# data[].attributes.body
This is a slide show that has a ton of useful information about Pear Deck. Pear Deck is a simple chrome extension. This extension allows fun assessment tools to be added to any form of slides.

# data[].attributes.body
This will take you to the home page of the Pear Deck website.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Pear Deck is on a mission to help teachers create powerful learning moments for every student, every day - using the tools you already know and love.

# data[].attributes.body
This will take you to the ThingLink home page. ThingLink is a great resource to let students use their creativity. This is a great assessment tool as well.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ThingLink: Create unique experiences with interactive images, videos & 360° media

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Easily create interactive and immersive visual experiences for online communication and learning. Start a free trial!

# data[].attributes.body
This article explains the reasoning and efficiency behind ThingLink.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Amy Edwards-Smith

What is the idea?

ThingLink as an education platform has gained attention as a success in recent years (Appaasmy, 2018; Nakatsuka, 2018/19). ThingLink is an online digital tool that allows for embedding images, surveys, videos, website links, and more in one online space, which results in a visual and interactive learning experience. The creator uploads an image and then utilises 'tags', which when clicked provide additional content. 360-degree images can also be used to provide an immersive VR experience. The final result is a visual and interactive learning experience that links information together in a coherent manner. For educators, ThingLink offers flexibility and the opportunity to assess students' understanding through embedded tools and conditional progression settings. It also allows for storytelling, promotes dialogue and fosters independent learning. ThingLink has been successfully used in practice in both synchronous and asynchronous situations and is helpful for both a flipped-classroom approach along with being a recap resource, and works well as part of a virtual learning environment. ThingLink has a free version; however, an upgraded subscription allows students to collaborate and create their own content, meaning there are sufficient opportunities to challenge students through all stages of Bloom's (1956) taxonomy. Bloom (1956) believed that in order for students to successfully master complex cognitive processes (sometimes referred to as higher order thinking), they must first master the more simple cognitive processes. This means that students must first acquire knowledge before they can create, analyse or evaluate.

Why this idea?

The advancements in technology have resulted in new opportunities for educators to create an online environment that synthesises a wide range of information for students to explore in one place. Multiple researchers (Domagk et al., 2010; Evans & Gibbons, 2007; Hannafin & Peck, 1988; Mayer et al., 2003; Moreno et al., 2001) have highlighted the link between interactive learning opportunities and deep learning. Using ThingLink promotes student engagement as they interact with selected, and therefore relevant, information to develop their critical thinking skills. In addition, there is a sense of agency over their learning opportunities as they seek out information for themselves in a directed manner. This chapter will provide instructions and inspiration for educators to use ThingLink in their own practice.

How could others implement this idea?

ThingLink is a free to access resource with the potential to upgrade for existing features (which I will differentiate below).

To begin one needs to sign up at www.ThingLink.com. The most straightforward concept of ThingLink is an interactive image. This means that when you choose 'create' you will need to upload an image (which can be 360 degrees). You can either do this by creating your own or using licence-free pictures from websites such as Pixabay ( https://pixabay.com/).

Once you have uploaded your image, you will add 'tags'. The 'tags' are the interactive element and can be customised to suit your needs. There are four different types of tags, as explained below;

Text and media: This allows you to insert writing (with a title), add images, insert an audio recording and include a button that navigates to other websites of your choosing. You can have a combination of any of these options.

Text label: This is a label that displays your choice of text when the user hovers over it.

Add content from website: This allows you to embed media from other platforms such as SlideShare, Microsoft/Google forms and YouTube. The content you embed displays on the screen without the need to navigate away from the page. All that is needed is an embed code from the sharing options menu.

Create tour: Here you can link ThingLinks together. This is useful as it prevents an overload of information on one page and allows a new background image. The ThingLink you wish to tour needs to be completed to select it as a 'scene'. This option is advantageous to educators as you can choose to have a 'conditional transition'. Students must correctly answer a question before moving on, which can be a typed answer or multiple choice. This means that a final instruction at the end of the tour enables educators to assess learning.

I have created training on ThingLink for beginners ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkgUSlDLIew)

If you prefer to work through training independently, you can access the ThingLink I used in my training at: https://www.thinglink.com/scene/1420777259911872514.

Below are some examples that have been used successfully in practice.

An example of an escape room is at https://www.thinglink.com/scene/1475117875772522498. I have used tag 4 to create a tour and used the conditional transition to ensure students have accessed the information before they progress.

Collaborative learning is a crucial component of my classroom. At https://www.thinglink.com/scene/1419343337927737345, you will see an example of a collaborative learning task. In this task students worked in groups to explore cases of poor care and complete an embedded Microsoft form for assessment and feedback purposes. I used Powerpoint to create the background and instructions and have embedded a Microsoft form for students to complete their answers. The resulting ThingLink was then utilised for a feedback activity.

The example at https://www.thinglink.com/scene/1421139920449175555 demonstrates how students can work independently to explore the resources that you have provided. Again, the use of an embedded form allows you to monitor engagement.

As mentioned above, you can upgrade your account, allowing you to provide 'seats' to students who can then collaborate and add to a shared ThingLink. At https://www.thinglink.com/scene/1413538234914308099, you will see how my students worked together to create a global sexual health map. In this situation students were creating content for themselves and their peers. This was used throughout the module and added to as new concepts were explored. Students could become 'experts' in their countries and subsequently compare and contrast their knowledge with other countries. As accounts are free, students could theoretically create their own ThingLink independently to share with others if the cost needs to be avoided.

Upgrading an account also allows insight into which of tags have been accessed and the number of views.

The final stage is to ensure your privacy settings are correct and then choose a sharing method. You can use a link (as I have within this chapter), or you can make use of an embed code so your ThingLink sits neatly within your virtual learning environment.

