Assessment Of Student Learning Quotes

It is not until you change your identity to match your life blueprint that you will understand why everything in the past never worked.

When students are not asked to assess, but only to remember, they do not learn how to assess or how to think for themselves.

The greatest impact on learning is the daily lived experiences of students in classrooms, and that is determined much more by how teachers teach than by what they teach.

As soon as students get a grade, the learning stops. We may not like it, but the research reviewed here shows that this is a relatively stable feature of how human minds work.

Most of what our students need to know hasn’t been discovered or invented yet. “Learning how to learn” used to be an optional extra in education; today, it’s a survival skill.

feedback should cause thinking. It should be focused; it should relate to the learning goals that have been shared with the students; and it should be more work for the recipient than the donor. Indeed, the whole purpose of feedback should be to increase the extent to which students are owners of their own learning,

Anytime you make the work public, set the bar high, and are transparent about the steps to make a high-quality product, kids will deliver.

The teacher’s job is not to transmit knowledge, nor to facilitate learning. It is to engineer effective learning environments for the students. The key features of effective learning environments are that they create student engagement and allow teachers, learners, and their peers to ensure that the learning is proceeding in the intended direction. The only way we can do this is through assessment. That is why assessment is, indeed, the bridge between teaching and learning.

It is essential that we develop a learning space where failure is positive, as it is a catalyst for growth and change. Students need to recognize that taking a risk and not succeeding does not mean they are failing: It means they need to try another way. After

Being supportive and building students’ confidence is not accomplished by blindly telling them they are doing a great job every day.  It involves assessing weaknesses and strengths and delivering feedback in a timely manner so that they can build their skills to complete the task at hand.

Playing to passion when you can will keep students motivated and working toward mastery.

Grades ultimately end up being a power tool that serves the teacher but not the student.

Formative assessments nurture hope and say to students, 'You might not get this yet, but you will. Here is something else you can try that might help you understand and improve.' Formative assessment empowers teachers and students because it gives them specific information about individual performance. When teachers share the information with students, students have a concrete way to improve.

The faculty and students share ownership of the learning outcomes; the students assume responsibility for their learning, and the faculty assumes responsibility for providing appropriate resources for that learning.

there is a significant body of research that shows that one hour students spend devising questions about what they have been learning with correct solutions is more effective than one hour spent completing practice tests

It has long been known that learners remember responses they generate themselves better than those responses that are given to them, and this is now often called the generation effect (Slamecka & Graf, 1978). In particular, one hour students spend writing test questions on what they have been studying results in more learning for them than one hour spent working with a study guide, answering practice tests, or leaving the students to their own devices (Foos, Mora, & Tkacz, 1994).

Three Big Ideas That Drive the Work of a PLC The essence of the PLC process is captured in three big ideas: 1. The purpose of our school is to ensure all students learn at high levels. 2. Helping all students learn requires a collaborative and collective effort. 3. To assess our effectiveness in helping all students learn we must focus on results—evidence of student learning—and use results to inform and improve our professional practice and respond to students who need intervention or enrichment.

Assessment must be a conversation, a narrative that enhances students’ understanding of what they know, what they can do, and what needs further work. Perhaps even more important, they need to understand how to make improvements and how to recognize when legitimate growth has occurred.

You may ask whether I have changed my own educational practice and assessment. I have. There are no “final” exams at the end of the semester in my classes. Instead, I split my courses up into thirds so that students only have to study a handful of lectures at a time. Furthermore, none of the exams are cumulative. It’s a tried-and-true effect in the psychology of memory, described as mass versus spaced learning. As with a fine-dining experience, it is far more preferable to separate the educational meal into smaller courses, with breaks in between to allow for digestion, rather than attempt to cram all of those informational calories down in one go. In

Assessment centers on demonstrated competencies, not memorized content. Standardized tests are used thoughtfully to identify and assist students lagging in “learning how to learn” skills. Students teach and learn from each other. They learn to make the most of online resources and machine intelligence and draw on adults for guidance.

