Activity 3: Data-based Modifications of Formative Assessments

Formative assessment, by definition, is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve student’s achievement of intended instructional outcomes (McManus, 2017). Formative assessments can and should be continuously applied to the classroom so that every student learns effectively and no one is left behind. This is especially important in math since many students struggle with it, but if the teacher becomes aware that the students are struggling, it’s so simple to just change the way a certain topic is explained or create activities to reinforce that knowledge and make it clearer. I am a firm believer that math can be fun and that everyone can understand them, but formative assessments are necessary to achieve this.

According to McManus (2017) one key feature of this definition is its requirement that formative assessment be regarded as a process. There are a number of formative assessment strategies that can be implemented during classroom instruction. These range from informal observations and conversations to purposefully planned instructionally embedded techniques designed to elicit evidence of student learning to inform and adjust instruction.

In this module I proposed 4 formative assessments for a high school math course. The feedback of the instructor and Sameh were very important, I realized there were many aspects I had overlooked when designing these assessments but that were crucial for its success and effectiveness, so modifying and enriching the assessments became necessary:

·      For IXL and Application Card, it’s necessary to give students more responsibility about their knowledge and I shouldn’t be afraid of doing so. Students must try to correct their mistakes without the teacher solving it all for them. So for these two assessments I would give more responsibility to the students for the correction of mistakes.

·       For “Test questions done by students” specifying rubrics to help the student design good questions or guide them at all through the question design process are of great need and importance. Rubrics are necessary and will allow me to more effectively gather information of what the students know or don’t know very well yet. Also, since students will solve the test designed by their peers, rubrics will also help guarantee that one test is not harder or easier than the other, but there will be a standard.

·    For “Small competitions” both, the instructor and Sameh, recommended me to walk around the classroom and observe the students while the students work in small groups.

·      For “application card” it would be helpful to set a time limit for students to fill out their card at the end of the class and also explain to them that they don’t have to write a big essay or explanation, just a brief application.

So in general, be more specific with instructions and time limits, and encourage students to be responsible for their learning as well. I will also need to be careful when grouping the students, to have a diverse group and promote collaboration, this is especially important for ELL students and students with special needs.

Making sure to keep students engaged is also very important, so using pen and paper to collect answers can be changed in some occasions to the use of software for example.

I feel more confident now about employing these assessments during my class and cannot wait to do it.

REFERENCES

McManus, S. (2017). Attributes of Effective Formative Assessment. Retrieved June, 2018 from: https://www.ccsso.org/resource-library/attributes-effective-formative-assessment"