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Hello, I am Ruthie Brown a graduate student enrolled at Voorhees University seeking a master's degree in teaching and learning for Early Childhood Education.   This semester were are studying STEAM Assessment and would like your feedback and input on this topic.  I have learned that formative assessment probes are used to make better instructional decisions.  The best teaching draws on the best evidence.  Gathering evidence of what all students know learned and mastered, where students’ ideas come from and what assets they draw upon.  We use formative assessment to collect this evidence.  It is a systematic process of collecting evidence about students’ thinking and progress toward a learning goal to inform instruction while promoting conceptual learning.  It happens throughout the learning process.  Formative assessment is not graded like a test or quiz.  These are assessments that give us information about what our students are thinking so we can give feedback on our instructional decisions.  Probes are specifically designed questions that reveal what students are thinking.  Questions that engage students, and figure out that their ideas matter regardless of whether they are right or wrong.  Probes can learn the importance of taking the time to find out what students have “learned” from their prior experience both in and outside of school. 

Thanks in advance, I appreciate your help.