Network for New Science/Math Teachers February 19, 2009 Lexington, KY University of Kentucky Partnership Institute for Math & Science Education Reform Welcome! Help yourself to some refreshments and networking Group Norms Start and end on time Put cell phones on silent Be respectful of all comments Everyone participates Exercise the rule of two feet Come prepared for the meeting Review from January Shouting Wont Grow Dendrites Chapters 8-12 Discipline Concerns Formative Assessment: Questioning Roadmap for Today Shouting! Ch Formative Assessment: Questioning Grading and Reporting CITW Classroom Instruction That Works Shouting Wont Grow Dendrites Read Chapters 13, 14, 15, and 16 Respond to the question on your handout for each chapter Now Get to Talking.. Find 8 other people (not currently seated at your table) and record their plan/ideas from each chapter. You will need to talk to two different people for each chapter. When you have completed your handout, please return to your table and discuss your results with your tablemates. For March We will be finishing the book with chapters Questioning Research-Based Strategies 4 Research-based strategies that significantly improve student learning: Sharing criteria (clear learning targets with success criteria) Questioning Feedback Peer and self-assessment More effort has to be spent in framing questions that are worth asking; that is, questions which explore issues that are critical to the development of students understanding. Assessment for Learning: Putting It Into Practice Pg. 42 Effective Questioning You understand it only if you can teach it, use it, prove it, explain it, or read between the lines. Wiggins and McTighe Understanding by Design Current classroom practices generally encourage superficial and rote learning, concentrating on recall of isolated details, usually items of knowledge which pupils soon forget. Black and Wiliam Inside the Black Box Effective Questioning Questioning should be used to: Cause thinking Provide data that informs teaching Questioning should NOT be used to: Direct the attention of the class Keep students on task Dylan Wiliam, NSTA Preconference on Assessment, 2005 Effective Questioning Ch. 4 Formative Assessment in Action Wait time No hands up Talking partners Debates Snowballing Effective Questioning Provide 5 seconds of wait time. Best with some structure (e.g., white boards or talking partners) No hands up increases wait time and child focus, but used with recall questions is counterproductive. Having talking partners/groups before responding to questions enables all children to participate, think, and articulate Effective Questioning Encouraging children to generate their own questions furthers their independence as learners. Effective questioning involves effective modeling. Effective questions should further and deepen learning, rather than simply help establish prior knowledge. Teachers need to create a supportive climate so that put downs are avoided and children can articulate their ideas without fear of failure. Thinking Hats An effective way to get students to answer questions from a variety of perspectives. All students have the same question, but are given different ways to think about it thus making the thinking more manageable and directed. Very useful when the question is complex. A visual aid of the functions of the hats is usually displayed in the classroom Shirley Clarke, Formative Assessment In Action, pg 65 Six Thinking Hats White Hat facts, figures, information Black Hat caution, truth, judgment Red Hat emotions, feelings, hunches Yellow Hat advantages, benefits, good Green Hat create, explore, new ideas Blue Hat reflections, lacks decisions Formative Assessment in Action, p. 66 Now Get to Thinking. Draw a hat from the baggie. Find the others in the room with the same hat. Consider the following question from the perspective specified by your hat color: Why is gold considered to be a precious metal and iron is not? When instructed, return to your original table. Have each person share their hat perspective pertaining to this question. Reframing Questions Form Math/Science pairs Using pp as your guide, write 5 reframed questions for the question below What is the hardest thing about being a new teacher? Write each on a sentence strip and post on the appropriate chart: Red: range of answers Blue: agree/disagree Green: opposites Purple: reframed, give answer first Orange: opposing standpoint MC Design Considerations Factors to consider for the KEY and the DISTRACTORS Provide one, and only one, correct answer Include plausible options that demonstrate a students level of understanding Colleague review School Bus Item A teacher is planning a field trip and will need school bused to transport students. A school bus holds up to 36 students. If 1,128 students will be transported, how many buses are needed? Explain your answer. A. 31 B C. 32 D. 36 Sample NAEP question taken from the Nations Report Card atBased on student answers, what could you determine about a student from each choice? School Bus Item A teacher is planning a field trip and will need school buses to transport students. A school bus hold up to 36 students. If 1,128 