Pre-Assessments & Differentiation

The idea can be overwhelming.  I was doing some research on differentiation…looking for ways to make the idea “approachable,” and I came across this from a website you really should explore.

http://www.byrdseed.com/six-traits-of-quality-pre-assessments/

One of my favorite things to do is synthesize information and figure out an easier way to look at the combination of ideas.  We know we need to improve differentiation for students.  We know we need to pre-assess.  We know.  We know.  We KNOW!  But why don’t we do it more?  We need all these things we KNOW to be combined in a way that we feel like we CAN DO them.  That’s where my brain has been swirling over the last month.  I’m determined to feel like I can tackle this and teach it.  One thing that might help us is to look at using KUDo’s instead of “I Can” statements.  By spending a little more time on the learning objectives, the differentiation and preassessment pieces seem a little more feasible.  Check out what this man has to say…LOVE the idea of adding “some, most, all” to the learning objective.

http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/10/23/learning-objectives-the-basics/

I learned about KUDo’s through a book by Diane Heacox.  (Making Differentiation a Habit:  How to Ensure Success in Academically Diverse Classrooms) 

What do you want the students to KNOW?  What do you want the students to UNDERSTAND?  What do you want the students to be able to DO?

Synthesize these ideas…where do the words ALL, SOME, MOST belong in the KUDo’s?  Maybe they already know it (preassess).  So now what?.  Don’t forget to consider higher order thinking such as Revised Bloom’s when you begin to plan your lessons and the applications.  Nice synthesis, don’t you think?

Yes, there’s much more work to be done.  I’m still researching, but I liked these ideas and wanted to share.

Okay…so now a favor.  I’m not sure how many teachers know about the blog.  Share the link with someone.  If you haven’t signed up to receive alerts when a new post is added, consider signing up.

Which Comes First?

Learning or thinking?

While doing some prep work for tomorrow’s appointments, I began searching good ole Google.  (How did I survive all those years?  I LOVE having answers at my fingertips.)  I had questions and wanted to see what the world had to answer them.

Then, I found her (actually she is using HIS work).  An article that defines “reflection.”  It’s long.  It’s scholarly.  So I’ll differentiate.  I’ll pull out some phrases that are AWESOME, and I’ll provide the link.  You can choose your route. (Isn’t choice nice?  How often do you give your students a choice?)  Hopefully these pieces will spark your interest enough to dig into the article called, “Defining Reflection: Another Look at John Dewey and Reflective Thinking” by Carol Rodgers.  Here are some highlights:

• My purpose is, quite simply, to provide a clear picture of Dewey’s original ideas so that they might serve as we improvise, revise, and create new ways of deriving meaning from experiences-thinking to learn.
• “What (an individual) has learned in the way of knowledge and skill in one situation becomes an instrument of understanding and dealing effectively with the situations which follow.  The process goes on as long as life and learning continue.”
• …other kinds of thinking is stream of consciousness. It is the thinking all of us are involuntarily awash in all the time….This is often the only kind of thinking teachers have time for.
• …moves the learner from a disturbing state of perplexity…to a harmonious state of settledness.  Perplexity is created when an individual encounters a situation whose “full character is not yet determined.”  That is, the meaning of the experience has not yet been fully established.
• An additional source of motivation is curiosity, without which there is little energy for the hard work of reflection.
• The store of one’s wisdom is the result of the extent of one’s reflection.
• Formulating the problem or question itself is half the work.  As Dewey says, “A question well put is half answered.”
• Reflection must include action.
• Dewey knew that merely to think without ever having to express what one thought is an incomplete act….The experience has to be formulated in order to be communicated.
• Curiosity about and enthusiasm for that subject matter is essential to good teaching.  Without them a teacher has no energy, no fuel, to carry out reflective inquiry-much less teaching itself.

There is great information in this article.  It helps to define true reflection, its purpose, and the importance of disciplined reflection.  Eye opening.  I hope you’ll take the time to read the article for yourself.

Rodgers, C. (2002). Defining Reflection Another Look at John Dewey and Reflective Thinking. Teachers College Record, 104(4), 842-866.

Engaging Ideas

In Educational Leadership (Vol. 70, No.1), I ran into some pretty nifty ideas for spicing up the classroom.    The article was “How to Know What Students Know” by Himmele and Himmele.