Averaged scores say very little about actual learning: any number of students can earn a B for many different combinations of reasons. A gifted student who does little work may receive the same grade as a struggling student who has improved steadily throughout the course or a student who started off strongly but performed poorly in the last quarter.

Ultimately, students—not only teachers—must be able to use standards to guide efforts toward achievement and mastery. Implementation of new standards must be done in a manner that ensures that they result in different experiences for students; curriculum, instruction, assessment, and rubrics should look different in a classroom where a new set of standards is being used to guide student learning.

A healthy and ideal system of education would be where a teacher would patiently impart knowledge, instead of curriculum, upon the students, only after assessing their acceptability – where a student would acquire knowledge in order to learn, not to earn – where the parents would be willing to make necessary sacrifices in order to adorn their child with curiosity and thereafter nourish that curiosity, regardless of how absurdly impractical it becomes to the eyes of the society.

Effective curriculum, instruction, and assessment can occur without textbooks or technology. New resources can be used in a manner that augments the quality of the curriculum and transforms student learning. Schools and districts that most effectively leverage the acquisition of new materials invest significant time, effort, and energy in establishing the professional skills and strategies, standards, assessments, and curriculum that will be used to drive students' use of those resources.

What makes the SAT bad is that it has nothing to do with what kids learn in high school. As a result, it creates a sort of shadow curriculum that furthers the goals of neither educators nor students.… The SAT has been sold as snake oil; it measured intelligence, verified high school GPA, and predicted college grades. In fact, it’s never done the first two at all, nor a particularly good job at the third.” Yet students who don’t test well or who aren’t particularly strong at the kind of reasoning the SAT assesses can find themselves making compromises on their collegiate futures—all because we’ve come to accept that intelligence comes with a number. This notion is pervasive, and it extends well beyond academia. Remember the bell‐shaped curve we discussed earlier? It presents itself every time I ask people how intelligent they think they are because we’ve come to define intelligence far too narrowly. We think we know the answer to the question, “How intelligent are you?” The real answer, though, is that the question itself is the wrong one to ask.

Student-engaged assessment involves students in underst anding and in vesting in their own growth. It changes the primary role of assessment from evaluating and ranking students to motivating them to learn. It empowers students with the understanding of where they need to go as learners and how to get there. It builds the independence, critical thinking skills, perseverance, and self-reflective understanding students need for college and careers and that is required by the Common Core State Standards. And, because student-engaged assess ment practices demand reflection, collaboration, and responsibility, they shepherd students toward becoming positive citizens and human beings.

If collaboration is a headache for learning in the workplace, it’s hard to know where to start with schools. First, most schools don’t call it ‘sharing’ anyway – they call it ‘cheating’. Think about it for a moment: the kids who are now in school will be entering a workplace where internal and external collaboration is the work. We prepare them for this interconnected world, by insisting that almost everything they do, every piece of work they submit, is their own work, not the fruits of working with others, because every student has to have an individual, rigorously assessed, accountable grade – if they don’t, the entire examinations system collapses like a deck of cards.  Except it doesn’t.

Jobs also attacked America’s education system, saying that it was hopelessly antiquated and crippled by union work rules. Until the teachers’unions were broken, there was almost no hope for education reform. Teachers should be treated as professionals, he said, not as industrial assembly- line workers. Principals should be able to hire and fire them based on how good they were. Schools should be staying open until at least 6 p.m. and be in session eleven months of the year. It was absurd, he added, that American classrooms were still based on teachers standing at a board and using textbooks. All books, learning materials, and assessments should be digital and interactive, tailored to each student and providing feedback in real time.

