An informal learning community for educators worldwide. Our passion for learning and connected learning experiences help us to improve our teaching practices. #txeduchat features guest moderators every week.
Welcome to #txeduchat tonight! @mrmatera will be facilitating and guest hosting tonight and the topic is "Playful Assessment". Please Introduce yourself and tell us where you are connecting from tonight.
Welcome to #TXEDUCHAT I am really excited to host tonight’s chat on playful assessment.
Introduce yourself and share a fun moment of success you students had this quarter!
Hey #txeduchat! urbie fresh from #CUE18.. i do learning experience design for clinicians & dabble in broadcast video project management. in '05 teaching Flash animation without a textbook was cool all the way around.
#txeduchat Student victory? Hmm...I'm going to go with 3rd graders two weeks ago while I did a model lesson. They did fabulous slow-mo videos of dominoes to demonstrate cause & effect. Fun!
Carrie Baughcum 6/7/8 Special Education Teacher from Illinois... Introducing Boss Battles and see my students absolutely and totally bring it! Has completely blown my away! #NeverUnderestimate#txeduchat
#txeduchat#EDT520#edtech207
A1 I focus on the positives and make sure the kids are comfortable. Do not rush into something and do my best to explain the key parts of the assessment
#txeduchat A1: Set Ss free of fear of assessment by offering unlimited reassessment. Offer feedback and opportunities for reflection prior to reassessment.
If your goal is growth and learning, then 1 assessment on 1 day should never be the end of the story.
A1 My Ss come to me for Reading RTI. I have an honest conversation with them about assessments in my room about how they help me know what we need more work on. #txeduchat
#txeduchat#EDT520#edtech207
A1 I focus on the positives and make sure the kids are comfortable. Do not rush into something and do my best to explain the key parts of the assessment
Q1: Knowledge gained vs mastery and perfection of all is always my mindset. This in addition to connecting the learning to them as people and pairing it with play and moments in my classroom diminishes the fear. #txeduchat
A1: giving opportunities to review/spiral concepts. Of course the class activity competitions such as @GetKahoot, @quizizz, @quizlet are activities Ss enjoy #Txeduchat
Tim Arnold, e-Learning Specialist, Richmond Community Schools (Indiana) - I got to see students work, fail, succeed, fail again, and eventually persist in a @breakoutEDU#txeduchat
A1: By varying what it means to assess. For many, assessment is synonymous with paper. A simple conversation or even a thumbs up can provide information that drives instruction (which should be a goal of assessment anyway) #txeduchat
A1: Students learn most when they are revisiting and revising content. If students internalize that assessments are an opportunity to showcase their learning and believe in a culture of revision then assesssments become purposeful #TXEDUCHAT
A1 Self assessment is less threatening for lots of kiddos...and often more valuable. In robotics, L’s set their own goals & are continuously assessing their progress. They want it bad...so it’s fun! When things don’t go as planned we laugh first...then problem solve. #txeduchat
#txeduchat A1: Let Ss help decide when an assessment takes place. Let them plan their study and preparation. (This does NOT mean you can't teach anything new between now and then!)
#txeduchat Yes!!! Love breakout and digital breakout. Learned a lot about my family dynamic doing an escape room over winter break...(apparently I take games too seriously.) 😬
Tim Arnold, e-Learning Specialist, Richmond Community Schools (Indiana) - I got to see students work, fail, succeed, fail again, and eventually persist in a @breakoutEDU#txeduchat
A1 fear is replaced by confidence-belief- when Ss are well-versed in learning they acquired they have no fear and are ready to show their STUFF !!! #TXEDUCHAT#bringiton
A1: Clear study guides, zero pop quizzes, transparency, practice tests... But, also: tests u take with a partner, or one that has u write questions, or a test that supplies u with a paper bag of items/answer pieces they choose from to build responses! #txeduchat
Q1: Knowledge gained vs mastery and perfection of all is always my mindset. This in addition to connecting the learning to them as people and pairing it with play and moments in my classroom diminishes the fear. #txeduchat
#txeduchat Absolutely!! I encourage new teachers to carry a clipboard around with rosters on it to jot notes from all the great informal assessments that happen during a class period. Data can be observed.
A1: By varying what it means to assess. For many, assessment is synonymous with paper. A simple conversation or even a thumbs up can provide information that drives instruction (which should be a goal of assessment anyway) #txeduchat
#txeduchat#EDT520#edtech207
A2 well if we are talking literally what they play then the craze right now is fortnite and when teaching I think a big thing in that game is team work which we can always be teaching and getting into lessons
Q2: Right now the most popular game is Fortnight on the computer… It is like a hunger games game… I think we could make a similar assessment setup… Have them compete to survive the challenge. #txeduchat
#txeduchat Again, Kareem, you are talking the language of language teachers. 😀 "Revision" is essential to assessment and yet many teachers think of assessment as a final/finished product.