Transferability to different contexts

ThingLink's adaptability means that it can be utilised in several disciplines, whether exploration-based learning of a topic or experiential-based learning in the context of practical experiences (Kolb, 2015).

The platform's ease of use means that it can be a valuable tool in introducing new concepts and formative and summative assessment possibilities.

The focus on images, as opposed to text, and the opportunity to include audio recordings means that the tool is inclusive of a variety of learning preferences.

For educators, the ThingLink blog provides examples for educators to explore. There are also training opportunities and webinars should educators wish to develop their skills further. The included prompts help create new ThingLinks, and a little practice can speed up the creation process.

Links to tools and resources

References

Appasamy, P. (2018). Fostering student engagement with digital microscopic images using Thinglink, an image annotation program. Journal of College Science Teaching, 47, 16-21. https://doi.org/10.2505/4/jcst18_047_05_16.

Bloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives, Handbook I: The cognitive domain. David McKay Co Inc.

Domagk, S., Schwartz, R. N., & Plass, J. L. (2010). Interactivity in multimedia learning: An integrated model. Human Behaviour, 26, 1024-1033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2010.03.003..

Evans, C., & Gibbons, N. J. (2007). The interactivity effect in multimedia learning. Computer Education, 49, 1147-1160, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2006.01.008.

Hannafin, M. J., & Peck, K. L. (1988). The design, development, and evaluation of instructional software. MacMillan.

Kolb, D. A. (2015). Experiential learning : Experienc e as the source of learning and development (2nd ed.). Pearson Education.

Mayer, R. E., Dow, G. T., & Mayer, S. (2003). Multimedia learning in an interactive self-explaining environment: What works in the design of agent-based microworlds?, Journal of Educational Psychology, 95, 806-812, https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.95.4.806,

Moreno, R., Mayer, R. E., Spires, H. A., & Lester, J. C. (2001). The case for social agency in computer-based teaching: Do students learn more deeply when they interact with animated pedagogical agents?. Cognition and Instruction, 19, 177-213. https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532690XCI1902_02.

Nakatsuka, K. (2018/2019). Making history come to life: ThingLink virtual museums, Social Studies Review, 57, 47-52.

About the Author

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Learning through exploration and experience using ThingLink

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Amy Edwards-Smith ThingLink as an education platform has gained attention as a success in recent years (Appaasmy, 2018; Nakatsuka, 2018/19). ThingLink is an online digital tool that allows for embedding images, surveys, videos, website links, and more in one online space, which results in a visual and interactive learning experience.

# data[].attributes.body
Jamboard is a fantastic resource that allows students to share their opinions all in one place. Students can save the answers and use it as a future resource!

# data[].attributes.body
This is a fantastic read to ensure assessment aligns with instruction and curriculum!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Many people have the same question when it comes to discussing education: What is assessment and what value does it hold? Christopher R. Gareis and Leslie W. Grant, authors of "Teacher Made Assessment", speak to the value of assessment and why it has merit in the education system. Curriculum is an important part of teaching, in that it outlines the specific learning expectations per subject in grade-level increments. Instruction is where the teaching comes to life. Teachers take the curriculum topics and provide opportunities for students to learn this knowledge. But how do we know that the students have truly learned from these lessons? To what degree have they learned the topic? This is where assessment comes in.

Figure 1.1 displays the three components of student learning (curriculum, instruction, assessment) in a simple metaphor: a stool. Curriculum is what information is being taught, instruction is how we teach this knowledge, and assessment is the nature and degree of student learning. The imagery of the stool metaphor speaks volumes in that student learning can only be stable when all three components are present. Without assessment, education becomes a one-way, teacher-to-student transfer of information with no expectation or accountability of actually learning.

In my experience as a student, I always feared assessment, but understood its value. Assessment typically becomes a grade, which can be intimidating and stress-provoking for many students. Without assessment, though, how does a teacher know we've learned? Also, what is the point of learning if we don't put it into action? Assessment provides us with that opportunity to use our learning to complete a task.

Now, as a teacher, I find myself spending a lot of brain power into creating the assessment component of any lesson or unit. What do I actually want my students to get out of this? How are they going to show me that they've learned the information? How can I assess my students without scaring the you-know-what out of them? Assessment serves an important purpose. Let's continue to explore assessment so that our students learning remains as stable as a stool.

Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Many people have the same question when it comes to discussing education: What is assessment and what value does it hold? Christopher R. Gareis and Leslie W. Grant, authors of "Teacher Made Assessment", speak to the value of assessment and why it has merit in the education system.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a FANTASTIC resource for all teachers. There are multiple different resources embedded in one website!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There is still time to register for our upcoming session.
https://events.aac.ab.ca/register/?id=1

@CAschenmeier, @learningongoing, @rmarynow, @Mrs_Laf, @LiMeEv, @LearningIsMyJam, @LeanneoWatson, @GTKnox, @PLore957

#assessmentpractices #assessmentforlearning #AAC #VirtualPD #albertaassessment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What's New at AAC? AAC Events are now open for registration! Click here to register for events! × Dismiss alert We have an awesome Fall schedule planned and a brand new registration platform! Follow the link below for session details and registration. Suggest a topic: info@aac.ab.ca SESSION LIST After-school sessions A comprehensive exploration of current ...

# data[].attributes.body
This is a great document to follow to ensure fair assessment is being met in your classroom.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a fantastic AI resource. It helps make rubrics and assessment strategies for given outcomes. Of course, double check, but if you need an extra push, this is for you!

# data[].attributes.body
This is a great resource to learn more about universal design. It helps educators with ideas of how to insert this ideology in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Providing elementary students with multiple means of action and expression helps ensure that teachers create equitable, valid assessments.

