Everyday teachers are using formative assessments in one way or another, including exit tickets or a “thumbs up/down” check. However, teachers need to start making sure the questions are valuable by planning for their formative assessments. Teachers should ask themselves is this essential for my students to learn, how can I access that, and how will this information change that lesson or tomorrow’s lesson. When using formative assessments, teachers should focus on the FORM (Fun, Organic, Relevant, and Meaningful). By making the formative assessment fun, students will be more engaged in the process and you will get more of an accurate depiction of what they understand. One great way to accomplish this is by using technology such as Socrative or Kahoot. By making it organic, the students’ assessment will provide exactly what the teacher needs to know. By providing feedback, teachers are making their formative assessments relevant. Students will understand what they need to work on and see how teachers are altering their instruction to meet their needs. Lastly, by making the formative assessment meaningful, teachers are not wasting their time or their students’ time.
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Abstract by Elizabeth Wood, AIR apprentice
