Presenter: Dylan Wiliam Embedding Formative Assessment: Practical Techniques for K – 12 Classrooms

“Nothing has promised so much and has been so frustratingly wasteful as the thousands of workshops and conferences that led to no significant change in practice when teachers returned to their classrooms.” Fullan and Stiegelbauer, 1991

A model for teacher learning Content, then process Content (what we want teachers to change): – Evidence – Ideas (strategies and techniques) Process (how to go about change): – Choice – Flexibility – Small steps – Accountability – Support

Practical Techniques Content: What we want teachers to change

Where the learner is going Where the learner is now How to get the learner there Teacher Peer Student Practical Techniques for Embedding Formative Assessment Clarifying, sharing, and understanding learning intentions Engineering effective discussions, tasks, and activities that elicit evidence of learning Providing feedback that moves learners forward Activating students as resources for one another Activating students as resources for one another Activating students as owners of their own learning Activating students as owners of their own learning

TECHNIQUE #1: Start with samples of work, not rubrics, to communicate quality.

Where the learner is going Where the learner is now How to get the learner there Teacher Peer Student Practical Techniques for Embedding Formative Assessment Clarifying, sharing, and understanding learning intentions Engineering effective discussions, tasks, and activities that elicit evidence of learning Providing feedback that moves learners forward Activating students as resources for one another Activating students as resources for one another Activating students as owners of their own learning Activating students as owners of their own learning

TECHNIQUE #2: No hands up, except to ask a question.

Where the learner is going Where the learner is now How to get the learner there Teacher Peer Student Practical Techniques for Embedding Formative Assessment Clarifying, sharing, and understanding learning intentions Engineering effective discussions, tasks, and activities that elicit evidence of learning Providing feedback that moves learners forward Activating students as resources for one another Activating students as resources for one another Activating students as owners of their own learning Activating students as owners of their own learning

TECHNIQUE #3: Focus on the reaction of the students, not the feedback. TECHNIQUE #3: Focus on the reaction of the students, not the feedback.

Where the learner is going Where the learner is now How to get the learner there Teacher Peer Student Practical Techniques for Embedding Formative Assessment Clarifying, sharing, and understanding learning intentions Engineering effective discussions, tasks, and activities that elicit evidence of learning Providing feedback that moves learners forward Activating students as resources for one another Activating students as resources for one another Activating students as owners of their own learning Activating students as owners of their own learning

TECHNIQUE #4: Peer feedback – two stars and a wish. TECHNIQUE #4: Peer feedback – two stars and a wish.

Where the learner is going Where the learner is now How to get the learner there Teacher Peer Student Practical Techniques for Embedding Formative Assessment Clarifying, sharing, and understanding learning intentions Engineering effective discussions, tasks, and activities that elicit evidence of learning Providing feedback that moves learners forward Activating students as resources for one another Activating students as resources for one another Activating students as owners of their own learning Activating students as owners of their own learning

TECHNIQUE #5: Make self-reports consequential. TECHNIQUE #5: Make self-reports consequential.

Process How to change

Choice For most teachers, the greatest benefits to students are likely to come from teachers becoming even more expert in their strengths.

Flexibility Teachers will need to modify ideas developed by other teachers to make them work in their own classrooms, due to differences in teaching style, but also recognizing that there are differences from school to school and class to class.

Small Steps Teacher change occurs slowly, not because teachers are resistant but rather, it is genuinely difficult, because high-level performance in a domain as complex as teaching requires automatizing a large proportion of the things that teachers do

Accountability In developing their practice, teachers should develop those aspects of their practice that is likely to be of most benefit to their students; in other words, they should be accountable to the evidence about what is likely to benefit students.

Support Creating ‘supportive accountability’ can be done in a number of ways.

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