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Please read and respond to the A is for Assessment article. (250 words; respond to a minimum of 2 classmates)

This article was pretty close to another that I read for my Reading Endorsement a few years ago and shaped a good bit of how I approached reading instruction. I have translated a number of these things into Science, though my fidelity with some of them is not what I would wish, given the time constraints of being in the Science Lab versus having my own class that I could manipulate the time with. I am a HUGE Dinah Zikes fan, so my notebooks/portfolios aren’t just a collection of little writing entries that the students add as we go through a unit, but a collection of everything we do around that unit. Worksheets become foldables (when I use them), graphic organizers all have movable parts and are made of construction paper instead of white copy paper (though I do use white paper a lot, too!). While it may sound a little Kindergarten for a Fifth Grader to do, I do a lot of cut and paste organizing inside the notebooks and they ENJOY it! I have even added concept maps after we discussed those earlier! What I wish I had more time to do is the Individual Interviews. If I had 5 minutes to talk to each kid in the room once a week, I could figure out where their misconceptions are much quicker and get them settled before too much time (and instruction) has gone by. Given that I only see each class for an hour once a week and most of the time those classes are late, I don’t have any time to spend on an individual level with the students on a regular basis.

I am comfortable in the use of pre and post assessments, as well as the use of formative assessments, but this article opened my eyes to more options. We all know that a pre-test and post-test should closely match one another, and that formative assessments can show us student misconceptions. What we may not know is the effectiveness of having students complete drawings, journal entries, constructions, or even individual interviews. Although the individual interview may not be possible due to time, the other varieties are real possibilities. When doing a drawing, the article warns us to give simple directions. The teacher should give very specific guidelines to what should be drawn. I did this when my class was building circuits, and it was a fairly easy way to see who was getting it, or who was missing some key parts to their circuit. I am also a fan of science journals. It is a great way to document what was covered, and students can see how their viewpoint changed over time. It is also a great way for students to write follow-up questions and the teacher can read them at their leisure. You can put almost anything into the science journals and the kids seem to like the variety. For younger grades, the article mentioned “easy” and “hard” folders. Students put work into the “easy” folder when they think it is…well…easy. Then the teacher can see what they are struggling with in the “hard” folder. One last thing, as the CRCT quickly approaches, science journals also make a great resource to review key information you have covered throughout the year.

Tiffany: I use the Foldables a lot with my fifth graders as well, and they seem to appreciate the chance to cut and paste. Plus, it is an awesome way to organize information in so many different ways. Do you put many work samples into your science journals? I haven't done that yet, but it seems like a good idea.

Yes, I do! My notebooks are really fat and by the end of the year, they're starting to get hard to write in because of all the folded paper at different places. LOL However, they are very colorful and I love watching the kids flip through it when they think I'm not looking! They really loved the examples of weather tools that we built and put in there for the fourth graders. I see them taking the thermometer out and changing the temperature on the way to the next blank page where we're adding stuff (Sound waves today!). There's a version of Dinah's foldables in a book she published called "Notebook Foldables" that focuses on foldables you can make and put in a notebook with various materials. It even comes with a disk full of templates that you can put clipart and stuff on and print out to give your class a place to start. I don't bother with them too much, because the kids prefer drawing their own versions, but it's a VERY cool resource that it completely worth the money shelled out for it! I found it on her site here: http://dinah.mybigcommerce.com/dinah-zikes-notebook-foldables-for-spirals-binders-composition-books/ but I bought my copy at Barnes & Noble at the Mall. She also has a Science foldables book that will soon be added to my library...

Tiffany- The science foldable book is wonderful. Tons of great ideas.

Working at a Montessori school has given me the opportunity to look at assessments in a different way. The only "standard" tests we give each week are spelling tests and timed math fact tests. To measure student understanding we do a lot of small group and one on one lessons and gauge where to go next based on those interactions. I like that the article supports a lot of the assessments I am currently doing in the classroom like student interviews, using drawings, and journal entries. One thing that I have not tried are the comparing and contrasting activities. Using these different approaches to assessment allow us to engage other aspects of the child, like creativity, and give them a chance to transmit their knowledge in other fashions beyond filling in bubbles.

Tiffany: Thank you for sharing! I've been YouTubing the foldables all morning and got a lot of good ideas.

I enjoyed reading this article because it helped me place perspective on the strong emphasis on assessing students. Assessments are essential for teachers who want to meet the needs of students. Many times parents, students, and school personnel complain about too many assessments. However, the problem is not too much but not using the results to drive instruction for each child. Assessments help identify misconceptions and any areas needing extra focus. When used effectively, students and teachers benefit. Students do not have to dwell on information they know and waste valuable time. Teachers can teach students what they need and expand topics for students to gain more knowledge. Students also have a picture of what they are learning and what they need to learn. I realized that students should be assessed in different ways instead of creating one type of assessment for the entire class. Some students may refer to express what they know through drawings and others by writing. Using various types of assessments will help teachers meet the diversity of learners. Most tools suggested in article could be used for pre, post, or formative assessments. Assessment portfolios are important for all to stay informed of students’ progress. Portfolios offer a more accurate account of what students know and what they may need more instruction efforts to gain. In the past, I have used journals, lists, and graphic organizers. However, all students had the same type of assessments at the same time. Now I will offer more types of assessments to meet diversity in my classroom because assessments focusing on individual learning needs make assessing a little more enjoyable for all.

Jean and Stecklein discuss how teachers can be more effective if they talk less and let the students talk more. I enjoyed this article because it explains how valuable interactive discussion is. The more students are able to interact with each other, especially in science, the more they will learn. When we as teachers allow students to express their thoughts and ideas to each other, we are validating that their thoughts and ideas are important and meaningful. However, what makes this method so unique is that when the teacher responds to a question, they do not just give an answer. Instead, they redirect the question so that the students can produce the answer. Not only are the students able to answer the questions but it allows them to expand their thinking, hence, they are now asking more in depth questions. This allows the students to get a better, deeper understanding of the concept. Unfortunately, this method does not match with the way that we asses students. This method requires students to go beyond “the right answers” that our common tests requires. Hopefully the time will come in which our students will be assessed in a way that will measure their depth of a concept and not just knowing the “shallowness” of the concept. I believe that once our assessments make that change, then teachers will see students more engaged and excited about science. This in turn will allow us to accomplish our task without some of the motivational problems that we encounter.

Katrina--- Assessment portfolios!!! <-- This will be implemented in my classroom SOON! Thanks!

Craig- I am always amazed at the variety of assessment techniques that exist. I learn new methods almost every time that I visit a classroom.

Katrina- I agree that we should allow students the opportunity to show that they meet standard in a variety of ways. Multiple choice is not the only method.

