Module 6.3 Reflection
Prompt:
This module has explored the use of technology tools for both formative and summative assessment. As you think about how you will implement formative and summative assessments in the online and blended environments:
- What are some of the factors you need to consider?
Response:
In any class, online, blended, or in person, a teacher needs to carefully consider what tools and strategies to use to implement formative and summative assessments.
I believe that the first thing a teacher needs to do is figure out the learning goals for the unit. If you do not have a clear set of goals and objectives, the assessments will be useless. As a teacher, you need to provide scaffolded instruction and activities to help a student meet and master those goals. As students are moving along through the unit, a teacher must use formative assessments to see where students are at, make any modifications or changes to the lesson plans, provide feedback to each student about their learning, and allow students to use that feedback to grow as a learner. Each step of learning and growth should be celebrated. Then, at the end of the unit, there should be some sort of summative assessment where students can demonstrate and apply their learning.
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| Harry G. Tuttle's Stages of Formative Assessment |
Formative assessments need to be provided to not only gauge where students are or to guide a teacher’s future lessons, but to also provide feedback and additional learning and support for students. In a blended or online course, I like to select tools that allow students to check their knowledge, but also provide immediate feedback, such as Quizlet, Socrative, or even Google Forms using the Flubaroo add-on. It’s also important to check higher levels of student thinking. Online tools such as Collaborize Classroom, Padlet, or Today’s Meet allow students to share their thoughts with others and get feedback from their teacher and classmates.
At the end of the unit, when I select a summative assessment, I want my students to apply what they learned and create something to demonstrate their knowledge about the topic. I like to give students a choice in tools so that they feel comfortable and can really show me what they know, and be creative at the same time. Some tools that my students use are iMovie, WeVideo, iStopMotion, Powtoon, and Explain Everything.
