Hey everybody! Kevin, high school Social Studies, coming to you from “You know what...it’s really not all that bad right now” Indiana. Welcome to #sunchat!
Louise El Yaafouri, Refugee/Immigrant and Cultural Competency consultant + author. Denver based but joining from Saida, Lebanon. Glad to be here! #sunchat
Good morning #sunchat! Aubrey, district admin in CO where it's snowy and beautiful outside. Feeling extra tired this morning, but looking forward to the chat!
Hey, there! Hi, there!
Good morning, #sunchat!
6 hours of Little League umpire training ahead of me today. For the moment, y'all have my undivided attention. Even the kids are already fed!
Karl, 3rd-6th gr basic skills ELA teacher checking in from the Jersey shore.
How ya doin'?
Denver based? I'm just up the road in the Boulder area...and super interested in supporting refugee students. We actually have a new-to-the-area family that I'm excited to meet for the first time today! #sunchat
That's certainly one way to put it. We're having some important conversations and learning opportunities during these disappointing and shameful times in the state. #sunchat
I just attended a session on formative assessment with @wmSURN, and one of the strongest parts of the PD was - WHAT TO DO AFTER THE FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT - how do you use the data? Provide feedback? #sunchat
Good morning! Aubrey from Alberta 🇨🇦❄️ Past lots of edu-roles, most recently supe. Currently consulting and building leadership programs in schools and univ. #sunchat
Morning, #sunchat. I'm Brian. I teach middle-school students English in Colorado. After ~2 decades in this work, I've come around to stance that all assessment can be formative if we let it 🤔
A1. Collaborative Activities - Students have the opportunity to move and/or communicate with others as they develop and demonstrate their understanding of concepts. #sunchat
Good morning, friends, and sorry I'm late! Alex, 21st Century Teaching and Learning Coordinator in Freeport, IL. Anyone else going to the Illinois ESSA conference this week? #sunchat
There are many great ed. tech tools for formative assessments (i.e. questions embedded in Pear Deck, Mentimeter, Kahoot, Gimkit, Quizizz, etc.) but there's also nothing wrong with good old-fashioned exit slips and whiteboard response questions #sunchat
I have come to prefer the exit slips over the “big test”; and I often let the kids use something that they have prepared based off our work in class #sunchat
Most of my work is with #ELLs. For this population, I find home-to-school journals especially useful as one means of formative assessment. They provide the added value of parent #feedback and insight (parent feedback in any language of choice is encouraged). #sunchat#assessment
Good morning #sunchat! Keisha, Instructional Coach and doctoral candidate from Iowa. I hope everyone is having a warm Sunday morning. It is snowing here...again.
Been doing a lot of reflective assessment where students use a rubric to show ME elements of their writing. That way THEY identify areas of "challenge" (I don't like to say "weakness") and can re-work those areas. My rubrics have the kids annotating all over their work. #sunchat
This is a GREAT formative assessment. Formative assessments don't have to be a major performance by the teacher or the student. It's gathering information to drive instruction. #sunchat
Most of my work is with #ELLs. For this population, I find home-to-school journals especially useful as one means of formative assessment. They provide the added value of parent #feedback and insight (parent feedback in any language of choice is encouraged). #sunchat#assessment
There are many different tools for formative assessment. I found edulastic to be a quick simple way, google forms, google classroom posts on our class discussion board. Flip grid has been a new tool I am trying as well #sunchat
Do you have recommendations for this if parents are not literate (in their home language)? How can we encourage/establish that home/school connection? #sunchat
Good morning! A1: #sunchat I agree @tiffanytruitt There are lots of options for formative assessments and they need to match what we are looking for. Often we look for the easiest tool and miss getting the data we actually need from the assessment.