From the moment I first learned about Universal Design for Learning (UDL), I saw limitless potential. Because there is no such thing as an "average" learner, the most effective instructors offer students a variety of ways to access and express information.

The UDL Guidelines offer a research-based variety of effective options for doing so. Below, I focus on two tenets of UDL to show how "multiple means of action and expression" checkpoints can make thinking and learning visible (which is, after all, the heart of assessment).

When we use multiple means of action and expression to design assessments, students can show their depth of understanding and feel successful, agentive, and engaged.

Setting a Strong Foundation through Expectations and Feedback

When designing assessments using UDL, we don't reduce rigor; the goal is meaningful grade-level instruction that moves students toward the same learning objectives in accessible ways.

Incorporating regular opportunities for feedback supports UDL, as it allows students and teachers to tailor their next steps to reach the goal.

In impactful instruction, assessment, feedback, and reflection are embedded throughout learning experiences, not just tacked on at the end. For that reason, teachers, students, and peers should provide actionable, mastery-oriented feedback throughout a unit.

Doing so is essential for growth and for building learners' identities and sense of community. When teachers and peers provide feedback on strategies and on learning behaviors (such as perseverance, focus, or mindset), we model-and provide time in the learning journey-for students to see their progress and to reflect on what is working and what needs revision.

Backward Design

The best advice I received when learning about UDL was to start small, to incorporate one change at a time. Within the multiple means of action and expression checkpoints, this might mean offering students one new tool, or two to three choices, in how they show their learning through assessment.

Begin by unpacking the learning objective/standard to analyze what it is that students need to be able to do in order to show that they have met the standard. This is best done with a teaching or departmental team, if you have one, to enhance your collective depth of understanding through dialogue.

Next, get clear on success criteria, and develop or revise rubrics or checklists, or provide a mentor text/product, to ensure that the choices you offer students use the same criteria for proficiency. Doing so makes assessment more streamlined for you and for students and ensures instructional validity. Share these criteria with students so that they can make informed decisions about their learning and know what they are aiming to achieve.

Choosing Assessment Options

So, you're ready to choose the assessment options you will offer your students and to consider the scaffolds you need to provide to minimize barriers to student engagement. Where should you begin?

If the standard uses the word "identify," as in the second-grade standard "Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text," students might highlight the main topic, turn and tell a partner, or write a response.

In the second-grade math standard "Identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes," students might sort with manipulatives, sort on an iPad, or move (you might prompt students, "Walk to the front of the room if this shape is both a square and a quadrilateral and the back of the room if it is a quadrilateral but not a square").

If the word "compose" is used, as in the kindergarten standard that states students should "use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic," students might write and illustrate a how-to book, act out a how-to process, or put pictures of the process in order and describe them orally.

In the spirit of starting small, these examples offer students a few options while holding true to the rigor of the standards.

Incorporating UDL Throughout Instruction

Teachers new to this approach often ask me, "How will I have time to assess all students?" I remind them that assessment doesn't only happen at the end of a learning experience. As students are learning and creating their product, I can go around and check in with them about the rubric, noting what is already present in their work.

If students choose to video- or audio-record their product, I can watch and listen to the files at another time. I can hold a whole class performance or gallery walk at the end of the unit or lesson and assess some of the students at that time, or focus on one aspect of the rubric to home in on.

While performances and gallery walks may feel like added time, if you teach students how to provide meaningful feedback to each other and how to be present as audience members, you expand their collaboration skills-which improves instruction and better positions them to be lifelong learners.

Sometimes, I also have students self-assess and star aspects of the rubric they want my feedback on throughout our unit, then focus my feedback on what they starred. The ultimate goal in incorporating UDL into assessment is to nurture expert learners who feel empowered in their learning, motivated to persist in academic tasks. Katie Novak and Kristan Rodriguez say it well: "The framework has the potential to eliminate opportunity gaps that exclude many learners, especially those who have been historically marginalized. If we want all students to have equal opportunities to learn, we have to be incredibly purposeful, proactive, and flexible," which applies to all instruction-including assessment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Use Universal Design for Learning to Create Assessments

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Taking a Universal Design for Learning approach to assessment means offering multiple forms of action and expression to ensure equity.

# data[].attributes.body
This website holds a ton of free resources for teachers based on topic, grade, season, and relevance.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

What's New?

1. We have a new look and feel for the ATA Library Guides

2. Our library has added the great resources from 2Learn into the following guide groups: subject guides, topic guides, and seasonal guides.

Home | Contact Us

© 2020 The Alberta Teachers' Association

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Resources: Your ATA Library's Guides: Welcome

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Skip to main content What's New? We have a new look and feel for the ATA Library Guides Our library has added the great resources from 2Learn into the following guide groups: subject guides, topic guides, and seasonal guides. Home | Contact Us © 2020 The Alberta Teachers' Association

# data[].attributes.body
Learn Alberta provides teachers with multiple easy to find resources. (They are free and easy to find!).

# data[].attributes.body
A great resource for rubric making. Provides readers with multiple free assessment tools!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Understanding Outcome-Based Rubrics - NESD Curriculum Corner

# data[].attributes.headline
Fair Assessment Article (Science Direct)

# data[].attributes.subject
Fair Assessment Article (Science Direct)

# data[].attributes.body
This article provides a ton of data on fair assessment. This is a fantastic read to reflect on the use of fair assessment in a classroom.

# data[].attributes.body
This article touches on the idea of fair assessment in a school. It also touches on UDL, which is great information to have!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When teachers provide students with multiple ways to show their learning, they can also develop different ways to assess that learning.

Teachers are called to create deeper, more flexible learning opportunities for students to learn at high levels. This often raises questions about how to assess student work, given that student products may range from podcasts to digital storybooks, virtual reality experiences, and published poetry.