Since common assessments will be a part of our new evaluation instrument to be used beginning next school year we had a representative from Professional Learning to share about assessments. Our conversations centered on the same ideas of this article. We discussed the importance of pre and post assessments as well as what can be used as summative and formative assessments. For my team and I we prefer to use the assessments that come with our science text since the content is indicative of what they will be tested on the CRCT. At this time, we do not give pre-assessments in science but will be making that change starting next year. Our challenge will be giving it early enough so that we have time to score it and analyze the data so that we know what our students already know and what we really need to focus on during instruction. We will be utilizing our technology even more to help us with gathering this data. When we discuss summative assessments, I do not like the term assessments. To me it is a summative evaluation; we are looking to see how our students are doing throughout a lesson or unit. We tend to be too focused on the word assessment that we tend to forget that anything we do can be used to evaluate our students at any given point of the lesson or unit. I believe that teachers use many types of resources or materials to see how their students are doing. It will depend on the content what we want to know about our students learning that will determine the best tool to use. I believe the many strategies mentioned in the article are used to evaluate students at any given point.

I love the idea of using foldables. I use them a lot in social studies, I will have to use them more in science. Another great tool to evaluate students.

Thea, thanks for sharing the great idea of looking for YouTube videos. I had not even thought of looking for how others use the foldables.

Some helpful information that I gleaned from this article include that idea that assessments don't have to be paper and pencil. I especially like the idea of using drawings as an assessment technique, because I think that the students would enjoy the change. Another idea that I found interesting was using the journal as an assessment tool, and then having students reflect on the pre- and postassessments documented in their journals. The interview would naturally be the most thorough assessment, but how practical is it to schedule 20 individual interviews for any reason? Also, the teacher would have to take detailed notes for documentation purposes. I think the students would really enjoy presenting dramatic representations, but they would need detailed guidelines. Once again, the teacher would need a way to document the presentation - perhaps a rubric. I had some concerns about the construction assessment. The students would enjoy this assessment, but there would be a lot of preparation on the part of the teacher. If the teacher is assessing individuals, he or she would need to provide a good bit of materials for each student. In many schools it is unrealistic to expect students to have the necessary materials at home to construct a project. I had one more observation to make about the "Easy Work" and "Hard Work" folders. Right after we studied (for example) the various types of triangles, it was easy work for the kids. In a matter of weeks, many of my students had forgotten some (some students had forgotten MOST) of the new concepts we covered. Do they move the work back into the "Hard Work" folder?

Katrina, I enjoyed reading your response, and assessment portfolios seem like a good idea. I bet I could add a pocket into the science notebook to store assessments. Formative assessments are so useful in directing instruction…and there are so many options available.

Kymberly, I agree with your statement, "We tend to be too focused on the word assessment..." The fact that we can use any means to assess our students' knowledge frees the teacher to utilize a variety of assessment techniques. Assessing students the same way year after year gets boring. We might as well have some fun with it!

Thea, Sounds like you are already on board with a variety of creative assessment techniques. I wonder how you are able to manage the individual interviews. Do you have another adult in the classroom?

[color=purple]Journal Article Response by: Natalie Mercer

Article: Lee, M. H., Abell, S. K. 2007. Assessing for Science Learning. Science and Children (66-67).

Assessing for Science Learning begins with a common teacher complaint: “I simply don’t see how more tests and quizzes are going to help my students learn science.” At first glance, this seems like a reasonable complaint because of the excessive summative assessments that students are required to take. However, formative assessment is not only beneficial but good teachers do this all the time without even realizing it.
So what’s the difference between formative and summative assessment? Summative assessments take place at the end of a period of learning, are a final judgment and do not affect teaching or learning. “In contrast, formative assessment is used to gain information that improves instruction and advances learning” (Lee and Abell 2007). And that is true.
Good teachers may be using formative assessments without even realizing it. Whenever you ask students to write, draw or speak in response to problems, you are formally assessing. Exit tickets, predicting, thinking maps and journals are also examples of formal assessment. I would bet that most teachers are already doing these things daily. “This process of gathering and using student information is thus ongoing and cyclical” (Lee and Abell 2007).
The article suggested that the two of the most effective formal assessment strategies involved: 1) asking open-ended questions and then asking them to explain why they answered the way they did, and 2) giving students more time to respond after asking a question. Employing these two strategies increases the richness of conversation and allows new opportunities to reason.
Personally, I do feel that there are too many summative assessments out there, especially for my 5th graders. However, I see formative assessments as an invaluable tool that I can’t teach without.[/color]

This article was very enlightening. Assessment is a critical part of teaching, even though students are being over-assessed. This article explains how assessment can be done in a way that our students will not be constantly taking tests. Out of the assessment strategies that were discussed, the journaling strategy is the one that I use to most. Every day my students have a “science question of the day” journal entry. The questions are derived from the lesson that was taught the day before. The first 10 minutes of the class is devoted to answering the question in their journal. Then at the end of the class period, I led the class into a discussion on the answer to the question. By doing this, I can determine if the students understood the concept or if I need to revisit the concept on the next day. One strategy that I am interested in using, because to the article, is the dramatic representation. I think that this strategy would benefit the students that may have a hard time writing down what they know about a concept. Since students enjoy “performing” for an audience, this strategy would give the students the opportunity to “show what they know.” Also, this strategy takes a lot of pressure off of the students to say or write the correct response. This release of pressure will in turn give the student more confidence in wanting to engage in the science lessons, which will cause learning to take place.

Science is a great time for students to draw to clarify concepts or definitions. My Fifth Grade students are often using diagrams and illustrations to aide with their explanation of concepts during lessons. We also love to make up songs and chats to help us remember key points. However, I do not incorporate enough questions that allow students an opportunity to draw nor have I ever thought of the idea of having them recite a song as part of their assessment. Formative and summative assessments that I have administered to my students have been more multiple choice and completion questions; rather than the diagrams that we use during our discussions. Assessments and instruction are more geared to the CRCT format. Which is sad... While reading this article I was reminded of my recent staff meeting and the discussion of the CCGPS that everyone is all huffy puffy about. Providing students the opportunity to express their depth of knowledge in a variety of assessments is how teachers can interpret how much or how little a student has truly understood a concept. I am going to be adding more diagrams as pre and post assessments. The journal entry for a pre and post assessment is something that I have not really ever considered. But think it’s a great idea to incorporate along with the diagrams for the assessments. I also really loved the idea of having students go back at the end of the unit to update or revise their Preassessment with another color pencil to show their growth for a Post Assessment.

Tiffany, I love the idea of using foldables. I have not ventured out past making variations of the Flip Flap Book. Even with that simple foldable my students get so excited to hear when we are making one. They have really been serving as a nice tool for review as well. Thanks for sharing the book! I will defently be exploring with some other foldables soon! How long did it take for your students to catch on to the pattern of making the other types of foldable? I also would love to use the construction paper to organize for my more visual learners, but supplies are limited. I tend to use more white paper and allow the students to use crayons and colored pencils to add the color.

Tiffany, You make a good point about not having enough time to talk to students individually. I must say I have figured out a plan that works for me.....it's talking to students one at a time, going down the line at the restroom. It takes us FOREVER to go to the restroom. While they are waiting to return to class, I talk to each of them for a minute or two and ask them to explain things, use words in sentences, etc...At times, I have a checklist in my apron and mark the students according to whether they need reteaching based on their responses....it's quick and easy.

