Opportunities to Understand Student Thinking During Problem

Solving

Simi MinhasJanuary 2014

Children First Network 20430-48 Linden PlaceFlushing, NY 11354

Diane FoleyNetwork leader

Guiding Questions

• What is formative assessment in mathematics?

• What pedagogical practices support assessment for understanding?

• How do curricular resources support effective formative assessment practices?

• How can we support communication between teachers and school leaders to build common understanding of pedagogical and curricular choices around formative assessment?

Formative Assessment

What is formative assessment?• Informal assessment • May be planned and purposeful, but not

always tracked or recorded. • Formal is not the same as summative • Formative assessment can be either formal or

informal.

Quotes About Formative Assessment

1. Read the quotes to yourself. Pick one that is meaningful.

2. Talk to a partner: What does this quote mean to you?

Formative Assessment

Focusing on student errors during the lesson is a form of formative assessment. Teachers can use this data to incorporate strategies that can clarify misconceptions, and advance student understanding.

Three Questions for Purposeful Work(refer to the hand-out)

1. What are the desired outcomes?2. How does one know, or how can they check,

whether their work is moving toward those outcomes? What are possible sources of evidence?

3. How does one get there?

Learning Activity #1

1. Read the article “How to Leverage the Potential of Mathematical Errors”

2. After reading the article: Refer to the three questions of purposeful work handout. Find parts in the article that highlight student behaviors mentioned for question #2, and use of instructional practices mentioned in question #3.

Learning Activity #2• Activity introduction• Identify opportunities for formative assessment

in a lesson plan• Watch video, identifying teacher actions to

understand and use student thinking• Discuss opportunities and teacher actions

in lesson• Identify teacher and student behaviors that

show strong formative assessment• Discuss how to support effective formative

assessment

Analyzing a Lesson Plan

• Please read through the lesson plan for a video that we will be watching shortly.

Lesson Plan: Square Foot Garden• Which parts/components of the lesson plan

do you think could be used as a formative assessment?

• What observations can you state about the lesson plan?

PD Video

• https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/multiplying-fractions-by-whole-numbers-lesson?fd=1. https://www.teachingchannel.org/video

Transcript for the lesson is included in the hand-outs.Use the ‘Pedagogical Practices Organizer’ to take notes.

Discussion

• Thoughts and observations about the video• How did the teacher support the learning, and

enable the students to move to the next level?• Did the teacher miss any opportunities to

understand and use student thinking?• What did the teacher do to understand and

use student thinking?

Educators Guide to 2014 NYS Common Core Assessments

http://www.engageny.org/resource/test-guides-for-english-language-arts-and-mathematics

****How can we plan for the test sophistication programs, using the information about the emphasis on specific standards?****

Share• Identify a great practice that started at your

school this year.• How is this practice being used school wide?• How is it supporting student learning?• What are your next steps as a school?• What are the challenges?

Questions and Feedback

Please do not forget to fill out the feedback form.Thanks!!!