The key points of this article are the difference between formative and summative assessments in addition to how to accurately use these assessments in the classroom. A summative assessment is a test given to test students' knowledge of what they learned after a unit or even a year has passed. Examples of this type of assessment are the regents or a unit test. Unlike summative assessments, formative assessments are done immediately and help teachers adjust their lesson plans according to students' understanding of the material. Formative assessments are designed to help create a more effective lesson by gathering data. Some examples of ways to gather data are observation, questioning strategies, and exit slips.
This article helps me to better understand teaching and learning through inquiry because it shows if a teacher's technique is working in the classroom. When teachers gather this information, it is easier to minimize the achievement gaps within the class because you know what needs to be improved. If summative assessments are done, then the teacher only knows the students were struggling when it is too late.
The key points of this article are explaining the difference between the two types of assessments teachers can use to evaluate students understanding and comprehension; formative and summative assessments. Also this article gives ideas on how to uses these assessments in the classroom by not only giving paper tests but by questions, observing, self and peer assessment, and record keeping. The article also makes the point that it is very important to not only just gather the results but do something with them and give feedback to the students and that all assessments do not have to be graded. Yes, summative assessments like unit tests, regents, benchmarks and midterms can be graded and added into a students cumulative average, but why wait until those tests to find out how your students are doing when we want them to achieve high grades on this tests. This is where formative assessments come into place. These are not necessarily graded and they provide the teacher with the opportunity of seeing what the students understood from the lesson, the question asked, the homework assignment or the class discussion. These assesments can be as simple as a question survey, a short written response, a hands up/down survey, anyway that a teacher can evaluate how his or her students are doing without giving them a harsh numerical grade that will stay with them for the year. I think that both assessments are necessary in the classroom, however they need to be used in the right way, formative to support summative and allow the students the most chance for success.
This article helps me better understand teaching and learning through inquiry because assessment allows for the computation of data on what our students really are learning and processing. By gathering information about the days lesson or the months unit, the teacher can reflect and see what is and is not working in the classroom and more importantly how the students learn best. The teacher can then go from there and adjust how she will teach the next topic or continue teaching the way he or she is if the technique is successful.
The key points of this article are the importance of formative and summative assessments in the classroom. The article the types of assessments and gave useful strategies in how to successfully assess students in the classroom. Summative assessments are what we see the most in education. It is the state exams, unit chapter test, semester tests, and grades that students receive on projects and report cards. These assessments let the teacher see where the student is at particular points in the curriculum. The formative assessment is more based on student involvement. A key component to teaching is getting the student involved and engaged. You obviously will have students who do not wish to participate, but there are other strategies you can assess them on. Engage students by giving them detailed feedback. The “good jobs” and “greats” are not sufficient enough. If we as teachers give useful feedback that the students can actually do something with then that is something that they can really put to use. The article states, “The limited feedback does not lead to the improvement of student learning.”
This article helps me to better understand teaching and learning through inquiry because we as teachers will be assessing our students and it takes a lot of time to collect and gather the information of where students need more assistance. We do not just give a test to test; it is a type of assessment that can show us where the student’s strengths and weaknesses are. The formative and summative assessments have several strategies that will give the greatest results and can help the teachers and students work together for a better learning experience.
How can we get all students to get involved in formative assessments? Is there a way to open a discussion in our math classes that can be seen as an assessment? Student involvement is key to proper assessment and I agree that "good job" and "greats" are not enough. Students need feedback on their work. Which assessment to you think is useful for you as a teacher?
I agree with you that feedback and detailed feedback is very important for students. It will not only help them see where they can improve but it will help you as a teacher see where you can improve, what you need to go back on, what teaching methods did and did not work, and if it is a whole class of students not understanding an assignment or lesson or just one person. Also this feedback does not have to be just based on tests it can be classwork, homework or questioning in class.