Craig, Another way to assess students on whether they understand concepts is by the simple K-W-L chart. I find I don't use it enough, but when I use it, my students are always amazed at how the "K" part is so different than the "L" part....they feel so smart. At times, I require students to have individual KWL charts in their Science journals. They have to take them home to "Show what you know" to their family. Their parent has to sign off that their child taught them something today and return it as part of their homework. Second graders are very enthusiastic learners!

Article Review of “A” is for Assessment Assessment is on everyone’s minds. The article, “A” is for Assessment, begins by reviewing the three kinds of assessment. There are pre-assessments, formative assessments and post-assessments. Both pre- and formative assessments are meant to guide instruction while post-assessments are meant to evaluate learning. Then the article goes onto suggest some creative strategies that enable both teachers and students to access learning in captivating ways. Drawings, Journals, Comparing and Contrasting Activities, Graphic Organizers, Individual Interviews, Dramatic Representation, Physical Props and Constructions are some of the assessment ideas given. Personally, I frequently employ these activities in my classroom. I have found that not only are they assessment opportunities, but they are learning opportunities as well. My students and I especially love to draw, perform and construct things. These strategies work well for any subject, but especially for science. Imagine drawing a cell, acting out the parts of a cell and then constructing a cell out of found material! These strategies cause students to really think about what they learning and commit it to long term memory. The author, Shannon McNair, was spot on in saying that designing pre-assessments caused teachers to “reflect on the learning they anticipate will occur and identify the measurable learning objectives prior to teaching those new concepts or skills.” I couldn’t agree more, after all, how can you teach a unit without first deciding what you will teach? Every time I create a pre-assessment I must first un-wrap the Georgia Performance Standard to determine what I am really supposed to be teaching. Pre-assessments also help me to determine what to teach, which is a time-saver. Lastly, I love McNair’s suggestion of keeping a portfolio. I love portfolios. I often have my students keep scrap books of the units that we cover in different subjects. This gives them something to keep and be proud of. In all, I felt like the article had a few good ideas and I’m glad that I read it. ~Natalie Mercer

Amber- Would you be willing to share any of your songs/chants? :)

Tiffany, My 5th graders LOVE making foldables too. I used to teach second so I was surprised that they still liked to cut and paste so much.

Tiffany - Please share how the portfolio works for you and your students. I am sure everyone will benefit. :)

Kymberly - I agree with you. Educators use a variety of tools to assess students' understanding. Knowledge of students is a great aid because a certain look on a child's face may tell us they have no clue what they are doing. We are constantly looking for clues to see if students are gaining knowledge.

allow me to pontificate (a joke, i do not believe to know much) assessments - the first three letters clue you into the stink of it all who are they for? the teacher to really feel they are doing something? the parent to make em proud of their offspring? the student -as if a first grader could comprehend a grade/ critique or the need to pick up the pace on a standard? there are classes i take in my life (say an art pottery class or something, maybe a motorcycle safety course disguised by guys racing around a parking lot) for fun, they have no assessment (formal type), do they need them? again for who? the college of the atlantic has no grades i believe one of the cal state universities (maybe chico?) has no grades do the instrucors at these institutes not care? do they assess their clients/ students? obviously I have big issues with assessment yes you need it yes it guides instruction but can you assess the crazy giant human brain? (maybe johhny was looking up tina's dress during the performance task) some brain learning leaders believe you do learn every little thing you see, hear, think about in our life, the info goes somewhere in your brain it is just the matter of attaching this info so it is readily available is the passed assessment truly a indicator the student has learned and can apply the certain skill I passed my college calculus and organic and etc hard class courses, could I teach or apply these today? not a chance the devil of short term memory (otherwise known as not really learning anything)? I have had many a student be able to verbally debate a topic fluently and a month later forget most of the principles when i was a classroom teacher a few years back i started turning every assignement into a week long project where the students would sort of write their own rubric to show what they would do (of course i would help approve / assess this even) and how it would quantify they met the objective, afterward they would share their project with another class and try to teach the importance of it (they would then get written feedback of the positives and negatives of their work), with this method we did all the forms of assessment in this article, from photosynthesis theatres, to scale models, to creating claymation videos of historical events, we debated pricipals, and made more animated powerpoints than anyone has ever seen, do i believe this was good teaching, yes, did these kids score well on crct etc, yes, then when they transfered to more traditional classes of textbook learning did their grades drop? no so are the many modes of assessment better / needed? while taking this class and thinking about these assignments I am starting believe assessment is best at the start to find out what the client knows (skill sets), then while trying to teach (given objective here) to find where the client could be steered to better help them (coached), but is is impossible to assess a final outcome. end of marking period grades, one day crct mult choice we all know are are just snap shots and not true indicators so when will we get to students with ongoing portfolios of work as there guiding structure, wouldn't this take out the need for a lot of the pre testing we are now learning to do? portfolios of student achievements/ projects etc assign this reading next please

Mary, I love the idea of a science question of the day. I think I will try to incorporate that next year, especially with the 5th grade writing exam. Any extra writing they can get is a benefit. To the song singer (sorry I didn't feel like scrolling all the way back down), I wish that I had even an ounce of musical sense. I would love to do more with it in my classroom, but find that since I have no musical talent I have a hard time finding ways to fit it in. It seems like all of teaching is now centered around assessment rather than teaching. There are some perks to the trend, but some downfalls as well. So many teachers are worried about the high stakes test that they forget that simple assessments are available as well and can be very beneficial. While I am not as diligent with pretesting as I would like to be, I do make an effort to use them for each new topic I am teaching. This allows me to differentiate for those who already have the concept. Those students are able to be put in groups and given independent, enrichment work giving the teacher time to work on a more individual basis with those that need more help. It can be frustrating, though, in the area of science because there are so few students who are able to demonstrate compentency on the pretest. Often times after science pretests, I am still left teaching whole group. In McNair's more strategies area, I like many of these ideas and even use a number of them in the classroom; however, some seem very time consuming. Completing individual interviews seems like a fantastic idea, but finding the time to interview each child individually seems next to impossible. I have also found that dramatic representations, while great in theory, almost always leave me feeling like I wasted a lot of time. I'm not sure the result is always worth the time put in.

Natalie, I agree with the fact that providing students with a variety of assessment is a learning opportunity to incorporate additional skills. My students are very weak when it comes to age appropriate social interactions. Whenever they are able to act out a skit or cooperate of task, this is a perfect opportunity to build the social skills!

Using assessments to guide instruction, identify misconceptions, and gauge student understanding are not new ideas. We all know these best practices, this article reminds of why we need to make time and do them. We create thinking maps to pre-assess and activate prior knowledge and again before writing, love tree maps! I would like to interview students to monitor understanding but instead have them journal and write about science topics. My primary challenge is continuing to implement these practices within our ever increasing classes. I have 25 students this year and find my kindergarten paraprofessional pulled frequently for duties: bus, lunch, parent meetings, and monitoring testing. As class size increases and help decreases the pull of a less authentic worksheet assessment is greater. I can’t go from group to group with non-fiction guided reading and ask for details on journal entries and illustrations with so many students! How do you balance it all?

