One of the great philosophical discussion of our time....

Makes me think of the age old question of "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?"

Ultimately within this philosophical discussion on the educational fate of our children..... Who will decide? How will they decide?  And..... when?

Until then...

Assessment.... it's a BIG deal!



This workshop on assessment was one of the first sessions I held with the teachers.  It was intense, fast paced, with lots of activities.



Assessment:  it is a process, done over time, to collect information to improve student learning.

First I created a three part Graphic Organizer on the board to explain the three types of assessment: diagnostic, formative and summative.



Diagnostic Assessment

When:  before instruction
What: to find out what the child already knows.
Why:  to plan next steps
Examples:  pre-test, IQ test



Formative Assessment

When:  during instruction
What:  part of the classroom routine
Why: to help with lesson planning
Examples: quiz, homework, review games, lab work



Summative Assessment

When:  at the end of instruction
What:  information on student learning over time
Why:  to provide feedback to student, parents, teacher and administration.
Examples:  term exams, Cambridge exams



Following my direct instruction on the three types of assessment, I introduced Graphic Organizers to the teachers.

First I used a "Bubble Map" to demonstrate how to use the Graphic Organizer to describe Diagnostic Assessment.  Next, I divided the class into two, and asked half of the class to now create their own "Bubble Map" Graphic Organizer to describe formative assessment, and the other half of the room to do the same, but for summative assessment.

When the timer buzzed, I randomly called on a teachers to come to the board and complete one "Bubble Map" for formative assessment and explain it to the whole group, and one to do the same for summative assessment.



To bring a little levity to this rather heavy topic, I placed on each of the four walls, one of the above symbols:  clouds, balance, kite and dart.

I instructed the teachers, when I gave the okay to get up, to move to the symbol that in some way attracted them, or that they related to.

Once teachers grouped around a symbol I asked them to talk about what it was that brought them there.  Only after this, did I tell them this is a diagnostic communication styles assessment.

Cloud:  relationship oriented
Dart:  only the facts, straight to the point
Kite:  moving all over the place brainstorming ideas
Balance:  collecting ideas to make a decision



To assess if the teachers really understood the three types of assessment, I passed out pieces of paper with a type of assessment (or combinations of assessments) written on them.  In small groups, teachers were asked to draw a picture of the assessment written on the paper they received..... BUT... they could only use pictures!  They could not use any written words in their picture....



That's me in this summative assessment drawing!



Can you guess which of the three types of assessment this one is showing?



Diagnostic assessment..... and so proud of it!