Webbing, Content/Concept Maps, What We Know/Want to Know/Learned (KWL) Charts, Hypercard, Outlines, Timelines, Flow Charts, Venn Diagrams

• They permit the visual comparison of student understanding to expert knowledge.
• They illuminate preconceptions.
• They help students make their thinking visible (developing and supporting visual learning modalities).
• They can be used as advanced organizers for students since they help students self-assess their current knowledge.
  

Thoughts:

• Graphic organizers would be more creative, challenging, and fun than traditional essay or objective style questions on tests.
• Graphic organizers could also be required within presentations and projects.

Assessment Feedback:
Flowchart Sequencing____________
Factual Accuracy____________

Students complete the diagram by listing facts about the topic on the right and feelings and associations on the left.

Assessment Feedback (Pre- vs. Post- Charts):

Set A is the set of quadrilaterals that are equilateral.
Set B is the set of quadrilaterals that have two pair of parallel sides.
Set C is the set of quadrilaterals that are equal-angular.

Assessment Checklist:
___Are the circle attributes described correctly?
___Are overlapping subsets identified correctly?
___Is the content accurate?

what we Know, what we Want to learn, what we Learned.

These provide the teacher with information on the students' preconceptions and interests. They document the progress of the class as a whole but not individual attainment.

• Burke, K. (1993). The Mindful School: How to Assess Thoughtful Outcomes. Palatine, Illinois: IRI/Skylight Publishing, Inc. Pgs. 117-126.
  
• Murphy, N. (1994). Authentic Assessment for the Learning Cycle Model in Schafer, L (ed.) (1994). Columbus Ohio: ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education. Pgs. 18-20.
  

• They are effective at diagnosing both strengths and needs.
• They encourage students to reflect upon their own thinking.
• They provide additional information on exceptional students.

• Interviews can occur formally or informally. Use tools or manipulatives
• Ask the student to do a task and to explain what they are doing and why as they work, or you can do the task yourself and have the student tell what s/he thinks you are doing and why (valuable for at-risk students).
• Keep records with either a video/audio recorder, rubric or anecdotal notes.
• Not all students need to be interviewed on a given set of tasks.
• Allow plenty of wait time so that the student can give thoughtful responses. Refrain from teaching or asking leading questions.
• Ask students to describe their thought processes while they are solving problems (use think/talk techniques). Susitna Elementary in Anchorage has piloted a Think/Talk Project.

Discuss your strategy for solving this problem:

(Solve the problem then explain how you solved the problem.)

Data sheet:

Interview Questions:	Comments
1) Sort the flowers by color
2) Place them on the chart paper in line above the same flower (model if necessary)
3) Which flower color is most common?

What question are you trying to answer with your graphing project:

Why some carts go faster than others.

How will your graph answer that question?

Because it will show if heavier carts tend to go down my ramp faster or slower than light carts.

Does that answer your question 'why'?

It tells me whether or not extra weight improves their speed, but not other things.

How would you rephrase your question?

How does weight affect the speed of my cart?

Ask questions that will help you better understand student behavior and understanding:

• What did you do first?
  
• Why?
  
• Can you describe your solution?
  
• Will you explain what you are doing?
  
• What should you do next?
  
• Can you describe any patterns you see?
  

• Please describe your problem to me.
  
  

• There might be many ways to solve it. Can you describe several possibilities?
  
  

• What problems can you think of that are similar to your original problem?
  
  

Evaluation Feedback:_____self_____peer__x__teacher

yes/not yet
____Can you explain the problem?
____Can you brainstorm ways to solve it?
____Can you relate this problem to others like it?

• Ann Arbor Public Schools. (1993). Alternative Assessment: Evaluating Student Performance in Elementary Mathematics. Palo Alto, CA: Dale Seymour Publications. Pg. 12-27.
  
• Stenmark, J. K. (ed). (1991). Mathematics Assessment: Myths, Models, Good Questions . Reston, VA: NCTM Pg. 28-33.

Anecdotal Notes, Video, Audio, Photos

• Use observations to collect data on behaviors that are difficult to assess by other methods (e.g., attitude toward problem solving, selection and usage of a specific strategy, modeling a concept with a manipulative, ability to work effectively in a group, persistence, concentration).
• Observe and record the way students solve problems and complete tasks.
• Ascertain whether students (individually or in a group) are attaining the intended objectives with observational tools. (Do I need to reteach? Are students ready to move on?).
  

