frequent formative assessments: finding each … · – learning preferences – home life martha...

© Martha Kaufeldt, Scotts Valley, CA 1

March 26, 2019Webinar #5 Formative Assessment and Finding Students’ Sweet Spot

Martha Kaufeldt

FREQUENT FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS:FINDING EACH STUDENT’S

SWEET SPOT:

OPTIMIZING ENGAGEMENT AND LEARNINGMartha KaufeldtSolution Tree Author, Presenter

Webinar #5 March 5, 2019Daily Differentiation at Tier One

Prevention Before Intervention

Ø Data for Student Profiles (Who are these kids?)

Ø Attention (What gets them INTERESTED?)

ØInterests

ØPrior Successes

Ø Engagement (What are their LEARNINGPREFERENCES?)

ØMultiple Intelligences

Ø Formative Assessments (How can we check for

UNDERSTANDING?)

Frequent Formative Assessment:Finding Each Student’s Sweet Spot

Martha Kaufeldt 4

differentiated instructionA form of instruction that seeks to "maximize each student's growth by meeting each student where she is and helping the student to progress. In practice, it involves offering several different learning experiences in response to students' varied needs. Learning activities and materials may be varied by difficulty to challenge students at different readiness levels, by topic in response to students' interests, and by students' preferred ways of learning or expressing themselves.”Source:"Lesson 1: What Is Differentiated Instruction?" in ASCD PD Online: Differentiating Instruction



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Sweet Spot

• A place where a combination of factors results in a maximum response for a given amount of effort.

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Sweet Spot DATAFind out as much as you can about your students and their …

– Educational history– Interests– Cultural background– Learning preferences– Home life

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• A Learning Profile is an umbrella term to: – collect, – identify, – and share

• the ways in which each of us – perceives, – takes in – and processes information– And learns best as individuals.

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• Learning Profiles are dynamicand will change as students grow, develop and learn new ways of doing things.



Best-Guess, Common Sense, Know Thy Learner

• Age Range of students and gender distribution

• Cultural Identities: What ethnic/religious/cultural groups are

represented

• Languages: In general are there ELL’s? Multiple Languages? Local

Slang?

• Local Community Trends – After-school Activities, Sports Teams?

Interests unique to this region… i.e. Snow machines? Cultural

Festivals? Fishing?

• Pop Culture that interests THIS group of students: Justin Bieber?

Lady Gaga? Rap? Video Games? Peppa Pig?

– Create engagement, make a connection with students, demonstrate relevancy, integrate

learning into their world. Martha Kaufeldt

What gets them INTERESTED?

(Attention)Ø InterestsØ Prior Successes

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Attention & Interest

• Novelty• Movement• Color• Volume• Curiosity• Humor• Music & rhythm

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NOVELTY & HUMOR..• Gets the brain’s attention

• Releases endorphins – feel good

• Bonds us with others – inclusion

• Enhances retention

• Relieves stress and tension



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What kinds of MOVEMENT activities or breaks do you include?

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NOVELTY?HUMOR?MOVEMENT?

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Determining Prior

Knowledge & Readiness

Martha Kaufeldt

Pre-Assessment• Pre-assessment: a way to determine what

students know about a topic before it is taught. It should be used regularly in all curricular areas. – To make instructional decisions about student

strengths and needs– To determine flexible grouping patterns– To determine which students are ready for

advance instruction



Martha Kaufeldt

• The prior knowledge of learners determines to a large extent what each individual can learn from a particular situation. It is not productive simply to try and pour facts into their brains. Each student must assimilate and make sense of new ideas by connecting them to what they already know.

K. Fisher 17Martha Kaufeldt

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By tapping their students' prior knowledge teachers can plan lessons that will:

• clarify incomplete or erroneous prior knowledge,

• determine the extent of instruction necessary in a particular topic area, and

• discern necessary adjustments to planned independent activities and assessment materials.

(Kujawa and Huske, 1995)

• Teachers also can use prior knowledge to make instruction more meaningful.

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• Lev Vygotsky’s ZPD Theory

FRUSTRATIONAL

INSTRUCTIONAL

INDEPENDENT

Can do with help

SWEET SPOT

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What are their LEARNING PREFERENCES?

(Engagement)

ØMultiple Intelligences



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For struggling students - It may be helpful to determine each

student’s Learning “Preferences”

Learning “Styles” are a myth: Everyone learns in about the same way

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Determining Student PreferencesFormal: Create and use surveys and inventories

Informal: Observation and anecdotal recording noting students’ choices, preferences and excitement or frustration related to a task.

Trial and Error: Casting a broad ‘net’ of opportunities so that all students can find their niche based in their preferences.