This article touches on two main topics, "What Formative and Summative Assessments are?" and "How do we use the data gathered from them efficiently?" The main difference between formative and summative assessments is that one helps improve instruction during the year and the other is a end of year assessment, or in other words the finish line. Formative assessments are very important because they go hand in hand with how you instruct your students. They assess how well your students are taking in the information at specific times DURING the school year. Formative assessments are what good teachers do because they give the teacher information about the students and invites them to adjust their teaching towards the individual students needs. Lastly I adopted a new way of thinking about formative assessments through this reading and that is because the article mentions that we must give descriptive feedback. This I felt was very important about the learning process. Students should be able to have a good amount of dialogue with their teacher. Giving them a description of how they did things correctly on an assessment is a confidence booster and it allows them to be more engaged in their learning. Descriptive feed back is very important because it is how we use the data collected effectively.
Travis I like the point that you made about how important giving back descriptive feedback can be as a teacher. I also like the fact that you said that good teachers are the ones that use formative assessment.
The key points of this article are the key aspects of formative and summative assessment, and the importance of balancing these assessments at the classroom level. The article begins with definitions of both formative and summative assessment in order for the reader to understand the difference. It then goes on to discuss formative assessment strategies including questioning strategies, self and peer assessment, and student record keeping. One key idea that I believe is very important is observation, in too many instances I see teachers just walking around the room looking and waiting for a student to need help. If teachers walked around the room asking questions instead of waiting for one their classroom will become a better learning environment.
This article helps me to better understand teaching and learning through inquiry by giving me a clear definition of formative and summative assessment that I can comprehend. It has also granted me with many skills for engaging my students in formative assessment. This can become very handy when I do become a teacher and want to have my students even more engaged in my classes. It has helped me understand the balance needed in my classroom in order for my students to succeed.
The major point of this article is to help educators grasp the difference between formative and summative assessments and see the place for each of them in the curriculum. Formative assessments are assessments that take place as the student is learning. They can be seen as small tasks that the students must complete that will allow the teacher to know whether the student has grasped the concept that is the goal of the lesson or not. These types of assessments allow teachers to periodically check students understanding and use this information to modify a lesson and better suit students’ needs. Formative assessment must not be graded; it is a type of activity which allows students to really get into the material and struggle with it before they can exhibit mastery. Grading students on these initial attempts would be unfair to them and could possibly cause students to grow disgusted with the material as they have no experience of success with it. Summative assessments, on the other hand, are graded assignments which allow teachers to test a student’s understanding of a wide range of topics. These are generally seen in the classroom as quizzes or exams, but could also be in the form of projects or research papers.
This teaches about using inquiry based instruction in the classroom because it give a way for teachers to allow student based learning, but still make sure that students are acquiring the knowledge that they need. Formative assessment is very important in an inquiry based classroom as students do not have much direct instruction from the teacher, but the teacher still needs to make sure that students are doing their work correctly.
You bring up a very interesting point. I never really thought about how NECESSARY formative assessments are when the students aren't always under the direct control of the teachers.
The key points of the article are the differences between summative and formative assessment. Summative assessment can be used on the district level and also at the classroom level. Summative assessment can be given at the end of a chapter, end of a quarter, state assessment ect. The point of summative assessment is to gauge where a student is at any given moment. Summative assessments does not always have to be a test teachers can give their students projects and essays. Formative assessment is given by the teacher to determine if the teacher should move on or do they need to spend more time going over a topic. An example of a formative assessment is at the end of class have the students write a small response base on the topic they are currently learning. This article helps me better understand teaching and learning through inquiry because it explains to me the difference between summative and formative assessments along with examples and how I can use it in the classroom The article let me know that there are other ways to make sure students are learning other than always given test. I feel that students are tested to much and by giving projects and essays I can still make sure I am doing my job.
The key points of this article are the various aspects of formative and summative assessments. Formative assessments are assessments are done while learning is taking place. They are a type of "in-the-moment" assessment. They are designed to give the teacher a real time idea of how the students are grasping the concept being taught. The teacher can then make adjustments to the lesson depending on student comprehension. The article mentions that formative assessments are often thought of as "practice". They are assessments to let the teacher know if learning is taking place. They are not assessments done to track formal student achievement (such as grades).
Summative assessments are assessments designed to explicitly track student achievement. They can come in the form of end of unit tests, state tests, final exams, etc. Summative assessments are a "big picture" type of assessment. Because these assessments happen every couple of weeks or so, they are not designed for teachers to make adjustments in teaching. They are designed to see what students know and what students do not know.
