FORMATIVE+ASSESSMENTS

**Formative Assessments** Formative assessments are those types of assessments that help guide the teacher to understand the teaching process. They are an assessment that help guide the teacher to the next step in student learning and to insure that standards are met. These types of assessment can easily be confused with summative assessments but can be distinguished from each other. Formative assessments can be seen as practice, similar to learning how to drive a car. You practice (formative) first then get tested (summative). Another distinction is student involvement. Students can be held accountable for the results. They need to be able to reflect on their learning processes, setting goals and how to achieve them. Some examples of formative assessments would be, student observation, questioning, the Socratic style or the use of exit tickets, and peer review. Using technology, this type of assessment would include personal response devices aka “clickers”, blogs, online surveys (Google Docs), electronic exit ticket called //Wallwisher// just to mention a few. (Garrison & Ehringhaus, 2007).

E-clickers

“The use of the electronic clickers allowed the teacher to assess current understanding instantly and anonymously.” (Crumrine & Demers, 2007) The electronic clickers help the teacher to have all the students focus on the lesson. Without the clickers, the teacher would ask a question and maybe a few would answers. With this technology, teacher can ask questions and students response. If some students get the wrong answer then “at this point the teacher is able to step in and provide a short lesson.” (Crumrine & Demers, 2007) Clickers work within PowerPoint presentations, online activities, and verbal questions. A complete set of 30 clickers is about $1,700.

** Portfolio Tools **

**// ﻿What is a Portfolio? //**

 According to Helen Barrett ( []), an assistant professor and educational technology coordinator for the School of Education at the University of Alaska, Anchorage says:

A portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that exhibits the student's efforts, progress, and achievements in one or more areas. The collection must include student participation in selecting content, the criteria for selection, the criteria for judging merit and evidence of student self- reflection.

The use of portfolios are unique in K-12 education. Portfolios have multiple purposes. Portfolios can support learning, play a role in assessment or support employment. The purpose for the portfolio directly relates to the structure and content of the portfolio.

**//3 Types of Portfolios//** **//Working Portfolio//** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">A working porfolio contains current or recently completed work. Students create work and add these selections to a working portfolio.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">**//Display Portfolio//** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">A dispaly portfolio contains samples of best works from the working portfolio. Students select their best work from the working portfolio and add it to the dispaly portfolio.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">**//Assessment Portfolio//** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">An assessment portfolio contains best works from the display portfolio that demonstrates the specific learning goals and requirements that the student has achieved.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">**Paper Portfolio vs. Electronic Portfolio**

 * = <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Paper Portfolio ||= <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Electronic Portfolio ||
 * = <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> Static ||= <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Flexible ||
 * = <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> Usually one copy || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Able to duplicated and transportable ||
 * = <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> Not secure || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> Secure ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> - || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> Can be stored digitally ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> One media || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> Various media types ||

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">**What is an Electronic Portfolio**
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">An electronic portfolio is a popular tool for maintaining and displaying various kinds of student's artifacts, digitally. The user can easily access and modify the contents of the portfolio consistently to meet specific learning goals. An electronic portfolio demonstrates student learning growth and current skills. Electronic Portfolios can be stored digitally on a variety of media and are flexible. Electronic portfolios can include multimedia content such as text, audio, video and graphics.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">**Electronic Media Types**
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Recordable CD Media <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Internet Accessible Web Site <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Student Accessible File Server <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Flash Drive <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Electronic Portfolios are simple and can easily be developed by any age group who has the technological capabilities. According to Barrett there are five steps that users should use to develop an effective portfolio:

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">**1. __Selection__-** teachers can create a set of criteria for students to rate their artifacts to determine what items exhibit specfic learning goals. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">**2. __Collection__-** Students gather items according to the portfolios purpose, audience and future use. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">**3. __Reflection__-** This is the most important element. Students should create written reflections about the significance of each entry item. The reflection component is necessary because it helps teachers to assess what learning objectives and standards have been met and need to be addressed. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">**4. __Direction__-** Students and teachers can review that reflections to look ahead and determine what future goals to set. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">**5. __Connection__-** An interesting component that the paper portfolio does not offer are hyperlinks. Hyperlinks connect sections of portfolio content to accessible resources.

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 * Objective| || Summative Assessments | || References | || Background Information ||