Observation As The Key Practice Of Alternative Formative Assessments

Finley’s article describes the difference between assessment methods with a focus on alternative formative assessments. Alternative formative assessments are defined as an assessment that “is not a traditional quiz” (Finley, 2014, p. 1). Finley defines observations as the key practice for alternative formative assessment. Observations, such as a running records or checklists, can help teachers identify learning needs and adjust their instruction appropriately. Finley suggests that by “watching and recording student performance with a focused observation form, [teachers] can learn a lot about students' levels of understanding in just a few moments” (Finley, 2014, p. 1). Formative assessment is not about comparing students’ performance; it’s …show more content…
In my practicum classroom, my mentor teacher uses many formative assessments to check for students understanding. One strategy that I have seen used repeatedly is “thumbs up.” Ms. Houck uses this strategy to quickly assess whether students have grasped a concept. Depending on the assessment results, Ms. Houck may do a quick re-teach or continue moving through the lesson. Ms. Houck also uses math journal and white boards as formative assessments. Using either their math journals or white boards, Ms. Houck will ask her students a review question and the students will write the answer and then hold it up for Ms. Houck to read. This gives Ms. Houck a better understanding of where each student stands on the concept being assessed. Lastly, Ms. Houck uses exit slips as formative assessments. At the end of a lesson, Ms. Houck will ask students to complete an exit slip before transitioning to the next activity. When reviewing the exit slips, Ms. Houck gains a better understanding of students “gaps” which informs her instruction for the …show more content…
This binder is used to organize the student’s homework, send home parent information, and to track homework assignments using the daily planner. The “beach binder” is a simple method used to keep all student assignments organized without having to keep track of several different folders for the variety of subject areas. Using the “beach binder” makes it easy to send notes home to parents since the communication method and placement (front of planner) is consistent. I would like to implement something similar to beach binders in my future classroom to promote organization of students assignments and consistent parent