Checking for Understanding Strategies for gauging student’s understanding in order to adjust instruction periodically throughout a lesson. It supports the formative assessment process developed by the Formative Assessment Committee at DPI. Many of you may have completed the modules found on NC Education site.

Formative Assessment Formative Assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides immediate feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to help students improve their achievement of intended instructional outcomes. Formative assessment is found at the classroom level and happens minute-to-minute or in short cycles. Formative assessment is not graded or used in accountability systems. The feedback involved in formative assessment is descriptive in nature so that students know what they need to do next to improve learning. Our definition of formative assessment (NC Falcon) has 4 key words: process, during, feedback, and students Formative assessment is a process. A process of sharing clear learning targets and the criteria for success. Evidence of learning during instruction is collected and documented using a variety of strategies and activities. Formative assessment takes place during instruction. Teachers should plan ahead and anticipate the mistakes students may make and have a plan for addressing misconceptions and gaps in understanding. With formative assessment, descriptive feedback aligned to the criteria for success is used to guide student learning. Students have to be engaged in their learning by participating in formative assessment. This allows them to answer the questions: Where am I going? Where am I now? and How do I close the gaps?

Formative Assessment Model (Formative Assessment Modules in NC Education) To help students answer the question “Where am I going?” students must be able to articulate the learning targets and criteria for success. To help students answer the question “Where am I now?” evidence of learning must be collected and documented to determine successes and gaps or areas for improvement. To help students answer the question “How do I close the gap?” it is important to provide descriptive feedback that is aligned to the learning targets and cues the student about what to do next. And actions must be taken to adjust instruction and learning.

Strategies for Checking for Understanding Appointment Clocks / Clock Buddies: Distribute a clock face to each student with space to write at the 12, 3, 6, and 9:00 spaces. Have the class walk around and make an appointment with other students for each of the four time slots. When it is time for students to debrief with one another, announce, “Find your 12 o’clock (or 3:00, 6:00, 9:00) and assign a specific task or guiding question for discussion. The Appointment Clock is a simple strategy in the formative assessment process that can be embedded within a lesson.  The teacher directs students to find four people with whom to schedule appointments at the top of the hour, quarter hour, half hour, and the 45-minute mark.  The teacher begins the lesson and provides information to move students to higher-order thinking.  T The teacher determines the stopping point and asks students to meet with their quarter hour appointment to discuss their thinking about a couple of questions the teacher has posed.  The teacher walks around and listens to the conversations taking place between partners, noting any misconceptions or misunderstandings.  The teacher uses this information to adjust instruction by redirecting the next segment of the lesson.  Students meet with their half hour appointment and the teacher conducts the same informal observation and adjusts the third section of the lesson.  Students continue this process until the lesson is complete.  By structuring a lesson in the manner, the teacher is able to determine the current level of understanding for the class and for individual students, and make immediate adjustments to instruction to assist students in their learning. NOTE: The variety of partner combinations in this activity encourages a range of interactions for practicing speaking and listening / debriefing / reflecting / and building knowledge based on the ideas of others. It is used to quickly put students in pairs for the purpose of collaboration and checking for understanding. Throughout the day, we are going to use appointment clocks to debrief and collaborate with others not at your table.

12 9 3 Introduce yourself to four people not at your table and write down their names for each appointment slot… (on the line) Share one strategy you use to assess student’s understanding to inform instruction with each appointment and write it on an index card. NOTE: In a classroom setting…. The teacher could collect the index cards to quickly assess students level of understanding. It is critical to use and adjust instruction based on the data collected. 6

Circle, Triangle, Square HandPrint (Circle) Something that is still going around in your head (Triangle) Something pointed that stood out in your mind (Square) Something that “Squared” or agreed with your thinking. Draw your handprint. On each finger, write one thing you learned today. Additional strategies you can use during a lesson to check for understanding……

Onion Ring Students form an inner and outer circle facing a partner. The teacher asks a question and the students are given time to respond to their partner. Next, the inner circle rotates one person to the left. The teacher asks another question and the cycle repeats itself. Additional strategies you can use during a lesson to check for understanding…… Can be used at all grade levels…

Decisions, Decisions Value Line Up The teacher provides the students with a debatable topic based on a text read in class. Students move to the side that corresponds to their claim on the topic and discusses evidence within the group. Each side shares out reasoning, and students are allowed to change sides after discussion. Used by teachers when they to identify the differing views students have around a variety of topics/issues. The teacher says: “I’d like you to form a line across the front of the classroom. If you strongly agree, stand near this end of the line based on how strong your belief is. If you disagree, do the same at the opposite end of the line.” Additional strategies you can use during a lesson to check for understanding……

Glass, Bugs, Mud After students try a task, review a learning target, or complete an assignment, they identify their understanding or readiness using the windshield metaphor for clear vison. Glass: Totally clear Bugs: A little fuzzy Mud: I can barely see Additional strategies you can use during a lesson to check for understanding……

Alpha Boxes Pass out the “Alpha Boxes” to each student.   B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W XYZ Alpha Boxes Pass out the “Alpha Boxes” to each student. As students are reading a text independently, fill in the boxes for each letter with information pertinent to the content read. After a reasonable amount of time (depending on the length of the reading selection) students partner/group-share. The teacher might also ask students/partners/groups to share out so that a class “Alpha Box” list can be generated for all to see. Description: Alpha Boxes provide a compartmentalized means to recall information from their prior knowledge, organize information while reading, and can even be used while summarizing a lesson.

