Formative Assessment
Just when we think we truly understand good assessment practice, we run into a situation where we are unsure as to how to proceed in our own classrooms. I think most of us have the vision but we get stuck on strategies. We don’t always understand how to mesh planning with good instructional and assessment practice. We purchased both of the new assessment books by Damian Cooper. Both are titled “Talk About Assessment”. One is geared mostly for elementary schools and the other one deals with specifics for high schools. The DVDs have practical ideas for applications in classrooms.
We love the 1973 version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This excerpt from the classroom scene provides a great example of what not to do!
MR. TURKENTINE: (clears throat) I've just decided to switch
our Friday schedule to Monday, which means that the test we
take each Friday on what we learned during the week will now
take place on Monday before we've learned it. But since
today is Tuesday, it doesn't matter in the slightest.
Pencils ready. Today we are going to learn about . . .
percentages. And for an example, let's take the recent
unpleasantness. Supposing that there were a thousand
Wonka Bars in the world and during the contest you each
opened a certain number of them. That number is a percent.
Everyone understand?
KIDS: (some moan; others:) No.
MR. TURKENTINE: You, Madeline Durkin, how many Wonka Bars
did you open?
MADELINE: About a hundred.
MR. TURKENTINE: There are ten hundreds in a thousand;
therefore you opened ten percent. You, Peter Goff, how many
did you open?
PETER: A hundred and fifty.
MR. TURKENTINE: That's ten percent half over again, which
makes fifteen percent. Charlie Bucket, how many did you
open?
CHARLIE: Two.
MR. TURKENTINE: That's easy. Two hundred is twice one
hundred . . .
CHARLIE: Not two hundred. Just two.
MR. TURKENTINE: Two? What do you mean you only opened two?
CHARLIE: I don't care very much for chocolate.
MR. TURKENTINE: Well I can't figure out just two, so let's
pretend you opened two hundred. Now, if you opened two
hundred Wonka Bars, apart from being dreadfully sick, you'd
have used up twenty percent of one thousand, which is
fifteen percent half over again, ten percent--
Just when we think we truly understand good assessment practice, we run into a situation where we are unsure as to how to proceed in our own classrooms. I think most of us have the vision but we get stuck on strategies. We don’t always understand how to mesh planning with good instructional and assessment practice. We purchased both of the new assessment books by Damian Cooper. Both are titled “Talk About Assessment”. One is geared mostly for elementary schools and the other one deals with specifics for high schools. The DVDs have practical ideas for applications in classrooms.
MR. TURKENTINE: (clears throat) I've just decided to switch
our Friday schedule to Monday, which means that the test we
take each Friday on what we learned during the week will now
take place on Monday before we've learned it. But since
today is Tuesday, it doesn't matter in the slightest.
Pencils ready. Today we are going to learn about . . .
percentages. And for an example, let's take the recent
unpleasantness. Supposing that there were a thousand
Wonka Bars in the world and during the contest you each
opened a certain number of them. That number is a percent.
Everyone understand?
KIDS: (some moan; others:) No.
MR. TURKENTINE: You, Madeline Durkin, how many Wonka Bars
did you open?
MADELINE: About a hundred.
MR. TURKENTINE: There are ten hundreds in a thousand;
therefore you opened ten percent. You, Peter Goff, how many
did you open?
PETER: A hundred and fifty.
MR. TURKENTINE: That's ten percent half over again, which
makes fifteen percent. Charlie Bucket, how many did you
open?
CHARLIE: Two.
MR. TURKENTINE: That's easy. Two hundred is twice one
hundred . . .
CHARLIE: Not two hundred. Just two.
MR. TURKENTINE: Two? What do you mean you only opened two?
CHARLIE: I don't care very much for chocolate.
MR. TURKENTINE: Well I can't figure out just two, so let's
pretend you opened two hundred. Now, if you opened two
hundred Wonka Bars, apart from being dreadfully sick, you'd
have used up twenty percent of one thousand, which is
fifteen percent half over again, ten percent--