F ORMATIVE A SSESSMENT M ISCONCEPTIONS Ai Vu & Sandi Yellenberg Integrated Middle School Science Partnership July 14, 2014

Assessment? What is the first word or phrase that comes to mind when you hear the word

Grade Level Misconceptions In Content Groups, Brainstorm student misconceptions that you have encountered in your teaching. Write each misconception on a separate sentence strip, and post it on your content area’s the chart paper.

Key Finding from How People Learn “Students come to the classroom with preconceptions about how the world works. If their initial understanding is not engaged, they may fail to grasp the new concepts and information that are taught, or they may learn them for purposes of a test but revert to their preconceptions outside the classroom” How People Learn, Bransford, Brown & Cockling. pp 14-15

Types of Misconceptions Misconceptions can be formed many different ways, (such as prior experiences, by generalizing information inaccurately, or by having incomplete knowledge about a concept).

Misunderstanding Misconceptions GOLDEN LINE Strategy: 1.As you read the article, Misunderstanding Misconceptions, choose 1 phrase or sentence from each of the bullet points to that you feel best expresses the ideas of that paragraph. 2.High light your ‘Golden Line’ 3.Share your ‘Golden Line’ with your group

Types of Misconceptions and how to deal with them in the classroom

“Learned” Conceptual Misunderstanding Content students learn in school that may be misinterpreted by the student and often goes unnoticed by the teacher. Students make their own meaning out of what is taught.

Intuitive Rules “Common sense rules” applied in a variety of contexts that are based on intuition or logic that works with a different phenomenon. More A, More B Closer – Hotter Opposites Additive Reasoning

Factual Misconception An incorrect fact. Often not a big idea or idea important for conceptual understanding. Example: The blood in your vein is blue.

Partial Conception Student has some scientific knowledge but has difficulty connecting concepts, generalizing, or confuses one concept with another.

Generalization (over or under) Using a rule or concept that applies only to certain examples or not applying a general rule or concept across all examples.

Pseudoscientific Idea An idea that sounds “scientific” but is not based on sound science or denies scientific evidence. Astrology Healing crystals Climate change denialism

Examples of Religious or Cultural Beliefs that Impact Students’ Learning Age of the Earth-­‐ 6,000 years Biological Evolution

Vernacular Misconceptions Based on the way we use words or phrases in our every day language that have a different meaning in science.

Scientific Conception A scientifically correct idea and explanation. This is what we are striving for!

Why is it important to know the types of ideas students bring to their learning and where their ideas come from? Everyone has (mis)conceptions. It’s not just “those” students. SO WHAT? Students’ need to know their ideas are important, regardless of whether they are right or wrong.

The most effective way to address a misconception can be related to the type of misconception. NGSS supports creating a classroom environment where students feel safe to share their thinking. SO WHAT?

Tips for Overcoming Students’ Misconceptions Anticipate the most common misconceptions about the materials, and be alert for others Encourage students to test their conceptual frameworks by discussing with other students and thinking about the evidence and possible tests. Think about how to address common misconceptions with demonstration and lab work Anticipate the most common misconceptions about the materials, and be alert for others Revisit common misconceptions as often as you can

Discuss Classroom Applications Working with CSUEB faculty and grade level colleagues: Confirm that everyone understands the correct concepts behind the misconceptions Discuss ideas for addressing these misconceptions with students

Tips for Overcoming Students’ Misconceptions Anticipate the most common misconceptions about the materials, and be alert for others Encourage students to test their conceptual frameworks by discussing with other students and thinking about the evidence and possible tests. Think about how to address common misconceptions with demonstration and lab work Anticipate the most common misconceptions about the materials, and be alert for others Revisit common misconceptions as often as you can

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F ORMATIVE A SSESSMENT D IFFERENT T YPES FOR D IFFERENT P URPOSES Sandi Yellenberg Integrated Middle School Science Partnership July 15, 2014

Camping Trip from: Uncovering Student Ideas in Science Volume (4 page 137) Five friends were camping in the north woods. It was a clear night with mild weather conditions. Sunset was a 9:14 p.m. Sunrise was at 5:22 a.m. The five friends wondered when it would be coldest as they slept under the stars. This is what they said: Colin : “I think it will be coldest right after the Sun sets.” Bono: “I think it will be coldest at midnight’” Jeri: “I think it will be coldest around 3:00 a.m. Emma: “I think it will be coldest at the beginning of sunrise.. Kit: “I think it will be coldest a few hours after sunrise. Which person do you agree most with and why? Explain your answer.

5 Key Features of Formative Assessment that Supports Teaching & Learning Links learning goal-focused instruction and assessment Is continuous Informs instructional decisions based on students’ ideas (differentiation) Makes student thinking visible to both the teacher, the student, and the class. Promotes thinking, metacognition, and discourse Changes the culture of the classroom

Looking for Evidence of Student Understanding In the explanation, did the you include: CLAIM – Statement that answers any questions on a topic. EVIDENCE – Data or information that support the claim. REASONING – Justification that connects the evidence to the claim, using a scientific principle when appropriate, or showing how other data do not support the claim

What is your experience with Formative Assessment Probes?

What are Page Keeley Formative Assessment Probes? Questions that link a key idea to a research- identified misconception. A probe reveals more than just an answer. A probe elicits a response that helps teachers understand students’ thinking and the ideas that may impede their learning. Probes also engage learners, promote metacognition, and encourage evidence-based explanations and argumentation.

What Probes Can Accomplish: Elicit and Identify Preconceptions Engage and Motivate Students Activate Thinking and Promote Metacognition Provide Stimuli for Scientific Discussion Initiate Scientific Inquiry and Idea Exploration Formal Concept Development & Transfer Improve Questioning and Quality of Student Responses Provide Teacher to Student Feedback Peer and Self-Assessment Reflection

Students’ need to know their ideas are important, regardless of whether they are right or wrong. Create a classroom environment where students feel safe to share their thinking. Formative Assessments, like Probes can help accomplish this type of classroom environment.

Types of Probes Preconception form Every Day Experience Ideas students bring to the classroom from their every day interactions with the natural world. These idea make sense to them, based on their experiences.

Types of Probes “Learned” Conceptual Misunderstandings Content students learn in school that may be misinterpreted by the students and often goes unnoticed by the teacher. Students make their own meaning out of what is taught.

Types of Probes Intuitive Rules “Common sense rule” applied in a variety of contexts that are based on intuition or logic that works with a different phenomenon. More A, means More B Closer – Hotter Opposites Additive Reasoning

Types of Probes Factual Misconceptions An incorrect fact. Often not a big idea or idea important for conceptual understanding. The blood in your veins is blue.

Types of Probes Partial Conception Student has some scientific knowledge but has difficulty connecting concepts, generalizing, or confuses one concept with another.

Types of Probes Generalization (over or under) Using a rule or concept that applies only to certain examples or not applying a general rule or concept across all examples.

Types of Probes Pseudoscientific Idea An idea that sounds “scientific” but is not based on sound evidence. Astrology Healing crystals Climate change denialism

Examples of Religious or Cultural Beliefs that Impact Students’ Learning Age of the Earth – 6,000 years ] Biological Evolution,

Types of Probes Vernacular Misconceptions Based on the way we use words or phrases in our everyday language that have a different meaning if science.

Types of Probes Generalization

Types of Probes Scientific Conception A scientifically correct idea and explanation. This is what we are striving for!

Types of Misconceptions Alternative Conceptions Naïve Conceptions Frameworks Misconception s Preconceptions Schema