A1: working with children in early childhood, documentation has become my best friend. The more you look at the little details and keep in mind the developmental stages of learning to read, write, and do math, the more amazing growth you see and can document #sunchat
...and they do a good job showing me the areas that they are proud of. A great balance, since we like to celebrate all success no matter the magnitude. It's all good, right? :) Even identifying the challenge areas is a great success! #sunchat
Question: how do you organize your notes? Do you add them into Ss' projects via OneNote or a Google comment? Do you share them with Ss during conferences? Do you add them into a portfolio file?
I've done the notes thing and lose it on the post-note-organization.
#sunchat
Depending on when it happens in instruction, I adjust the mini-lesson or I regroup the students by results. What you do with it is why it is called formative. If nothing is done, that’s summarize #sunchat
Questioning strategies may be used with individuals, small groups, or the entire class; well-thought-out, higher-order questions such as why & how. Higher-order questions require in-depth thinking from Ss & help the T discern the level & extent of Ss’ understanding. #sunchat
I agree! But here is where the issue of classroom sizes and student enrollment become imperative. This style of assessment becomes less effective with large class sizes #sunchat
There does need to be a great deal of consideration about how we match the formative assessment tool with the learning intention. That being said, sometimes the easiest tool IS the best one. #sunchat
Good morning! A1: #sunchat I agree @tiffanytruitt There are lots of options for formative assessments and they need to match what we are looking for. Often we look for the easiest tool and miss getting the data we actually need from the assessment.
When I work with preservice teachers, they often want to create these elaborate systems for quick formative assessment, but sometimes our best tool is simply listening. If they're talking in small groups, you can even do some on-the-spot, immediate reteaching. #SunChat
Depending on when it happens in instruction, I adjust the mini-lesson or I regroup the students by results. What you do with it is why it is called formative. If nothing is done, that’s summarize #sunchat
Google classroom questions are also great. A quick question to the kiddos to ask them how they are doing, or how they feel about something we've covered is a great way to get them thinking about their learning - and owning it - as well. #sunchat
Also, group Frayer charts are a fantastic formative assessment tool. They work well across all grade/content levels and engage multiple levels of learners in one group. When charts are also presented orally, all four language domains are exercised. #sunchat#ELL#assessment
Definitely. I'm always surprised to hear educators say that class size doesn't matter. Conferencing with 20 Ss is hard enough, I can't imagine having 35.
#sunchat
Super cool tool from @cultofpedagogy are Equity Maps when assessing Socratic Seminars or group discussion. Who talked and for how long? Who might need more support to talk? Could also be used on self - who talked more in class the kids or T? https://t.co/ET4bbafwit#sunchat
I use a spiral notebook. Every thing I write down they can see! Great way to start a conference for sure. I like the notebook because of the speed. #sunchat
We were just working in stations in ELA in 5th gr where students had to highlight in certain colors certain pieces of their work. Topic sentence, reason, details, etc.
Enlightening, and simple. Esp via GoogleDocs where we can see their thinking immediately. #sunchat
Talking about current events in class and relating those to topics we have covered formally in class helps to see if those connections are made. If not, time to reteach #sunchat
I'm a fan of simple. If we want formative assessments to be frequent and regular, spending too much time creating them takes away from other important areas of lesson design! #sunchat
Think-Pair-Share. One of many formative assessment strategies that is simple for Ts i.e., able to move around the classroom & listen to discussions, gaining insight into an individual’s levels of understanding. After time, Ss discuss their responses with the whole class. #sunchat
We were just working in stations in ELA in 5th gr where students had to highlight in certain colors certain pieces of their work. Topic sentence, reason, details, etc.
Enlightening, and simple. Esp via GoogleDocs where we can see their thinking immediately. #sunchat
I love using mentimeter! I have not used it much this year, thanks for the reminder! Great data and great way to break down what a “good” reply should look like! #sunchat
I agree, I also receive feedback from the Ss that don’t always raise their hands in class as well. Others are able to see their peers thoughts. #sunchat
Depending on when it happens in instruction, I adjust the mini-lesson or I regroup the students by results. What you do with it is why it is called formative. If nothing is done, that’s summarize #sunchat
The other thing I always had to remind myself about assessments is that assessment is NOT limited to you (the teacher) assessing students. They can self-assess, work in partners/groups, and you can monitor the room to get a pretty good idea of where things are at. #sunchat
Might it be helpful to use formative assessment in a small group during small group rotations / sessions in this scenario? Conferencing is such a powerful formative assessment. #sunchat
Definitely. I'm always surprised to hear educators say that class size doesn't matter. Conferencing with 20 Ss is hard enough, I can't imagine having 35.