This article has many good suggestions for different types of assessments, and relates to what I am learning in a book study on Differentiation with other teachers at my school. If you incorporate several different forms of assessments, you may be more likely to get an accurate idea of what the students are learning. As we all know, students have different learning styles and need to be able to show their strengths- even with assessment. Another idea posed in the book study is whether or not we should always assess students at the same times. Some students may not be ready to show their mastery of a standard at the same time as others...interesting idea. I like the ideas presented in this article. Science Journals (and notebooks and foldables as mentioned by other classmates) would be very informative. I find that my 3rd grade students really struggle with short answer and open response type questions. Multiple choice (due to CRCT pressure) is used way to often and students can easily answer those type of question with only the most basic understanding of a topic. I definitely want to have daily journaling that I read weekly with my students next year. I am also interested in using more graphic organizers with my students in Science. They are great ways of making students really see the connections and concepts in Science.The class that I have this year loves Dramatic Representation- we did this during our Heat unit- and it was a success. However, I think we all struggle with finding the time for the many things we know we should do and want to do during Science (and Social Studies) instruction. This was an interesting article, and it is always great to read about different forms of assessment. The longer you teach, the more you seem to fall into habits and get away from some of these basic and effective forms of assessment. Leigh Harris

I definitely agree with this statement (sorry, I don't remember who wrote this!!) "It seems like all of teaching is now centered around assessment rather than teaching. There are some perks to the trend, but some downfalls as well. So many teachers are worried about the high stakes test that they forget that simple assessments are available as well and can be very beneficial." As a 3rd grade teacher, I am constantly hurrying through instruction to make sure I have everything "covered" before the next QBA or whatever test comes my way. There isnt time to focus on getting true mastery from students before we run out of time and need to move onto the next standard. It blew my mind (first year not in Kindergarten) when I saw that 4th nine weeks standards truly said that it is all CRCT review! What about after that??? And Kathryn- I think everyone agrees that it is nearly impossible to balance all things we should do everyday. More and more students, so many interuptions, and less time to get it all done! Good question- How do we manage it all?

Sean - You are right multiple choice is not the only method - just the easiest to grade and the method overused. :)

Catherine, I have conferences in math and reading but never thought about adding conferences to science. I think it is a great idea to have a science interview to obtain a pulse check on how students are progressing. Students love personal attention and would flourish with this type of assessment.

Natalie, My kids tend to make up their own beat/ tune while they sing. Sometimes we change our voices too... Electricity needs a completed pathway to flow. If there is a gap, the electrons will not go. A closed circuit doesn’t have any gaps. Therefore, electricity can run laps. Echo Chant: A plant cell contains A cell wall and choloplast

I like the idea of assessments as a "window into student learning", and I also like the fact that assessments can come in so many forms and are not set in stone as multiple choice quizzes and tests. The latter is super important since standardized tests are mostly in this form, but the former has a right to be out there in the forefront as well. Being a science lab teacher I really like to use journals that incorporate so many different types of assessments. One day students will be making and labeling drawings of something done in the lab while another day they will be writing up an experiment with data tables and graphs. Sometimes it's good to just have part of a lab where students write down anything they know about a new topic and start an KWL chart. Graphic organizers like concept maps and Venn diagrams go in the journal as part of the lesson and as formative and summative assessment. Reflections are helpful ways to see what the students have gained after a lab and next year it's my goal to get more teachers on the science team to use the lab journal in class for reflections, as well. I like performance assessments and the observation/data/question sheets easily get pasted into the journal. I'd like to start incorporating dramatic representations of science concepts into journals where students draw or write about the dramatic expression of the concept after it is presented. The article mentions developing concept maps when planning lessons for students for "concept focused" experiences rather than "random" activities. I think when we have a concept map such as the ones we developed for our last unit, we can more easily see what should be assessed and plan accordingly. I'd like to start out next year with having the science team develop concept maps for thier first unit of the year and continue doing so throughout the year. It's such a clear "window" into what is important to assess.

Natalie, I like the idea of a chant to remember concepts/facts in science. I think lots of students are geared towards rhymn and tunes and this kind of repetition sticks with them. I know sometimes I start singing the words to something I hear on the radio or tv and I want to get that "tune monster" out of my head! With our students, it's just what we want, though!! Having the students make up their own songs/chants is fun for them.

Tiffany, I am a big proponent of foldables, as well, and feel that you have got the students' attention big time when you use them. I have used them as assessment tools somewhat but want to do so even more in the coming year. Giving students google clip art, words to go with them and the type of foldable you want them to make (having had former practice) is a fun foldable assessment.

A is for Assessment I feel that using pre-assessment is vital to teaching. It gives the teacher the tools needed to teach the student what s/he needs to know. I think it is unfair to teach all students at the same level. If someone already has a particular skill or knowledge base – move on. If someone doesn’t know it, then teach that person. In my prek/k class, I use pre-assessments to determine learning groups. I like the idea of using drawings as an insight to understanding. I have done it some in the past, but I will certainly use it more in future lessons as pre-, formative, and post- assessments. What a great way to get a look into what a non-writer is thinking. Graphic organizers are another good way to do this. In my classroom, when we do many graphic organizers as a group. When they do one individually, it is usually done by cutting pictures out of a magazine or using illustrations. I like they way they help to keep thoughts organized. I like that this article gives voice to the different learning strengths of students. Some are more visual, while others are more tactile. Multiple- choice tests are not the end all for assessment and actually I do not feel they give a good indication of what a student knows. Anyone can make a guess correctly. Getting students to think deeper about something and use their strengths to present what they know is something we all should be working on doing better.

Tiffany, Thanks for informing us about Dinah Zikes - I had not heard of her berfore.

John - I agree with you - many assessments are a waste time & effort. Knowing the student's strengths and weaknesses will help us develop better ways to determine what they know and need to know.

I really enjoyed reading of the different types of assessments available. When I was teaching Science and Social Studies, I had so many project-based assessments for my students with lots of choices given to them on how they would present their findings. It was really easy to have them use a menu to choose their end product. I have done some projects in science (design your own cells with items that have to be labeled, research the classification of a certain animal or plant, etc.), however, I have not done nearly as much as I did with Social Studies. I thought it was just easier. The author discusses the importance of drawings for younger students and ELL students. However, this is also a great idea to give those non-verbal creative learning students a chance to shine. I have one student who seems to always be a little off task and hates to write. However, when I asked the class to add a diagram of the layers of a volcano from an activity we did in class, she went to town! I was so impressed with the detail of her drawing, and I could tell she really understood the concept. I also like the idea of the journals; however, I have such a hard time keeping it upbeat and fresh. I usually get groans about journaling, so I definitely need help in this area. Finally, I loved the "hard" and "easy" folders. Ideally, every student should be able to move those hard items to the easy folder as they fully comprehend the concept map - awesome! Overall, I really got some great ideas from this article. I think we can really differentiate our students' learning by focusing on giving them different opportunities in assessment and products.

