# data[].attributes.headline
Choose three of the assessment strategies listed in this chapter. When, why, and how would you use each in your own classroom practice?

# data[].attributes.subject
Choose three of the assessment strategies listed in this chapter. When, why, and how would you use each in your own classroom practice?

# data[].attributes.body
When discussing formative assessment strategies in the classroom, there are various options to choose from. Formative assessments are tools and techniques used by educators to gather information about student learning progress during instruction. Here are three common formative assessment strategies, along with when, why, and how they might be used in a classroom:

1. Classroom Discussion and Questioning:

When: Use this strategy throughout a lesson or at the end of a lesson to gauge student understanding.

Why: Classroom discussions and questioning allow teachers to actively engage with students, identify misconceptions, and encourage critical thinking and peer-to-peer learning.

How: Ask open-ended questions, encourage students to explain their thought processes, and use probing questions to delve deeper into their understanding. This can be done through whole-class discussions or small group discussions.

2. Exit Tickets:

When: Use exit tickets at the end of a lesson or class to assess what students have learned.

Why: Exit tickets provide a quick and anonymous way for students to summarize their learning and for teachers to assess overall comprehension.

How: Ask students to respond to a few specific questions or prompts related to the day's lesson. These can be in written or digital form. Analyze the responses to determine if reteaching or further clarification is needed.

3. Think-Pair-Share:

When: Implement think-pair-share at different points in a lesson to encourage student reflection and collaboration.

Why: This strategy promotes active learning, helps students articulate their thoughts, and provides a low-stakes opportunity to discuss their ideas with peers before sharing with the whole class.

How: Pose a question or problem, give students a moment to think individually, then pair them up to discuss their ideas. Finally, have pairs share their thoughts with the class.

Each of these formative assessment strategies serves a unique purpose in the classroom. By using them effectively, you can gain insights into student progress and adjust your teaching accordingly. These strategies foster student engagement, allow for timely intervention, and ultimately improve the learning experience.

# data[].attributes.body
summative assessments are used to evaluate what students have learned at the end of a teaching period or unit. Here are three common summative assessment strategies, along with when, why, and how you might use each in your own classroom practice:

1. Standardized Tests:

When: Typically used at the end of a grading period, school year, or to meet state or national standards.

Why: Standardized tests provide an objective measure of a student's knowledge and skills compared to a larger population, helping to assess overall educational attainment.

How: Administer standardized tests in a controlled environment, ensuring that students have a set amount of time to complete the assessment. Use the results to measure student performance against established benchmarks.

2. Final Projects:

When: Assign final projects at the conclusion of a unit, term, or academic year to assess a comprehensive understanding of the material.

Why: Final projects allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in a creative and holistic manner. They also encourage critical thinking, research, and presentation skills.

How: Provide clear project guidelines, rubrics, and a timeline for completion. Assess the final product, including the quality of research, organization, presentation, and creativity.

3. Portfolios:

When: Portfolios can be built and assessed throughout the year or at the end of a term, and can include a collection of students' best work.

Why: Portfolios offer a comprehensive view of a student's growth and development over time. They showcase a variety of skills and knowledge, promoting self-reflection and self-assessment.

How: Instruct students to select and organize their work, reflecting on their progress and providing explanations for the items included. Use rubrics or assessment criteria to evaluate the portfolio's content, organization, and the students' ability to articulate their learning journey.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Summative Assessment: Overview & Examples

# data[].attributes.body
When it comes to using questioning as an assessment strategy in a math classroom, there are several effective ways to implement it. Here are three ways to use questioning, along with when, why, and how to use each in your own math classroom practice:

1. Socratic Questioning:

When: Throughout a math lesson or as a part of a class discussion.

Why: Socratic questioning encourages critical thinking and deep understanding of mathematical concepts. It helps uncover students' thought processes and challenges them to explain their reasoning.

How: Pose open-ended questions that require students to analyze, evaluate, and apply their math knowledge. For example, ask questions like "Why do you think that approach is correct?" or "Can you provide an example to support your answer?" This approach fosters active engagement and discussion.

2. Peer Questioning:

When: During group work, collaborative problem-solving activities, or peer teaching.

Why: Peer questioning not only assesses individual understanding but also promotes peer learning. It encourages students to ask questions, clarify doubts, and learn from one another.

How: Assign students to work in pairs or small groups on math problems. Encourage them to take turns asking each other questions about the material, explaining concepts to their peers, and seeking clarification when needed. This promotes a supportive learning environment and allows you to assess their comprehension and communication skills.

3. Exit Ticket Questions:

When: At the end of a math lesson or class.

Why: Exit ticket questions provide a quick and focused way to assess what students have learned in a particular lesson. They help you gauge whether the key takeaways have been understood.

How: Prepare a few concise questions related to the day's math content. Distribute these questions to students as they exit the classroom or in a digital format. Analyze their responses to identify areas where students might need additional support or further instruction.

Using questioning as an assessment strategy in your math classroom can be an effective way to evaluate students' understanding, encourage critical thinking, and foster active engagement. By asking thought-provoking questions and creating an environment where students feel comfortable asking questions themselves, you can better assess their math skills and help them develop a deeper comprehension of mathematical concepts.