#sunchat
It's gotta be "cheap," otherwise we will not follow through with it day after day, week after week, and year after year. If we are in this for the long haul (which I am) simplicity again wins out! #sunchat
A1: My go to formative task is @KaganOnline structures. They hold all Ss accountable to vocalize their understanding. I can immediately see who is getting it & if I need to change pace. I also frequently use whiteboards, red/green cards, peer feedback, and exit tickets. #sunchat
So much truth to this! I know many Ts who collect data on their Ss becuase they "have" to but they don't do anything with it. It is no surprise that they don't understand why collecting data is useful! (And many of them tune out of the conversation when it comes up.) #sunchat
#sunchat. A1: Quick check-ins. But also... @PearDeck can be a gem for whole-class formative evaluation, but remember that it can also be a small group activity. No harm in letting students manage the advancing of slides when they are ready.
A1: Formative assessments are fab using “I can statements” AND offering anonymity. Online polls where HS Ss can report they don’t get it AND save face = WIN. #sunchat
One-minute papers are usually done at the end of lesson. Ss are asked to answer a brief question in writing, which is collected & analyzed by the T to gain awareness of Ss’ understanding. One-minute papers have been found to be effective when done frequently. #sunchat
I've saved the writing samples my kids did on day one this year, and we often look back at them and THEY see how far they've come. "Ewwww... I wrote THAT??" Yup, and look what you are doing now! I also save all their self assessments to look back on. #sunchat@carlameyrink
It's vital to get students to build their own discourse community where they own the discussion: in my Humanities classes, we use the Harkness method + I'm simply a listener + a notetaker. Students ask questions, reframe the discussion + make sure to consider all voices. #SunChat
I saw someone say all assessments can be formative and I agree. I’m trying to move away from the idea of a summative final assessment and just use little checkpoints for students to see what they can improve, have them try again, and move on once they’ve shown mastery. #sunchat
Like the sound of this mash-up opportunity. Another layer to consider: Set up Frayer squares as slides in a shared deck, each group has access to one (or more) it's working on while class has access to full set. Template: https://t.co/7lXYat386C#sunchat
Also, group Frayer charts are a fantastic formative assessment tool. They work well across all grade/content levels and engage multiple levels of learners in one group. When charts are also presented orally, all four language domains are exercised. #sunchat#ELL#assessment
#sunchat Another great formative assessment. tool is the Real time data collection piece in https://t.co/cdl8WlvM2W Ss know that if we get to the point where there are no "reds" in an exercise, I'll dance. 🙄 Silly but it works.I find out quickly who can do the work bc they try.
I've saved the writing samples my kids did on day one this year, and we often look back at them and THEY see how far they've come. "Ewwww... I wrote THAT??" Yup, and look what you are doing now! I also save all their self assessments to look back on. #sunchat@carlameyrink
Students should be actively involved in the formative assessment process. They should be engaged in self-reflection so that they are keeping track of their learning. #sunchat
As an admin/evaluator, when I'm in the classroom, I'm looking to see if you are being responsive to students' needs. As I am often in #musiced classrooms, that looks like rehearsal, but paying attention to both the ensemble & individuals. #sunchat
Four Corners: This is a great way to encourage dynamic movement while learning multiple-choice questions. Designate each corner of the classroom to represent A, B, C, and D. Students go to the corner that they believe corresponds with the correct answer. #sunchat
Meeting with my students in a small group or individually is key to assessing where they are at. My SPED kids connect more and show me what they know in this setting. #sunchat
Might it be helpful to use formative assessment in a small group during small group rotations / sessions in this scenario? Conferencing is such a powerful formative assessment. #sunchat
Definitely. I'm always surprised to hear educators say that class size doesn't matter. Conferencing with 20 Ss is hard enough, I can't imagine having 35.