To complicate things further, personalized products need to be graded equitably, which means that grades need to reflect mastery of standards and not, for example, the sound quality of the podcast. To simplify the process to incorporate both Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and more equitable grading, we offer the following tips.

5 Strategies for Implementing UDL and Standards-Based Grading

1. Clarify and prioritize your standards. UDL is a framework for designing learning experiences, so that students have options for how they learn, what materials they use, and how they demonstrate their learning as they work toward the same firm goals. The first step in both UDL and equitable grading is to ensure that you have clear and consistent standards that have been intentionally prioritized.

2. Embrace construct relevance as a pathway to student choice. Before designing a lesson, ask yourself, "What do all students have to know or do?" In this process, you will note there are different types of standards. Content standards articulate what students have to know. These standards often start with verbs like explain, communicate, demonstrate, and analyze. Given that there are numerous ways to explain something, this is a perfect opportunity to create a choice board to provide options for students to choose how they want to explain-in writing, with audio or video, or with artistic or multimedia artifacts.

Methods standards, on the other hand, require students to complete specific tasks like writing, solving, and discussing. It's important to recognize that the methods are nonnegotiable and that any flexibility has to be in honor of the goal.

If the standard is "Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence," a standard in Chris's class, all students will produce written arguments. The flexibility lies in the format of the writing-a letter or a speech, for example-as well as the options provided to support the writing process (graphic organizers, writing conferences, etc.), along with the tools used to produce writing (typing or voice-to-text).

3. Unbraid the knot that is academic and nonacademic factors. Often, grades are a combination of academic factors (what a student knows and can do) and nonacademic factors (timeliness, effort, extra credit). As such, they do not paint an accurate picture of where each student is in relation to mastering the standards.

Researchers Marco Muñoz and Thomas Guskey suggest unbraiding the variety of factors that go into traditional grades by reporting and recording student feedback on the product (what they know and can do), the process (timeliness and effort), and the progress (growth in learning). By doing so, teachers are able to paint a complete picture of the student academically and behaviorally without any one factor conflating with the other in some sort of cryptic average. Simply put, there is clarity in all aspects of academics and academic behaviors.

When students simply assign themselves a desired or perceived letter grade or percentage they believe they deserve, learning and ownership are minimal, and barriers to true and sustained engagement remain. However, when students work to assess themselves on academic standards, they are forced to interact with the standards in meaningful ways, review and analyze exemplars, track and reflect on their learning, and determine next steps for continued growth and learning.

5. Communicate clearly to all stakeholders. When teachers begin to report student learning in relation to specific standards as opposed to traditional assignment-by-assignment grading, families can quickly become confused and left unsure of how their students are doing in class because they, as students, lived in traditional grading systems. So, it becomes essential that individual teachers and/or schools have a robust, detailed, consistent, and widespread communication plan that provides multiple means of representation and considers the varied languages spoken so that all stakeholders have equal access to improved understanding.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Crafting Fair Assessments for Flexible Assignments

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When teachers provide students with multiple ways to show their learning, they can also develop different ways to assess that learning.

# data[].attributes.body
This a math resource I have seen and used in my practicum. It is not free. But it has assessment tools based on outcomes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
MathUP offers a robust set of focused tools to help build capacity in teaching mathematics through professional learning for both teachers and administrators. It empowers teachers and principals with the knowledge and processes to build a successful math learning environment and school math culture.

To achieve these goals, MathUP consists of two distinct resources - one professional learning resource for teachers and another for principals.

Click on the images below to learn more about each resource.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
MathUP offers a robust set of focused tools to help build capacity in teaching mathematics through professional learning for both teachers and administrators. It empowers teachers and principals with the knowledge and processes to build a successful math learning environment and school math culture.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a fantastic resource to assist in the making of test questions. Although, be sure to adjust these questions to suit your teaching and your students needs!

# data[].attributes.body
This is a great resource if you need help deciding how to insert meaningful feedback into a classroom.

# data[].attributes.body
Don't forget that your lessons need feedback as a teacher! Here are some activities to encourage feedback on your lessons!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This activity can be used in lots of different ways and it adds a little movement (tossing and catching a ball) to the close of class. You begin with an inflatable beach ball - preferably the kind that has different colored segments. Using a wet-erase marker (this makes it possible to erase and reuse the ball for future applications but dry-erase maker will rub off when you toss the ball around) write different questions or prompts in each segment of the ball.

Assemble students in a circle and toss the ball to one of them. They answer the prompt/question that is under their right pointer finger (or some such designation) and then toss the ball to another student until everyone in the room has had a turn.

What you write on the ball depends on your goal. If, for example, you want feedback on your lesson, you might write things like:

What worked well for you in today's class?

What could we have done differently to make today's class better for you?

What are you wondering about after today's lesson?

What did you find difficult about today's lesson?

What's something from today's lesson that you want to remember?

What's something from today's lesson that you would like to go over again in our next class?

If you wanted to use this activity to check for understanding of a concept you taught, your questions could be content-specific. For example, in a lesson about parts of speech you could do the following:

Point to a proper noun and say it out loud.

Show us an action verb and tell us what you're doing.

Place the ball somewhere in the room and use a sentence with a preposition that explains where you put it.

Use an adverb to describe the ball in motion.

Use adjectives to explain how the ball feels in your hands.

Share your pronouns.

If you wanted to use this activity to build community, your questions might sound like this:

What's the last book you read?

What's something you like to eat?

Are you a night owl or an early riser?

What's one of your pet peeves?

What makes you laugh?

What song are you enjoying right now?

There are endless variations to the reflective beach ball - it just offers a different way of asking questions, providing a little spontaneity to the process, and rather than you being the director of the questions, students "pass" the inquiries to one another.
3-2-1 Feedback
Like the beach ball activity, this one can be molded to a wide variety of purposes. This is essentially an " exit ticket " that you'd have students write and give to you as they leave the room, but what makes it interesting is how this structure organizes their reflection.