One key idea in the article is the idea that heavy reliance on one form of assessment over the other can cloud the reality of student achievement. There must be a good balance between formative and summative assessments. You need formative assessments to assess the students "in-the-moment", and you need summative assessments to test student comprehension of the big picture.
This article helps me better understand teaching and learning through inquiry in that it allows me to see the relationship between an inquiry based lesson and a formative assessment. Formative assessments can be a powerful tool in an inquiry based environment. Some of the strategies for formative assessments mentioned in the article are very conducive to an inquiry environment (i.e. questioning, observing, self and peer assessment). There are many other types of assessment that go beyond a formal test or quiz, and those types of assessment can be used in an inquiry based environment.
The key points of this article are the specific differences of summative and formative assessments. Basically, summative assessments are meant to gauge student learning after the learning has occurred, to see how students have done (tests, papers, etc.) while formative assessments happen while the learning is in progress to gauge how well students are doing and what adjustments need to be made for teachers. Examples of formative assessments are exit slips or assignments that require assessment from peers. What these serve to do is gauge the progression of learning--and take into account the inevitable improvement a student will experience.
This helps me better understand teaching and learning through inquiry because it makes the teacher's role in the classroom very dependent on the student. These assessments are what make the teacher change their teaching, and through this students become driving forces in their own classrooms.
The key points of this article are to show how one can use formative and summative assessments and their differences. Summative assessments are ones that are given periodically to see how the student has learned the material in a unit or specific topics. Formative assessments are given during the instructional process and provides teachers with information on how to adjust their tactics inside the classroom. Helping teachers know where their students are academically. Formative assessments can also help teachers change their teaching methods if they see that every student is not understanding the same topic. Teachers need feedback from students, such as assessments, to understand what needs to be re-enforced and what the students are not grasping.
This helps me better understand teaching and learning through inquiry because student involvement is key is any kind of assessment. Having an open dialogue or questioning students about a topic that was explained can be seen as a formative assessment. Having students explain and explore the topic through questioning and conversation can only depend the understanding.
Did you have a specific technique that you liked best? I agree the feedback from students is something that is commonly neglected. an open dialogue also helps in making sure students are on track.
The key points of this article are the descriptions of what summative and formative assessments are, the difference between the two types of assessment, and also how to properly use them in our classrooms to truly gauge student growth and understanding. The article starts off with summative assessments, explaining that they are used to figure out what students know and/or do not know at a given time. They are generally issued at the end of a given learning period, whether that be a chapter, unit or end of the year test, and it includes state and standardized tests. They are very important to use in a classroom, however they do not tell the whole story. Since they occur at the end of a period, they cannot provide information at the classroom level to make adjustments to the lessons. In order to collect this information, a teacher should implement formative assessments, which are more of the "in-the-moment" assessments. They help to see if adjustments need to be made DURING the learning process and makes it possible for students to achieve a standard based learning goal in a given time period. The use of road test analogy really helped to see the benefits of formative assessments in the classroom. Types of formative assessments include observations, self/peer assessments, questioning strategies, and record keeping.
The article goes in to stating that in order to use these assessments effectively in our classrooms, we must find a balance between the two. If we rely on one or the other too much, student learning becomes very unclear. Having a balance will allow teachers to see a complete picture of student learning and growth in the classroom. Together they allow us to collect an enormous amount of data on our students, and the more information we have, the better adjustments we can make to ensure everyone is reaching a specific learning goal.
This article helps me to better understand teaching and learning through inquiry because it provides me assessment strategies to fully understand student achievement. For fear of teaching to the test, we can often overlook formative assessments, and rely too heavily on summative assessments. Formative assessments though are very important to inquiry learning, as they can be very student driven. We can allow students to learn through and with each other by using them in our classroom, as they call for making observations and deeper questioning leading to critical thinking. The article helped me to see that in order to have the most (useful) knowledge about my students and their achievement, I must be able to balance and vary how I assess them.
