Checking for Understanding and Immediate Feedback

A Vision for K-12 Students Today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8

A little inspiration…

How do you figure out

each day which students

do and do not understand

the material you’ve

taught?

Your Experience

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Lessons that include effective use of formative assessment and checks for

understanding…

• Would have 20 to 30 times as much positive impact on learning as the

most popular current initiatives;

• Are about 10 times as cost-effective as reducing class size;

• Would add between 6 and 9 months of additional learning growth per

year;

• Account for as much as 400 percent “speed of learning differences.”

(Students would learn four times as fast as a result of its consistent

use.)

Wiliam, D. (2007) Content then process: Teacher learning communities in

the service of formative assessment. In D. Reeves (Ed.) Ahead of the

curve: The power of assessment to transform teaching and learning

(pp. 182-204)

Some Research

A Few Checking for Understanding Techniques

Offline

1. Nonverbal Signals (dipsticking)

2. Accountable Talk (think, pair, share)

3. Conferring one-on-one (questioning)

4. Exit Ticket (summarizing and reflecting)

Online

3. Polls (google forms)

2. Looking at Student Work

• Wordle• Wallwisher• Springnote

3.) Online Discussion (voice thread)

- one-question quiz

- unison response- lots of questions on same concept to many students- verbal fill-in the blank sentences- short writing assignment- drawing a picture of…

- fingers make math operation sign- which punctuation mark (. ! ?)- colored strips- individual white boards- clap anytime you hear a primary color

SIGNALS NON-SIGNALS

- thumbs up- hands on head if…- sign turned over- colored cups - red, yellow, green cards

Self-EvaluationDirect

ContentCheck

DIPSTICKING

Dipsticking with strips: 2 colors

Should I measure the area or perimeter?

AREAPERIMETER

1. I want to figure out how much tape I’ll need to mark off a tennis court.

2. I want to put grass seed on my side lawn.

3. I need to buy a fence to contain my dog.

Dipsticking with strips: 3 colors

To which branch of government do the following belong…

legislative

judicial

executive

<><><><><><><><><><><><><

><><><><><>

Congress?

Police?

District court?

Prison?

FBI?

O

Respond to Data Quickly

Offline

1. Reteach using a different approach, order, or slower pace.

2. Reteach identifying students of concern (small group).

3. Student reteaches to another

student.

4. Teacher or student shows multiple models or exemplars.

*adapted from Doug Lemov’s Teach Like a Champion 2010

Online

4. Students watch online instructional videos (algebra lab).

5. Teacher provides links to other resources Online (writing support for analytical papers).

6. Teacher uses commenting tools to address misconception (google docs, voice threads, email).

Google forms is a great tool for looking at whole-

class student data in order to:

1. assess understanding of the content.

2. receive feedback about how a lesson went and

why.

3. take a quick poll of the class to plan next day’s

instruction.

4. write answers to metacognition questions.

5. get to know your students. Example: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=

0ArJ1uECq7hKYdDRUbXhrdWJCX04xaTJ4eTRUaDM0TkE)

Google Forms

1. Look at one of the four lessons in your module.

2. Identify a place where students might not understand

the material in both the LAUNCH and the MODELING.

3. In your groups, answer the following questions:

• What are two ways you will check for understanding

during these two activities and why would you do that?

• What would you do if many but not all of the students

understood the material?

• What would you do if ½ of students understood the

material?

Practice Scenarios

1. ASCD Study Guide for Checking for Understanding

http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/107023/chapters/An-ASCD-Study-Guide-

for-Checking-for-Understanding@-Formative-Assessment-Techniques-for-Your-

Classroom.aspx

2. CFU techniques for reading

http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/107023/chapters/An-ASCD-Study-Guide-

for-Checking-for-Understanding@-Formative-Assessment-Techniques-for-Your-

Classroom.aspx

3. The Skillful Teacher

http://www.skillfulteacher.com/

(only in paperback version but valuable)

4. Dare to Differentiate

daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.com/file/view/strategies.pdf (also on google site

under Day 3)

CFU Resources