Better Learning for All Surely Thats the Aim

Better Learning for All Surely That’s the Aim? “If we keep on teaching the same way and our students keep failing, who is the slow learner? ”

What are summative and formative assessment? • Formative assessment • ‘… often means no more than that the assessment is carried out frequently and is planned at the same time as teaching. ’ (Black and Wiliam, 1999) • ‘… provides feedback which leads to students recognising the (learning) gap and closing it … it is forward looking …’ (Harlen, 1998) • ‘ … includes both feedback and self-monitoring. ’ (Sadler, 1989) • ‘… is used essentially to feed back into the teaching and learning process. ’ (Tunstall and Gipps, 1996) Summative assessment ‘…assessment (that) has increasingly been used to sum up learning…’(Black and Wiliam, 1999) ‘… looks at past achievements … adds procedures or tests to existing work. . . involves only marking and feedback grades to student … is separated from teaching … is carried out at intervals when achievement has to be summarised and reported. ’ (Harlen, 1998)

The kūmara analogy If we think of our children as kūmara, … • summative assessment of the kūmara is the process of simply measuring them. It might be interesting to compare and analyse measurements but, in themselves, these do not affect the growth of the kūmara • formative assessment on the other hand, is the equivalent of tending, feeding and watering the kūmara – directly affecting their growth.

We use formative assessment because Teaching in the dark is a questionable practice. A basic cause of ineffective teaching and learning is lack of systematic, on-going assessment. An effective teacher builds curriculum and instruction on analysis of data gathered through diagnosis. Hilda Taba & Deborah Elkins Teaching Strategies for the Culturally Disadvantaged Chicago: Rand Mc. Nally

On-Going Assessment & Adjustment • Assessment is also key to understanding and attending to student interest and learning profile needs. • Assessment provides direction to teachers on who needs particular kinds of support in particular areas to grow and succeed • Pre-assessment - Determining student readiness to work with essential knowledge • On-going assessment -understanding and skill as a unit begins and as a unit progresses • Summative assessment - as a unit concludes

Assessment & Differentiation… « “Assessment is today’s means of understanding how to modify tomorrow’s instruction. ” Carol Ann Tomlinson « It’s about guiding students, not judging them. « It’s about informing instruction, not filling grade books. « It’s about before, during and after – not just after. « It’s about teaching for success – not gotcha teaching. Making a Difference – One Child at a Time • Grades reflect: Quality of work, Difficulty of task Individual growth

International research • In 1998, Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam of Kings College London published the findings of their wide-reaching analysis of research into classroom-based assessment in the document: Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards through Classroom Assessment. • To download a full-text copy, go to: • http: //www. kcl. ac. uk/depsta/education/publi cations/blackbox. html

The black box findings Black and Wiliam’s research indicates that improving learning through assessment depends on five deceptively simple factors: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Providing effective feedback to students. Student’s active involvement in their own learning. Adjusting teaching to take account of the results of assessment. Recognising the profound influence of assessment on students’ motivation and selfesteem – both crucial influences on learning. Ensuring pupils reflect on their learning and understand how to improve.

In action this means: • • Teachers value and believe in students. Sharing learning goals with the students. Involving students in self-assessment. Providing feedback that helps students recognise their next steps and how to take them. • Being confident that every student can improve. • Providing students with examples of what we expect from them.

What is a differentiated classroom? • “A differentiated classroom is a place where the teacher proactively plans and carries out varied approaches to content, process, and product in anticipation of and response to student differences in readiness, interest, and learning needs. ” Carol Ann Tomlinson

A Differentiated Classroom • “In differentiated classrooms, teachers begin where students are, not the front of a curriculum guide. ” • “All students can learn and succeed, but not on the same day in the same way. ” • -Carol Ann Tomlinson

“Differentiation is making sure that the right students get the right learning tasks at the right time. Once you have a sense of what each student holds as ‘given’ or ‘known’ and what he or she needs in order to learn, differentiation is no longer an option; it is an obvious response. ” Lorna M. Earl Assessment as Learning: Using Classroom Assessment to Maximise Student Learning Corwin Press, Inc. – 2003 – pp. 86 - 87

Key Questions Leading To Differentiation 1. Planning Question – What do I want students to know, understand be able to do? 2. Pre-assessing Question – Who already knows, understands and/or can use the content or demonstrate the skill? 3. Differentiation Question – What can I do for him, her or them so they can make continuous progress and extend their learning? Do these tasks respect each learner?

Carol Ann Tomlinson : • If we reframe the questions that we ask, a tectonic shift might occur in how we make decisions on behalf of academicallydiverse learners. • NOT IS • What labels • What deficits • How do we remediate What interests and needs What strengths How do we maximise

Teacher Readiness… • How do we as teachers maximise access to the richest possible curriculum and instruction… What can we do to develop the skill and will to teach for each learner’s equity of access to excellence? • WE MAKE A START TOWARDS DIFFERENTIATING IN OUR CLASSROOMS!