#sunchat
Like the sound of this mash-up opportunity. Another layer to consider: Set up Frayer squares as slides in a shared deck, each group has access to one (or more) it's working on while class has access to full set. Template: https://t.co/7lXYat386C#sunchat
Also, group Frayer charts are a fantastic formative assessment tool. They work well across all grade/content levels and engage multiple levels of learners in one group. When charts are also presented orally, all four language domains are exercised. #sunchat#ELL#assessment
Students have a card with a question on it, they stand up and mingle, find a partner and they each ask their question. They are to coach their partner if they get the ? wrong, then trade cards and keep mingling. Messy explanation #sunchat
In reply to
@carlameyrink, @tiffanytruitt, @KeishaMcHargue, @KaganOnline
The only summative assessments I gave students were the end-of-year state assessments (results don't come back until late July or early August) and my own end-of-year assessments that were "okay we've done so much work here's your last chance to show me what you know." #sunchat
How many times have we seen the brightest + shiniest method + model not be able to withstand the test of time? I've learned a lot from you in this area + have had to reflect on some of my practices as a result. You're definitely out in front here! #SunChat
Totally agree - this is why, no offense to our #edtech folks, I also prefer conferring and paper, and more low tech alternatives as much as possible. Why? Because they allow me to be present w/Ss more easily. The latency is reduced. I'm focused almost 100% on them. #sunchat
Students have a card with a question on it, they stand up and mingle, find a partner and they each ask their question. They are to coach their partner if they get the ? wrong, then trade cards and keep mingling. Messy explanation #sunchat
In reply to
@carlameyrink, @tiffanytruitt, @KeishaMcHargue, @KaganOnline
Just wrote something on formative assessment in the collaborative setting. The person doing the thinking is doing the learning.
https://t.co/CHTKix1Xu6#sunchat
I saw someone say all assessments can be formative and I agree. I’m trying to move away from the idea of a summative final assessment and just use little checkpoints for students to see what they can improve, have them try again, and move on once they’ve shown mastery. #sunchat
Absolutely!! Not sure where the emphasis on summtive came from. It encourages people to want to be done. It’s so not like real life. My knowledge is always increasing and should. #sunchat
Setting goals is also one of my fave formative assessments for academic and personal student growth. Monitoring those goals with a check in allows them to see their progress, self reflect and set new goals. #sunchat
Running rubrics (agreed upon, modeled and posted) work well as part of the formative assessment process, so that students know what is expected of them as they are actively participate in comprehension check. #sunchat#assessment
Thanks for the good words Jeffrey. I totally agree. Are we using a method because it's interesting or because it's the most effective tool for our Ss? #sunchat
30sec Share: Ss take a turn to report something learned in the lesson for 30secs each. Connections to the learning targets or success criteria are what the T is looking for in the language used by Ss. Make this a routine at the end of lessons to clarify what was learned. #sunchat
For more open-ended essential questions, use Philosophical Chairs: create a physical Likert scale + have students move to a point as they change their minds + shift their thinking based on classmates' arguments. As students move, ask them what convinced them to shift. #SunChat
Four Corners: This is a great way to encourage dynamic movement while learning multiple-choice questions. Designate each corner of the classroom to represent A, B, C, and D. Students go to the corner that they believe corresponds with the correct answer. #sunchat
Totally agree - this is why, no offense to our #edtech folks, I also prefer conferring and paper, and more low tech alternatives as much as possible. Why? Because they allow me to be present w/Ss more easily. The latency is reduced. I'm focused almost 100% on them. #sunchat
When they are writing, you can call out a quick "Stop! Pick up a highlighter and highlight your thesis statement!" -and then do a quick walkaround to see who is having trouble finding it! In elementary SS, "Highlight where you capitalized the name of the state!" #sunchat
I find that when I get my students to self-assess and I provide feedback along the way they develop a better understanding of where they are now and where they need to go. #sunchat