# data[].attributes.headline
What are some advantages of visible thinking routines?

# data[].attributes.subject
What are some advantages of visible thinking routines?

# data[].attributes.body
Visible Thinking Routines are instructional strategies that offer various advantages in the classroom. They promote critical thinking, enhance metacognition, and foster communication skills. These routines engage students, encourage inquiry and curiosity, and provide opportunities for formative assessment. They also support problem-solving skills, conceptual understanding, and learning transfer while contributing to a positive classroom culture and meeting diverse learning needs. Ultimately, Visible Thinking Routines make thinking visible and lead to deeper learning and skill development.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The beginning of the school year is filled with excitement and anticipation. There are materials to prepare and organize, lessons to plan, and classrooms to set up. As teachers, we think carefully about the norms, structures, and routines that we want to establish. Everything from housekeeping to how we communicate with each other to how we move about the classroom contribute to students feeling safe to share their thinking, take risks, and solve problems.

Thinking routines establish predictable patterns in ways of thinking and send strong messages about what is valued within the classroom community. Harvard's Project Zero defines a thinking routine as "a set of questions or a brief sequence of steps used to scaffold and support student thinking." In the context of mathematics, thinking routines can convey that it's our thinking that matters, not just the answers. They can communicate that what is valued is our collective understanding, not our individual performance. Beginning a lesson with a thinking routine communicates that everyone has something to contribute, that our understanding is deepened through discourse; it is a way to ensure that every student experiences success. In contrast to a "mad minute" or other rote computational tasks that may start off a math class, the thinking routines we offer here focus on justification, flexible thinking, and clear communication.

Thinking routines are a great way to pique curiosity while being accessible to all students. Let's take a look at a few examples of thinking routines you can use to start off your math class and set the tone for the rest of a lesson:

Notice and Wonder. This routine has become, well, quite routine in many classrooms! The power in notice and wonder lies in its accessibility to all students; all students can notice something and there are no incorrect responses to what we notice! Using visual images for a notice and wonder routine is a great way to further increase accessibility and to emphasize mathematical relationships over computation. Additionally, research supports the importance of visual mathematics for our learning. Education Development Center (EDC) has an extensive collection of images of different mobiles similar to the one below that can be used in a notice and wonder routine.

Looking at this image, what do you notice? What do you see? What does it make you wonder? What might your students see in this image, and what questions might they come up with?

Which One Doesn't Belong? (Alternatively, Which One Is Unique?). In this routine, there are, by design, several correct answers. Students are shown four quadrants with an image in each. Their job is to decide which of the four is different from the rest. Students can justify any of the four quadrants as being unique, and therefore the emphasis of the routine is on students' reasoning. Many examples of and inspiration for images can be found on the site "Which One Doesn't Belong?"

Look at the four triangles in this example. How is each one unique? What reasoning might your students use to prove how each is unique? What kinds of relationships and attributes would they focus on, and what kinds of conversations might develop from what they notice?

What's the Same? What's Different? In this routine, students are shown two side-by-side images and are tasked with sharing what they notice about how the images are the same or different. Again, the emphasis here is on justification and reasoning, and it gives students an opportunity to practice using precise language to describe the similarities and differences. Some inspiration for images can be found on Dr. Sue Looney's site "Same but Different Math". What might your young students say if presented with the following image?

True or False? This routine challenges students to evaluate whether or not an equation is true or false without evaluating each side! This is a way for students to focus on the relationships between numbers rather than on computational skills. For example, how could you decide if the following equation is true or false without evaluating each side? What mathematical relationships and big ideas are you using to decide?

659 + 357 = 660 + 356

When you use these or any other thinking routines to begin your math lesson, it's important to consider what is accessible for all students as well as which big mathematical ideas you want your students to be thinking about that day. We want all students to experience success as they begin the lesson, and these routines allow for that while also engaging students in thinking about big ideas.

All students can and should experience success every day in the math classroom. This doesn't mean that they won't be challenged, make mistakes, or struggle. Starting class with a thinking routine is a way to ensure success while supporting students' ability to reason, communicate their thinking, and develop confidence in mathematics. Thinking routines ensure that every student is successfully engaged in mathematical thinking from the beginning of the lesson. Success primes students to take on the mathematical challenges and intellectual risks of the day.

What other thinking routines have you used in your classroom? We encourage you to try these and other thinking routines and notice how they influence classroom culture and learning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Routines for Mathematical Thinking & Engagement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The beginning of the school year is filled with excitement and anticipation. There are materials to prepare and organize, lessons to plan, and classrooms to set up. As teachers, we think carefully about the norms, structures, and routines that we want to establish.

# data[].attributes.body
To use a Visible Thinking Routine in the classroom, select an appropriate routine, introduce it to students, present the content, engage students in thinking activities, have them record their thoughts, encourage sharing and discussion, facilitate analysis and reflection, connect the routine to learning objectives, and assess student understanding. Use the insights gained to provide feedback and make instructional adjustments. Repeatedly use these routines to create a thinking culture in the classroom and adapt them to different subjects and contexts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
School of Education and Human Sciences, University of Kansas

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Great Visible Thinking Routines for the Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Visible Thinking Routines are highly applicable classroom exercises that help students think and learn. Apply to the online graduate programs at KU.