The frame for the prompt looks like this:

But you can tweak the prompts in different ways depending on your goal. For example, if you wanted to get a sense of how a class discussion went you might change the prompts as follows:

If you wanted to check for understanding in a science lesson you could ask content-specific questions following the 3-2-1 format such as:

You can even use this format to get a sense of how your classroom community is coming along with questions like:

It is important to explain to students what you will do with these 3-2-1 reflections. In some instances, you may use them as part of students' grades, but there is still value to them doing the work without a grade if you show them that you use what they have written for some other purpose. Here are some things you can do with these 3-2-1 reflections that don't require grading or even providing written feedback:

Read them over and create a summary of the main things you learned from the insights that you share verbally with the class the next time you meet.

Pull out 1 or 2 statements from the collection to share aloud in the next class as examples of some of the insights you gleaned.

If you do these regularly, consider having students keep them in a notebook for their own reflection. Explain to them how this kind of reflective writing after a lesson is good for memory retention.

Share One Word
If you have just 3 minutes left before the bell, simply asking students to share one word that represents their learning and inviting responses from around the class can give you a really good picture of what stuck out. Consider making this invitation in two parts so the answers are more original and less inspired by what a previous student has said.

Your directions might sound like this. "Take a minute to write down one word that best describes what you're taking away from today's lesson. Thumbs up if you have your word. [Wait until all thumbs are up.] Everyone has their word, now we're going to start with the person closest to the door sharing just your one word until we all have shared."

Take note of the words students share and where you see a lot of overlap. You'll want to listen not only for overall trends but also pay attention to what individuals are saying and what that can teach you about their particular ways of learning.
Word-At-A-Time Poems
Similar to the activity above, Word-At-A-Time Poems invite students to share their insights in just one word at time. But unlike "Share One Word" the words that each student speaks are recorded into a poem and then read back to the class. For this reason, you'll want to do this activity when you have more than 5 minutes before the bell. Here is the process:

Say to the class, "We're going to create a poem together that sums up what we learned today. But each of you will contribute at least one word to that poem. Take a moment to jot down a few words that best describe your learning today. [Give about a minute for them to write.] Now we'll start with [name]. Please share one word from your list that describes what you learned today. I will be writing your words down so please speak them clearly."

As students share their words, take notes so you have them all down on paper. Do not hesitate to go slower or ask students to repeat themselves so you are sure to have all their words.

After the poem comes to a natural close read back the "poem" in the order of the words they shared. This is a beautiful way to showcase students as experts as you put their own words front and center. Consider sharing the finished poem with families as a summary of the day's learning!

More Creative Ways to Gather Insights at the End of Class
Often times the classic "exit ticket" at the end of class is just a waste of paper and time. Teachers don't have enough time to grade all the full assignments students do so taking time to read through lots of little slips of paper is often more struggle than it's worth. But some sort of closing reflection or quick formative assessment at the end of class can be very instrumental in letting you know if your students got the lesson or they didn't. This source from Ditch That Textbook offers several technology-based strategies from polls to Padlets that can give you a quick snapshot of learning without taking too much time on your part or that of your students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Closing Activities to Give You Feedback on Your Lesson - Center for Inspired Teaching

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There are lots of ways to gauge how well a lesson went in just the last few minutes of class and these forms of feedback can sometimes even be fun.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a fantastic way to make assessment fun! Do not forget that this requires technology for student and teacher.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kahoot! | Learning games | Make learning awesome!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to 1+ billion players every year at school, at work, and at home.

# data[].attributes.body
This Ai tool will help generate great lessons, assessment tools, and much more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Eduaide.Ai is an AI-driven platform that helps educators create lesson plans, teaching resources, and assessments.

# data[].attributes.body
Although already linked, this is a fantastic resource to find specific performance assessments.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Performance Assessments - Alberta Assessment Consortium

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
AAC Performance Assessments: Engage students in their learning Develop critical thinking skills Encourage innovation and problem solving Provide quality assessment evidence Are based on Alberta curriculum Some Performance Assessments are for Members Only, while others are open to everyone. Create Your Own Performance Tasks Check out "Developing a Performance Assessment Task" to guide you through ...

# data[].attributes.body
He provides us with assessment myths I have heard multiple times. A great read to ensure life long learning!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Tom Schimmer is an author and a speaker with expertise in assessment, grading, leadership, and behavioral support. He is a former district-level leader, school administrator, and teacher.

Despite decades of research on sound assessment practices, misunderstandings and myths still abound. In particular, the summative purpose of assessment continues to be an aspect where opinions, philosophies, and outright falsehoods can take on a life of their own and hijack an otherwise thoughtful discourse about the most effective and efficient processes.

Assessment is merely the means of gathering of information about student learning (Black, 2013). We either use that evidence formatively through the prioritization of feedback and the identification of next steps in learning, or we use it summatively through the prioritization of verifying the degree to which the students have met the intended learning goals. Remember, it is the use of assessment evidence that distinguishes the formative form the summative.

The level of hyperbole that surrounds summative assessment, especially on social media, must stop. It's not helpful, it's often performative, and is even sometimes cynically motivated to simply attract followers, likes, and retweets. Outlined below are my responses to six of the most common myths about summative assessment. These aren't the only myths, of course, but these are the six most common that seem to perpetuate and the six that we have to undercut if we are to have authentic, substantive, and meaningful conversations about summative assessment.
Myth 1: "Summative assessment has no place in our 21st century education system"
While the format and substance of assessments can evolve, the need to summarize the degree to which students have met the learning goals (independent of what those goals are) and report to others (e.g., parents) will always be a necessary of any education system in any century. Whether it's content, skills, or 21st century competencies, the requirement to report will be ever-present.