Tiffany, I think you just answered by question about adding life to journaling. I definitely need to investigate using the foldables within the journal. I think that would keep the journaling fresh and new and not so ho-hum! Becky

Miriam, I like your idea of having some concept maps for next year. I think it will make it so much easier to understand the units, and I think the teachers will all be on the same page. What an awesome idea! Becky

so yes multiple modes of assessment are needed, great, yeah yeah yeah, portfolios, ineterviews, etc, these work great in elementary or specific high school programs (woodville) now we want to compare kids, standardize, put kids in percentiles, quickly assess the massess to judge their teachers and schools, get into select programs, create graduation tests, final exams etc does a creative kid who has a great portfoilio have to go to an art school who will take the time to look at it? will high schools or colleges ever adopt these practices as well? do we need to standardize? why? most jobs even interview

as a computer lab teacher and this foldable talk i am thinking powerpoint -action buttons websites -clickable icons, hyperlinks (use tech for learning webblender) now you have a paperless foldable with little portals leading to connections and tangents ewwww ahhhhhhhh

How often do most of us pre- assess? We plan our units and teach what we think they need to know on that test. I believe our assessments shoul be based on all types of experiences like it said in the article. Use all types of experiences for your assessments and then use your mformativve assessments to plan your instruction. I did enjoy learning about the different types of activities yo could use. Replies: Kimberly: I like what you said about giving ir early to use the data to plan instruction. Catherine: It is hard to prep for all of the hands on task, but it is worth it for the students to have learning that isn't based on paper and pencil.

Assessment is something we think about a lot in school today. We are constantly pre and post testing students to assess for understanding and comprehension. I don’t know about anyone else, but most of my students bomb the science pre tests, every time. I often wonder why I bother giving them at all. This article helped to remind me that a pre test does not always have to be a multiple choice question format. Although these are the easiest to grade, which is primarily why I give them, they rarely every tell me anything about what the students know, other than the fact that they don’t know much. I use drawing as an assessment all the time with my kindergarten and first grade students as a way to do a quick assessment the end of the lesson. I learn a lot from these quick assessment s, but for some reason it really never occurred to me to use this as a pre assessment before, especially with the older students. I feel like they would get much less frustrated if they were able to draw a picture rather than try to decipher vocabulary that they probably haven’t seen before. I also like the idea of journaling because it really requires students to organize their thoughts and explain what they know, or don’t know. My only problem with this is that I don’t have room to keep student journals for the whole school. I also feel that some students excel in science because it is a lot of hands-on and not as much writing oriented, which is a struggle for many of our students. Making a menu for students to choose how they want to express their ideas, through picture, essay or graphic organizer, would also give you a good look into student knowledge while allowing them to choose the form of communication they are most comfortable with.

Mirriam, I am a science lab teacher too and I really like the idea of journaling, I just dont have room in my trailer to keep the journals for all the classes. Do you keep them or do you have them bring it with them when they come to you? Do you do journaling with all the classes? I tried to keep folders last year but I felt like I was always running out of time at the end of class and we wernt always having a chance to add things to the folders. Any suggestions? I also really like the concept maps and it would be great to have some made for all the units.

Tiffany, I love foldables too. I have a bunch of the Dihna Zikes books and they are great. The kids really enjoy making the differnt foldables, the big kids too. I cant remember the technical name, but the trifold pyramid one is a favorite and works so well when you are doing things with cycles (water, animals).

This article suggests teachers talk less during discussions by refocusing student discussions. It is recommended the teacher improve the way feedback is given to students. I like how the teacher in the article suggested the students comment on their classmate’s comments. This can be a good and bad thing if the students aren’t trained properly. I think this method would be more effective with upper grades but can be accommodate some way in the K-2nd grade classrooms. For me personally, talking less will be challenging for me. As most teachers may agree, we have a habit of giving the “right” answer to students when they give the “wrong” answer. I think asking other students what they thought about what was said will be a great way to start student discussions and hopefully get to the “right” answer. With this method I would also have to watch to make sure every student is actively participating which could prove to be difficult with large classes or those students who tend to speak out more. I would have to find a way to get the quiet student to offer his/her opinion. I think in order to foster proper student discussion I need to do a better job at asking open-ended questions during my science lessons. In most cases I just want the students to give me the right answer so we can move on. This process will definitely take some time implementing in the classroom but I can see the benefits in the long run.

In response to Mary Sams: Mary I agree that you should try using dramatic representation in your class. Like you, I think it’s a great way to get students involved. Like you said it’s a great way for those students who are not confident in their writing and communication skills to show what they know.

In response to Catherine Futrell: Catherine I agree with you about interviews being a thorough assessment but not feasible because of time constraints. In kindergarten a lot of our testing is done one on one. It is very time consuming but the best way to check for understanding and establishing a rapport with your students.

Well designed pre and postassessments provide students with a clear idea of what they are expected to know after a set of learning experiences is very important for accountability and progress in schools. Effective assessments help teachers identify students misconceptions or areas which need to refocus their instruction efforts. The thre type of assessments discussed in the article are the type of assessments that create effective and efficient teaching. Preassessments are short, directly tied to learning objectives, and take place just prior to the learning experiences planned around a particular concept, skill, or set of concepts. Formative assessments check for understanding as students are learning new skills or gaining new knowledge. Summative assessments or post assessments are demomstrations of what students have gained as a result of the learning experience provided.Each kind of assessment is valuable in the learning process because each provide its own information that can help in instruction. Assessments can not only help teachers plan but also help draw others more deeply into the learning process. Students and parents become more active as a result of the various types of assements that teachers use. Effective assessments help teachers present a more accurate picture of what students know and are able to do. They also provide teachers with a more realistic picture of the students experiences offered , rather than making an assumption that everything they know about a concept was learned in the classroom. This article was well written and gave crucial insight about effective assessments in the classroom.

Craig, As a school we use all of the types of assessments discussed in the article. Effective assessments help us as teachers to effectively help our students learn.Using the folders and the portfolios are a great way of assessing the overall effectiveness of teaching.

Katrina, You are quite correct about the perception that some have about assessments. However, you stated it correctly. not too much but not using the results to drive instruction for each child. assessments definately help identify misconceptions and any area needed extra focus. The article gives insight on the value of various assessments in the classroom.

The now decade-old push for accountability has led to a rigid reliance on standardized assessment data as the benchmark of student achievement. However, assessment does not have to be paper and pencil multiple choice bubble tests that are electronically scored. True assessment, that is both valid and reliable, can take many forms. Assessment can be used as a preliminary tool to assess a student's prior knowledge. It may also be used formatively, during the course of instruction, to guide both the teacher and the student in the right direction towards better understanding of the concept in question. Finally, assessment may be summative, the traditional method of testing knowledge after the instructional unit has ended. Concept maps, journals, Venn diagrams, interviews, skits, and models are all very good ways to assess student knowledge and conceptual understanding. Students may also help create assessments by writing questions and drawing fill in the blank diagrams. This allows students to take more ownership of their education, therefore increasing their chances of success. Various assessments, given in accordance with a student's particular learning style, can provide a clear picture of what students know and what they still need to learn. Visual learners may do best with a concept map or Venn diagram type of assessment. Auditory learners may do best with a interview or other oral type of assessment. Kinesthetic learners may do best with a performance based assessment, such as a skit or other performance. Tactile learners may do best with a model or other building inspired assessment. Hopefully, the current direction of the educational assessment pendulum will swing in the direction of varied assessment options. While paper and pencil assessments that are electronically scored might be the least expensive option, they are often not the best option for our students.