A1: Students learn most when they are revisiting and revising content. If students internalize that assessments are an opportunity to showcase their learning and believe in a culture of revision then assesssments become purposeful #TXEDUCHAT
#txeduchat A2: Unfortunately, the mostly play 1st person shoot-em-up games. Not bringing that into the classroom.
We DO have team competitions where S teams compete for home-made desserts. It motivates them to support each other and go over homework together.
A2: I use games a lot in my classroom on Fridays! I would like to integrate them into my lessons as assessments. For example I use @storycubes for creative writing! #Txeduchat
A2: Who says assessments have to be sit and give anymore! With technology, forward thinking and creativity we can all start to think differently... more playfully about how we get to see what our students know! #txeduchat
A2, before the playing for assessment can even begin, I would argue that learning how to play in general is necessary. Ex: clockwise direction, person to the left of the dealer goes first in cards, etc. Old school rules are still important. #txeduchat
Agreed… Teachers need to think about what they design for an experience for there students… We need to be focused on all the educational senses… Not just the mind. #txeduchat
#txeduchat Again, Kareem, you are talking the language of language teachers. 😀 "Revision" is essential to assessment and yet many teachers think of assessment as a final/finished product.
A1: Students learn most when they are revisiting and revising content. If students internalize that assessments are an opportunity to showcase their learning and believe in a culture of revision then assesssments become purposeful #TXEDUCHAT
Awesome! I love using Story Cubes in my assessments as well. Check out my Youtube Channel video on the topic. https://t.co/nE2dKPEuFq Subscribe! #txeduchat
A2: I have used boxes with different materials inside - student groups must select a random box, construct an answer to a central question, and demonstrate, share, present to the class - all with a clock ticking! They like it! #txeduchat
A2: Honestly, I like students to play games they create. They are more engaged when they have ownership over their learning. Plus, creating games based on concepts reinforces their learning. #txeduchat
#txeduchat A2: When "Clash of Clans" was big, I had my very reluctant students create an assessment that used the elements of the game. (ELAR teacher, so this was easy.)
I just see a lot of kids that are scared to fail and therefore do not strive to learn things or try things that are uncomfortable or are not confident in #edt520#edtech207#txeduchat
A2 we have an old-fashioned student made board game on traveling the Silk Road coming up ... math, geography, history, laughs & giggles - no tech in this one - just dice and awesome JEWELs 💎 #TXEDUCHAT
A3: students are far more creative than we often times give credit. They can RAP and dance and even create hand gestures as a language...like football coaches calling plays. #txeduchat
#txeduchat A2: continued My son went to a PBL school and one unit involved him devising board games to showcase his learning in all subjects. Game night was families up at school playing all the kids' games. His games were pretty inventive...
#txeduchat A3: If a S can show me a dance that convinces me he understands SSS triangle similarity, I'm all eyes. I think it's important to let Ss offer alternative forms of assessment, but that does not mean Ts have to create or demand alternative forms.
#txeduchat#EDT520#edtech207
A3 This is a tough one to answer for me. In terms of my football coaching career our test is Friday night Games and it is all movement based on the "quizzes" (practices) we had all week. Classroom wise I have to think more
I think that might be one of the benefits of embedding games into the learning g environment. Not only does it increase engagement with the curriculum, but it also teaches important social skills. #txeduchat
A2, before the playing for assessment can even begin, I would argue that learning how to play in general is necessary. Ex: clockwise direction, person to the left of the dealer goes first in cards, etc. Old school rules are still important. #txeduchat
A1 - Frequently assess...low-stakes or no stakes...can lower their stress level when it's time for a for-grade assessment. Also, great for letting students know what they know/don't know. #Txeduchat
A3 vocabulary partners. Give kids vocabulary word cards and they find the vocabulary word that is their partner word- their thinking - then they explain their logic /thinking -regroup it - active waking assessment!! #TXEDUCHAT
A3 You could have S's create their own assessments game, would be interesting. I have used bowling in the class, they had to answer the question # that corresponds with the # of pins they knocked down 😀 #Txeduchat
As a science teacher, my content lends itself well to play. My ss investigate and discover on their own and then communicate what they have learned. Sometimes it’s a simulation (roller coasters and energy sources) and other times it’s hands-on activities. #TXEDUCHAT
I have die cut shapes like stars with different #s on the back of each. If they answer ? correctly, they can pull as many stars as they want and total up the amount for a score. If they get a zonk, they lose all their points. #txeduchat
A2: I have used boxes with different materials inside - student groups must select a random box, construct an answer to a central question, and demonstrate, share, present to the class - all with a clock ticking! They like it! #txeduchat