• Record and date your observations during or soon after the observation. Develop a shorthand system. Distinguish from inferences.
• Observe students in a natural classroom setting so you can see how they respond under normal conditions. It is easier to observe students' behavior if they are working in small groups rather than alone.
• Have an observation plan, but be flexible enough to note other significant behavior. You may find it helpful to record either many behaviors for one student or one behavior for many students.
• Use technology like Newton or bar code readers.

students

Student: Larry Week: 1/19/94

Objectives: Demonstrates understanding of place value concepts.

Regroups and trades up with 2 digit addition.

Still has difficulty trading down for 2 digit subtraction with numbers, but is successful doing it with manipulatives on a place-value chart

• What's this problem really about?
• Why is this true (or not true)?
• What's a good next step?
• What do we still need to know?
• Is there another explanation?
• What if we changed this part?"
  (Stenmark, 1991 p. 28)

Student's Name: Cherry

• Keep a clipboard with sheets of computer labels attached.
• Keep a 3-ringed notebook with pages for each student. Create sections for the skills and concepts you are targeting.
• As you observe the students, record anecdotes on a label. Include the student's name and the date.
• At the end of each day, peel the labels and attach them to the student's page in the ring binder.
  

• Ann Arbor Public Schools. (1993). Alternative Assessment: Evaluating Student Performance in Elementary Mathematics. Palo Alto, CA: Dale Seymour Publications. Pgs. 28-29.
  
• Burke, K. (1993). The Mindful School: How to Assess Thoughtful Outcomes. Palatine, Illinois: IRI/Skylight Publishing, Inc. Pgs. 110-116.
  
• Murphy, N. (1994). Authentic Assessment for the Learning Cycle Model in Schafer, L (ed) (1994). Behind The Methods Class Door: Educating Elementary And Middle School Science Teachers. Columbus Ohio: ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education. Pg. 28.
  
• Ostlund, K. (1992). Science Process Skills: Assessing Hands-On Student Performance. NY: Addison-Wesley (all chapters).

• Use performance tasks to assess students' ability to demonstrate and apply skills and concepts.
• They simultaneously enhance and evaluate students' ability to use appropriate mathematical and science representations.
• Performance tasks may involve explaining one's work or the process used, formulating hypotheses, explaining mathematical or scientific situations, writing procedures, creating new related problems, making generalizations, describing patterns or solutions, and so on.
• Scoring is often accomplished through performance task cards, analytical trait scales, checklists, or holistic scales.
  

Thoughts:

• Criteria for performance tasks: (these will be in a web in final product)

  Engaging (thought provoking)
  Equitable
  Open Ended -vs.- one correct response
  Feasible
  Actively engages the student
  Rich (many possibilities)
  Authentic/rich/meaningful/relevant/real world
  Essential to core of curriculum
  Varying degrees of structure
  Complete-able

• Performance tasks allow the examination of the process used as well as the answer or finished project.
• They can be used with groups as well as individuals.

Your task is to help a fish-loving Fairbanks couple decide how to gather their winter's supply of salmon. Whole salmon costs $3 per pound at the store. Do they have a chance at catching enough fish in one dip-netting trip to Chitina to make the trip cost-effective (i.e. to beat the cost of $3/LB).

• List the costs of the dip-netting trip that they will have to consider. (If you know that a cost will be important but you do not know the exact value of that item, ask your teacher for the information.)
• Use a spreadsheet and graph your results to determine how many pounds of fish they will have to catch to break even with the cost of purchasing that much salmon.
• Answer the question: Will it be more or less cost effective to fish for salmon at Chitina than to buy them in Fairbanks? Explain your answer.
  

Identified the cost categories:
____salmon price/LB
____ave. weight of salmon
____travel expenses
____cost of fishing licenses
____gear/dipnet costs
____cooler/ice costs
____salary lost for vacation

Used an effective formula in the spreadsheet to determine how the fixed costs of the trip become variable costs/LB of caught salmon.
____sum of fixed costs / lbs caught = cost/lb
____other effective formula?

Correctly graphed the data to answer the question.
____graphed the linear horizontal slope of the costs/lb of purchased salmon.
____graphed negative non-linear slope of costs/lb caught fish.

Correctly interpreted graph and answered the question.
____determined break-even point in terms of cost per lb
____translated to ave. wt of fish and considered catch limits.

Participate with the entire class to learn about the tests that identify the following powders. Take careful notes about the tests and your observations.

