After Instruction

Here are several Formative Assessments that we could use after the learning to reflect on the learning that took place during the unit and make improvements to our upcoming teaching and learning.

• Sketchnotes or Mindmapping (Jamboard and Padlet)
  Students can create a collaborative Sketchnote or Mindmap in Jamboard by combining their own pencil and paper drawings, digital photos, and computer drawn images to illustrate their learning. One student creates the jamboard and shares it with other students in their small group. Students discuss their learning and figure out the best way to model or sketch what they learned. Students create their drawing to make their learning visible. Students can hand draw their own drawings (take a photo of it and bring it into the jamboard), draw right in a jamboard or use another tool like Autodraw to draw their thinking, and they can find high quality and descriptive photos from the internet to bring in. Then, post their mindmaps or sketchnotes to Padlet to make their learning visible to others. Teachers can use this information to adjust their teaching of the next unit.

• Tell Me How (Google Slides)
  All too often our students see the learning that took place in little modules that are separate from one another. The Tell Me How strategy forces students to reflect on what they learned so they can identify connections as they clearly communicate a series of concrete steps to solve a problem. They are forced to evaluate their learning to choose the best strategies and order in which they would employ those strategies. They will need to communicate why their approach was effective. Teachers can get a lot of information about a student's understanding from this activity and use that information to adjust their teaching of the next unit.

• Learning Logs or Blogs (Edublogs, Canvas Discussion, Classroom Question, or shared Google Docs)
  We can give our students the opportunity to communicate their thinking with a learning log or blog. This is a great way for teachers to understand a students' understanding, see if they are making the connections we think they are, and are seeing how this learning fits into the larger picture of them as an engaged learner. Teachers can use this information to adjust their teaching of the next unit.

• Exit Ticket (Peardeck or Google Forms)
  Teachers can quickly learn what their students learned in a lesson with Exit tickets. Ask your students to communicate what challenges they faced and what troubleshooting techniques they utilized. What did they learn? What support they could use moving forward? Teachers can use this information to adjust their teaching of the next lesson or unit.

• Bean Critique (Voicethread)
  Students use the Bean Critique to evaluate the best model. Students know the criteria for showcasing what learned because they helped develop the rubric. They apply their thinking using the Bean Critique method to vote on the best examples. In Voicethread, students would just leave a comment (Bean Equivalent) on the benchmark of their choice. The teacher can review these with students and use them as benchmarks for further learning.

• Podcasting (Voice Recorder or Anchor)
  There are times when we want to keep it simple and avoid all the distractions. Voice recordings help students focus on clear oral communication and encourages them to organize their thinking, clearly communicate in detail so their “fans” can envision, and determine which order to tell their story in. Use Voicerecorder for a one time voice recording or create a portfolio of recordings with a student podcast. Teachers can listen to these podcasts to gain an understanding of our students’ learning and use this information to adjust their teaching.

• Digital Portfolio (Google Sites)
  Students reflect in writing and embed video and images to make their learning visible in their learning portfolio. Reflecting on the videos will be the key to understanding their learning and seeing patterns. Students can use these portfolios to present their learning to their Peers, Teachers, and parents so that we can gain an understanding of our students’ learning and use this information to adjust their teaching.