Effective Use of Formative Assessment in a Social Studies Classroom

801 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Key elements of formative assessment and how it meets its principal purpose

In order for teachers to use formative assessment effectively there must be these components: it must be incorporated into each lesson, must have student involvement, must collect information on student performance to determine if outcomes are meet, must give the teacher feedback to help shape and guide student learning, and must give the student feedback to help them reflect upon their learning. Anecdotal Records, Quizzes, Portfolios, and Student-Led Conferences all meet the components of an effective formative assessment and are applicable within a Social Studies classroom.

Anecdotal Records

Anecdotal records from observation of students are a great form of assessment because they record the student's social, emotional, physical, aesthetic, and cognitive development throughout the school year. By keeping these records, it allows the teacher to keep an ongoing record for reflection and interventions, when necessary. When keeping anecdotal records it is important to answer questions like: who, what when, and where. The purpose of these records is not to elaborate upon the child, but to simply state and keep an ongoing record of the student. This type of assessment is also especially useful for students with an IEP and students with behavioral disorders. This assessment is also useful for Social Studies because the students can be observed and documented when working in groups, working alone on assignment, or when researching on the computer.

Quizzes

Quizzes are also a valuable tool to use after a lesson, to help measure where the students are in the material covered. These quizzes are corrected but the grades are not recorded, they are used only so the students can know how well they did. After quizzes are given,...

... middle of paper ...

...cussed and helps the parents to be involved in the process. When doing a Student-Led Conference, the student can create a portfolio to be displayed, containing: quizzes, activities, projects, homework..Etc. These portfolios can be either content specific, like if the teacher wants to focus on Social Studies or can be a sampling of all subjects. The student will write a reflection on their learning and efforts thus far in the semester and be able to talk about their academic journey with the teacher and parents. This type of assessment helps to open the lines of communication between the student, parents, and teacher. Also a great assessment for English Language Learners (ELLs), since so many ELLs struggle with academic language, Student-Led Conferences is great to help them feel more comfortable talking about academics and building academic language skills.

Show More
Related

  • Formative Assessment Probe

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...teacher see what their students know, wonder about and techniques they use to make sense of the world and the classroom. This information can then be used by the teacher to differentiate instruction. The teacher can recover material, present alternative activities that students are more receptive in order to foster student responsiveness and engagement. In Page Keeley’s article An Introduction to Formative Assessment Classroom Techniques (FACTs) she articulates the purpose and power of a classroom that frequently uses formative assessments by saying, “it organizes the entire classroom around learning and informs ways teachers can provide more effective learning experiences based on how their own” (10). Formative assessments foster a supportive classroom community where students and even teacher thoughts are encouraged and in turn shape the future of that classroom.

    Read More

  • Native American Group Assessment

    1377 Words  | 3 Pages

    Formative Assessment- There are a number of formative assessment that are used. The first one is the list created on the first day after reading the passage along with student participation on sharing their findings the following day on day two. Student participation in day six when sharing their papers and the write up of a peer’s paper will be used for a formative assessment. All of these are graded on accuracy and completion and will be worth five points each.

    Read More

  • Annotated Bibliography Annotated Bibliography

    1045 Words  | 3 Pages

    This article, initiated by the Assessment Group of the British Educational Research Association, focuses on how improving formative assessment raises standards and how there is still room for improvement. It discusses the importance of self and peer assessments and effective teaching. They also identified four ways to implement classroom policies to improve formative assessment.

    Read More

  • Scope and Sequence Plan for a 200 hour Information and Software Technology Course

    1903 Words  | 4 Pages

    Elwood, J. (2006). Formative assessment: possibilities, boundaries and limitations. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 215-232, doi:10.1080/09695940600708653

    Read More

  • (Introduction Paper) The Impact of Formative Assessment and Feedback on Student Learning Using the Student Response System

    2141 Words  | 5 Pages

    Formative assessment to inform instruction and guide student learning is being underutilized. Many students are not given feedback that is effective in helping them see where they are in regard to reaching the learning goals or that provides plan for moving them forward to achieve that goal. Students are not always given the opportunity to take an active role in the learning process by regularly assessing themselves and their peers as they work to achieve their learning goals. The purpose of this study is to determine how the use of formative assessment with immediate feedback using student response systems will impact student learning. This study will also investigate the effect that student involvement in self-evaluation has on learning.

    Read More

  • Formative And Summative Essay

    1223 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although somewhat vague compared to summative assessment, several key features help frame formative assessment. First, formative assessment happens while learning is taking place as opposed to at the end of content delivery. Rather, this is considered “assessment for learning,” (Chappuis, J., Stiggins, Chappuis, S., & Arter, 2012, pg. 5). The format is formal or informal, but the outcome in its use is an in-progress check of what students know and what students do not know. Chappuis, Stiggins, Chappuis, and Arter (2012) define formative assessment as, “Formal and informal processes teachers and students use to gather evidence for the purpose of improving learning,” (pg. 24). Second, this type of assessment is used to make instructional strategy adjustments. If student learning did not happen via one instructional method, the teacher must make the necessary accommodations to reteach the concept or skill. Next, it is not only used by teachers for feedback on instruction, but formative assessment is also used for providing timely, descriptive feedback to students and extends to allow for student self-assessment (Chappuis, J., Stiggins, Chappuis, S., & Arter, 2012; Popham, 2008). Formative assessment provides opportunity to provide specific feedback to students on where they are currently in their learning, and where they should be headed.

