This document discusses formative assessments for 21st century skills. It begins by defining 21st century skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, self-direction, and technology literacy. It then explains that formative assessments should inform instruction by showing what students have learned and still need to learn. Effective formative assessments provide clear learning targets and feedback to students. Examples of formative assessments that can evaluate 21st century skills include rubrics, checklists, digital portfolios, and student self-assessments. Workshops are provided for teachers to design assessments by starting with learning objectives and determining how student mastery will be measured.

1. Formative Assessments for 21st Century SkillsNancy White, 21st Century Learning & Innovation SpecialistAcademy School District 20nancy.white@asd20.org

2. ObjectivesWhat are 21st Century Skills?

3. Why & what do we assess?

4. 21stCentury Assessment Strategies

5. Assessment Tools – Free & Online

6. Workshop Time: Build Your Own Assessment Tools and/or unitWhat are the qualities of effective “assessment”?

7. Characteristics of Good AssessmentThe content of the tests (the knowledge and skills assessed) should match the teacher's educational objectives and instructional emphases.The test items should represent the full range of knowledge and skills that are the primary targets of instruction.Expectations for student performance should be clear.NCREL: http://web.archive.org/web/20051024083623/http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/stw_esys/4assess.htm

8. Colorado's description of 21st century skills is a synthesis of the essential abilities students must apply in our fast changing world. These essentials skills are: • Critical thinking and reasoning (for example, but not limited to: problem solving, analysis, logic, cause/effect) • Information literacy (for example, but not limited to: knowledge acquisition, source discernment, systems management) • Collaboration (for example, but not limited to: synergy, team resourcing, social skills, leadership) • Self-direction (for example, but not limited to: adaptability, initiative, personal responsibility, work ethics, self-advocacy) • Invention (for example, but not limited to: creativity, innovation, integration of ideas) Technology Literacy

9. CDE 21st Century Skills Wordlehttp://wordle.net

10. What Students Need to Know

11. Assessments – Why?Inform the teacher:How students performed – to assign a gradeWhat needs re-teaching

12. Assessments…AlsoProvide students with information about their performance that can promote their learning Motivate students to study or apply themselves because they know they are to be evaluated. Provide teachers with data to evaluate the effectiveness of their instruction

13. Assess What? -ProductTraditional Assessments:Content KnowledgeOrganizationPresentationSummative AssessmentSummarizes what has been learned.

14. What about the Process?Research process

15. Information Literacy Skills

16. Use of Tools

17. “The Three C’s” of 21st Century Learning

18. Collaboration

19. Communication

20. Creative Problem Solving21st Century SkillsInventionTechnology LiteracyCollaborationInformation LiteracySelf DirectionCritical Thinking & Reasoning

21. Inquiry ElementsExploreQuestionInvestigateExplainConnectCommunicateEvaluate

22. Inquiry & 21st Century SkillsExplore

23. Question

24. Investigate

25. Explain

26. Connect

27. Communicate

28. EvaluateInformation LiteracyTechnology LiteracyCritical Thinking & ReasoningCollaborationSelf Direction

29. ISTE NETSCreativity & InnovationCommunication & CollaborationResearch & Information FluencyCritical Thinking, Problem Solving & Decision MakingDigital CitizenshipTechnology Operations & Concepts

30. How can we assess the skills?

31. Formative AssessmentGood assessment starts with a clear purposeinFORMS instruction (teacher)inFORMS students – what they know and don’t know or how to do

32. Components of Formative AssessmentChappuis, Jan. (2005, Nov.) Helping Students Understand Assessment. Educational Leadership.