The educational goal of self-esteem seems to habituate young people to work that lacks objective standards and revolves instead around group dynamics. When self-esteem is artificially generated, it becomes more easily manipulable, a product of social technique rather than a secure possession of one’s own based on accomplishments. Psychologists find a positive correlation between repeated praise and “shorter task persistence, more eye-checking with the teacher, and inflected speech such that answers have the intonation of questions.” 36 The more children are praised, the more they have a stake in maintaining the resulting image they have of themselves; children who are praised for being smart choose the easier alternative when given a new task. 37 They become risk-averse and dependent on others. The credential loving of college students is a natural response to such an education, and prepares them well for the absence of objective standards in the job markets they will enter; the validity of your self-assessment is known to you by the fact it has been dispensed by gatekeeping institutions. Prestigious fellowships, internships, and degrees become the standard of self-esteem. This is hardly an education for independence, intellectual adventurousness, or strong character. “If you don’t vent the drain pipe like this, sewage gases will seep up through the water in the toilet, and the house will stink of shit.” In the trades, a master offers his apprentice good reasons for acting in one way rather than another, the better to realize ends the goodness of which is readily apparent. The master has no need for a psychology of persuasion that will make the apprentice compliant to whatever purposes the master might dream up; those purposes are given and determinate. He does the same work as the apprentice, only better. He is able to explain what he does to the apprentice, because there are rational principles that govern it. Or he may explain little, and the learning proceeds by example and imitation. For the apprentice there is a progressive revelation of the reasonableness of the master’s actions. He may not know why things have to be done a certain way at first, and have to take it on faith, but the rationale becomes apparent as he gains experience. Teamwork doesn’t have this progressive character. It depends on group dynamics, which are inherently unstable and subject to manipulation. On a crew,

All learning is subjective, and when we only offer one chance or route for learning, we greatly limit the possibility that every student will achieve mastery

Study Questions What is the legal definition of blindness? How does it differ from the IDEA definition? What does the Snellen chart assess? What does 20/200 mean? Describe how the eye functions. Define the terms myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. List five eye problems common to school-age children. Why is early detection of vision problems important? Describe the social and emotional characteristics of persons with visual impairments. What is functional vision, and how is it evaluated? Define the term learning media. Give three examples of different forms of learning media. In what two educational settings do the majority of students with a visual impairment receive a special education? What are some common educational accommodations that a student with a visual impairment may require? List five signs of possible vision problems in children. Identify three critical issues that must be addressed if an adolescent is to successfully transition to postsecondary education or enter the workforce. Besides cultural differences, what diversity issue must be addressed for parents who are also visually impaired? Identify five technology accommodations that can be provided in high school for a student who is legally blind. Discuss the shortage of orientation and mobility specialists and how a child’s educational plan is affected by a shortage of personnel.

The Four Dominant Learning Styles What are the Four Types of Learners? If you have spent any considerable amount of time in a learning institution, you know for almost a fact that each learner is different from the next. It is relatively easy to pick out the differences among learners. For instance, you can identify a student who has an easier time retaining information when presented in a particular format. Until recent decades, education seemed to be incredibly rigid towards the learners. Most often than not, they were subjected to a one-size-fits-all model that never accommodated for the differences in learning. However, research and studies made tremendous strides in identifying and reconciling these discrepancies. Nowadays, educators are developing strategies that help them reach out to each student's specific learning style. This gives each learner a fair chance at acquiring an education. This article seeks to breakdown the four main ways that learners acquire, process, and retain information. Visual Learners Information is optimally acquired and processed for this type of learners when conveyed in graphic or diagrammatic form. Such students retain content when it is presented as diagrams, charts, etcetera with much more ease. Some of them also lean towards pictures and videos at times. These learners tend to better at processing robust information rather than bits and pieces. This makes them holistic learners. Hence, they derive more value from summarized visual aids as opposed to segments. Auditory Learners On the other hand, these students learn more by processing information that has been delivered verbally. Such students are also more attentive to their instructors in class. Sometimes, they will do so at the expense of taking notes which can sometimes be mistaken for subpar engagement. Such learners will also thrive in group discussions where they get to talk through schoolwork with their peers. This not only reinforces their understanding but also presents an excellent opportunity to learn from others. Similarly, they can obtain significant value from reading out what they have written. Reading/Writing Learners These students lean more towards written information. For as long as they read through the content, they stand a better chance at retaining it. Such students prefer text-heavy learning. Thus, written assignments, handouts in class, or even taking notes are their most effective learning modes. Kinesthetic Learners Essentially, these students learn by doing. These are the students that rely on hands-on participation in class. For as long as they are physically proactive in the learning process, such learners stand a better chance at retaining and retrieving the knowledge acquired. This also earns them the popular term, tactile learners, since they tend to engage most of their sense in the learning process. As you would expect, such leaners have the most difficulties in conventional learning institutions. However, they tend to thrive in practical-oriented set-ups, such as workshops and laboratories. These four modalities will provide sufficient background knowledge on learning styles for you to formulate your own assessment. Ask yourself first, no less, what type of a learner are you?