In my experience learning to fail isnt about failing, it is about a classroom and students learning to embrace and accept a gamers mindest....losing happens. Its hard. We own it. Accept it. Learn from it and move forward! #Txeduchat
I just see a lot of kids that are scared to fail and therefore do not strive to learn things or try things that are uncomfortable or are not confident in #edt520#edtech207#txeduchat
That sounds really neat! It always makes me smile when students have good parental involvement b/c it seems that is getting smaller and smaller #txeduchat#EDT520#edtech207
A3 Have y’all ever used Goosechase? It’s a scavenger hunt where l’s can submit pictures/videos as evidence of learning. Allows them to move around classroom/campus. Kids love it & everyone can look at the pictures so it leads to some great discussion after the game. #txeduchat
#txeduchat#EDT520#edtech207
A3 This is a tough one to answer for me. In terms of my football coaching career our test is Friday night Games and it is all movement based on the "quizzes" (practices) we had all week. Classroom wise I have to think more
A3 vocabulary pyramid is a fav game assessment- lots of screaming of clues - jumping up & down - rushing - learning & laughing !!! It’s a fav!! #TXEDUCHAT
I agree I think I could have worded that better. Failure is when you give up, missing something and learning the lesson from it to come back smarter, stronger, etc! No Mistakes, Just lessons learned! #txeduchat#EDT520#edtech207
#txeduchat A2a What's the games' backstory? The best assessments I took (insofar as I can recall my K-12 experience) were story-based. Consider.. https://t.co/qLNPhe6QIH
The whimsy got me excited to know more quicker.
I am lucky that I am currently in a grad class @UMaine and it lets me lean on my Coaching experiences! I think the word teaching and coaching can be interchanged often! #txeduchat#EDT520#edtech207
I put magnets on the back and put them up on the board. Ss cheer each other on or tell them to stop pulling #s. I make them add their own totals! #txeduchat
#txeduchat A2b i learned at #CUE18 that kids experience a museum field trip better if they have classroom time first to prepare them. How does a given assessment prepare them for a future (beyond satisfying a standard)?
#txeduchat A2: I knew a math teacher who had Ss create Kahoots, Quizziz, or Quizlets and then they ran them for the class. He copied the better ones for semester reviews. The kids showed their learning while also helping others learn. Simple.
A4: I use the drama online via @edmodo. students call out drawn characters from books and pretend to be them for a while. they write the language of this characters. they think with a value system. Joint into game interactions.
#TXEDUCHAT
A3: This year, I had students create some mini-books that teach concepts in order to sit & read their little books to second graders at our school. The books needed to include a diagram page. Topics included: water cycle, how a seed grows, photosynthesis. #txeduchat
A4 sometimes kids have an optional flipgrid question that is given kids prior to assessment. Doing it- a) deepens understanding b) powers up the grade with extra points c) is fun !! #TXEDUCHAT
Think of Uno. Put a sticker or black dot on certain cards. Students have to draw a question and answer it correctly before they can play the card.#Txeduchat
A3: I use performance assessments to assess process skills. Ss actually do something to show that they understand the concepts. I also have them act out words (like potential and kinentic energy) and concepts (like how the particles act in a solid, liquid, and gas) #TXEDUCHAT
A4: I like to let them use a note card, have a chat with someone for 1 minute in the hall during a test, and cast a spell that I have to do a pushup per kid before they all take a test… Kids that do it with me earn Bonus XP in the game! #Txeduchat
#txeduchat A3 A Pythagorean theorem assessment I remember was going out and determining the height of a flag pole from its shadow. In journalism class writing articles for the paper (city paper too) made learning visible practically.
#txeduchat A3: I used Twister as part of a Socratic Seminar...to pick questions. It added drama, action and fun to question choices for Ss to ask & answer each other.
#txeduchat#EDT520#edtech207
A4 Maybe give the kids options like the old Who wants to be a millionaire game show, phone a friend, remove an answer, ask the audience but ask a neighbor, ask the teacher, remove an answer. Be fun and interesting!
I instantly went to the game show who wants to be a millionaire for my answer as well! Phone a friend and take away an answer and maybe ask the teacher! #txeduchat#EDT520#edtech207
A5: I was thinking about a google doc challenge assessment... Put kids on one side of the classroom with 1/2 the test, the other kids on the other side with the other 1/2... In pairs, they type out what they have an answer the questions in silence. Digital teamwork! #txeduchat
A5: how about having teams of students create tic-tac-toe boards of answers then exchange them with orgrr groups and write questions? Like a flipped exam. #txeduchat
#txeduchat A5: Had Ss decide if today they felt like an "author/explorer" or an "editor/navigator." Then let them decide which person in the other group they wanted to work with on a paired assessment. Helping them see each others and their own strengths was beneficial.
