Assessment
Assessment is a social, human endeavour--literally, to assess means to sit beside. As a social endeavour, I believe that it includes students, teachers and parents. And as assessment also plays out during experiences in the classroom, it is something that is done with students. Thus, this section of the website will continue to be 'in development' throughout the course of the year. That is, I'm envisioning assessment defined as a co-construction--taking into account students' and teachers' experiences and parent feedback.
Assessing Prior Knowledge:
To begin the school year, I'd like to collect some baseline information about your perceptions (thoughts, ideas, understanding, etc) of what is called formative assessment. Research indicates that...
- formative assessment "...involves students and teachers using evidence of learning to adapt teaching and learning to meet immediate learning needs, and that is done minute-to-minute and day-to-day" (NCTM, p 61)
- [t]he primary purpose of assessment is to improve student learning (Growing Success, p 28)
- Dr. Christine Suurtamm (Associate Professor of Mathematics, University of Ottawa) describes the purposes of assessment in Mathematics (see video, below)
Below, you will find a survey that has been designed to capture students', teachers', and parents' perceptions about the meaning and use of formative assessment in teaching and learning. I would like to encourage you to participate in this important survey. Survey results will be published to this page (updated, periodically). NOTE: The results of the survey will be kept anonymous.
Thank You.
C. Stewart, OCT
Thank You.
C. Stewart, OCT
Survey: Formative Assessment
Survey Results
Organized displays of the survey results will be posted and updated, periodically.
References
Assessment for Learning and as Learning. (2010). In Growing success: Assessment, evaluation and reporting in Ontario's schools: Covering grades 1 to 12. (1st ed., p. 28). Ontario Ministry of Education.
CET: Teaching & Learning: Assessment of Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved June 3, 2015, from http://cet.usc.edu/resources/teaching_learning/assessment.html
Classroom-Based Formative Assessments: Guiding Teaching and Learning. (2015). In C. Suurtamm & A. McDuffie (Eds.), Annual Perspectives in Mathematics Education: Assessment to Enhance Teaching and Learning (1st ed., p. 61). Reston, Virginia: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).
Assessment for Learning and as Learning. (2010). In Growing success: Assessment, evaluation and reporting in Ontario's schools: Covering grades 1 to 12. (1st ed., p. 28). Ontario Ministry of Education.
CET: Teaching & Learning: Assessment of Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved June 3, 2015, from http://cet.usc.edu/resources/teaching_learning/assessment.html
Classroom-Based Formative Assessments: Guiding Teaching and Learning. (2015). In C. Suurtamm & A. McDuffie (Eds.), Annual Perspectives in Mathematics Education: Assessment to Enhance Teaching and Learning (1st ed., p. 61). Reston, Virginia: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).
Success Criteria in Mathematics
It is important that students and teachers share a common understanding of the goals of learning and how learning happens (i.e., success criteria). According to Ontario Ministry of Education policy, Growing Success ...
"The use of assessment to improve student learning and to help students become independent learners
requires teachers and students to acknowledge and enact a fundamental shift in how they perceive
their roles in the learning process (p30)."
Thus, to help students identify the goals and criteria for successful learning in Mathematics, I will be integrating lessons and assessments such that students are able to work their way towards uncovering goals and co-constructing (i.e., with their peers and I) success criteria.
Here's a sample set of questions that I'll be providing Grade 10 students. The questions have been designed to help students think about the criteria that they will need to consider in order to effectively solve and communicate their mathematical knowledge and thinking.
"The use of assessment to improve student learning and to help students become independent learners
requires teachers and students to acknowledge and enact a fundamental shift in how they perceive
their roles in the learning process (p30)."
Thus, to help students identify the goals and criteria for successful learning in Mathematics, I will be integrating lessons and assessments such that students are able to work their way towards uncovering goals and co-constructing (i.e., with their peers and I) success criteria.
Here's a sample set of questions that I'll be providing Grade 10 students. The questions have been designed to help students think about the criteria that they will need to consider in order to effectively solve and communicate their mathematical knowledge and thinking.