Double Journal Entry #11

1.      What is formative assessment?

Formal assessments are ongoing observations and reviews that measure where the students are at and/or how well they are doing during the learning process. 

2.      What is the CENTRAL purpose of formative assessment?

The central purpose of formative assessment is to improve student learning.  Through formative assessment, teachers can provide feedback to help students make improvements and learn from their mistakes.

3.      Connect a best practice in formative assessment to one research-based strategy.

Timely feedback—it is important to give students timely feedback after a formative assessment.  If the feedback does not occur close to the assessment then the comments and suggestions lose their effectiveness. 
 
4.      Give an example of how a specific assessment can be used formatively and summatively.

 A rubric can be used as a guide so that the students know what is expected of them, and then it can be used to grade the final product.

5.      Give an example from your field placement related to formative assessment and timing.

 In my placement the students have been working on writing paragraphs to get ready for the Writing Assessment Test.  During the process they brainstorm ideas, create graphic organizers, write rough drafts, and then revise their work.  It isn’t until they have had time to review and revise their work that my host teacher or I step in and offer suggestions.  This way, the students are given enough time to complete the task on their own and identify their own mistakes.

 
6.      What are some strategies to help formative assessment be more effective when providing students with feedback?

 The feedback given to a student should be timely, specific, and task focused.  The comments should provide the students with motivation to improve their work, not with the feeling of failure.  The comments should also give very specific ways to improve.  For example, instead of saying the writing shows potential, tell them they could use more descriptive words.  This gives them something concrete to work with.

7.      Name two advantages to high quality formative assessment.

 High quality formative assessment is a way for students to self monitor and keep themselves on task. With the feedback provided from the assessments they know where they stand and what they need to improve on.  Another advantage of high quality formative assessment is that teachers are able to see if a student does not understand a concept, and clear up those misconceptions early on.

 
8.      What are some challenges to implementing high quality formative assessment?

One challenge is that teachers need to vary assessments according to the specific tasks and students’ abilities.  This can be a challenge because it can be very time consuming.  Another challenge is to link assessment to instruction; the assessment must match the objectives being taught.  Finally, it is a challenge to take the formative assessment to the next level.  You don’t just want the students to get the task done, you want them to excel and expand their knowledge.