Worse, tests emphasize exactly the wrong skills. They emphasize the memorization of massive amounts of facts that neurologically have a half-life of about 12 hours. They focus on short-term rewards through cramming to compensate for a failure in long-term development of value. It is no wonder we have financial meltdowns caused by successful students. We have to swallow a hard pill. The issue is not how do we make tests better? Or how can we have more or different types of tests? Or how do we arrange for more parts of a school program (such as a teacher’s worth) to be based on tests? The reality is, tests don’t work except as a blunt control-and-motivation mechanism for the classroom, the academic equivalent of MSG or sugar in processed food. In place of schools as testing centers, we have to begin imagining and setting up learning environments that involve no tests at all, that rely on real assessment and the creation of genuine value instead.

Instead of using one exam as the primary summative assessment, he told teachers to use multiple formative assessments along the way—assignments, discussions, observations, and conversations—to inform semester grades. Instead of focusing on getting a grade on a specific exam, he wants students to focus on doing interesting work and teachers to focus on providing meaningful feedback throughout the semester.

In advance of the class, he asked students to fill in a quick survey in which he asked them to describe their own experiences with one of these three uses of statistics. He tells the students that he has read their answers, as well as their student profiles, and asks for volunteers to talk about what they wrote. Several hands go up, and he picks Juliana, a student from Brazil, interested in education. She starts to talk about a program she helped to run in Brazil which assessed whether improvements in teacher training had a causal effect on test scores. As she is talking, her words appear on the big screen, in big quotation marks, along with her photo. The class laughs, and as she looks up she realises she has become a celebrity.

The fact that we all learn is both good and bad for our ability to assess learning. Because we were once a student, we make the tacit assumption that we know how to tackle the learning problem.

By embracing Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Theory, educators become architects of personalized learning experiences that honour the unique talents and abilities of every student. Through tailored instruction and diverse assessment methods, classrooms become vibrant ecosystems where each intelligence is valued and cultivated.

Remediation is a dimension of rapid learning that introduces personalized targeted assessments, support and instruction, aiding students in overcoming learning gaps over a period of time.

Rapid remediation is the go-to approach for swift intervention and targeted support for closing learning gaps and propelling struggling students to grasp concepts at an accelerated pace.

In rapid remediation, there is a defined timeline, specific goals, and a sense of urgency, making it effective in preparing students for summative assessments or bringing them up to grade level quickly.

Constant assessments, feedback, and continuous learning all play a crucial role in rapid learning, an approach for acquiring knowledge and developing skills quickly and efficiently.

In rapid learning, uncovering learning gaps involves assessing what students can't do, what they can do, and identifying areas where additional support is needed. Diagnostic assessments, formative assessments, and teacher observations play a crucial role in this process

My assessment approach focuses on self-evaluation and metacognition. I ask students to write process letters about their work, and I ask them to reflect frequently on their own progress and learning. The most authentic assessment approaches, in my view, are ones that engage students directly as experts in their own learning.

An effective remediation session includes a well-structured preliminary phase for conducting assessment, defining learning objectives and selecting resources and strategies.