Attention on summative is product-oriented view while formative shifts spotlight to ongoing process. While I favor the latter, I acknowledge there will be showcase moments that likely move the former into the driver's seat for a time. #sunchat
This seems like a great way to get kids moving and to work with peers to learn where they might have more expertise. I love that the goal of this is to help each other to get to the right answer, not to be in competition with each other #sunchat
Students have a card with a question on it, they stand up and mingle, find a partner and they each ask their question. They are to coach their partner if they get the ? wrong, then trade cards and keep mingling. Messy explanation #sunchat
In reply to
@carlameyrink, @tiffanytruitt, @KeishaMcHargue, @KaganOnline
The emphasis on summative assessments is clearly driven by the state and federal government. This also has a negative impact on formative assessments. Teachers with a state test have a responsibility to the student and school to help that child pass a summative test #sunchat
It’s so important to realize that sometimes. I think teachers get so caught up on all the tech that it’s hard to realize that might not be the right answer all the time #sunchat
This is so key. When I visit classrooms, I ask probing questions to have students explain more. More students will add thei thoughts and a great discussion occurs. They see more than just a principal. It is a way to coach Ts too! #sunchat
I will sometimes intentionally create these road blocks where I won't let Ss progress on a task until they have underlined and conferred with me about their thesis. Makes more much better papers! #sunchat
3-2-1 = Three prompts are provided for students to respond to:
3 things you didn’t know before
2 things that surprised you about the topic
1 thing you want to start doing with what you’ve learned
#sunchat
So necessary in building relationships with them. They have to feel comfortable being coached for it to be successful. I always make sure to model how to effectively coach through this situation #sunchat
I’m so getting the small class size claim especially in elementary. I’m wondering if anyone has strategies to make kids in small classes independent as well. I’ve found they won’t do unless I’m there with them #sunchat
The best formative tool that I use in ELA (though it works across content areas!) is passage-based assessment. It's simple-yet-effective + makes room for all students, as it can be fairly easily differentiated + even modified if needed. #SunChathttps://t.co/kF6pmcmG9D
Thank you friends for an awesome chat with some awesomer ideas! But when my 5 year old says it’s time to “duel like Harry Potter”, you’ve gotta jet! #sunchat
It has a negative effect on form. assessments, in that you cannot always make the best use out of that data (i.e students may be struggling with a particular concept but I may not be able to devote more class time to remediation due to the timeline of the state test) #sunchat
It also builds soft skills for our students. Anytime a student can learn to talk about learning as a process and not an end point is incredibly rewarding for all #sunchat
This is so key. When I visit classrooms, I ask probing questions to have students explain more. More students will add thei thoughts and a great discussion occurs. They see more than just a principal. It is a way to coach Ts too! #sunchat
Have you used Google Read and Write? After they highlight they can pull all their highlights into a document with 1 click! Or make a vocab list! #sunchat
I constantly am building positive relationships with Ts and Ss. Helps when you have to have "those" conversations. The comfort level is great! #sunchat
Ahhh, yes. I have them do some drafts on paper. Still getting there with some of them.. But Google Docs is great! I love adding my comments as they write. Seeing the progress. Going through their past versions to see what they've revised... #sunchat
When they are writing, you can call out a quick "Stop! Pick up a highlighter and highlight your thesis statement!" -and then do a quick walkaround to see who is having trouble finding it! In elementary SS, "Highlight where you capitalized the name of the state!" #sunchat
Hope we get to a point where we are just using the right tool for the goal and people involved rather than what we like or are comfortable with using. Paper or tech methods can be both the right or wrong tool #sunchat
We have to teach writing, not just assign it! This often means getting students to slow down: it's not a race. My sense is that students spend way too much time drafting + not enough time prewriting + revising. This is an effective way to get them to spend that time! #SunChat