Crystal- it is so hard not to give the right answer in response to a wrong answer! I have learned to say "we're almost there" until I get the right answer. James- I never realized how much better it was to "begin with the end in mind" until we started unpacking standards during GPS training.

Assessment is a word that teacher definitely know well. We are constantly hearing it! In the article, “A is for Assessment”, the author discusses different types of assessments and when to use them. I will admit to being well aware of pre-tests and post-tests, we have had to collect and analyze data at our school. However, I never thought about using a drawing as a pre-assessment. It would be very interesting to see what students would draw for habitats before each type of habitat. It would also be interesting to see how their drawings changed as they learned more about the topic. With as much differentiation that we do in classroom, the variety of strategies could really help to reach those different learners. Our hands-on learners could participate in compare and contrast activities. Graphic organizers are great for our visual learners. Dramatic representations would work well for students who are more creative or communicate easier through acting something out. I imagine it would be more fun too! The construction activity sounds like it would be very engaging as well as give students a chance to apply what they have learned from the unit. While conducting individual interviews would give a very good picture of what students know, it is not something that I can see myself trying to do in my classroom. When there are some many things interrupting the instructional day, I can’t imagine doing individual interviews when it’s trying to get the regular curriculum. Doing different types of assessments are great and all. When it comes down to it, students are going to face multiple choice tests from district and state levels. We can differentiate until we’re blue in the face, but students are still expected to complete the standard assessment that is administered in one form- bubble sheets and test booklets. I know that we’re moving more toward computerized multiple choice tests and I have to say that I’m not a big fan of the idea. We work so hard in third grade with reading skills and test strategies which involve eliminating answer choices and underlining items in questions/ passages and the computerized tests are often just quick clicks. Ultimately, it would be great for other methods of assessment, but realistically the state will probably always go with the easiest route for themselves.

Leigh, "As a 3rd grade teacher, I am constantly hurrying through instruction to make sure I have everything "covered" before the next QBA or whatever test comes my way. There isnt time to focus on getting true mastery from students before we run out of time and need to move onto the next standard. It blew my mind (first year not in Kindergarten) when I saw that 4th nine weeks standards truly said that it is all CRCT review! What about after that??? " I feel like I could've written this part of your comment myself! Also, there's the factor that students are coming into the grade level without having the mastery of the skills from previous years. If you're trying to build on concepts previously taught, you can't always rely on the students having those skills already.

Reply to the several people have discussed portfolios and using journals- I do have to say that I like these ideas. My class often does a foldable or a book to help them remember the information. The only problem that I have is keeping their work at school. Parents want to see what their students are doing and getting grades on, so I send it home. The drawback is that some of the students keep it at home, throw it away or just lose it before it makes it back to our class. I like to have the students pull out their work and use them for review when CRCT rolls around. I may just have to create a science notebook to hold work for the students and just send that for the parents to review every so often. Thoughts on how to get work back and let parents see the grades for science review?

Tiffany, I agree with the idea of conferencing with the children. If we could have 5 minutes alone with each child (like most professions do with their clients) we could easily determine the level of understanding and misconceptions. I too struggle with getting a chance to talk with my kids due to all the other demands.

Patra, I to like how the author spoke of a variety of formative assessments that addressed different learning styles. I often give my children a choice of writing or drawing with some descriptions when they are explaining their understanding.

Assessments are important for teachers and students when used correctly. They can help a teacher identify student’s misconceptions, guide their planning of instruction and help determine if a student understands of a concept. This article helps remind us to include some type of assessment in each lesson. What I really like about the article is that it supports the idea that assessment does not have to be multiple choice or in a test format. Assessments can be an engaging activity that the children complete without realizing that it is a test. The author also points out that an assessment does not need to be lengthy. I often incorporate the idea of having children draw or create a model to show prior knowledge or what they have learned. This is especially useful in the younger grades. The students enjoy the activity and it gives me a snapshot of their thinking. During this time I often go around and talk with the children to find out more about their understanding. It also helps me later when I am viewing their models or drawings because they have interpreted for me. Sometimes a drawing appears to show that the child does not understand the concept but with the verbal explanation it makes sense.

@ Tiffany and the discussion about the foldables- I, too, use foldables and keep a notebook for science (and every other subject). We keep a table of contents in the beginning (at the beginning of the year we skip a few pages and write in the topic every time we make an entry). So, right now as we review for CRCT they can refer back to their notebook and find the info quickly. I also encourage the parents to quiz the kids from it or make games with it.

I am big on differentiation and teaching to different learning styles, so this article was right up my alley. I feel you should assess in the same style you teach. So, I really hate when I have assessed by observation, writing, and acting, and all other different ways all year long, and then in May I have to hand my students a bubble sheet. It will be interesting to see the new assessments that will go along with the Common Core. The GPS are so broad, the common core are much more specific. This will hopefully lead to the development of state assessments that are more open ended and task oriented. One thing that sparked my interest in the article was that I was always told pre and post should be EXACTLY the same for reliable data purposes. This article just suggests them to be similar. I also really like the information they give on drawing. I have used drawing in the past, but I think I am now inspired to use it more. Just like everyone else, I feel that interviews would be awesome if I had the time. Lastly, a new type of assessment that I really liked in the article was constructions. I could have the kids build the circuit in front of me instead of draw it (as I previously assessed).

WHile it is not the same as conferencing with an individual student, it may be the next best thing. I am going to attempt to conference with lab groups. I may ask the group 3 or 4 questions and will make sure I hear at least one answer from each student. Just a thought.

Missy, I don't do individual journals for science. I bought a huge sketch book and at our closing. We as a class or a student will summarize our day's activity. We read it together. Sometime add information or correct something. That way we can go back and see when we began a unit or an experiment and see what we thought was going to happen. We can note when chrysalis' formed or seeds were planted. I don't have to hang on to or display lots of journals or charts. It's all in The Journal. I don't know if this will work for you but something to thing about for next year?

Claire, thanks for another great idea. Having students explain thing while waiting in line is my favorite new trick! I always used line time but usually I had my students counting by 2s,5s,10s or rhyming. Time fillers that didn't tell me anything. Not anymore, were talking ss and science!

Tiffany, thanks for sharing your ideas for the foldables, etc. I am certain that the work you do in science is tremendously helpful to your students. You have found ways to summarize the standards into understandable/memorable bits of knowledge. It has long been known that if we as teachers can organize/present the material in ways that will allow the children to touch/manipulate/examine/organize the concepts throughout their reading/writing/speaking vocabularies that their brains stand a much higher chance of holding onto the concepts and getting the material into their long-term memory. I believe that what you are doing is the key that most teachers are searching for to motivate/enable students to raise their own performance levels. Your work in the science lab must also be invaluable to the homeroom/academic teachers who struggle toward performance increases in every subject with those same children. Hats off to you, girl!!!!!!!