Metacognitive: Strategies so that students can reflect on their choices, feelings and successes as well as set goals.

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Multiple Intelligences Survey• Student Survey • Graph Responses

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Multiple Intelligences“(An Intelligence) is the ability to solve problems or create meaningful products in a particular setting.” (Gardner, 1997)

At least eight “Intelligences” have been identified as people’s most common or preferred processing and problem-solving abilities:

•Verbal-Linguistic “Word Smart” •Logical-Mathematical “Logic Smart”

•Visual-Spatial “Picture Smart” •Bodily-Kinesthetic “Body Smart”

•Musical-Rhythmic “Music Smart” •Naturalist “Nature Smart”

•Interpersonal “People Smart” •Intrapersonal “Self Smart”



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We SEEK and CHOOSE tasks that:

• Appeal to our Learning Preferences• Remind of us our past Successes• Are within our realm of possibilities

(I think I can!)• Look like it might be FUN!• Might let me get up and MOVE!• Will let me work with others

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When seeking each student’s Sweet Spot:

• Determine prior knowledge & skills• Consider interests and preferences • Provide instructional variety• Provide choices

Within a positive brain-friendly environment!

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Students may grasp new concepts more easily if they have

opportunities to process the information in a way that makes sense to them - and comes more

easily to them.

Teach me in the ways I learn best!

Martha Kaufeldt

“Dear Teacher: Heartfelt

Advice for Teachers from

Students”

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v

=lTMLzXzgB_s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTMLzXzgB_s



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CLASSROOOM ASSESSMENT (CA) is the most powerful type of measurement in education that influences student learning!

When used frequently and with fluency and generates ACTION!

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“Classroom assessment is today’s means of

understanding how to modify tomorrow’s instruction.”

© 2017, Martha Kaufeldt, Scotts Valley, CA Begin With the Brain

—Tomlinson, The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners (2014), p. 17

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Formative Assessment

..Delivers information during the instructional process, before the summative assessment.

…Both the teacher and the students use the results to make decisions about what actions to take to promote further learning.

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a.k.a. Assessment FOR Learning

“Assessment for Learning is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there” (Broadfoot et al.,2002 p. 2-3)

“Assessment for learning is any assessment for which the first priority in its design and practice is to serve the purpose of promoting students’ learning.” (Black et al., 2004 p. 10)



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Assessment for Learning, Rick Stiggins, 2005

• Assessment FOR learning tells what progress each student is making toward meeting each standard while the learning is happening – when there’s still time to be helpful.

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Formative Assessment: Improving Learning in Secondary Schools,

OECD – Looney (Ed.), 2005

• “Frequent, interactiveassessments of students’ progress and understanding to identify learning needs and adjust teaching appropriately.”

Martha Kaufeldt

“Simply put, when the cook tastes the soup

it’s a formative assessment.

When the guests taste the soup it’s a

summativeassessment.”

Formative Assessment “Key Strategies”…

• Orchestrating effective classroom discussions, tasks and activities that elicit evidences of learning. (Ungraded)

• Providing Feedback that can help the learner know where he/she is on the learning continuum towards mastery.

• Providing immediate Feedback (Feed-Forward) that moves learners forward to close an achievement gap.

• Integrating opportunities for “Do-Overs” to improve.

• Self-Assessment: Activating students as owners of their own learning.

• Peer Assessment: Activating students as learning resources for one another. (Adapted from Wiliam & Thompson, 2007)



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Types of Formative Assessments Whole Class “Check-ins”

• Response cards• Fist to five• Dry erase boards• Exit cards

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(formative)Exit Card NAME___________________________

• RESPONSE TO A QUESTION OR PROMPT:

Rate yourself: 1 = high confidence2 = medium confidence3 = I�m not sure on this

Would you help someone else learn this?

YESNot at this time

Lesson Sequence / Routine

Exit Cards (Previous Lesson)

Interpret Data

Whole ClassBRIEF Direct Instruction

Small Groups-Application

Activity

Reinforce -Re-teach Activity

Independent Application

Activity

Adjustment Opportunity

Formative Assessment

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Martha Kaufeldt Martha Kaufeldt

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Teacher Observation is KEY! Where Are We Going?Where Is the Student on the Route?

GPS Metaphor



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Formative Assessments

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Formative assessment works!

• When it is used regularly, students learn better.

• The teachers who employ formative assessments are apt to get their students to perform better on (achievement) tests and demonstrate growth.

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Make Classroom Assessment a Habit!

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What hit your Sweet Spot today?

3 Things that I learned…

2 Things that I am already doing..

1 Thing I’m going to do right away!

frequent formative assessments: finding each … · – learning preferences – home life martha...

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