Give One Get One After students individually fill out the Alpha Boxes, ask students to get up and give one idea to another student and get a new idea to add to their alpha box graphic organizer. Repeat until all boxes are filled in. You can only receive and give one new idea per person. Note: Once students have greeted their partner, Partner A gives an answer to Partner B. If Partner B has that answer on his/her paper, he/she checks it off. If it is a new answer, he/she writes it in the Alpha Box. This strategy can be used after students fill out the Alpha Boxes. Give One Get One can also be used to organize and comprehend texts using teacher prepared guiding questions in each box.

Concept Cards Idiom Topic: Figurative Language Depending upon the topic being studied, the teacher will assign each student a person, theme, idea, topic, or letter (if used with Alpha Boxes) for which to create a concept card. Pass out a blank index card to each student. The teacher should show students an example of a concept card as a model. Instruct students to create a visual representation of their topic (or idea) on the card. Explain that the students should also include their letter (if used with Alpha Boxes) and their word or phrase. At the end of the lesson, students may partner-share, group- share, or whole-class share. Students love to have their concept cards displayed for all to see! Purpose: This strategy is used to help students apply information learned by transforming data into an alternative format. Description: Students will create a concept card for a person, theme, idea, or topic of study. Concept cards include a student-created graphic representation, the letter from the Alpha Boxes (if used with that strategy), and the actual word or phrase which is represented in the graphic. By transforming their knowledge of a topic into both a visual format, students’ retention of information will be increased. For formatively assessing students…. It is a way to demonstrate a deeper understanding by transforming the written text into a visual. Example: An idiom is a word or phrase that is not taken literally, like “bought the farm” 

Let’s Try It! Alpha Boxes: Individually, write everything you know about figurative language in each of the Alpha Boxes beginning with each letter of the alphabet. Fill in as many boxes as you can in three minutes. Give One Get One: Now, move around the room and give and get one idea from as many participants as you can in three minutes. Concept Cards: On an index card, choose a word or phrase that stands out to you (something you have learned or find interesting) and write at the top of the index card. Then, create a visual representation demonstrating your understanding of the word or phrase. Share your cards with your table groups. (Need 5x7 blank index cards) Fast paced…. Ask for one or two participants to share their concept cards with the whole group.

Entry / Exit Slip Ideas Twitter Post: Define / Explain / Express __________ in under 140 characters. 5 Words: What five words would you use to describe__________? Explain and justify your answer. Muddy Moment: What frustrates you and confuses you about the text? Why? 3*2*1: Write three things you found out, 2 interesting things you discovered, and 1 question you still have. The Minute Paper: In one minute, describe what you learned today. Explain: Explain the theme or central idea using an analogy, simile or metaphor. Present students with an analogy prompt: (A concept, principle, or process) is like ___________, because ________________________. Define: Pick out an important word or phrase from the text and describe what this word or phrase means. Evaluate: What is the author’s main point? What are the arguments for and against the idea? Some additional strategies include….. (highlight a couple) On an index card…..

Student Generated Infographics Infographic of Infographics! Watch the 1 minute video of an online infographic explaining the power of this tool. (hyperlinked) Infographics are graphic visual representations of knowledge, information, or data intended to present complex information quickly and concisely. They are a fun and quick way to demonstrate your understanding about what you are learning. Student work collected can be quickly assessed to determine level of understanding of a process or topic of study. Students quickly create an infographic (clear and concise) to present information learned. Student work collected can be quickly assessed to determine level of understanding of a process or topic of study.

Did They Learn Anything? 27 Simple Ways to Check For Understanding This infographic offers 27 ways to check for understanding.

To Conclude, In all Lessons, Teachers: Ground the lesson in the learning target. This means they: End with an effective debrief. This means they: Post the target in a visible location. Discuss the learning target with students. Reference the target throughout the lesson, stopping frequently to check for student progress using quick formative assessment strategies. Return explicitly to the learning targets. Elicit student reflections towards the target(s), probing for students to provide evidence. Celebrate individual, small group, and/or whole group successes. Identify or have students identify goals for improvement around the target(s). In all lessons… assess throughout… beginning to end of lesson.

Contact Information Julie Joslin, Ed.D. Section Chief English Language Arts 919-807-3935 Julie.Joslin@dpi.nc.gov Anna Lea Frost, M.Ed. 6-8 English Language Arts Consultant 919-807-3952 Anna.Frost@dpi.nc.gov Lisa McIntosh, MSA K-5 English Language Arts 919-807-3895 Lisa.Llewellyn@dpi.nc.gov Angie Stephenson, M.Ed. 9-12 English Language Arts 919-807-3833 Angela.Stephenson@dpi.nc.gov Kristi Day, M.Ed. 919-807-3928 Kristi.Day@dpi.nc.gov