During Instruction

Here are several Formative Assessments that we could use during the learning to provide just-in-time checks for understanding and provide insights that will allow us to adjust our instruction and meet our students where they are.

• Poll the Class (Mentimeter)
  Polling is a quick way for us to check our students' understanding and gain insight into their thinking. Just ask a question and see their responses come in real time. You can even show their collective responses to the class as a way to provoke discussion and revisions of thinking.

• Quick Draw (Jamboard and Padlet)
  Students can create a collaborative MindMap or Sketchnote 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.

• Quick Check (Google Forms)
  We can use Google Forms as a quick way to gather student insights and thinking. Simply, ask questions in a google form and check out their responses. The teacher can quickly see who gets it or who has gaps in understanding and needs more learning on a topic. Teachers can use this information to understand what they need to teach next.

• Play a Game (Kahoot or Gimkit)
  Games are a really fun way to check for comprehension and see if our students are making the connections we think they should be making. Teachers can use the information they glean from these games to understand what they need to teach next.

• Video Check-in (WeVideo, Flipgrid or Screencastify Submit)
  Students can create their own 30-second video to explain their thinking and make their learning visible. Students use Wevideo to create videos or screencasts to showcase their learning and make connections. Teachers can watch these quick videos to understand what their students know and their connections to prior knowledge or they can capture misunderstandings. We can use this insight to understand what we need to teach next.

• Annotated Readings (Insert Learning and Actively Learn)
  Teachers can provide tools for students to annotate their readings. Students can highlight important parts of the text. They can use colorful highlights to organize information, add notes to define words or explain their thinking and make connections to prior learning, and add additional resources that their peers can learn from. We can use this insight to understand what we need to teach next.

• Comprehension Checks (Insert Learning, Actively Learn, Edpuzzle and Listenwise)
  When teachers embed questions into student readings, video, or audio it provides a student an opportunity to stop and reflect on what they have learned and give teachers powerful insights into students' understanding. Teachers can use this information to adjust their lessons to meet their students where they are at.

• Concept Mapping (Coggle)
  Provide students with an image, writing or video to check for understanding and see if students are making the connections that we think they should. Have students use a concept map to make a flowchart of the information. This is a great way to explore students' understanding of how the events are connected. Teachers can adjust their upcoming lessons to build on students’ prior knowledge and tackle any misconceptions.

• Asynchronous Online Discussions (Canvas Discussion, Classroom Question, or shared Google Docs)
  Synchronous Online Discussions (Zoom Breakout Rooms)
  Students share their understanding, express areas of interest, and ask questions in documents. Teachers can glean information from discussions to find areas of interest and discover understanding and misunderstanding. They can use this information to adjust their lessons.

• Slideshow (Google Slides)
  Have students collaborate to create a quick slideshow. The discussions on what to include can give us important insight into student thinking and understanding. Slides make it easy for students to combine written and visual information that can be a powerful tool to help teachers understand our students’ thinking