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Checking For Understanding Techniques - 120310

This document discusses techniques for checking student understanding during lessons in order to track learning and adapt instruction. It provides examples of quick formative assessment techniques teachers can use such as cold calling students, requiring all students to answer questions, and conducting guided practice before independent work. Specific techniques described include using whiteboards, exit slips, thumbs up/down signals, and student line ups or bar graphs to assess understanding. The goal is for teachers to check all students' levels of understanding throughout the lesson.

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55 views

Checking For Understanding Techniques - 120310

This document discusses techniques for checking student understanding during lessons in order to track learning and adapt instruction. It provides examples of quick formative assessment techniques teachers can use such as cold calling students, requiring all students to answer questions, and conducting guided practice before independent work. Specific techniques described include using whiteboards, exit slips, thumbs up/down signals, and student line ups or bar graphs to assess understanding. The goal is for teachers to check all students' levels of understanding throughout the lesson.

Uploaded by

irmomiddle
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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L.

newman - uecember, 2010 1


Checklng for undersLandlng: key AssessmenL for Learnlng 1echnlques

When we check al l st udent s levels of understanding throughout each lesson, it sets the tone that everyones
thinking is important and necessary, and we forward the learning and engagement of all. Some techniques are
too time-consuming to use as quick pulse checks, but using these key techniques together i n al l l essons
allows us to track learning and adapt instruction appropriately on the spot.

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Ground the lesson in the learning target. This means they:
Post the target in a visible, consistent location
Discuss the target at the beginning of class with students, having students put the target into their own
words, explain its meaning, and explain what meeting the target might look like
Reference the target throughout the lesson
Return explicitly to the target during the debrief, checking for student progress

Use Cold Call. This means they:
Name the question before identifying students to answer it
Call on students regardless of whether they have hands raised, using a variety of techniques such as random
calls, tracking charts to ensure all students contribute, name sticks or name cards
Scaffold the questions from simple to increasingly complex, probing for deeper explanations
Connect thinking threads by returning to previous comments and connecting them to current ones. In this
way, listening to peers is valued, and even after a students been called on, s/he is part of the continued
conversation and class thinking

Use No Opt Out. This means they:
Require all students to correctly answer questions posed to them
Always follow incorrect or partial answers from students by giving the correct answer themselves, cold
calling other students, taking a correct answer from students with hands raised, cold calling other students
until the right answer is given, and then returning to any student who gave an incorrect or partial answer
for complete and correct responses

Use guided practice before releasing students to independent application. This means they:
Ask students to quickly try the task at hand in pairs or in a low-stakes environment
Strategically circulate, monitoring students readiness for the task and noting students who may need re-
teaching or would benefit from an extension or more challenging independent application
Use an appropriate quick-check strategy (see below in Tools/Protocols section) to determine
differentiation or effective support during independent application time

L. newman - uecember, 2010

2
End with an effective debrief. This means they:
Return explicitly to the learning targets (both academic and character/habits of work)
Elicit student reflection towards the learning target(s), probing for students to provide evidence for their
own and/or class progress
Celebrate or have students celebrate individual, small group or whole class successes
Identify or have students identify goals for improvement around the target(s)

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The following tools and protocols promote engagement by checking for all students understanding and by
reflecting on and emphasizing effective work habits.

Whip-Around: When a one- or two-word answer can show understanding, self- or group assessment, or
readiness for a task, teachers ask students to respond to a standard prompt one at a time, in rapid succession
around the room.

Whiteboards: Students have small white boards at their desks or tables and write their ideas/thinking/
answers down and hold up their boards for teacher and/or peer scanning.

Hot Seat: The teacher places key reflection or probing questions on random seats throughout the room.
When prompted, students check their seats and answer the questions. Students who do not have a hot seat
question are asked to agree or disagree with the response and explain their thinking.

Fist-to-Five or Thumb-Ometer: To show degree of agreement, readiness for tasks, or comfort with a
learning target/concept, students can quickly show their thinking by putting their thumbs up, to the side or
down; or by holding up (or placing a hand near the opposite shoulder) a fist for 0/Disagree or 1-5 fingers for
higher levels of confidence or agreement.

Glass, Bugs, Mud: After students try a task or review a learning target or assignment, they identify their
understanding or readiness for application using the windshield metaphor for clear vision. Glass: totally
clear; bugs: a little fuzzy; mud: I can barely see.

Red Light, Green Light: Students have red, yellow and green objects accessible (e.g. popsicle sticks, poker
chips, cards), and when prompted to reflect on a learning target or readiness for a task, they place the color
on their desk that describes their comfort level or readiness (red: stuck or not ready; yellow: need support
soon; green: ready to start). Teachers target their support for the reds first, then move to yellows and
greens. Students change their colors as needed to describe their status.

Table Tags: Place paper signs/table tents in three areas with colors, symbols or descriptors that indicate
possible student levels of understanding or readiness for a task or target. Students sit in the area that best
describes them, moving to a new area when relevant.

Sticky Bars: Create a chart that describes levels of understanding, progress or mastery. Have students write
their names or use an identifying symbol on a sticky note and place their notes on the appropriate place on
the chart.


L. newman - uecember, 2010

3
Learning Line-ups: Identify one end of the room with a descriptor such as Novice or Beginning and
the other end as Expert or Exemplary. Students place themselves on this continuum based on where they
are with a task or learning target. Invite them to explain their thinking to the whole class or the people near
them.

Human Bar Graph: Identify a range of levels of understanding or mastery (e.g. beginning/developing/
accomplished or Confused/Im okay /I am rocking!) as labels for 3-4 adjacent lines. Students then form
form a human bar graph by standing in the line that best represents their current level of understanding.

Admit and Exit Slips: Any relevant questions, prompts, or graphic displays of student thinking can be
captured on a small sheet of paper and scanned by the teacher or other students to determine a students
readiness for the next step or assess learning from a lesson. Teachers may use admit slips as a ticket to enter
a discussion, protocol or activity. These may also be used as tickets to leave.

Presentation Quizzes: Whenever peers present, other students may think they are not responsible for the
information. Pair student presentations and sharing with short quizzes at the end of class.

Catch and Release/7:2: When students are working on their own, they often need clarification or pointers
so that they do not struggle for too long of a period or lose focus. A useful ratio of work time to checks for
understanding or clarifying information is 7 minutes of work time (release), followed by 2 minutes of teacher-
directed clarifications or use of one of the quick-check strategies (catch).

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