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Tools for Actively Engaging Students in Assessment Processes Harvey F. Silver We have seen the meaning of classroom assessment evolve in recent years. Here, we focus on Shift 1, moving from teacher-directed assessment to classroom assessment that invites students into the process. Backwards Learning To better illustrate this important shift, let's take a closer look at one of the tools from Tools for Thoughtful Assessment: Classroom-Ready Techniques for Improving Teaching and Learning (Boutz, Silver, Jackson, & Perini, 2012) that teaches students how to analyze a task and its cognitive demands. Assessment Task: At the end of this lesson or unit, what will I be asked to do or create? By using the Backwards Learning tool, teachers are doing much more than previewing the final task—they're actively engaging students in the assessment process and encouraging students to take responsibility for their own learning. Integrating New Tools with Existing Instruction Reference Boutz, A.
Patrick Woessner's Presentations - Wikis in the Classroom
Presentation Slides Why Use Wikis? Wikis are online spaces ideally suited for collaborative work. Though they vary slightly in form and function, wikis are beneficial in the classroom because they foster cooperative learning, project based learning, and authentic assessment.Cooperative Learning The Cooperative Learning Center at the University of Minnesota defines cooperative learning as a "relationship in a group of students that requires positive interdependence (a sense of sink or swim together), individual accountability (each of us has to contribute and learn), interpersonal skills (communication, trust, leadership, decision making, and conflict resolution), face-to-face promotive interaction, and processing (reflecting on how well the team is functioning and how to function even better)." Wikis in Plain English Although a wiki is conceptually a collaborative workspace, this video from Common Craft provides a nice overview of how wikis work: Wiki Examples Additional Wiki Examples
Wikispaces Introduces a Brand New Look for Classroom Wikis
Wikispaces has been a great supporter of classrooms for years now. They allow any teacher to use their services to create wikis for free and without advertising. Today, Wikispaces introduced a brand new look for classroom wikis. Wikispaces Classroom is a new, free offering from Wikispaces. Wikispaces is offering some free webinars about the new Wikispaces Classroom.
Sample Items and Performance Tasks
Smarter Balanced sample items illustrate the rigor and complexity of the English language arts/literacy and mathematics items and performance tasks students will encounter on the Consortium’s next-generation assessments. The sample items and performance tasks are intended to help teachers, administrators, and policymakers implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and preparing for next-generation assessments. They provide an early look into the depth of understanding of the CCSS that will be measured by the Smarter Balanced assessment system. While the items and tasks are not intended to be used as sample tests, educators can use them to begin planning the shifts in instruction that will be required to help students meet the demands of the new assessments. The sample items and tasks can be viewed by grade band (grades 3-5, 6-8, and high school) or content focus. In the coming months, additional items and performance tasks will be made available. Using the Sample Items and Tasks
Making Assessment Personally Relevant
In my previous entry, I wrote, I want my students to realize that learning is not about making your work conform to some standard imposed by the teacher. Learning is about creating your own standards and adjusting them based on your goals. My students have been very productive in the last couple of weeks and many of them seemed to have grasped the fact that learning is about conversations. My biggest challenge at this point is evaluation. So, how do I make them see that their ability to direct their own learning and engage in conversations with their peers is much more important than a formal grade? Before I proceed, I should explain that my grade eight students are currently engaged in personal research projects on human rights and social justice. Their first step involved locating appropriate resources and collecting information. Then, I realized that the students would also benefit from assigning value to their own work. So far, this handout has been a valuable tool.
Wikis in Education - Wikis in Education
IAR: Assess students > True/False questions
True-false questions are typically used to measure the ability to identify whether statements of fact are correct. The questions are usually a declarative statement that the student must judge as true or false. Strengths: Can cover a lot of content in a short time (about two questions per minute of testing time) The question is useful when there are only two possible alternatives. Limitations: Difficult to write questions beyond the knowledge level that are free from ambiguity. Common formats for true-false questions Tips for writing true/false questions: Construct statements that are definitely true or definitely false, without additional qualifications.
“It’s not about the Tools…It’s about the Skills” Downloads
21st Century Learning Visible Thinking in Math- Part 1 The conversation about visible thinking in Math started with one of our teachers at Graded, The American School of São Paulo, Adam Hancock, wanting to know how he could incorporate having students’ use their blogfolios in Math class. It seemed natural to have students write for Humanities (Language Arts and … Redefining My Learning Silvana Meneghini and I work as Academic Technology Coordinators at Graded, the American School of São Paulo. ” A flashlight in the fog of technology integration“, initially the title of a conference workshop proposal, quickly developed into the desire of creating a framework to guide and coach teachers based on … Reflection in the Learning Process, Not As An Add On Is it personality? The Digital Learning Farm in Action Student Tutorials- MineCraft, How to Ride a Horse, iMovie and more It is no secret, that I am a big fan of Alan November‘s Digital Learning Farm concept. Global Education Selfies Around the World
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Authentic Assessment and Rubrics
Here you will find a hand selected index of authentic assessment resources. Includes information about performance assessment, rubrics, negotiable contracting, electronic portfolios, and web-based tools for creating your own assessments. Examples of RubricsIncludes rubrics for cooperative learning, research reports, eportfolios, PowerPoint/oral presentations, multimedia, video, and web projects The Case for Authentic AssessmentGrant Wiggins describes the need for authentic assessment. This article from the peer-reviewed journal, Practical, Research, & Evaluation, provides a foundation of understanding for authentic assessment. Why Use Rubrics? Recommendations for Developing Instructional Rubrics (pdf)Suggestions to assist when developing and implementing alternative assessment activities. Formative Assessment That Truly Informs Instruction (pdf)How do I grade? Developing Performance Assessment TasksCharacteristics of effective performance assessment tasks
