1. Checking for understanding: Formative assessment techniques (Fisher D.& Frey N., 2007) Adapted from a presentation by GREMA MALAM MAMADOU November 2009

2. Introduction A “mistake “in our teaching: ”Does everyone understand?” A lone voice says, "Yes” We accept it as evidence that learning has occurred. Much later, we review the results of the latest quiz, test, or essay, and shake our heads in wonder. “I taught all this,” we say, “Didn’t they get it?”

3. What should we do to avoid being misled? Formative assessments to check for understanding: ongoing assessments to gather information about what and how students are learning. Use the information to make adjustments to instruction, to keep students on track and help them develop into confident, independent learners.

4. Comparison of formative and summative assessments FormativeSummative PurposeTo improve instruction and provide student feedback To measure student competency When administeredOngoing throughout unit End of unit or course How students use results To self-monitor understanding To gauge their progress toward course or grade- level goals and benchmarks How teachers use results To check understanding For grades, promotion

5. I. Using oral language to check for understanding Strategies: Teach students how to be accountable to one another and to their learning. 1.Accountable talk (Resnick L., 2000) Stay on topic Use accurate and appropriate information for the topic Think deeply about what the partner has to say. 2. Noticing nonverbal cues Observe students’ facial expression, eye movement that let us know their level of understanding.

6. 3. Value lineups The value lineup(Kagan, 1994): fosters peer discourse based on students 'opinions about an academic topic. Cultivates a broader understanding of the distinctions of understanding on a topic The students evaluate a statement and line up according to their degree of agreement/disagreement. Each pair discuss their reasons for their positions and listen to the perspectives of their partners.

7. II. Using questions to check for understanding 5 steps of constructing effective questions(Walsh and Sattes, 2005) called QUILT: -prepare the question: purpose (e.g. recognition, recall or application), focus, wording, syntax -present the question: response format, ask the question -prompt student response: pause, help nonrespondent -process student responses: feedback, expand and use correct responses -reflect on questioning practice: analyze questioning techniques, evaluate student response patterns (How often did you scaffold their answers? rephrased a question to clarify understanding? How you handled incorrect responses?)

8. Develop authentic questions Questions enable students to think and teachers to check for understanding. Ensure that the questions engage students in deeper thinking not only to recall information that they have read or been told. Use Bloom’s taxonomy to engage students’ creative and critical thinking through authentic questions.

9. Strategies useful in area of questioning and checking for understanding Response Cards(Heward et al., 1996): Students hold up the card to indicate their answer to a question or problem. Audience Response Systems(ARS): Handheld devices used by learners to respond to a question individually in real time. See: www.turningtechnologies.com and Jonassen pp.147-150www.turningtechnologies.com ReQuest or Reciprocal Questioning(Manzo, 1969): Students ask and answer questions as they read.

10. Writing to check for understanding Narrative writing(telling a story) Informative writing(informing the reader) Persuasive writing(persuading the reader) Writing is thinking. Teacher looks at how the form and the content interact. Summary writing: gives teachers insight into how learners condense information. Example: the précis: a short piece that contains the major ideas and concepts of a topic.

11. Projects and performances to check for understanding Tasks associated with application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Students transfer their learning to new situations. They help determine students’ understanding of the content.

12. Effective techniques using projects and performances Readers’ Theatre: a small group of students take a piece of text and turn it into a script to show their understanding of the main ideas. Multimedia presentation: students develop and present PowerPoint presentations. Visual displays of information: graphic organizers, inspiration Public performance: music, art Electronic and paper portfolios

13. Using tests to check for understanding They depend in part on the design and development of good test items. They also depend on the analysis of student responses. Examples: multiple choice items provide the teacher with an opportunity to gauge students' understanding in a fairly quick and efficient manner and easy to analyze.

14. Tests(continued) Short answer test items are considered effective as a measure of students’ ability to accurately recall specific information Teachers should choose the appropriate formats: blank line, specificity, hidden clues. Cloze test: can be used as a diagnostic reading assessment technique, to determine a student’s independent reading level and to check for understanding of content-area texts. Essay: requires that students consolidate their understanding of a topic, organize their thinking and present it. It is a performance test though subjective.