Sunday, March 22, 2015
Formative Assessments
As teachers we know how important it is to allow
assessment to drive instruction. For the most part, we are assessing our
student’s progress all day. This article proposes the use of a “palette” of
formative assessments for teachers to use. The assessments include
observations, interviews, show me activities, hinge questions, and exit tasks. I
definitely adapt lessons through my observations in the classroom and use activities
to further assess understanding. The only element of this palette that is new
to me is using “hinge” questions. These are strategic questions asked at “hinge”
points in a lesson. These strategic questions allow teachers to quickly assess
student understanding and guide instruction for the following day. Perhaps it
is necessary to reteach a concept or perhaps it is okay to move on to the next
skill/lesson. This is another tool that allows me to monitor my students’
progress and adapt my instruction to meet their needs.
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This article is a great guideline for teachers on how to include both informal and formal assessments in their classroom. Hinge questions and show me activities are tools for teachers to be mindful during their lesson--asking kids what they know, what they are getting and what else they want to know. We forget that lessons can be very conversational and reciprocal bits of time with our students. Not only are we offering information but we are sharing a time and ought to be listening to our students throughout. I believe the informal assessment is just that. Thanks for your post
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