I agree with you that teachers must balance and vary how they assess their students. I think that too often teachers just teach to the test. Especially with the fear of being evaluated based on test scores
The key point of this article is that there is a difference between summative and formative assessments. Also, that there is a use for both. In using summative assessment, we are looking to test the students' knowledge after the fact. We've taught them to the best of our ability, now we are looking to see how well they absorbed it. The difference with formative assessment is that it's not given after the learning, but while the learning is going on. Something like an exit slip or stop and go cards are great ways to see if what we're doing is working. My favorite part about formative assessment is that it is literally just a gage. We shouldn't even really hold students responsible for the grade of these assessments, unless it'd be a fair grade/assessment.
This article helps me to better understand teaching and learning through inquiry by understanding there is a way to engage students by assessment. Your assessment doesn't have to be the big end of the chapter two period near impossible test. You can use formative assessment to find out how your students will fare on those tests, and better yet, to understand where they are in the learning process, and thereby decide if you're doing alright, or if you need to slow down or speed up.
The key point of this article was about the differences in formative and summative assessment. The article also discussed the different methods of each. I liked the connection they made to learning how to drive. That example can be compared to teachers solely relying on quizzes as their only form of formative assessment. If teachers had other forms of formative assessment that wasn’t grade based it would be more beneficial for students. For students who take longer to grasp concepts they may fail the first couple of quizzes but once they understand the topic they start to do better and may get a high test grade. However because of those few assessments quizzes their final grade may not reflect the improvement the students went through. By having mini assessments throughout the lesson that are not just quizzes will give teachers a better understanding of how the students are grasping the concept. This article helps me to better understand teaching and learning through inquiry by understanding that students can also be involved in the assessment. One way of having students be participants in the assessment is by allowing self and peer assessments. Allowing students to check their work on their own allows for them to be more responsible for themselves.
Mercy, I too liked the connection made about driving. It helps us to clearly see the use of formative assessments in the classroom. We shouldn't simply judge our students based on their end grade, because although someone may still be failing, a large improvement could have been made.
The key points of this article are the difference between formative and summative assessments in addition to how to accurately use these assessments in the classroom. A summative assessment is a test given to test students' knowledge of what they learned after a unit or even a year has passed. Examples of this type of assessment are the regents or a unit test. Unlike summative assessments, formative assessments are done immediately and help teachers adjust their lesson plans according to students' understanding of the material. Formative assessments are designed to help create a more effective lesson by gathering data. Some examples of ways to gather data are observation, questioning strategies, and exit slips.
ReplyDeleteThis article helps me to better understand teaching and learning through inquiry because it shows if a teacher's technique is working in the classroom. When teachers gather this information, it is easier to minimize the achievement gaps within the class because you know what needs to be improved. If summative assessments are done, then the teacher only knows the students were struggling when it is too late.
The key points of this article are explaining the difference between the two types of assessments teachers can use to evaluate students understanding and comprehension; formative and summative assessments. Also this article gives ideas on how to uses these assessments in the classroom by not only giving paper tests but by questions, observing, self and peer assessment, and record keeping. The article also makes the point that it is very important to not only just gather the results but do something with them and give feedback to the students and that all assessments do not have to be graded. Yes, summative assessments like unit tests, regents, benchmarks and midterms can be graded and added into a students cumulative average, but why wait until those tests to find out how your students are doing when we want them to achieve high grades on this tests. This is where formative assessments come into place. These are not necessarily graded and they provide the teacher with the opportunity of seeing what the students understood from the lesson, the question asked, the homework assignment or the class discussion. These assesments can be as simple as a question survey, a short written response, a hands up/down survey, anyway that a teacher can evaluate how his or her students are doing without giving them a harsh numerical grade that will stay with them for the year. I think that both assessments are necessary in the classroom, however they need to be used in the right way, formative to support summative and allow the students the most chance for success.
ReplyDeleteThis article helps me better understand teaching and learning through inquiry because assessment allows for the computation of data on what our students really are learning and processing. By gathering information about the days lesson or the months unit, the teacher can reflect and see what is and is not working in the classroom and more importantly how the students learn best. The teacher can then go from there and adjust how she will teach the next topic or continue teaching the way he or she is if the technique is successful.
