Embedding Formative Assessment: Practical Techniques for K-12 Classrooms

by Dylan Wiliam, Siobh n Leahy

Overview

Effective classroom formative assessment helps educators make minute-by-minute, day-by-day instructional decisions. This clear, practical guide for teachers centers on five key instructional strategies, along with an overview of each strategy and practical formative assessment techniques for implementation in K–12 classrooms. The authors provide guidance on when and how to use the techniques, tips, cautions, and enhancements to sustain formative assessment.

Educators will learn how to:

• Clarify, share, and understand learning intentions and success criteria
• Engineer productive discussion and activities that elicit evidence of learning
• Provide feedback that moves learners forward
• Activate students as learning resources for each other
• Activate students as owners of their own learning

Contents:
Techniques: Tips, Cautions, and Enhancements
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Introduction
Chapter 1: Why Formative Assessment Should Be a Priority for Every Teacher
Chapter 2: Your Professional Learning
Chapter 3: Strategy 1—Clarifying, Sharing, and Understanding Learning Intentions and Success Criteria
Chapter 4: Strategy 2—Engineering Effective Discussion, Tasks, and Activities That Elicit Evidence of Learning
Chapter 5: Strategy 3—Providing Feedback That Moves Learning Forward
Chapter 6: Strategy 4—Activating Students as Learning Resources for One Another
Chapter 7: Strategy 5—Activating Students as Owners of Their Own Learning
Conclusion
Resources
Appendix
References
Index

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781941112298
Publisher:	Solution Tree Press
Publication date:	05/21/2015
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Dylan Wiliam is one of the world's foremost education authorities. He has helped to successfully implement classroom formative assessment in thousands of schools all over the world, including the United States, Singapore, Sweden, Australia, and the United Kingdom. A two-part BBC series, "The Classroom Experiment," tracked Dr. Wiliam's work at one British middle school, showing how formative assessment strategies empower students, significantly increase engagement, and shift classroom responsibility from teachers to their students so that students become agents of and collaborators in their own learning. Siobhán Leahy, MS, was a principal of three secondary schools for 17 years. She has practical experience with embedding classroom formative assessment through implementation of teacher learning communities. She is co-author and developer, with Dylan Wiliam on several publications. She received her Master of Science from South Bank University, London, and her Bachelor of Science in Management Sciences from the University of Warwick, UK.

Table of Contents

Techniques: Tips, Cautions, and Enhancements xi

About the Authors xix

Introduction 1

The Techniques I Regularly Use 4

Chapter 1 Why Formative Assessment Should Be a Priority for Every Teacher 5

Chapter 2 Your Professional Learning 13

Introduction 13

Content, Then Process 13

Choice 14

Flexibility 15

Small Steps 17

Supporting Formative Assessment With Teacher Learning Communities 22

Chapter 3 Strategy 1: Clarifying, Sharing, and Understanding Learning Intentions and Success Criteria 27

Overview 27

Why Use This Strategy 27

Getting to Understand the Strategy 27

Techniques 30

Recap 59

Reflection Checklist for Strategy 1 60

Lesson Planning Sheet 61

Peer Observation Sheet 62

Chapter 4 That Elicit Evidence of Learning 63

Overview 63

Why Use This Strategy 63

Getting to Understand the Strategy 63

Techniques 64

Recap 95

Reflection Checklist for Strategy 2 97

Lesson Planning Sheet 98

Peer Observation Sheet 99

Student Survey 100

Student Feedback to Teacher 101

Chapter 5 Strategy 3: Providing Feedback That Moves Learning Forward 103

Overview 103

Why Use This Strategy 103

Getting to Understand the Strategy 103

Techniques 105

Recap 133

Reflection Checklist for Strategy 3 135

Lesson Planning Sheet 136

Peer Observation Sheet 137

Chapter 6 Strategy 4: Activating Students as Learning Resources for One Another 139

Overview 139

Why Use This Strategy 139

Getting to Understand the Strategy 139

Recap 139

Reflection Checklist for Strategy 4 163

Lesson Planning Sheet 166

Peer Observation Sheet 167

Chapter 7 Strategy 5: Activating Students as Owners of Their Own Learning 169

Overview 169

Why Use This Strategy 169

Getting to Understand the Strategy 169

Techniques 172

Recap 196

Reflection Checklist for Strategy 5 198

Lesson Planning Sheet 199

Peer Observation Sheet 200

Conclusion 201

The Techniques I Now Regularly Use 204

Resources 205

Reflection Checklist for Strategy 1 205

Reflection Checklist for Strategy 2 206

Reflection Checklist for Strategy 3 207

Reflection Checklist for Strategy 4 208

Reflection Checklist for Strategy 5 209

Lesson Planning Sheet 210

Peer Observation Sheet 211

Student Feedback to Teacher 213

Learning Log 214

Student Reflections on Learning 215

Example Letter from Class Teacher to Parents 216

Self-Assessment Prompts 217

Appendix 221

References 223

Index 237