However, it's not just about being required; we should welcome the opportunity to report on student successes because it's important that parents and even our larger community or the general public understand the impact we're having on our students. If we started looking at the reporting process as a collective opportunity to demonstrate how effective we've been at fulfilling our mission then a different mindset altogether about summative assessment may emerge. It's easy to become both insular and hyperbolic about summative assessment but using assessment evidence for the summative purpose is part of a balanced assessment system. Cynical caricatures of summative assessment detract from meaningful dialogue.
Myth 2: "Summative assessments are really just formative assessments we choose to count toward grade determination."
Summative assessment often involves the repacking of standards for the purpose of reaching the full cognitive complexity of the learning. Summative assessment is not just the sum of the carefully selected parts; it's the whole in its totality where the underpinnings are contextualized.

A collection of ingredients is not a meal. It's a meal when all of those ingredients are thoughtfully combined. The ingredients are necessary to isolate in preparation; we need to know what ingredients are necessary and their quantity. But it's not a meal until the ingredients are purposefully combined to make a whole.

Unpacking standards to identify granular underpinnings is necessary to create a learning progression toward success. We unpack standards for teaching (formative assessment) but we repack standards for grading (summative assessment). Isolated skills are not the same thing as a synthesized demonstration of learning. Reaching the full cognitive complexity of the standards often involves the combination of skills in a more authentic application, so again, pull apart for instruction, but pull back together for grading.
Myth 3: "Summative assessment is a culminating test or project at the end of the learning."
While it can be, summative assessment is really a moment in time where a teacher examines the preponderance of evidence to determine the degree to which the students have met the learning goals or standard; it need not be limited to an epic, high stakes event at the end. It can be a culminating test or project as those would provide more recent evidence, but since we know some students need longer to learn, there always needs to be a pathway to recovery in that these culminating events don't become disproportionately pressure packed and one-shot deals.

Thinking of assessment as a verb often helps. We have, understandably, come to see assessment as a noun - and they often are - but it is crucial that teachers expand their understanding of assessment to know that all of the evidence examined along the way also matters; evidence is evidence. Examining all of the evidence to determine student proficiency along a few gradations of quality (i.e., a rubric) is not only a valid process, but is one that should be embraced.
Myth 4: "Give students a grade and the learning stops."
This causal relationship has never been established in the research. While it is true that grades and scores can interfere with a student's willingness to keep learning, that reaction is not automatic. The nuances of whether the feedback was directed to the learning or the learner matters. Avraham Kluger & Angelo DeNisi (1996) emphasized the importance of student responses to feedback as the litmus test for determining whether feedback was effective.

There are no perfect feedback strategies but there are more favorable responses. If we provide a formative score alongside feedback, and the students reengage with the learning and attempts to increase their proficiency then, as the expression goes, no harm, no foul. If they disengage from the learning then clearly there is an issue to be addressed. But again, despite the many forceful assertions made on social media and in other forums, that relationship is not causal.

Again, context and nuance matters, especially when it comes to the quality of feedback. Remember, when it comes to feedback, substance matters more than form. Tom Guskey (2019) submits that had the Ruth Butler (1988) study, the one so widely cited to support this assertion that grades stop learning, examined the impact of grades that were criterion-referenced and learning focused versus ego-based feedback toward the learner (as in you need to work a little harder) then the results of those studies may have been quite different.

The impact in those studies was disproportionate to lower achieving students so common sense would dictate that if you received a low score and were told something to the effect of, "You need to work harder" or "This is a poor effort" that a student would likely want to stop learning. But a low score alongside a "now let's work on" or "here's what's next" comment could produce a different response.
Myth 5: "Grades are arbitrary, meaningless, and subjective."
Grades will be as meaningful or as meaningless as the adults make them; their existence is not the issue. Grades will be meaningful when they are representative of a gradation of quality derived from clear criteria articulated in advance. What some call subjective is really professional judgment. Judging quality against the articulated learning goals and criteria is our expertise at work.

Pure objectivity is the real myth. Teachers decide what to assess, what not to assess, the question stems or prompts, the number of questions, the format, the length, etc. We use our expertise to decide what sampling of learning provides the clearest picture. It is an erroneous goal to think one can eliminate all teacher choice or judgment from the assessment process. During one of our recent #ATAssessment chats on Twitter, Ken O'Connor reminded participants that the late, great Grant Wiggins often said: (1) We shouldn't use subjective pejoratively and (2) The issue isn't subjective or objective; the issue is whether our professional judgments are credible and defensible.
Myth 6: "Students should determine their own grades; they know better than us."
Students should definitely be brought inside the process of grade determination; even asked to participate and understand how evidence is synthesized. But the teacher is the final arbiter of student learning; that is our expertise at work. This claim might sound like student empowerment but it marginalizes teacher expertise. Are we really saying a student's first experience is greater than a teacher's total experience? Again, bring them inside the process, give them the full experience, but don't diminish your expertise while doing so.
This does not have to be a zero-sum game; more student involvement need not lead to less teacher involvement. This is about expansion within the process to include students along every step of the way; however, our training, expertise, and experience matter in terms of accurately determining student proficiency. Students and parents are not the only users of assessment evidence. Many important decisions both in and out of school depend on the accuracy of what is reported about student learning which means teacher must remain disproportionately involved in the summative process.

Combating these myths is important because there continues to be an oversimplified narrative that vilifies summative assessment as all things evil when it comes to our assessment practices. That mindset, assertion, or narrative is not credible. Not to mention, it's naïve and really does reveal a lack of understanding of how a balanced assessment system operates within a classroom.

The overall point here is that we need grounded, honest, and reasoned conversations about summative assessment that are anchored in the research, not some performative label or hollow assertion that we defend at all costs through clever turns of phrases and quibbles over semantics.