The key points of this article are the importance of formative and summative assessments in the classroom. The article the types of assessments and gave useful strategies in how to successfully assess students in the classroom. Summative assessments are what we see the most in education. It is the state exams, unit chapter test, semester tests, and grades that students receive on projects and report cards. These assessments let the teacher see where the student is at particular points in the curriculum. The formative assessment is more based on student involvement. A key component to teaching is getting the student involved and engaged. You obviously will have students who do not wish to participate, but there are other strategies you can assess them on. Engage students by giving them detailed feedback. The “good jobs” and “greats” are not sufficient enough. If we as teachers give useful feedback that the students can actually do something with then that is something that they can really put to use. The article states, “The limited feedback does not lead to the improvement of student learning.”
ReplyDeleteThis article helps me to better understand teaching and learning through inquiry because we as teachers will be assessing our students and it takes a lot of time to collect and gather the information of where students need more assistance. We do not just give a test to test; it is a type of assessment that can show us where the student’s strengths and weaknesses are. The formative and summative assessments have several strategies that will give the greatest results and can help the teachers and students work together for a better learning experience.
How can we get all students to get involved in formative assessments? Is there a way to open a discussion in our math classes that can be seen as an assessment? Student involvement is key to proper assessment and I agree that "good job" and "greats" are not enough. Students need feedback on their work. Which assessment to you think is useful for you as a teacher?
DeleteI agree with you that feedback and detailed feedback is very important for students. It will not only help them see where they can improve but it will help you as a teacher see where you can improve, what you need to go back on, what teaching methods did and did not work, and if it is a whole class of students not understanding an assignment or lesson or just one person. Also this feedback does not have to be just based on tests it can be classwork, homework or questioning in class.
DeleteThis article touches on two main topics, "What Formative and Summative Assessments are?" and "How do we use the data gathered from them efficiently?" The main difference between formative and summative assessments is that one helps improve instruction during the year and the other is a end of year assessment, or in other words the finish line. Formative assessments are very important because they go hand in hand with how you instruct your students. They assess how well your students are taking in the information at specific times DURING the school year. Formative assessments are what good teachers do because they give the teacher information about the students and invites them to adjust their teaching towards the individual students needs. Lastly I adopted a new way of thinking about formative assessments through this reading and that is because the article mentions that we must give descriptive feedback. This I felt was very important about the learning process. Students should be able to have a good amount of dialogue with their teacher. Giving them a description of how they did things correctly on an assessment is a confidence booster and it allows them to be more engaged in their learning. Descriptive feed back is very important because it is how we use the data collected effectively.
ReplyDeleteTravis I like the point that you made about how important giving back descriptive feedback can be as a teacher. I also like the fact that you said that good teachers are the ones that use formative assessment.
DeleteThe key points of this article are the key aspects of formative and summative assessment, and the importance of balancing these assessments at the classroom level. The article begins with definitions of both formative and summative assessment in order for the reader to understand the difference. It then goes on to discuss formative assessment strategies including questioning strategies, self and peer assessment, and student record keeping. One key idea that I believe is very important is observation, in too many instances I see teachers just walking around the room looking and waiting for a student to need help. If teachers walked around the room asking questions instead of waiting for one their classroom will become a better learning environment.
ReplyDeleteThis article helps me to better understand teaching and learning through inquiry by giving me a clear definition of formative and summative assessment that I can comprehend. It has also granted me with many skills for engaging my students in formative assessment. This can become very handy when I do become a teacher and want to have my students even more engaged in my classes. It has helped me understand the balance needed in my classroom in order for my students to succeed.
The major point of this article is to help educators grasp the difference between formative and summative assessments and see the place for each of them in the curriculum. Formative assessments are assessments that take place as the student is learning. They can be seen as small tasks that the students must complete that will allow the teacher to know whether the student has grasped the concept that is the goal of the lesson or not. These types of assessments allow teachers to periodically check students understanding and use this information to modify a lesson and better suit students’ needs. Formative assessment must not be graded; it is a type of activity which allows students to really get into the material and struggle with it before they can exhibit mastery. Grading students on these initial attempts would be unfair to them and could possibly cause students to grow disgusted with the material as they have no experience of success with it. Summative assessments, on the other hand, are graded assignments which allow teachers to test a student’s understanding of a wide range of topics. These are generally seen in the classroom as quizzes or exams, but could also be in the form of projects or research papers.
