Formative Assessment
Informal, or formative assessments are about checking for understanding in an effective way in order to guide instruction. They are used during instruction rather than at the end of a unit or course of study. And if we use them correctly, and often, yes, there is a chance instruction will slow when we discover we need to re-teach or review material the students wholly "did not get" -- and that's okay. Because sometimes we have to slow down in order to go quickly.
What this means is that if we are about getting to the end, we may lose our audience, the students. If you are not routinely checking for understanding then you are not in touch with your students' learning. Perhaps they are already far, far behind.
We are all guilty of this one -- the ultimate teacher copout: "Are there any questions, students?" Pause for three seconds. Silence. "No? Okay, let's move on."
Ever assign the big project, test, or report at the end of a unit and find yourself shocked with the results, and not in a good way? I have. The reason for the crummy results is not the students, but a lack of formative assessments along the way and discovering when, where, and how certain information needed to be re-taught or reviewed.
The above quote is from the article Why Formative Assessments
"Students want feedback just for them, just in time, and just helping nudge forward. You must worry more about how students are receiving your feedback...than increasing how much you give."-John Hattie
Badges
This is not an exhaustive list of tools that you can use to use as a formative assessment. The list below is there to help get you started or further your growth with this instructional practice. If you have a tool that you would like us to consider adding, please click on this Suggest a Badge Form.
Google Forms
Google Forms can help you plan events, make a survey or poll, give students a quiz, or collect other information in an easy, streamlined way.
Google Forms takes the responses and places the results in a spreadsheet form.
Socrative
Socrative is a fun, engaging way to assess your students through a cloud-based student response system. This system allows teachers to create simple quizzes that present to students in a game format with multiple choice, true/false or short answer questions.
Kahoot
When it comes to checking for understanding,Kahoot is by far one of the most popular options right now with both teachers and students.
Teachers will appreciate how simple Kahoot makes it to combine questions, images, and videos into self-grading quizzes and surveys. Students seem to really enjoy the gamified features of the site – including individualized feedback, leaderboards, and the chance to compete against other students.
Poll Everywhere
Ask your audience a question with the Poll Everywhere app. Audience answers in real time using mobile phones, Twitter, or web browsers. See your response live on the web or in a PowerPoint presentation
Quizlet
Using Quizlet is an effective way to get your students further engaged in what they're learning both in the classroom and at home. The site offers six different study modes that appeal to all types of learners, allowing students to use what works best for them and go at their own pace. As a teacher you can easily create Quizlet classes to share study material with your students quickly and track their progress. And with our team-based game, Quizlet Live, it's easy to get your whole class involved, learning the material and how to work together in the process.
Recap
Recap is a free student video response and reflection app developed by the makers of Swivl. It gives teachers and parents insight into students’ learning and progress. Recap provides evidence of student thinking, improves formative assessment, and supports personalized learning.
Nearpod
Nearpod is an interactive presentation and assessment tool that can be used to amazing effect in the classroom. The app's concept is simple. A teacher can create presentations that can contain Quiz's, Polls, Videos, Images, Drawing-Boards, Web Content and so on.
Padlet
Padlet is a virtual wall that allows people to express their thoughts on a common topic easily. It works like an online sheet of paper where people can put any content (e.g. images, videos, documents, text) anywhere on the page, together with anyone, from any device. This is a great tool to collaborate, collect ideas, brainstorm, summarize, and more!
Book Creator App
Book Creator is the simple way to make your own beautiful ebooks, right on your iPad. These books could include picture books, comic books, photo books, journals, and more. This open-ended, universal tool allows teachers to cross content areas seamlessly. This tool allows narration, images and video and exports nicely to Google.
(iPad app only)
Chatterkids
Simply take any photo, draw a line to make a mouth, and record your voice. Then share your students' Pix with friends and family as silly greetings, playful messages, creative cards, or even fancy book reports.
(iPad app only)
Magnetic ABC
It's the iPad edition of the old fashioned magnetic board suitable for kids of all ages! It comes with a rich set of colored pieces that can be placed freely on the board: letters, numbers, symbols, funny figures and themed sets. It aids in teaching students their alphabets/numbers, a learning tool in teaching one how to spell or represent numbers!
Seesaw
Seesaw is a student-driven digital portfolio that empowers students to independently document what they are learning at school. FEATURES: Easily Capture Student Learning in Any Form ∙ Students can use photos, videos, drawings, text notes, links to show what they know.
Screencastify
Screencastify is a free Chrome extension that allows students to create simple screencasts. It's integrated with Google Drive, so whatever students create online can be recorded, explained, stored in their Drive, and submitted with a link. (web-based)
Raz kids
Raz Kids is an online guided reading program with interactive ebooks, downloadable books, and reading quizzes Reading A-Z's 2500+ K-6 books (in English, Spanish and French) provide 27 levels of developmentally appropriate texts for students to practice the skills and strategies of close reading. Teachers can search by interest, level, or Common Core standard, and find authentic materials that add rigor to student close reading skills.
Google Sheets
Google Sheets can be used to collect and manipulate data and then visually represent that data using charts and graphs. Student formative assessment data can be analyzed to better inform instruction.
EdPuzzle
EDpuzzle lets users create their own video in a safe environment and is ideal for project based learning (PBL) as well as flipping a classroom. Also, it allows educators to create videos for guided learning and allows them to assess students by adding questions. Finally, it can be used by any educator to integrate into any curriculum or subject.
Quia
Quia is pronounced key-ah, and is short for Quintessential Instructional Archive. Quia provides a wide variety of tools, including:
Templates for creating 16 types of online activities using your own content.
A complete online testing system with automatic grading, immediate feedback, and detailed reporting.
Online surveys for gathering student and teacher feedback.
A class Web page creator to share Quia activities and class announcements with students and parents.
Access to millions of shared activities and quizzes in over 300 categories....and more!