    Read More

  • Formative Math Reflection

    704 Words  | 2 Pages

    However, a formative assessment is ongoing and is used to check for students’ understanding throughout a lesson. Both work samples “matched learning objectives” and I was able to identify the students’ strength and weaknesses. I was also able to “analyze assessment data to understand patterns and gaps in learning” to guide my future instructions. In the word problem assessment, I recognized where the student was struggling and gave “effective and descriptive feedback” to address the area that she needs work in.

    Read More

  • Formative and Summative Assessments for Learners

    1439 Words  | 3 Pages

    Black, Paul. (2003). The Nature and Value of Formative Assessment for Learning. Improving Schools. 6 (3) 7-22

    Read More

  • What Is Formative Assessment?

    1297 Words  | 3 Pages

    Assessments have always been a tool for teachers to assess mastery and for a long time it was just to provide a grade and enter it into the grade book or report card. Through resources in and out of the course, there has been a breath of new life into the research on how to use assessments. They take many forms and fall within the summative or formative assessment category. Sloan (2016) addresses how formative assessments has traditionally been used by teachers to modify instruction, but when we focus on a classroom that is learner-centered “it becomes assessment for learning as opposed to assessment of learning” (slide 4). The fact is, the students are the ones that should be and are the ones using the data we collect through assessments, since it is our way of providing feedback in order

    Read More

  • Examples Of Formative And Summative Assessment

    1692 Words  | 4 Pages

    Teachers use a range of formative assessment tools and teaching approaches to gather evidence for the purposes of: monitoring and measuring student learning; providing students with feedback; and providing feedback to inform teaching and modifying instructional strategies to enhance students’ knowledge and performance in mathematics (ACARA, 2015; DEECD, 2009; McMillan, 2011; Taylor-Cox, & Oberdorf, 2013). Regular use of formative assessment improves student learning as instruction can be adjusted based on students’ progress and teachers are able to modify instructions to cater to students’ individual needs (Black & Wiliam, 2010; Taylor-Cox, & Oberdorf, 2013). Various forms of informal and formal formative assessment methods are conducted as learning takes place, continuously through teacher observations, questioning through individual interactions, group discussions and open-ended tasks (McMillan,

    Read More

  • Anecdotal Observation Report

    537 Words  | 2 Pages

    Anecdotal recordings can be used in many different ways to observe children. It can be used to preserve details about developing skills, behaviors, or incidents for later judgements and reflections. Anecdotal recordings are short, but detailed enough to draw the developmental issue to a conclusion. Anecdotal records are useful for teachers, parents, and the students. Teachers, on the right side of the paper take note of opinionated observations, ideas of how to solve the problems, and a solution that they are going to try. While on the left side of the sheet of paper, the information is all observations, actions, and conversations that the specific child had. The teacher can then make a copy of the left side and add it to the child’s portfolio

    Read More

  • The Importance of Teacher Feedback in The Educational Environment

    1927 Words  | 4 Pages

    Cauley, K.H. & McMillan, J.H. (2009). Formative assessment techniques to support student motivation and achievement. Clearing House, 83(1), 1-6.

    Read More

  • Difference Between Formative And Summative Assessment

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    For more than 20 years, formative assessment has been highly researched and even accredited as a critical part of a teacher’s pedagogy. In the last decade it (formative assessment has become something of a buzzword and in some cases a mandate in k-12 schools across the country. Formative assessment can be defined as a part of the instructional process intended to gather information and provide feedback for both students and teachers that allow for needed

    Read More

  • Classroom Assessments

    2426 Words  | 5 Pages

    As teachers, we have to monitor the progress our students make each day, week, quarter and year. Classroom assessments are one of the most crucial educational tools for teachers. When assessments are properly developed and interpreted, they can help teachers better understand their students learning progress and needs, by providing the resources to collect evidence that indicates what information their students know and what skills they can perform. Assessments help teachers to not only identify and monitor learners’ strengths, weaknesses, learning and progress but also help them to better plan and conduct instruction. For these reasons, ongoing classroom assessment is the glue that binds teaching and learning together and allows educators to monitor their efficacy and student learning.

    Read More

  • Reflection Of The Syllabus

    1736 Words  | 4 Pages

    Through assessment students and teachers are able to determine the level of mastery a student has achieved with standards taught. Both formative and summative assessment should be purposeful and targeted to gain the most accurate data to drive further instruction (Ainsworth, 2010). While this syllabus does a good job of identifying the need for both formal and informal assessments, the way in which this is communicated does not provide enough detail for understanding. Simply listing assessment types does not give any insight into how these assessments fit in the learning process of this course. While some of the assessments mentioned could be common assessments chosen by the school or district to gain insight into the effectiveness of instruction, the inclusion of authentic assessments is most beneficial to students and demonstrates learning in a context closer to that of a work environment (Rovai, 2004). Unfortunately, this particular course, according to this syllabus, relies heavily on quizzes and traditional tests and essays to form the bulk of assessment opportunities. While other activities, such as formative assessments, journaling and discussions are mentioned as possible avenues for scoring, they are given a very low percentage of the overall grade. This shows that they are not valued for their ability to show progression and mastery. If this is indeed the case, this puts the students as a

    Read More

More about Effective Use of Formative Assessment in a Social Studies Classroom

Open Document