We all want our students to be learning at the higher levels of thinking. However, they first have to learn lower level information. For example, Spanish students want to converse in the language but until they learn basic vocabulary and grammar such as the present tense; they cannot converse. We can change the format of class so that after we have introduced the lower level learning and have them practice it enough to know whether they understand the concept, then we can have them practice the lower level learning at home.
If we have them use an online program that “drills” them, shows them the right answer, and shows them how to get the right answer, they can immediately know how well they are doing and be given the opportunity to improve. They do not have to wait until the next day (or in terms of a college course five days or week) to find out if they can do this lower level thinking. Since the teacher has put in the program a full explanation of how to get the right answer, the students can overcome their learning gap (formative feedback aspect of formative assessment). They can redo the program to verify that they can do this lower level activity well. They feel successful. They have practiced this learning in the safety of their homes.
Then, in class, the teacher can move the students to higher levels from the lower level. For example, the Spanish students can tell what activities they do that day, can describe the various activities of their family members, and ask others what they things they do during a day.
So how do you practice lower level learning so that students know immediately if they are right or wrong and if they wrong, do they learn how to change their thinking to get right answers? How do you use formative assessment to move your students forward in their learning?
My book, Formative Assessment: Responding to Your Students, is available through Eye on Education.
Also, my book, Successful Student Writing Through Formative Assessment, is available through Eye on Education.
Education with Technology Harry G. Tuttle 
Responding to students: Our Real Emotional Message
Published January 15, 2009 Achievement , Answer , Assessment , assessment for learning , Correct , Diagnostic , Edublogger , Education , Error , Evaluate , Feedback , Formative , Formative assessment , formative feedback , Help , Impact , Reponse Leave a CommentTags: Answer, Comment, Correcting, Edublogger, Emotion, Feedback, Formative, Formative assessment, Reaction, response, Teacher
In a previous post, I emphasized that students need an abundance of positive comments before they really believe that what they have done is good.
Likewise, when we examine our comments to students in the margins and at the end of their papers, we may discover that the messages that we think are positive or neutral appear to the students as negative ones. For example, in “Good topic sentence. Follow it up with more evidence” the message seems to us to be a positive; however, the second sentence deflats the praise. The previous examples strikes students as a “set up and slap down” comment.
Students may see our statements or questions as direct commands rather than suggestions. “Can you think of other possibilities?” can easily be translated as “You dummy, why can’t you get a good answer?”
When we write on students’ papers, we have to promote a positive tone since many students will read any non-positive statement as a negative one.
If you are interested in implementing formative assessment in the classroom, my book,
Formative Assessment: Responding to Students is available through Eye-on-Education.