The Ripple Effect:  Picture a ripple in the water…the initial plunk is when each student is given time to individually process the prompt.  The next ripple is when they break into small groups after the individual think time.  In the outer circle of the ripple, the discussion comes back to whole group.  This allows for more meaningful discussion and forces all to participate.  “The quickest way to turn off the minds of shy students, English language learners, or students receiving learning support is to ask your questions in the form of a traditional Q & A.  If you want to reach all students, ripple your questions.”

Chalkboard Splash:  Starting with a question or prompt, students are given a quick write that invites higher order thinking.  Then all students are asked to summarize or find key points and write it in a sentence or two (or given # of words).  Students are then asked to write their work on the board. This gives a quick formative assessment in one activity, students get out of seats, and students get to share their ideas with each other.

The Debate Team Carousel:  LOVE this one.  Four squares on the paper and each square has a different question or prompt.  One student starts with box #1.  Everyone will pass the paper.  On the second round, students respond to box #2 which ties back to the first student’s response.  Third and fourth rounds follow the same idea.  Students will not write more than once on a piece of paper.

Questions Samples (page 60):

1. Write your opinion and give a reason why you think that way.
2. Read your classmate’s response.  In this box, add another reason that would support what your classmate wrote.
3. Write a reason that might be used to argue against what is written in boxes 1 & 2.
4. Read what is written in the 3 boxes.  Add your own opinion and your reason for it in this box.

Let me know how it turns out if you use one of these strategies!

Pre-Assessments

The idea of pre-assessing students prior to planning a lesson or differentiating seems daunting.  I KNOW it feels like one more thing to do.   Ever heard the phrase, “Sometimes you have to spend money to make money?”  That’s the same concept for pre-assessments.  It feels like it’s taking away from instructional time; however, when we teach what they need to know instead of spending time on what they already know, we actually “buy” time.

I think the hardest thing to do with all of the current shifts in education right now is to shift our own thinking.  We CAN do this, but probably not by the same method we have been using.  We need to shift our thinking.  Apply some action research and find new pathways.  Time for us to use our own critical and creative thinking.  Time for us to research instead of just expecting our students to research.  Time to try new, even though we might fail the first few rounds.  To grow, we must be open to change.

Pre-assessment might not look the way we have pictured it all these years.  Know your “big idea” when you plan.  What is it you want the students to know when the lesson is over.  Then pre-assess to see which students know it before you ever start.  Gifted students really need the opportunity to be exposed to new information.  All students do.

I found these tips to be insightful.  This site has some other good thoughts for gifted education, too.  By now you should know, I think these strategies benefit ALL students.

Gripes of Gifted Give Insight for Assessments

Set a small goal if you are not currently pre-assessing.  Baby steps.  But try something. If you want to collaborate and need help to decide what to do first, use the instruction team.  We’d be happy to help!!

Lions, Tigers, and Bears! Oh MY!

Assessment ideas.  Strategies. Writing across the curriculum.  Vocabulary tips.  Oh my!!!  My personal interest right now is “STEAM,” and I ordered a book called STEAM Point.  The chapter on assessments gave some  websites with resources.  Immediately I thought “blog”!  Happy exploring!  Personal favorites were using RAFT across the content area for writing, formative assessments strategies, and vocabulary games (like the board game Taboo).  Be sure to check out response logs, too.

Teach21

Formative Assessments

Group for Differentiation with Ease

(Should I tell you the names of the individuals sharing the ideas?  I haven’t been, but I’ve decided I can no longer keep the secrets.  I must tell you from this point on!  This entry comes from Mrs. Strevel at Scales.)

It’s amazing to me how the things teachers do are “just what we do” to the point we don’t even realize how wonderful they really are!  That happened today.  During a conversation, Mrs. Strevel referenced putting Post-it notes on the desks of her student to make small groups for further instruction based on needs.  I asked her to explain how that worked.

While she teaches her lesson, she places different color Post-it notes on the desks according to how the students are performing (need help, almost have it, got it, etc.).  After the lesson, this system provides her with immediate groups ready for small group instruction based on the previous lesson.

That’s not all.  As exit tickets, she gives a slip of paper with a small task from the lesson.  Those exit tickets give her one more peek at levels of performance.  She then groups according to student needs, and again the next morning, codes the desk for small group instruction.  In addition to Post-it notes, she uses instructional tools, such as pattern blocks or money.  Calling groups then becomes another instructional review.

Brilliant.

Why do we insist on making our job harder?  This is so easy.  And why didn’t I think of this???  To her, it’s just “what she does.”  We should share more of what we do!!

So…let’s get some comments going here…what do YOU do?