ReplyDeleteThis teaches about using inquiry based instruction in the classroom because it give a way for teachers to allow student based learning, but still make sure that students are acquiring the knowledge that they need. Formative assessment is very important in an inquiry based classroom as students do not have much direct instruction from the teacher, but the teacher still needs to make sure that students are doing their work correctly.
You bring up a very interesting point. I never really thought about how NECESSARY formative assessments are when the students aren't always under the direct control of the teachers.
DeleteThe key points of the article are the differences between summative and formative assessment. Summative assessment can be used on the district level and also at the classroom level. Summative assessment can be given at the end of a chapter, end of a quarter, state assessment ect. The point of summative assessment is to gauge where a student is at any given moment. Summative assessments does not always have to be a test teachers can give their students projects and essays. Formative assessment is given by the teacher to determine if the teacher should move on or do they need to spend more time going over a topic. An example of a formative assessment is at the end of class have the students write a small response base on the topic they are currently learning.
ReplyDeleteThis article helps me better understand teaching and learning through inquiry because it explains to me the difference between summative and formative assessments along with examples and how I can use it in the classroom The article let me know that there are other ways to make sure students are learning other than always given test. I feel that students are tested to much and by giving projects and essays I can still make sure I am doing my job.
The key points of this article are the various aspects of formative and summative assessments. Formative assessments are assessments are done while learning is taking place. They are a type of "in-the-moment" assessment. They are designed to give the teacher a real time idea of how the students are grasping the concept being taught. The teacher can then make adjustments to the lesson depending on student comprehension. The article mentions that formative assessments are often thought of as "practice". They are assessments to let the teacher know if learning is taking place. They are not assessments done to track formal student achievement (such as grades).
ReplyDeleteSummative assessments are assessments designed to explicitly track student achievement. They can come in the form of end of unit tests, state tests, final exams, etc. Summative assessments are a "big picture" type of assessment. Because these assessments happen every couple of weeks or so, they are not designed for teachers to make adjustments in teaching. They are designed to see what students know and what students do not know.
One key idea in the article is the idea that heavy reliance on one form of assessment over the other can cloud the reality of student achievement. There must be a good balance between formative and summative assessments. You need formative assessments to assess the students "in-the-moment", and you need summative assessments to test student comprehension of the big picture.
This article helps me better understand teaching and learning through inquiry in that it allows me to see the relationship between an inquiry based lesson and a formative assessment. Formative assessments can be a powerful tool in an inquiry based environment. Some of the strategies for formative assessments mentioned in the article are very conducive to an inquiry environment (i.e. questioning, observing, self and peer assessment). There are many other types of assessment that go beyond a formal test or quiz, and those types of assessment can be used in an inquiry based environment.
The key points of this article are the specific differences of summative and formative assessments. Basically, summative assessments are meant to gauge student learning after the learning has occurred, to see how students have done (tests, papers, etc.) while formative assessments happen while the learning is in progress to gauge how well students are doing and what adjustments need to be made for teachers. Examples of formative assessments are exit slips or assignments that require assessment from peers. What these serve to do is gauge the progression of learning--and take into account the inevitable improvement a student will experience.
ReplyDeleteThis helps me better understand teaching and learning through inquiry because it makes the teacher's role in the classroom very dependent on the student. These assessments are what make the teacher change their teaching, and through this students become driving forces in their own classrooms.
The key points of this article are to show how one can use formative and summative assessments and their differences. Summative assessments are ones that are given periodically to see how the student has learned the material in a unit or specific topics. Formative assessments are given during the instructional process and provides teachers with information on how to adjust their tactics inside the classroom. Helping teachers know where their students are academically. Formative assessments can also help teachers change their teaching methods if they see that every student is not understanding the same topic. Teachers need feedback from students, such as assessments, to understand what needs to be re-enforced and what the students are not grasping.
ReplyDeleteThis helps me better understand teaching and learning through inquiry because student involvement is key is any kind of assessment. Having an open dialogue or questioning students about a topic that was explained can be seen as a formative assessment. Having students explain and explore the topic through questioning and conversation can only depend the understanding.
