeeding instruction.

Interpreting Student Thinking

Fractions on a Number Line How did you determine the missing endpoint? What strategies did you use? What misconceptions might our students have?

Fractions on a Number Line How might our students find the missing endpoint? What strategies might our students use? What misconceptions might our students have?

Making Use of Evidence: What do we notice? 1.As a table review each of the student samples. 2.List the strengths and weaknesses of each sample performance. 3.After reviewing the samples, explain how the evidence could be used to inform succeeding instruction.

Process Writing: Individually 1.Think about a coordinate plane. What vocabulary is used to describe a coordinate plane? What is its use? 2.Own your own, write down a series of steps describing the process for graphing ordered pairs of numbers in the first quadrant of the coordinate plane.

Laundry Day 2.Seek one of the four different kinds of laundry detergent posted around the room. 3.Work together with your Detergent Group to refine one of process descriptions shared by a group member. Agree on a single list of steps and record them on chart paper. 4.Graph the following ordered pairs following the list of steps recorded on your group’s chart: (7,4) (2,5) (4,7) (0,0) (1,6)

Laundry Day Reflection In their chosen corner students work on activities to enrich or improve their understanding of the required content. The teacher can readily assess the students' level of understanding of the basic concepts covered in the unit or chapter. The teacher provides support as needed, as well as, help being provided by students who may have more knowledge on the content. Discuss the effectiveness of process writing to gain deeper understanding of a mathematical topic.

Assessment Samplers You will have 10 minutes to complete each question sampler on your own. As a table, discuss: – What grade 3 standard(s) does the sampler address? – Where will the students be successful? – Where might they stumble?

Formative Assessment Clarify the learning goal – What TEKS/standards am I measuring? – What is it I want to know? – What evidence will the task provide? Providing Feedback – For teachers – For students Activating students as Instructional Resources for one another Activating students as owners of their own learning

wq_GraOC9E With a partner, write a hashtag (Jimmy Fallon style) to share with us about one or two walk- a-ways from today’s session.