Network for New Science/Math Teachers March 10, 2010 Lexington, KY University of Kentucky Partnership Institute for Math & Science Education Reform Kentucky Department of Education Welcome! Help yourself to some refreshments and networking Lets Breakout First! 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 February Review Vocabulary Instruction Concept Map Talk-A-Mile-A-Minute Formative Assessment Solid Grounding Black Box Article The Path for Today Break Outs CASL Work Formative Assessment: Questioning Classroom Assessment for Student Learning (CASL) Learning Goal To deepen understanding of Classroom Assessment for Learning. Balanced Assessment Goal of SB 1 Summative Provides evidence achievement to certify student competence or program effectiveness Assessment for learning Use assessments to help students assess and adjust their own learning Formative uses of summative data Use of summative evidence to inform what comes next for individuals or groups of students Formative Formal and informal processes teachers and students use to gather evidence to directly improve the learning of students assessed Assessment for learning Use classroom assessments to inform teachers decisions CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT GUIDING PRINCIPLES: Gather accurate information about student achievement Use assessment process and results to promote maximum student learning PURPOSE TARGET ACCURACY EFFECTIVE USE STUDENT INVOLVEMENT DESIGN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Keys to Quality Assessment Key 1: Clear Assessment Purpose Always begin by asking: What decisions? Whos making them? What information will be helpful to them? Who Uses Assessment Information, and How? Beginning with the person whose birthday is closest to today and moving clockwise, assign the following roles: Student Parent Teacher Principal Athletic coach Guidance counselor Write your role in the blank on the handout. Answer #1 individually (3 5 minutes), then beginning with the student, share your list with others at your table. When all roles have shared, notice what conclusions you are drawing about classroom assessment. Note and discuss your responses to question #2. Some Conclusions Data must be sound because major decisions that affect students well-being are made on its basis. Assessment data is used for many purposes beyond grading. Students are crucial decision-makers, whose information needs must be met. Standing Meeting Form a standing meeting with 2 other people NOT at your table Discuss some of the A-Has you have had about assessment thus far. 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 by Shirley Clarke 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. Reframing Questions Form Math/Science pairs Using pp from Shirley Clarkes book as your guide, write 5 reframed questions for the question below What is the hardest thing about teaching? 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 for Real-World Purposes 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.Coyotes 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.Wolves 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 For our meeting in May: Develop or modify a multiple choice question for your class that will give you formative information about the students. For each answer selection, determine best next steps. 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 Please complete your reflection sheet For Next Time Our next meetings will be: Bring back your multiple choice question with next steps identified.