In remediation the crucial step of assessment and diagnosis, educators unravel the mystery of learning gaps via examining past performances, talking to students and parents, and keenly observing habits and attitudes.

Assessment and diagnosis lay the groundwork in the preliminary phase, paving the way for effective remediation by setting clear objectives and aligning suitable strategies and resources.

. In the preliminary phase, teachers face the critical task of making informed choices, shaping the trajectory of remediation through assessment, objective clarity, strategic planning, and resource selection.

Effective remediation begins with a well-structured preliminary phase, consisting of vital steps like assessment, objective definition, strategy selection, and resource choice.

The core phase is the educational crucible where students take center stage, actively engaging in the learning process. It's a transformative journey where the teacher's role is not just to impart knowledge but to ignite the flames of curiosity and discovery within each student.

The core phase is the heartbeat of remediation where students take the front seat in their journey toward mastery and empowerment.

The core phase of remediation propels students into the driver's seat of their learning journey. It's a hands-on experience where active learning experiences, immediate practice, constructive feedback, immediate application and content wrap-ups converge to create an environment of accelerated growth and understanding.

In the remediation, core phase active learning takes center stage, and students become the protagonists of their learning journey. It's a transformative process where knowledge is not just received but actively embraced.

Continuous improvement is a key aspect of a rapid learning approach, and adjustments based on student feedback contribute to the refinement of your teaching methods.

Continuous assessments, including both formative and summative evaluations serve to consistently gauge student progress and reinforce learning at various stages of the educational journey.

Rapid learning approach heavily relies on data to assess students’ progress, make informed decisions for teaching, intervention, and ensure continuous development.

In the context of rapid learning, data becomes a dynamic tool with multifaceted applications. From assessments and diagnosis to feedback and collaboration with parents, data serves as a valuable resource for tailoring instruction, enhancing individualized learning experiences, and ensuring a responsive educational environment.

Data collected at various stages of the rapid learning session, including assessments, diagnosis, feedback, practice, and collaboration with parents, plays a pivotal role in shaping the learning experience. This information is instrumental in tailoring instruction to individual needs and creating a supportive and responsive learning environment.

Whether gathered from assessments, feedback, practice sessions, or collaboration with parents, data is a key driver in shaping the rapid learning environment.

Rapid learning involves a systematic cycle of data collection, analysis, and application. This approach enables educators to continually assess student progress, make informed instructional decisions, and foster an environment of continuous improvement.

Data is the cornerstone of adaptability in rapid learning. Collected from assessments, feedback mechanisms, practice sessions, and collaboration with parents, it is the catalyst for tailoring instruction, fostering a supportive learning environment, and ensuring that the rapid learning experience is optimized for each student.

Data collection in rapid learning is not a singular event; it spans every stage of the learning process. From initial assessments to ongoing feedback, data serves as a compass, guiding educators in tailoring instruction to individual needs and cultivating a responsive and supportive learning atmosphere.

The assessment of quick comprehension skills involves gauging a learner's ability to swiftly understand, interpret, and recall information.

Feedback and reflection play pivotal roles in rapid learning. Whether from peers, instructors, or through self-assessment, constructive feedback is a catalyst for learners to reflect on their performance and continuously improve.

The dynamic interplay of feedback and reflection is central to rapid learning. Through constructive feedback channels from peers, instructors, or self-assessment, learners engage in a continuous cycle of evaluation and adjustment, optimizing their learning journey.

Assessments help gauge students' progress, allowing for necessary modifications and personalized support, which may involve collaboration with students, parents, peers, and stakeholders.

In rapid learning, chunking, repetition, engagement, assessment, and organization play key roles in propelling students toward efficient and effective knowledge acquisition.

Uncovering learning gaps through assessments and observations is the first step toward providing targeted support and personalized intervention.

Rapid learning is an express route to acquiring knowledge and skills efficiently, effectively and accelerating the learning process beyond traditional methods.

In the Preliminary Phase, teachers shape the trajectory of a remediation session by making informed choices, conducting assessments, objective clarity, strategic planning, and resource selection.