Black, P. (2013). Formative and summative aspects of assessment: Theoretical and research foundations
in the context of pedagogy. In J. H. McMillan (Ed.), SAGE handbook of research on classroom assessment (pp. 167-178). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Butler, R. (1988). Enhancing and undermining intrinsic motivation: The effects of task- involving
and ego-involving evaluation on interest and performance. British Journal of Educational
Psychology,58(1), 1-14.

Guskey, T., 2019. Grades versus Feedback: What does the research really tell us?.
[Blog] Thomas R. Guskey & Associates, Available at: [Accessed 30 Nov. 2021].

Kluger, A., & DeNisi, A. (1996). The effects of feedback interventions on performance: A
historical review, a meta-analysis, and a preliminary feedback intervention theory. Psychological Bulletin, 119(2), 254-284.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Tom Schimmer is an author and a speaker with expertise in assessment, grading, leadership, and behavioral support. He is a former district-level leader, school administrator, and teacher. Despite decades of research on sound assessment practices, misunderstandings and myths still abound.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a great resource to ensure students are learning in a way that is fair to them. It is a great way to use their creativity to their benefit!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Competency-based assessment allows students the freedom to develop creative expressions of their learning.

Parents queue in the middle school office, collecting hand-drawn tickets for tonight's show. "Welcome to the Night Circus" is lettered on each ticket, alongside drawings of magicians, children with kittens, and contortionists. Classrooms have been turned into "tents" decorated in black and white, where students offer entertainment such as fortune-telling, a tree on which people can hang wishes they've written on slips of paper, and illusions. In another room, clusters of students rehearse the tiny stories they've prepared. The kids have been working on this event for about six weeks, and they are both nervous and excited.

The event wasn't my idea. My eighth-grade English students devised and executed this experience because they were enthusiastic about their whole-class read of the book, optimistic about their ability to show what they knew and could do, and eager for an adventure that combined academics with creativity.

While I didn't suggest the Night Circus event, I did make a few critical decisions early in the year that created the conditions in which my students could flourish.

Competency-Based Learning

Throughout the year, I used competency-based learning practices to teach and evaluate. This meant that I had to hone my learning targets so that students focused on just a few skills at a time-no more than three. For this project, the learning targets were about writing (big idea, details) and reading (connecting themes to self or the world). My students practiced these three learning targets over and over again through short assignments.

For example, I set up "big idea" by offering students an assortment of objects and stickers with a word on each. The word was different for every kid in class and read something like "illusion," "control," or "love" (themes from The Night Circus). Students had to select an object-maybe a stuffed elephant or an ice cream cone eraser-and write a five-sentence story connecting the word on their sticker to the object. The big idea needed to come through in the sentences. The result was stories about erasers as expressions of affection and roller-skating elephants who felt out of control. This practice directly rolled into stories about illusion, control, and love that were shared at the Night Circus event.

After each exercise, students read their work aloud and heard peer feedback. I also explained what each student did well in their writing, whether it was an apt word choice or striking image. All the feedback focused on the learning targets so that students developed a sense of what "proficiency" or "mastery" in details entailed. I might give feedback like "I could picture what you meant when you wrote, 'Jasper floated in the vacuum of YouTube, allowing autoplay to select the next video as he stared, unmoving, at the screen.' We've all probably felt that lack of control that you set up with the word 'vacuum.'"

Additionally, students practiced versions of the summative assessment. For the Night Circus event, students wrote and rewrote their work to get it production ready. Every student had to produce three pieces of writing for the event, specific to the "tents" they self-selected, such as a personal narrative about conjuring, a story involving illusion, or prophecies that involved love. During the polishing process, my job was solely to give feedback on the three learning targets.

Social and Emotional Learning

Incorporating SEL felt like a natural fit. As students both read their writing aloud and offer feedback, they're simultaneously figuring out how to support and encourage others, show compassion, and even manage conflict.

I made these behaviors explicit by calling attention to them and emboldening students to foster connection rather than competition with one another. We celebrated small wins, uncovered and emphasized strengths, and weighed how to use those strengths when confronted with obstacles.

For example, a group of students were really into the idea of a tent that included live animals. They had to seek permission from school administrators and parents, figure out how to transport the animals, and keep the animals calm during the event. But as the date drew near, we decided that the logistics just didn't work, and we had to scrap that tent idea. The students were quickly able to pivot to other tents because they were not only aware of, but eager advocates for, each other's talents. It was SEL in action.

Student-Centered Grading

The Night Circus event was successful because students were completely invested in it. A crucial element of that investment was that students graded themselves. I set the learning targets and gave tons of frequent, timely, and targeted feedback, but the students evaluated themselves and assigned their own grades.

Student-centered grading was a process that evolved over time, and it was the best decision I ever made as a teacher. I was able to do it because I had already prioritized competency-based and social and emotional learning. When students are keenly aware of the learning targets, understand the rubric and progression of learning, value growth, and see themselves as capable, they are highly effective evaluators.

Students had to rate their work on the rubric's progression of learning (from "beginning" to "mastery") and provide evidence.

Mastery: The details or examples support and provide evidence for the big idea. The details/examples are layered and make the writing unique to me. Finally, the details/examples help the reader picture what I've described.

Proficient: Details and examples support and provide evidence for the big idea. Most of the details/examples are specific. Some of the details help the reader picture what I'm writing about.

Developing: Details and examples don't all support the big idea. The details are minimal or the examples are not fully explained.

Beginning: Details and examples do not support the big idea or do not make sense. The descriptions aren't as clear as they could be.

Here's a sample rubric for the standard I can explain my big idea using specific examples of details:

My students' self-assessments were astonishingly accurate. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I agreed with their grade. If I didn't, I'd explain why and invite students to rewrite or, as happened frequently, give themselves more credit.