students will be transported, how many buses are needed? Explain your answer. A. 31 B C. 32 D Sample NAEP question taken from the Nations Report Card atHow did changing D make this assessment more formative in nature? What to do with the results? Based on the students answers, you attach a problem for them to work on. A. Rounding Problem B. Rounding for Real-World Purposes C. CorrectExtension Problem D. A division problem An item like this can give a teacher differentiated information for the class so the teacher can figure out who needs extra help. Science Example Deer herds in KY are currently plagued by a fatal hemorrhagic disease. Which population will be most affected by the loss of deer? A.Acorns B.Grass C. Sun D.Wolves Justify your response. What do the distractors need to discriminate about student understanding to be used formatively? What might be better distractors for formative purposes? What to do with the results? Deer herds in KY are currently plagued by a fatal hemorrhagic disease. Which population will be most affected by the loss of deer? A.Acorns B.Coyotes C. Humans Justify your response. A.Examine various energy pyramids and determine population changes B.Correct answer extension activity (e.g., analyze more than 2 populations compared graphically) C.Examine population growth of humans vs deer over time and determine what the relationship is between the two. Now, Its Your Turn. Form content alike pairsgrade alike if possible. Use the multiple choice questions your brought and modify it so that it will give you formative information about the students. For each answer selection, determine best next steps to help improve student learning. If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail. Abraham Maslow Reflection: The benefits/impact of using these strategies The barrierswhy we dont see these strategies used more in our classrooms. Group Debrief Working with your table group, complete the synectic summary matrix for questioning. How is effective questioning like each of the musical instruments? D The important thing is to not stop questioning. Albert Einstein Grading and Reporting Learning targets and goals: I can explain the relationship between grading and reporting systems and student motivation. I can articulate my purpose for assigning grades. Chain Notes Respond to the question printed at the top of the paper individually. Each participant should respond to the question with one or two sentences related to the question. Beginning with the person with the shortest hair, share your responses. Jot down on your sheet the responses in addition to your own. Upon hearing the previous chain of responses, add a new thought or build on a prior statement. Chain Notes Discuss the various statements from the entire table group. Determine a consensus statement representative of the entire table and prepare a justification for it. Share with the whole group. Too often, educational tests, grades, and report cards are treated by teachers as autopsies when they should be viewed as physicals. Douglas Reeves Grades and Student Motivation On a think pad (aka post-it note) jot down 3-4 factors that you feel can affect student motivation and can be controlled by the teacher. Take about 10 minutes to read the article, Seven Reasons for Standards-based Grading. Add any factors from the article to your think pad that you didnt initially have. Grades and Student Motivation Using your notes on your think pad to assist you, highlight grading practices that directly relate to student motivation on the handout entitled, Grading Practices That Inhibit Learning. What conclusions can you draw from this comparison? Are grading practices in your classroom/school/district counterproductive to motivating students to learn? What suggestions did the teacher have in Seven Reasons for Standards-based Grading that might help bridge the gap between grading and motivating students? Many common grading practicesmake it difficult for many youngsters to feel successful in school. Canady and Hotchkiss, 1989 Schools have come to be about the grades rather than the learning. Conklin, 2001 Classroom Instruction That Works LEADERSHIP Variables School Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum Challenging Goals and Effective Feedback Parent and Community Involvement Safe and Orderly Environment Collegiality and Professionalism Teacher Instructional Strategies Classroom Management Curriculum Design StudentHome Environment Learned Intelligence and Background Knowledge Student Motivation What Works in Schools, Robert J. Marzano Your Assignment Please read the chapter you have been assigned. Answer the following questions after reading: Describe the strategy and some things to consider when implementing with students. According to the research, how does this strategy support student learning? Using this strategy, what is a possible activity for your math or science classroom? Be prepared to share out whole group at the next meeting. Roadmap for Today Shouting! Ch Formative Assessment: Questioning Grading and Reporting CITW Classroom Instruction That Works For March Our next and final meeting will be March Complete the reading in CITW.