The teacher says:

Draw and design 2 different boats using the materials in your bag. Predict whether or not they will float. Build them. Test them. Circle the picture of your best boat.

Assessment Comments:

spatial visualization:

prediction skills:

observation skills:

• Ann Arbor Public Schools. (1993). Alternative Assessment: Evaluating Student Performance in Elementary mathematics. Palo Alto, CA: Dale Seymour Publications. Pg. 49
  
• Shavelson, R.J. (1994). Laboratory Notebook: Performance Assessment in Science. Santa Barbara, CA: University of California. (In Reference Kit Resource Notebook. Pgs. 60-61)
  
• Stenmark, J. K. (ed). (1991). Mathematics Assessment: Myths, Models, Good Questions Reston, VA: NCTM. Pgs. 12-25.

Drama, Dance, Songs, Oral Presentations, Artworks, Authentic Products

• Use creative performance as a way for students to communicate their understanding of concepts that require difficult terminology.
• Develop collaborative creative performances to assess students' use of group problem solving and collaboration.
• Encourage your students to demonstrate their mastery of technology while creating performances.
• Use performances as a means to assess attitudes and awareness.
• Allow students with different learning and communication styles to express their knowledge through performances.
  

Thoughts:

• Performances and exhibitions motivate students to get involved and have ownership in their own learning.
• These may be done individually or with a group.
• Ask students to create assessment rubrics to help them plan their performances.

Often animal observations do not occur as planned or predicted. For example, when students observe snails and meal worms for positive, negative or neutral reactions to stimuli, the animals do not always respond consistently. Teachers can augment the effectiveness of the activity by having the students pretend to be food snails and acting out negative, positive, and neutral reactions. They can observe whether or not the students can operationalize these three kinds of reactions, and they simultaneously keep the students productively active while still watching for the responses of the actual animals (Murphy, 1994, p 25).

Dance

After exploring "air as matter" the teacher asks the students to pretend that they are each an individual molecule of air. They are to pantomime the action of the molecules of air as the teacher pretends to control the temperature. Some students spread their arms and bask in the heat, and they say that they are expanding with the heat. Others coil up from fear of being burned. Others begin to move more actively around the room, bouncing off each other. These demonstrations provide the teacher with important knowledge about the current schema of these students (Murphy, 1994, p 25).

• Burke, K. (1993). The Mindful School: How to Assess Thoughtful Outcomes. Palatine, Illinois: IRI/Skylight Publishing, Inc.
  

____Does the presentation demonstrate knowledge of the concept?

Comments:

____Did the student use an effective process to plan the performance (visualize, preplan, practice, edit, perform)?

Comments:

Draw a comic strip of this word problem. In the 5th frame draw a solution to the problem:

Frame 1: Three moose swam across the river to the sand bar.

Frame 2: One bear swam to the sand bar.

Frame 3: Two moose swam back from the sand bar to the river bank.

Frame 4: The bear watched them swim.

Frame 5: How many animals remain on the sand bar?

Frame 6: What happens next?

Assessment Checklist:

____Correctly sequences the comic frames

____Includes the correct # of animals in each frame

____Solves the problem

Write a song about the aurora that explains the reasons for the different colors.

Assessment Scoring Guide:

____ 5 pt The correct colors are identified.

____ 5 pt The correct explanations are included.

____ 5 pt The song is engaging, melodic, & rhythmic.

• Self and peer evaluations help us gain information on how students view their own performance and/or how peers view their performance.
• They provide data on student or group attitudes, feelings, opinions, and views.
• They encourage reflection and communication about desirable performance criteria.
  

Thoughts:

• It is common for students to have difficulty when they are first asked to report their feelings, beliefs, intentions, or thinking processes. It is even more difficult to report on their peers' performance. Make the process safer by using it for formative rather than summative purposes.
• Model evaluating your own performance, or provide examples. Another strategy is to introduce constructive feedback. Models help students develop their sense of standards for their own performance.
• Work on constructive feedback between students. Do a lot of modeling first, and then make one positive statement and one area for improvement. The students then will pick another classmate to make a positive and an improvement comment as well.
• Let students do a private self-assessment that no one else sees. This allows for an honest sense of their own level of understanding and performance.
• Self-assessment and peer assessment can sometimes be combined onto one checklist format; however, one set of responses may influence the other.

Choose two sentences to complete for each item in your portfolio:

I chose this piece to be in my portfolio because:

If I could continue working on this piece, I would:

While working on this piece I learned:

How did you feel about this activity?

Would you like to do this activity again?