I agree that student involvement is key in any kind of assessment. Without student-teacher engagement, we cannot adequately assess our students.
DeleteDid you have a specific technique that you liked best? I agree the feedback from students is something that is commonly neglected. an open dialogue also helps in making sure students are on track.
DeleteThe key points of this article are the descriptions of what summative and formative assessments are, the difference between the two types of assessment, and also how to properly use them in our classrooms to truly gauge student growth and understanding. The article starts off with summative assessments, explaining that they are used to figure out what students know and/or do not know at a given time. They are generally issued at the end of a given learning period, whether that be a chapter, unit or end of the year test, and it includes state and standardized tests. They are very important to use in a classroom, however they do not tell the whole story. Since they occur at the end of a period, they cannot provide information at the classroom level to make adjustments to the lessons. In order to collect this information, a teacher should implement formative assessments, which are more of the "in-the-moment" assessments. They help to see if adjustments need to be made DURING the learning process and makes it possible for students to achieve a standard based learning goal in a given time period. The use of road test analogy really helped to see the benefits of formative assessments in the classroom. Types of formative assessments include observations, self/peer assessments, questioning strategies, and record keeping.
ReplyDeleteThe article goes in to stating that in order to use these assessments effectively in our classrooms, we must find a balance between the two. If we rely on one or the other too much, student learning becomes very unclear. Having a balance will allow teachers to see a complete picture of student learning and growth in the classroom. Together they allow us to collect an enormous amount of data on our students, and the more information we have, the better adjustments we can make to ensure everyone is reaching a specific learning goal.
This article helps me to better understand teaching and learning through inquiry because it provides me assessment strategies to fully understand student achievement. For fear of teaching to the test, we can often overlook formative assessments, and rely too heavily on summative assessments. Formative assessments though are very important to inquiry learning, as they can be very student driven. We can allow students to learn through and with each other by using them in our classroom, as they call for making observations and deeper questioning leading to critical thinking. The article helped me to see that in order to have the most (useful) knowledge about my students and their achievement, I must be able to balance and vary how I assess them.
I agree with you that teachers must balance and vary how they assess their students. I think that too often teachers just teach to the test. Especially with the fear of being evaluated based on test scores
DeleteThe key point of this article is that there is a difference between summative and formative assessments. Also, that there is a use for both. In using summative assessment, we are looking to test the students' knowledge after the fact. We've taught them to the best of our ability, now we are looking to see how well they absorbed it. The difference with formative assessment is that it's not given after the learning, but while the learning is going on. Something like an exit slip or stop and go cards are great ways to see if what we're doing is working. My favorite part about formative assessment is that it is literally just a gage. We shouldn't even really hold students responsible for the grade of these assessments, unless it'd be a fair grade/assessment.
ReplyDeleteThis article helps me to better understand teaching and learning through inquiry by understanding there is a way to engage students by assessment. Your assessment doesn't have to be the big end of the chapter two period near impossible test. You can use formative assessment to find out how your students will fare on those tests, and better yet, to understand where they are in the learning process, and thereby decide if you're doing alright, or if you need to slow down or speed up.
The key point of this article was about the differences in formative and summative assessment. The article also discussed the different methods of each. I liked the connection they made to learning how to drive. That example can be compared to teachers solely relying on quizzes as their only form of formative assessment. If teachers had other forms of formative assessment that wasn’t grade based it would be more beneficial for students. For students who take longer to grasp concepts they may fail the first couple of quizzes but once they understand the topic they start to do better and may get a high test grade. However because of those few assessments quizzes their final grade may not reflect the improvement the students went through. By having mini assessments throughout the lesson that are not just quizzes will give teachers a better understanding of how the students are grasping the concept.
ReplyDeleteThis article helps me to better understand teaching and learning through inquiry by understanding that students can also be involved in the assessment. One way of having students be participants in the assessment is by allowing self and peer assessments. Allowing students to check their work on their own allows for them to be more responsible for themselves.
Mercy, I too liked the connection made about driving. It helps us to clearly see the use of formative assessments in the classroom. We shouldn't simply judge our students based on their end grade, because although someone may still be failing, a large improvement could have been made.
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