Quick Check-Ins: Student Choice with Formative Assessments- Part 2

Classroom Scenario from Mike Anderson’s Blog:

“Across the hall, Chris’s colleague Aaron Hall is also using choice for a quick check-in. While Chris offered choice to allow students to differentiate according to challenge level, Aaron is going to use it to differentiate based on interest and background knowledge. His class has been studying the human body in science, and he wants to see how well students understand how body systems work together. He offers students the choice of four similes to complete: “The human body is like a (sports team, grocery store, jazz band, or coral reef) because __________.” Students are encouraged to pick a simile that will best help them demonstrate some of the key ideas they have been studying.”



Ideas for Implementation:
1.”Practice, practice, practice.”
Sometimes providing choices to students can be overwhelming because they don’t know what to choose. Making this type of assessments part of your classroom routines can help kids get the practice they need. It might be a good idea to have a menu of formative assessment choices that kids can go to if they get stuck or don’t know what to choose.


2. “Don’t force it.”
There might be a time that one type of assessment is appropriate to get the data you need from you students. Don’t force something to provide choice if it doesn’t makes sense to you or your students.


Strategies for the Classroom:
1. “Alone or Together: Students will list questions they have about a topic being studied. They can brainstorm questions either alone or in a small group, whichever they think best.”

Bridget and Brooke say:

If students are working alone and aren’t comfortable asking questions in front of the class you could let them record their them on a sticky note or a sheet of poster paper. This strategy could be used in pairs up or groups of 3. Many times if groups get too large, there are only a few people actually thinking and making meaning.

2. “Highlight an Example: If students have been working on a variety of problems or examples, at the end of the period they choose one. You decide what the focus will be: One they are proud of? One that was hard? One they aren’t sure about? Students can explain their choice, jotting a sentence or two on a sticky note and attaching it to the problem.”

Bridget and Brooke say:

We really like this strategy for three reasons. One, it’s a great way for kids to determine their level of understanding. Two, it’s a great way for kids to reflect on their learning in a quick and simple way. Three, it’s also a great closure activity. One suggestion we would make is to have the kids write their example on the sticky note along with a reason why they chose this example and then hand it to you on their way out the door. This way you have what you need right in the palm of your hand and you have a fairly good understanding of where kids are feeling successful or challenged.