Life Cycle or Not?

This is an excellent probe to find out what students know about life cycles. It will spark a conversation and invite students to defend what they think or maybe rethink what they believe. As... See More

This is an excellent probe to find out what students know about life cycles. It will spark a conversation and invite students to defend what they think or maybe rethink what they believe. As a teacher, you will be able to spot any misconceptions and address them as needed.

*MAKE* It Formative!

This article is well written and very informative. I love how Keeley talks about addressing preconceptions by challenging students thinking. I appreciate the fact that Keeley mentions, that ... See More

This article is well written and very informative. I love how Keeley talks about addressing preconceptions by challenging students thinking. I appreciate the fact that Keeley mentions, that you must be sure students are not limited by the context in which they learn something. For example, children need to be aware that the life cycle of a butterfly is just one example of a life cycle and not every life cycle will be exactly like that. If the teacher does not make that clear, students may begin to develop some misconceptions due to the context of how the information was presented. The author notes that students often come in knowing that animals that "go through a change" have a life cycle. But many do not understand that plants have life cycles too. I can relate to this, as I have had some students in a recent unit, who did not know rice was a plant, let alone know that it went through a life cycle. I definitely plan on using the probes discussed in this article, the "justified list" and the "card sort," as formative assessments in the future. As you start to realize the reasoning behind why students are not picking certain items on the justified list or sorting certain cards the wrong way, this information can then be used to inform your instruction. I am glad the author specifically notes that the probes, mentioned in this article, are not formative assessments unless they impact and guide your teaching. To me, that's the most important point to remember. It is not just about giving formative assessments, it is how you use the information you get from them. I definitely recommend giving this article a read.