3 things you found out
2 interesting things
1 question you have
3 differences between _
2 effects of _ on _
1 question you have about topic
3 important facts
2 interesting ideas
1 insight about yourself as a learner
3 key words
2 new ideas
1 thought to think about
#sunchat
3-2-1 = Three prompts are provided for students to respond to:
3 things you didn’t know before
2 things that surprised you about the topic
1 thing you want to start doing with what you’ve learned
#sunchat
You nailed it. These roadblocks are to get them to THINK, outline, do the work before the work. Love chatting with you about this stuff Jeffrey. It's great to surf the same wave as you! #sunchat
Could not agree with you more. Soft skills are often overlooked. I try to model kindness with all of the Ss so they can hopefully follow my lead. It is so important to do demonstrate all skills that will make them successful! #sunchat
I gotta go, friends! Church, then packing and leaving for the Illinois ESSA Conference! Have a great week of using formative assessment with your students! #sunchat
Is it weird that I've opened a google doc, and I'm copying and pasting info from tweets so I have an accurate record of what I try out in class? #sunchat#resourceful
Totally understandable. My district is much smaller and I have challenges even observing classrooms, let alone getting into a teaching mode. (Sometimes I'm lucky enough to walk in when a teacher says, "Hey, can you help with this things we are doing right now!" #sunchat
Onion Ring: Ss form an inner and outer circle facing a partner. The teacher asks a question and the Ss 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. #sunchat
@susankotch#sunchat There are some great online tools to assist with https://t.co/GOijYMLapq focus is elem. so we have to really slow our Ss down when they write.I use @nearpod & we move one step at a time. Ex:, Nobody moves beyond an intro w/out a thesis in an analysis piece.
When they are writing, you can call out a quick "Stop! Pick up a highlighter and highlight your thesis statement!" -and then do a quick walkaround to see who is having trouble finding it! In elementary SS, "Highlight where you capitalized the name of the state!" #sunchat
Students sit in groups and each group member is given a number. The teacher poses a problem and all (four) students discuss. The teacher calls a number and that student is responsible for sharing on behalf of the group. #sunchat
I think this is so key in the way the world is now; as much competition as there is in the real world, there is even more collaboration needed in every job our students could have. Learning to help each other succeed is such an important piece to being a good teammate #sunchat
I'll sometimes use simple heuristics to find out where students are + to get them to evaluate their own thinking, especially as these are often used for a basis of discussion. Here are two: Question-Thought-Insight (QTI) + Dialogic Journaling. #SunChat
@MissWinegar Stations or small groups. Let them do the asking AND the mentoring, coaching (with support and lots of practice accessing resources, of course). Whoever is doing the talking is doing the thinking. :) #sunchat
In reply to
@MissWinegar, @Studentschamp, @MissWinegar
I love the way you make statements like it is the norm. Few have students creating products. Most people are just doing a test. Products as a norm for summative would be a dream come true!! #sunchat
I haven’t used it yet but can’t wait to look at it after this unit. Want to discuss our experience? I’m math which will be completely different then social studies #sunchat
I'll sometimes use simple heuristics to find out where students are + to get them to evaluate their own thinking, especially as these are often used for a basis of discussion. Here are two: Question-Thought-Insight (QTI) + Dialogic Journaling. #SunChat
I think one-on-one conversation is my favorite formative assessment. I usually end up there even with a paper or tech quick check so they can better explain their response #sunchat
State and federal definitely has made it worse but I think it has always been a thorn in education. My siblings and I didn’t have tests like this and we all had teachers who emphasized their tests. No retakes. No emphasis on improving. 😢#sunchat
True and sometimes Ss may take a few years to really get it. Learning doesn’t always fit a year timeline. I’m still learning about math and I teach it!! #sunchat
Might high-stakes testing's eponymous reputation rest on the fact that they're usually single-shot, one-and-done deals? Related question: What alternative stakes might merit an elevated position in any assessment hierarchy? #sunchat