I find this article to be very helpful. Preassessments, postassessments, drawings , journals, have been a useful tool for me to know if the students are really understanding what I a teaching. Also I try to give projects/portfolios as well to see if they know the concept through choosing projects that relate. I know all children learn in different ways so it is essential to get a variety of activities to help students grab the concept of what I am trying to teach.The idea of hard/easy folder as mentioned in the article is one that I need to try.Assessments do help guide my instruction in what I need to further my instruction

Response to "A is for Assessment" by Wanda Gordon As I respond to the article, I also am responding to the many comments from classmates concerning the ideas from the article, and I am doing so - as are many of you - from the standpoint of a veteran teacher. Klaras is right - we often do so many kinds of assessments, making sure we are spending an honorable amount of time utilizing all of the new buzzword techniques--because we will be observed and should have all of this stuff showing and glowing throughout our rooms/lesson plans/students' brains, etc. The point is, we have to do several things: A. know our students, their background knowledge, their propensity for misconceptions - that is - if you will - - we have to look back to find out where they are coming from - - intellectually speaking {Preassessment} and B: know whether they are listening, whether they have moved with us into the early, middle, later phases of knowledge/skill acquisition {Formative} and C. We have to know whether they actually understand and can utilize the material we have covered {postassessment.} ALL OF THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN KNOWN AS "GOOD TEACHING." I developed a notebook/journaling system which is a tremendous aid in all three of the venues: pre-, formative, and post, including grades, student accountability, stdent conferencing, and parent communication/conferencing. I would like to share major points of that system with you. On a piece of chart paper someplace on the classroom wall, we start a numbered list, and add to it each and every activity we undertake - - so each activity gets a numbered spot. Each preassessment, be it KWL, or my personal favorite: "Tell-Me-All-You-Know-About..." or any other, gets labeled and placed into the notebook when completed. This must be present later, for the student to view so that he/she can buy into their own achievement/progress. As I make decisions based on those responses, activities are chosen, and learning/participation continues: presentation of new material/inquiry activities,etc. The "Meat" of the sandwich is here, and will be numbered and added to the notebook, regardless of the type of activity it was. Several sorts of investigative work take place at this time: experiments/manipulation/investigation/examination/data gathering/recording/observing, and so forth. Vocabulary knowledge and basic knowledge is gathered in this phase. Application is beginning to be woven in at an early point, because without application many students simply delete any required learning from their brains, deeming it useless. The list on the chart paper grows, as does the notebook. Additionally, the wall chart must be reproduced as a Table of Contents in the front of the notebook, displaying the same numerical reference numbers as the wall chart. And these sequential numbers are entered into the grading program by the teacher, as assignments and grades are counted for--be they left-brained or right-brained in nature. The application phase begins to crescendo, and the activities reflect more and more input/choice/personalization by the students: differentiation/flex-projects/choice board projects/personal interest tangents/personal research projects/science fair topic investigations, etc. All activities are still sequentially numbered, added to the Contents page of the notebooks, and entered into the grading program. [Not everyone's assignment #12 will look the same, but all will have a #12 centering around whatever might be appropriate/creative/acceptable/tangential/fantastically interesting.] Teaching/application/sythesizing/reteaching/assessment continue. In cases of remediation/further inquiry/answering a burning question/simple assessment/studentmade assessment/teachermade assessment, etc., previous activities might/will need to be accessed. This can be easily done. The notebook serves as a personalized textbook. The students find great ownership in practicing their organization skills. They also buy into the curriculum to a greater depth because of regularly leafing through, checking understanding by accessing the previous activities. The wall chart continues to enlongate, and serve as a template for their Table of Contents. It serves the teachers by guiding the organization of data input into the grade program. It serves the students by helping to grasp the breadth and depth of their own experience, and giving them tremendous practice in organizational skills and accountability. It serves absentees by easily informing them of what was accomplished during their absence, and guides them in their makeup efforts. It serves differentiation immensely as an easy reference to required understandings and the creation of flex assignments or other alternative activities. It also serves the procrastinating student as a means of catching up. It serves the parents as a constant reminder of learning/assignments/assessments which should be present in the notebook/portfolio/journa

Tiffany I also really like to use the foldables. I know the students seem to enjoy them. I want to know more about the notebook concept

Debra, Take a moment and scan through my post which appears just prior to yours. Notebooks can help you and your students accomplish more than you dreamed of! The notebooks even offer a great opportunity for reviewing details in a specific topic prior to taking high school exit exams, etc. In our area, we have had lots of issues with our high school students not being able to pass their high school exit exams particularly in science. I realized that most of the basic science was taught in middle school classes. As the kids moved on to high school, they diversified into numerous and multileveled science classes. As I considered the exit exams I realized that not all students took the same high school courses in science. Then it hit me that the exit exam could only cover the material that all students had been exposed to. When did common exposure happen the last time in science in their school careers? - - Middle school. They all took the same basic science in their middle school classes. EUREKA!!!!!!!!!! The students were not passing partially because they had forgotten all of their basic science!!!! The notebooks created in my classroom would serve perfectly well as a review for say - - Earth Science. I taught it in depth. They never got it again in a detailed format - - if at all. Review that old notebook closely!!! ABRACADABRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Notebooks, when combined as data assembly points/application guides/accountability forums/journaling venues/formal and postassessment formats simply cannot be beaten. I cannot recommend them highly enough!!!!!

"A" is for Assessment Shannan McNair's article is just one of many articles, pertaining to assessment, which I have read and agreed with wholeheartedly. Presently, my school is in the process of administering the summative CRCT assessments that are required by the state. Unfortunately these tests did not have a preassessment to which a comparison could be made. Throughout the year, the students are given at least three formative assessments referred to as quarterlies, but the question begs "can quarterlies truly be compared to the lengthy CRCT?" True assessments of students’ accomplishments should be multifaceted due to the various learning styles of the individuals. Instead, students are given a multiple-choice-based assessment, with a small regard to the individual student's ability. The strategies mentioned in the article, comparing and contrasting activities, graphic organizers, individual interviews, dramatic representation, physical props and construction, could provide greater insight into the actual abilities of the students. The major drawback of adapting the strategies, most would say, is the amount of time that would be required to administer these assessments. My rebuttal to that would be to abandon the two-week testing block, which is established toward the end of the year, and begin testing earlier with emphasis placed on assessing individuals using their learning styles as the basis.

This excerpt from a post I read by Katrina Smith Garvin echoes my beliefs.
I realized that students should be assessed in different ways instead of creating one type of assessment for the entire class. Some students may refer to express what they know through drawings and others by writing. Using various types of assessments will help teachers meet the diversity of learners...

I am responding to a post by Catherine Futrell. While reading your post, I nearly stopped reading to respond to a couple of your questions as to how it teaches assess using the divers strategies mentioned in the article. As I read on I realized that you had already answered your questions.
The interview would naturally be the most thorough assessment, but how practical is it to schedule 20 individual interviews for any reason? Also, the teacher would have to take detailed notes for documentation purposes. I think the students would really enjoy presenting dramatic representations, but they would need detailed guidelines. Once again, the teacher would need a way to document the presentation - perhaps a rubric.