Assessment and diagnosis of student learning gaps lay the groundwork in the preliminary phase of an effective remediation session by setting clear objectives and aligning suitable strategies and resources.

Assessment and diagnosis act as the gateway to understanding learning gaps, involving thorough reviews of past work, dialogues with students and parents, and perceptive observations of habits and attitudes.

Unlocking the mysteries of learning gaps begins with assessment and diagnosis, a process that delves into past performance, conversations with students and parents, and astute observations of habits and attitudes.

Assessment and diagnosis mark the starting point in addressing learning gaps, involving a comprehensive review of past work, communication with students and parents, and keen observations of habits and attitudes.

When choosing appropriate strategies in remediation, educators meticulously handpick rapid learning strategies, methods and techniques that perfectly fit the unique needs of each student, ensuring effective and targeted learning.

In the crucial step of defining clear objectives for remediation, educators act as architects, constructing specific, measurable, and achievable goals to guide students toward successful learning destinations.

Defining clear learning objectives for remediation ensure that educators have a specific, measurable roadmap to guide students successfully through closing their learning gaps.

In the assessment and diagnosis step, educators become detectives, examining past records, engaging in conversations with students and parents, and carefully observing habits and attitudes to unravel patterns in learning gaps

Choosing appropriate strategies for remediation is an art form where educators skilfully blend techniques and methods that reflects each student's unique needs and aspirations.

In the core phase of remediation, educators transform into dynamic leaders, guiding students through active learning experiences, immediate practice, feedback, immediate application and content wrap-ups.

In remediation, educators transform into skilled navigators, navigating the vast sea of strategies to choose the ones that lead students to the shores of specific, measurable, and attainable educational achievements in a short period of time

The core phase of remediation is designed to propel students toward quick comprehension and

It is more than a framework for evaluation. It is a framework for motivation and a framework for achievement.

Another vital component of the UDL is the constant flow of data from student work. Daily tracking for each lesson, as well as mid- and end-of-module assessment tasks, are essential for determining students’ understandings at benchmark points. Such data flow keeps teaching practice firmly grounded in students learning and makes incremental progress possible. When feedback is provided, students understand that making mistakes is part of the learning process.

How are students empowered to self-assess and direct their efforts in developing skills associated with the standards?

Assessment is one of the most important tools in personalizing instruction, and one-to-one devices provide opportunities to enhance all forms of assessment. Many large-scale standardized assessments can now be taken with mobile devices, while summative assessments are frequently given online. When teachers and students work together, using mobile devices to conduct formative and benchmark assessments, they can use that information to set personalized goals and strategies, thus planning the most effective, adaptive learning programs.

Giving students more ownership does not mean that teachers give up their responsibility to direct student learning. Many apps and tools, such as wikis and blogs, allow teachers to access student work and monitor their progress. Formative assessment also provides information that teachers can use to recommend goals and strategies. Cloud applications, like calendars, can also be shared so teachers can make sure students meet standards while building critical self-direction skills.

If the primary goal of the school is to raise test scores, the bubble-kid approach, although morally bankrupt, makes some sense because the lowest-achieving learners are so far behind that providing them intensive resources will likely not show immediate gains in the school’s state assessment scores. But if the goal is to help all students learn at high levels, this approach will do nothing for the students most in need.

... Let me start with the top mistakes that teachers make. Some of these mistakes are forced on teachers by a badly designed education system, and some are ones that teachers make no matter what they are teaching or which system they are teaching in. Some of these are less than obvious, so let's consider them one-by-one. 1. Assuming that there is some kind of learning, other than learning by doing. 2. Believing that a teacher's job is assessment. 3. Thinking there is something that everyone must know in order to proceed. 4. Thinking that students are not worried about the purpose of what they are being taught. 5. Thinking that studying can replace repeated practice as a key learning technique. 6. Thinking that because students have chosen to take your course, they have an interest in learning what you plan to teach them. 7. Correcting a student who is doing something wrong by telling them what to do instead. 8. Thinking that a student remembers what you just taught him.

