Thrive in Action Blog Series: Rigorous Thinking, GPS 6 - Assess & Adjust
The Thrive In Action blog series highlights practical applications for Great Pedagogy Strategies (GPS) within the EdConnective Thrive Framework, summarized here. The EdConnective Thrive Framework is unique in that it can be applied to teaching actions seamlessly whether learning is in-person or remote. This week we get more familiar with:
Rigorous Thinking, GPS 6 - Assess & Adjust: The teacher checks for all students’ understanding at regular intervals throughout the lesson, documents student progress and immediately adjusts instruction based on the data collected. The teacher collects data on student objective mastery at the end of the lesson, and uses it to adjust instruction for the following lesson.
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In a classroom, teachers tend to monitor understanding by circulating the room and checking student work as it is completed. This allows for bite-sized, in the moment feedback to adjust thinking. We might also notice a common error, pause students, and seamlessly address the concept in a new way or with an exemplar answer from another student. Whether you are teaching in-building or remotely, social distancing and virtual learning has changed this process, but the need to Assess and Adjust has never been greater. Data can be collected daily or weekly and in different ways, however, teachers must regularly gather information in order to inform and adjust teaching, student grouping, and assignments.
Both in-building and virtually, a simple way to gauge student understanding is by providing an Exit Ticket to end class. Exit Tickets should be directly aligned to the day’s learning goal and should take less than ten minutes for a student to complete. The best Exit Tickets request a student explanation or require work to be shown, allowing teachers to understand the student’s misconception or lack of understanding. This could be a one-page assignment handed out at the end of class or added as the last page in a daily packet. Regardless, it should be immediately received by the teacher following learning and quickly assessed to determine the success of the day’s teaching and learning.
Virtually, Exit Tickets can be created using Google Forms. When creating a Google Form, using the Quiz Template allows teachers to provide self-scoring, multiple choice questions as well as written responses. These are easy to review and provide immediate feedback by plugging in recommended videos or explanations shown to students after the Form is submitted. Assessment can also be done through an engagement platform like Nearpod or Peardeck. Whether done daily or weekly, the regular collection of data aids teachers in determining who to call on, when to reteach or cycle a standard back into instruction, and in the creation of small-groups or individualized work. Sites such as IXL and Learnzillion provide lessons aligned to standards which can be used to help students close gaps in understanding both synchronously or asynchronously. In addition to Exit Tickets and Assessments, teachers should check for understanding during a lesson using quick-hit questions for all students to answer. This can be done with a Zoom Poll, a quick thumbs up/ thumbs down, or using one of the aforementioned platforms. The message here is to find a way to gauge student understanding and use that information to adjust your teaching as, and when, needed.
Download a summary of the EdConnective Thrive Framework here. EdConnective provides 1:1, personalized non-evaluative coaching to teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators, as well as small group coaching and large group training.