"Effective instruction integrates formative assessment when teachers require students to write, draw, and/or speak in response to questions and problem situations. Predicting activities, end-of-class reflective writing, concept maps, scientists meetings, and science notebook tasks provide contexts for students to try out their developing understanding and receive feedback from the teacher." This direct quote speaks volumes for on-going assessment. I tend to agree that pre-assessment and formative assessment are so necessary to "where" I am going to drive the instructional bus. I am a firm believer in longitudinal data to assess learning. Science Log books are a must for me to "see" what students are learning individually. I tend to be very selfish about student learning and I want documented submissions so that I can read through, assess the concept development, and write notes and suggestions to individual students. K and 1st I was never as driven to keep the products so those students would generally produce their formative assessments on copy or constuction paper, I would display it, then let them take it home. Not so much for the 2nd through 5th graders. By 2nd grade you got "the Book"! The one that would follow you throughout your time with me. I must say, never have I enjoyed teaching as much as when I had a student for several years and they logged their entries year after year. Did I know what they were learning? You bet! Even beyond a shadow of a doubt. Last year when my lab was "erased" with sadness I gave all of my students their journals to take home. For some of them it may have only been a record of the past year; for others, a collection of learning experiences spanning four years. Now, those were some outstanding journals. Not because they were perfect, visually pleasing, or stood out to anyone else, but because for me, they demonstrated student growth, one student at a time, one concept at a time. Continually assessing for understanding using a variety of tasks, allowed me insight into concept development that many are not privileged to witness. I definately support on-going assessment.

This response is to a thread that Wanda was responding to... "Notebooks, when combined as data assembly points/application guides/accountability forums/journaling venues/formal and postassessment formats simply cannot be beaten. I cannot recommend them highly enough!!!!!" I absolutely could not agree more. As I stated in my post...Science Lab Log Books provided me with so much information into student learning and understanding. As the Gifted Facilitator this year, I still have the students record, reflect, relate, and relay information so that I can assess and respond individually to their perceptions.

Response to John... Reading your assessment of assessment (pun intended) made me want to stand up and cheer. The digital age should make it incredibly easy to produce an on-going student portfolio to identify concept development and student understanding. Audio-visual learners take it for granted that because someone is talking or conducting a demonstration learning is taking place - NOT! For the tactile/kinestetic learner (me) if I'm not feeling it, moving with it, touching, shaking, etc - you know, all the things A/V people hate...I'm not processing any of the information. I am also not a party of one. At least 15% of every student population (pretty much there's one or two of me in every classroom) NEVER has his or her needs met because most teachers believe being still, sitting up in your seat, and "paying attention" means you're learning. Biggest problem - you wouldn't let me touch it, investigate, move around it, so I didn't process it, now I can't pass the high and mighty standardized test you are about to give me. Am I stupid? Am I a slow learner? Do I have a comprehension problem? NO, I just didn't get the opportunity to process the information prior to the test because no one bothered to differentiate the lesson to meet my needs, because my learning style requires a little more movement than the teacher's dominant teaching style is comfortable allowing. Thanks John, for setting off this tangent. Assess my strengths if you want to know my abilities.

“A is for Assessment” This article reminds me of James Popham’s book (2003), Test Better, Teach Better. The one concept that has stuck with me is “pre-assessment and post-assessment should be paired.” When there’s a pre-assessment that is aligned to the standards an genuinely matched to a post-assessment, then teachers can get better results of student learning. Teachers will also be able to plan more effective instructions. As we move throughout a unit, I can see the use of the various assessments outlined in this article. This year the use of journals has been a big help with assessing what students already know and what they have learned. Two big problems I’ve encountered was (a) getting the students to actually write enough to assess their learning; and, (b) getting the time to actually grade 24 journals in an appropriate amount of time. The most useful performance assessments that my students were actually engaged in and grading did not take much time was the use of graphic organizers and drawings. Both assessments allow students to take ownership of their learning and allow them to illustrate creativity. I believe if upper elementary classes are departmentalized, science teachers as well as others will be able to promote more authentic assessments. Teachers would have time to focus on grading various assessments of learning. More time will be devoted to modeling what is expected rather than tell and accepting what you get. The article should be viewed by all teachers. The assessment strategies discussed can easily be adapted to use within any content area.

“Assessing for Science Learning” This article talks about giving more response time for students to respond after questions. Although we are pressed for time as we live is a microwave society, we need to allow students more time to respond to questions. Extra response time equals a more thoughtful response. One strategy I have used that enables me to assess student learning requires students to do more writing and speaking. I pose an open-ended question. The students first write their response in their journal. Then in small groups, each student must share their response and the others help the speaker with comments of approval or suggestions for corrections. Once back in whole group, students “eagerly” want to share their responses. (strategy: Think-Pair-Share) The use of the K-W-L chart provides valuable information about student learning. Students have their chart in their journals while the class’s K-W-L remains visible until the end of the unit. Students add to the class KWL chart using post-it notes and also add to their personal KWL. Students add ot the “L” column when he/she has learned a new concept.

“Being Deliberate About Concept Development Wow! What an eye opener! As I read this article (three times), I realize I have been working harder not smarter. Although some students understood the concept of various topics discussed before and after explorations, other students struggled to understand. Olson (2009) identified the ways that concept development can be made ineffective (these are ones I’ve used) (a) having a class discussion and expecting students to get it; and, (b) introducing vocabulary before students understand the concepts. I have always introduced the vocabulary. I thought knowing and understanding the meaning of the vocabulary will help the students better understand the concept. And if they use the vocabulary in context during discussion they have demonstrated knowledge of the concept. My strategy of concept development may not have been the strategy to use for the below level students and/or those students who did not master the benchmark quarterly assessments. After reading the Unit Logic Flow, I can see my below level students grasping and understanding the concepts being taught easier. I can also see ways to use the Unit Logic Flow with all science content. Time is definitely needed for teams to meet and deliberately plan for student success.

To Noel Ingram. "Test Better, Teach Better" written by W. James Popham (2003) indicates that the preassessment and the postassessment should be similar if not alike so we can get a true picture of student learning. Unlike the pass, if the assessment are similar or the same we will compare apples to apples and not apples to oranges like we have done in the past. But as for the quarterlies, we only assess our students at the end of the marking period and use higher scores as a mean to determine student learning.

Becky, when students ask how long does their writing has to be, I reply with this statement, "Write as much as it takes to get your point across." Eventually, the questions will cease and their writing will get longer and better. Response time: I use the Think-Pair-Share strategy since I have 24 students and many of them want to respond. This strategy gives all students a chance to respond to the questions and they receive feedback whether its from me or their peers.

To Noel: I have used interviews in the past with low achieving students. When I used this method, I would interview the student during their resource time. I tried not to spend no more than 20 minutes (although if the student needed more time, it was given) for the interview. I would ask the studeent to tell me what they knew about a particupar topic. This is a great way that the student can show their knowledge of a concept without using paper and pencil.

To Edward, The best way to assess our students would be to assess them in the fall and then again in the spring. By assessing this way, the teachers would have a true picture of whether or not learning has occurred.

Mary Sams, thanks for your comment. I truly agree with you. Unfortunately, that is no the case for use. The quarterly assessments have been a great tool for assessing students' knowledge but we can't determine there's true learning from that assessment because we have nothing to compare it too. Now that we are moving to online assessment, I don't believe we will be able to see growth using those assessment either.