Checking for Understanding

1. Checking for Understanding NUCC Elementary Summer Institute August 5-6, 2014 Presented by Suzanne Cottrell

2. Who is in the room?

3. Norms for our work together • Equity of voice • Quiet signal • Minimize side conversations • Cell phones set to stun • Collaborate • Cultivate • Innovate • Motivate • Participate

4. Do you get it?

5. Why? • Fosters good teaching • Fosters metacognition • Encourages looking for multiple representations of knowledge • Deepens assessment • Is aligned with best practice

6. Why? • Formative assessment/checking for understanding should • align with enduring understandings • allow for differentiation • focus on gap analysis • improve instructional methods • allow for students to monitor their own practice

7. How Often? • At least once every 15 minutes • Every two to three minutes when you become comfortable with it

8. For whom? • Students • checking for understanding can improve learning • students become increasingly aware of how to monitor their own learning

9. For whom? • Teachers • checking for understanding can provide you with opportunities to correct misconceptions • checking for understanding can improve instruction • teachers become increasingly aware of how to monitor student learning, reteach when needed, move forward when students have gotten it

10. How? • Oral questioning strategies • Press for clarification and explanation: “could you describe what you mean?” • Require justification of proposals and challenges: “where did you find that information?” • Recognize and challenge misconceptions: “i don’t agree because…” • Demand evidence for claims and arguments: “can you give me an example?” • Interpret and use each other’s statements: “david suggested…”

11. How? • Nonverbal cues from students • Throwing hands in the air • Boredom • Puzzled looks • Harried • Confused

12. How? • Think-Pair-Share • Think • Engage students with a question, prompt, reading, visual, or observation • Students should take a few minutes—not seconds—to think • Pair • Use designated partners • Compare thoughts and identify responses they think are best, most intriguing, most convincing, or most unique • Share • After students talk in pairs for a few moments, teacher asks pairs to share their thinking with the rest of the class

13. How? • Use Bloom’s Taxonomy at all levels • Knowledge • Where is…, Who was…, Point to the…, When did… • Comprehension • Tell me in your own words…, Give me an example of…, Describe what… • Application • What would happen to you if…, How would you solve the problem…, In the library, find information about…

14. How? • Use Bloom’s Taxonomy at all levels • Analysis • What other ways could…, What things are similar/different?, What things would you have used…, What kind of person is… • Synthesis • What would it be like if…, Design a…, Pretend you are a…, Tell/write a different ending… • Evaluation • Select the best…Why is it the best?, Why do you think that?, Would you recommend…Why or why not?

15. How? • Other questions stems • What are the characteristics/parts of _____? • In what other ways might we show/illustrate _____? • How does _____ relate to _____? • What are you assuming about _____? • What evidence supports _____? • What approach/strategy could you use to _____?

16. How? • Response Cards • Hand Signals

17. How? • Oral language • To speak in highly effective ways requires practice and attention • Teachers should stimulate thought in their students • Who is doing the most talking?

18. How? • Writing for learning • Writing clarifies thinking—writing is thinking • Writing to demonstrate learning • Low stakes writing • Summary writing • Provides you with insight into how learners condense information • The act of summarizing new knowledge in written form can lead to higher levels of understanding

19. Why Write? • Low stakes and for all content areas • Make assignments short and able to be completed and graded quickly • Collect assignments but don’t grade them formally; if you comment, comment on content rather than sentence errors • Don’t read and comment on everything

20. STOP! • Questioning NO-NOs • Any questions?, Did you all get that?, Everybody understand?, Does that make sense? • What does the learner do when these types of questions are asked? • Students aren’t always self-regulated learners—they may not be aware of what they do or do not understand—they may think they get it when they really don’t

21. STOP! • Initiate-Respond-Evaluate • the teacher asks a question • specific students are called on to answer the question • the teacher evaluates the response

22. STOP! • Using writing as a classroom management strategy • think Bart Simpson writing on the chalkboard • When a teacher asks a student to write an explanation about why he/she was late or why homework was not completed, writing is neither fun nor does it require thinking

23. How can I get myteam on board? • PLCs or data team meetings • Pacing guides and curriculum maps • Common assessments • Reteaching and intervention groups

24. What have I learned? • Think-Write-Pair-Share • Two benefits for me—the teacher • Two benefits for students—the learners • What about metacognition? • How will my practice change? • How does checking for understanding help us link instruction and assessment in meaningful ways?