33. Students have clear picture of learning targetsPhoto by Michael Surran, http://www.flickr.com/photos/extraketchup/749312864/

34. Students received feedbackPhoto by Wonderlane: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wonderlane/37531816/

35. Students Engaged in Self-AssessmentBias, Gene. ocps010.jpg. . Pics4Learning. 14 Jan 2008 <http://pics.tech4learning.com>

36. Provide understanding of specific steps students can take to improveBias, Gene. comp008.jpg. . Pics4Learning. 14 Jan 2008 <http://pics.tech4learning.com>

37. Strategies to Involve Students in Formative Assessment Provide a clear and understandable vision of targetUse examples of strong & weak workOffer regular descriptive feedbackTeach students to self-assess and set goalsDesign lessons to focus on one aspect of quality at a timeTeach students focused revisionEngage students in self-reflectionChappuis, Jan. (2005, Nov.) Helping Students Understand Assessment. Educational Leadership.

38. Formative Assessment:ExamplesThink-Pair-Share ActivityStudent Summarizes InformationInterview students/conferencingResearch journalObservation checklistStudent checklistConcept MappingRubrics

39. 21st Century AssessmentsSupports a balance of assessmentsEmphasizes useful feedback on student performanceRequires a balance of formative and summative assessments that measure student mastery of 21st century skillsPartnership for 21st Century Skills

40. Black & Wiliam, 1998 Research FindingsComments have a strong impact on learning, stronger than comments & grades or only grades

41. Quality of feedback is crucial to learning

42. Setting process goals is more effective than setting product goals

43. “Assessment Conversations” are effective

44. Formative feedback is associated with more positive attitudes towards learningRubrics: What Should Be Assessed?Standards & BenchmarksWhat do you want students to know and be able to do?What will you be teaching specifically?Ask yourself: “How will I know that they know?” …What does success look like?

45. Example: Information Literacy SkillResearches and Evaluates Information Uses a variety of appropriate tools to record notes and store information

46. Information Literacy SkillResearches and Evaluates Information Middle School: Uses a variety of appropriate tools to record notes and store information

47. Skill to RubricWhat criteria will you highlight?What should I look for?The descriptors of degrees of quality in meeting the criteria Answer this: What does success look like?Quantitative? Or Qualitative?

48. Information Literacy SkillResearches and Evaluates Information

49. Middle School: Uses a variety of appropriate tools to recordnotes and storeinformationQualitativeQuantitative

50. Information Literacy SkillResearches and Evaluates Information

51. Middle School:Uses a variety of appropriate toolstorecordnotesandstoreinformationQualitativeQuantitative

52. Information Literacy Skill

53. Creating a Rubric

54. Exercise4 GroupsEach group will work on developing the rubric for two different 21st century skills criteriaPost to your wiki pageShare back after lunch!

55. Lunch!

56. More Examples of Formative AssessmentsChecklistsPBL ChecklistsRubrics8th Grade Technology Assessment “Rubric for Any Research Project”High School Rubric (Joyce Valenza)Rubistar-Self Evaluation- reflection

57. Types of Process AssessmentPortfolios help students to:determine meaningful work. reflect on their strengths and needs. set learning goals. see their own progress over time. think about ideas presented in their work. see the effort they put forth. feel ownership and pride in their work. realize their work has personal relevance. http://www.phschool.com/professional_development/assessment/portfolio_based_assess.html

58. Digital Portfolios: ExamplesGeneral Layout using a Wiki

59. A Middle School Student-Led Conference with Portfolio Evidence

60. VoiceThread as ePortfolio for Student-Led conference

61. 21st Century SkillsIntel’s Assessment SiteTour

62. Set up Account

63. Build assessment plansDesigning AssessmentWhen will you assess?Backwards Design:What do you want students to know and be able to do (Standards)Knowledge/Skills - ObjectivesHow will you know they know it/can do it?Learning ActivitiesBig idea/essential question

64. Work TimeBackwards Design ExerciseBuild your assessment toolsTwo Choices:For ½ credit for this class, fill out this one-page exerciseFor extended credit, (log your hours) complete an assessment timelineIf you also took D-Quadrant Learning –this can be included with your unit plan

65. RecapAssessing the process is criticalAssessments are diagnosticUse the information to inform your teachingAssess what matters – what you want students to know and be able to do

66. TechLearning: http://www.techlearning.com/showArticle.php?articleID=193700630

67. Assessment For Learning

68. Questions?Nancy Whitenancy.white@asd20.org