#txeduchat A4: Hmmm...power ups. Knew a teacher who gave points for things like putting your name on your paper and turning work in on time. She did it for things all kids could do & kids could redeem their points however they wanted.
A5: How about handing them a traditional multiple choice test & have them work in small groups of two-three to redesign the test into open ended & critical thinking questions...? 🤔 #txeduchat
A5: I imagine that Ss would probably come up with something much more innovative than I ever could. Give them a chance to come up with their own ideas and share them. #txeduchat
A5: how about having teams of students create tic-tac-toe boards of answers then exchange them with orgrr groups and write questions? Like a flipped exam. #txeduchat
A5 In math, give a piece of the problem to each child in a small group. They have to work together to solve the problem w/o showing each other their piece. Develops communication skills as well as mathematical thinking. #txeduchat
#txeduchat A4b Might students be asked to.. analyze(?) what a T puts into an assessment to prepare for the next one? Dunno, maybe like an autopsy or inquest? Giving life back to post-assessment zombies?
I like that! Force the kids to work together and you never know they could forge a friendship that they never really would have thought they could have! #txeduchat#EDT520#edtech207
Smart. Students that age could also record themselves reading their books, aloud, or they could act them out, adding to the creativity & challenge. Also, ‘publishing’ their books online, might give them an authentic reason to do their very best work! #Txeduchat
#txeduchat A5a Dunno if new to you but.. at #CUE18@pintobeanz11 talked about Littles and workflows. Do your Ss know about them? Assessments were something that happened *to* me as a kid. Shift Ss perspective?
A2: We play a lot of @GetKahoot and @quizizz. My Ss also create their own @quizlet sets and share them with their peers. When I see a really good quiz they’ve made, we will “play live” together as a class. Sometimes we just get up and MOVE to play. #txeduchat
A6: Give them ways to use their everyday skills to convey their understanding of content - viral video competition, explain it in a hashtag, persuade with an iMovie trailer. #txeduchat
Yes, I’ve used @Skype to do this activity with learners in each group being from different schools/states/communities. Adds a whole other layer to the learning! #txeduchat
Join the #URockEDU crew this Wednesday, the 21st for a FREE one-day expo featuring digital learning rockstars along with presentations from vendors showcasing the latest and greatest digital learning solutions. #txeduchat#esc11https://t.co/3oubuUUPRl
#txeduchat A6: Authentic real-world projects that students suggest/design. I had a pretty relevant & fun project for Ss & 1 student wanted to do something different. I gave him rubric & he designed his own project. It was awesome!
#txeduchat#EDT520#edtech207
A6 My personal favorite is making the students teach others what they have learned or to use the information they have learned. In my case have kids call plays sometimes or tell me what they have noticed about other teams
A6: I’m going to jump out there and suggest that maybe older students create virtual field trips as a way to assess their knowledge on history, government, art, music, economics, etc. #txeduchat
A6: It is amazing how well you can assess a student through conversation. One to one conversations with embedded formative assessments are really effective #txeduchat
#txeduchat A6: In a student voice project at my kids' school, groups of Ss would work with academic coach to design lessons & assessments that teachers would deliver. Other Ss ❤️ed these lessons & assessments because they knew ss had designed them.
A7: I love teaching probability through games of chance. Almost every game can be taught through the lens of probability and effective decision making #txeduchat
Lisa, I love the idea… What do you use for that… Google maps, I know would let you add points of interests and students could save their maps and hand them in. #txeduchat
A7: We created a game using a @DollarTree connect 4 game (kids wrote equivalent forms of rational numbers on the chips). It was a great way to assess. Also, I like using Google forms, docs, and slides for formative assessments as well. #txeduchat
That sounds awesome! I remember a trip I had to "plan" when I was younger. Had to plan a trip to see Sporting events. Also in college a football season with opponents and travel costs etc! This would be fun! #txeduchat#EDT520#edtech207
A7 Someone showed me recently how you can use @makeymakey & @scratch to create games about virtually any topic. I’m still exploring it, but super excited! #txeduchat
A6: Perhaps provide them with typical board game parts (a board, index cards, small tokens, etc.) & have them create a board game that teaches the unit concepts? This could easily be differentiated, if necessary, as well. #txeduchat
A8: The moment I shared and made my imperfections known was the moment mistakes and iteration and learning were not only ok but totally accepted and welcomed!! #TXEduChat
A8: Students should always be able to revise their work. There is no reason to stop a student from mastering content. Revision is an authentic part of ones learning experience #txeduchat#edchat
#TXEDUCHAT thanks so much for letting me host. This is a wonderful community. Please check out my https://t.co/SB0FREshu7 channel and subscribe and connect!
A8: I also have a Hans Solo "Never Tell Me The Odds" item I give to students when they face a problem, fail and then endure and conquer. Its value is unknown but it is super valuable. Students glow when they earn it! #TXEduChat