With all the multi-tiered interventions, assessment software, aligned textbooks, digital content, and scripted curriculum available to the field, some might question if the role of the teacher is significant in today’s schools. Does it really matter who is leading the classroom? The answer to this question is a resounding YES!

Most young people find school hard to use. Indeed, many young people find school a negative learning environment. Not only do schools fail to help students become competent in important life skills, they provide a warped image of learning as something that takes place only in schools, segregated from the real world, organized by disciplines and school bells, and assessed by multiple-choice, paper-and-pencil tests. Schools have scores of written and unwritten rules that stifle young people’s innate drive for learning and restrict their choices about at what they want to excel, when to practice, from whom to learn, and how to learn. It is no wonder that so many creative and entrepreneurial youth disengage from productive learning. They recognize that staying in the schools we offer them constitutes dropping out from the real world.

Core subjects include English, reading, and language arts; world languages; arts; mathematics; economics; science; geography; history; and government and civics. Learning and innovation skills are those possessed by students who are prepared for the 21st century and include creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, and communication and collaboration. Information, media, and technology skills are needed to manage the abundance of information and also contribute to the building of it. These include information literacy; media literacy; and information, communications, and technology (ICT) literacy. Life and career skills are those abilities necessary to navigate complex life and work environments. These include flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-direction, social and cross-cultural skills, productivity and accountability, and leadership and responsibility.

In School of One, students have daily "playlists" of their learning tasks that are attuned to each student's learning needs, based on that student's readiness and learning style. For example, Julia is way ahead of grade level in math and learns best in small groups, so her playlist might include three or four videos matched to her aptitude level, a thirty-minute one-on-one tutoring session with her teacher, and a small group activity in which she works on a math puzzle with three peers at similar aptitude levels. There are assessments built into each activity so that data can be fed back to the teacher to choose appropriate tasks for the next playlist.

Students are encouraged to connect with others, and to collaborate and create with them on a global scale. It’s not “do your own work,” so much as “do work with others, and make it work that matters.” To paraphrase Tony Wagner, assessments focus less on what students know, and more on what they can do with what they know.

Today, when our just-right targets are more conceptual, teachers need to employ thinking skills to unravel information that the student has organized and retained. Further, informal self-assessment and observation techniques add to the body of evidence necessary for the teacher to truly know a student’s level of performance and for the student to know his or her own level of performance in order to put forth the effort to improve.

Before students leave, I ask for an exit ticket. I have students record on a sticky note one question they have about the book.

In the book Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Doing It Right, Using It Well (2004), Rick Stiggins et al. offer seven strategies for assessing learning that I have begun to layer into my daily workshop (Figure 4.4).

Stiggins’s Seven Practices of Assessment FOR Learning Where am I going? Provide a clear and understandable vision of the learning target. Use examples and models of strong and weak work. Where am I now? Offer regular descriptive feedback. Teach students to self-assess and set goals. How can I close the gap? Design lessons to focus on one aspect of quality at a time. Teach students focused revision. Engage students in self-reflection, and let them keep track of and share their learning.

Options for Debriefing: Create a class anchor chart that synthesizes thinking that students will need to go back to over time. Ask students to “turn and talk” to articulate their thinking. Next, have them write in their journals to solidify new thinking. Or reverse the order: write to synthesize, and then talk to articulate. Allow students time to reflect on the learning target by writing in their response journals. Have students write a lingering question on a sticky note to help you figure out the direction for the next day. Have students share orally how their thinking has changed since the beginning of class. How are they smarter now than they were ninety minutes ago? Have students share what they created during work time with a partner or a group. This allows students to see multiple models of a product and can help them build a vision of high-quality work.

put my copy on the document camera so students can see how I read and annotate as I go.

After about four minutes of modeling what I want students to do on their own, I release the class to choose an article for themselves that they think will address a question they have. Students head to the table at the front of the room where the articles are arranged.