Self-assessment



Educators have many different definitions of formative assessment, so it can get confusing! To complicate things even more, there are many about formative assessment. In this course, one of our goals is to cut through the confusion and sort out the misconceptions, so you can choose wisely when it comes to maximizing instruction to student achievement.
Oftentimes, formative assessment is perceived as just one more thing that educators must do, something to add to the never-ending to-do list. Formative assessment gets this bad reputation when it’s as yet another test or event to squeeze in.
However, formative assessment is not , it’s a process embedded into everyday instruction to give educators and students information needed to understand what comes next in the learning.
So maybe you didn’t buy into the misconception about formative assessment being a one-time event. Maybe it’s already second nature to you, that it’s a process embedded into daily instructional practice.

But did you know that there is an to formative assessment? Did you know that formative assessment also plays a role in keeping the students and builds ?
Yes it does!
Not only is effective formative assessment about getting the educator more information to make better – it also keeps students believing that
is possible!
The formative assessment process is most when used in the instructional context for three things:
• to keep students understanding the they're working toward,
• to help them understand where they are relative to the achievement target and,
• to help students understand how to between where they are and where they want to be.
What do these things have in common?
Yup, you guessed it!
Students!
It really is more than just a tool for the educator!

Another common misconception about the formative assessment process is that computer adaptive or automatically equates to formative assessment. Although these tools are able to identify where a student is relative to the learning target – the formative assessment process also includes knowing the target toward which they are aiming and information on how to close the gap!
It’s like that game of “hot and cold” where someone tells you that you’re getting warmer as you get closer to a hidden object that you’re supposed to find, or colder when
you’re moving farther away. That information isn’t very helpful, if you have no clue what you’re looking for!
Another key point about formative assessment is that it’s about what you do with the data – not just getting the data! If you get the ingredients for a recipe and set them on the counter, the recipe is not going to make itself!
Just as the success of the chef in creating a tasty dish depends on the recipe and what he does with it, the teacher must select the and use it correctly to inform her practice to create success in the classroom!

Now you’ve heard what makes formative assessment effective and you’ve heard some common misconceptions, but what’s a nice, definition that you can use to impress people at a party?
OK, maybe not at a party, but one you can use when talking to your colleagues?
The Michigan Department of Education supports the Council of Chief State School Officers’ (CCSSO) definition of formative assessment: Formative assessment is a process used by educators and students during instruction that to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes.
Want to make a HUGE difference in student achievement? Want to wow your students and their parents with their success?
Own this definition and make formative assessment the mantra in your classroom!
(And, of course, continue on in this course for some tips and tools on how to the formative assessment process.)
Now that you can see the advantages to implementing the formative assessment process, how do you do it? To help you implement the formative assessment process, the Michigan Department of Education has adopted seven strategies.
These strategies include self-assessment, peer assessment, goal setting, activating prior knowledge, transferring learning beyond the classroom, feedback and questioning.
The rest of the course will information about these strategies as well as a few that are used in the field to implement the various strategies.
Go get a beverage and a snack, and we’ll see you back for the next section!