Closing Thoughts

At the end of the night, students swapped stories about how everyone's showcase went and hatched plans for the next party. Competency-based assessment is, to me, the apex of assessment practice, as it allows students to demonstrate what they know and can do in a relatively authentic setting.

The drawback for some teachers is that you can't necessarily repeat the same assessment year after year. For instance, no subsequent cohort of students resonated so much with the book The Night Circus that they wanted to create an event around it. But that's OK! Future groups of students had other ideas they wanted to try-an English Olympics (with events centered on rhyming, spelling, and puns), a dinner party featuring characters from the books, and a community website on which students published their writing. Each experience was fantastic for the students because they chose it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teachers can assess competency-based learning by giving students the freedom to develop creative expressions of their academic progress.

# data[].attributes.headline
Fair Assessment does not Equal Standardized Testing

# data[].attributes.subject
Fair Assessment does not Equal Standardized Testing

# data[].attributes.body
Great resource to understand the effects of standardized testing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
15 Reasons Why Standardized Tests are Problematic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It’s wonderful to see all the protests around the country against standardized testing. At Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington, teachers are refusing to administer the Measures of Academic Pro

# data[].attributes.body
Great resource to look at when you are in a hurry!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dylan Wiliam - Formative Assessment list.docx

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Descriptive Feedback Techniques Part 1 with Rick Wormeli

# data[].attributes.body
This website focuses on FUN useful activities for assessment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Assessment activities should be quick, enjoyable, and versatile. That's because formative assessment is best when it's ongoing and consistent. You can't go wrong with these assessment activities that are perfect for formative evaluations on the go.

Teachers use it in their classrooms to provide critical feedback to learners. It helps them to monitor and modify their instruction methods and lesson plans to improve learning outcomes. That's why we must use a variety of assessment activities and change them up frequently to stimulate both students and themselves.

Formative assessment is an assessment that's both for learning and as learning. This continual cycle of feedback and improvement makes learning useful and effective. Try these assessment activities with your learners and see the results for yourself.

15 Formative Assessment Activities You'll Love Using

1. Peer Quizzes: Learners can write their own questions about the content and then quiz each other. They would also spend time going through the incorrect answers with each other to heighten their understanding.

2. 5x5 Journal: Journaling has been proven to be one of the best reflection tools around for learning. Have learners journal about the five most interesting ideas they discovered during a lesson. Next, they identify five things that resonate with them about each one and explain why.

3. Past Postcards: Have learners adopt the personality of a historical figure and write a postcard to another historical figure from the same era. They can discuss a significant event from history that has just occurred.

4. Cool Collages: Ask learners to make a collage or poster from magazine photos for demonstrating their understanding of a concept. They can use standard art materials or use apps designed for drawing.

5. Talk it Out: Learners can host their own talk show and discuss the important points of any lesson. They write their own questions and answers, and can even play characters of their own creation.

6. Daring Doodles: Challenge learners to use a drawing rather than words to show understanding of a concept. This is the perfect exercise for those who have difficulty speaking out in class.

7. Exploration Table: At the end of class, each learner answers the following questions presented to them on index cards:

8. 3-2-1: Have learners write or talk about 3 things they learned, 2 things they still want to learn, and 1 question they have. These values are interchangeable and can be used in different combinations, or with different questions altogether.

9. Four Corners: This is a great way to encourage dynamic movement while learning multiple-choice questions. Designate each corner of the classroom to represent A, B, C, and D. Learners go to the corner that they believe corresponds with the correct answer.

10. Traffic Cards: Learners create index cards with a large green marker circle on one side and red on the other. If they are following along and understanding the lesson, the green side of their card is upright and visible to you. When they do not understand something and need clarification, they flip the card to show you the red side. Here is an alternative method that can be downloaded for free and printed on coloured card stock for quick use.

11. Twitter Board: Learners summarize what was learned in a lesson using 140 characters. Pin small strips of paper to a poster or cork board to resemble a Twitter feed.

12. Top Ten Lists: Learners can write out their ten most important takeaways from a lesson plan or a class discussion. Encourage them to create lists that are humorous and fun.

13. Roll the Dice: Put a 6-sided dice at each desk. At the end of class, each learner rolls and briefly answers aloud a question based on the number rolled:

1. I want to remember ...

2. Something I learned today

3. One word to sum up what I learned

4. Something I already knew

5. I'm still confused about ...

6. An "aha" moment that I had today

14. Enthusiasm Example Chart: Learners rank what they learned that day and how much they enjoyed the lessons. They then elaborate by offering details about what they found helpful to them in having a successful learning day. They can also share what prevented them from having a fulfilling day. Compile the data and discuss it in class the next day.

15. Quick Quotable: Have learners create two columns on a piece of paper. On one side have them write 5 or 6 of their most favourite quotes from people they admire. In the adjoining column, have them write their own interpretation of what the quote means to them and why it appeals to them. If they're feeling good about it, have them consider what makes a great quote as they write their own ideas that are important to them.

Give Them a Shot

These are awesome formative assessments that we like because they're creative, low-tech, fun, and best of all, engaging for learners. They're also easy for a teacher to implement on an ongoing basis anytime. Try them out in your classroom anytime and watch the learning happen.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
15 Assessment Activities That Are Fast, Fun, and Formative - Future Focused Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Assessment activities should be quick, enjoyable, and versatile. You can't go wrong with these assessment activities that are perfect for formative evaluations on the go.

# data[].attributes.body
This is Abby! She provides amazing information regarding instruction and assessment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ASK ASSESSMENT ABBY: LINKING ASSESSMENT AND - ProQuest

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore millions of resources from scholarly journals, books, newspapers, videos and more, on the ProQuest Platform.