This document discusses assessment for learning strategies to improve teaching practices in adult classrooms. It outlines six key strategies: learning intentions, criteria, descriptive feedback, questioning, peer and self-assessment, and student ownership. Examples are provided for how to incorporate these strategies into lesson planning, including establishing learning goals, using open-ended learning strategies, differentiation, gradual release of responsibility, and formative assessment techniques.

1. Assessment for Learning –
improving practice in the adult
classroom
Coquitlam
Con,nuing
Educa,on
February
18th,
2011
Faye
Brownlie
www.slideshare.net

2. Learning Intentions
• I
understand
what
is
important
in
designing
a
lesson
for
all
learners,
including
ESL
• I
understand
the
6
strategies
of
assessment
for
learning
• I
have
a
plan
to
build
to
use
at
least
one
of
the
strategies
in
the
upcoming
week

3. Assessment for Learning
Purpose
Guide
learning,
inform
instruc,on
Audience
Teachers
and
learners
Timing
On-­‐going,
minute
by
minute,
day
by
day
Form
Descrip,ve
Feedback
¶what’s
working?
•what’s
not?
•what’s
next?
Black
&
Wiliam,
1998
HaXe
&
Timperley,
2007

4. Assessment for Learning
• Learning
inten,ons
• Criteria
• Descrip,ve
feedback
• Ques,oning
• Peer
and
self
assessment
• Ownership

5. Essential Lesson Components
• Essen,al
ques,on/learning
inten,on/a
big
idea
• Open-­‐ended
strategies:
connect-­‐process-­‐transform
• Differen,a,on
–
choice,
choice,
choice
• Assessment
for
learning
• Gradual
release
of
responsibility

6. Model
Guided practice
Independent practice
Independent application
Pearson
&
Gallagher
(1983)

7. Communicating Mathematically
• Sit
back
to
back
with
a
partner
• Partner
A
observes
the
diagram
and
describes
it
to
partner
B
• Partner
B
draws
what
he
hears
Partner
A
describing
• Reflect:
what
worked
in
the
partnership?
What
didn’t?
How
can
it
be
improved?

10. Chunking
Text
to
Respond
• Divide
a
poem
or
an
ar,cle
in
chunks,
several
lines
long,
and
place
these
on
separate
papers.
• In
teams,
learners
consider
one
chunk
and
respond
to
it.
Circle
challenging
vocabulary.
• Share
the
text
among
the
groups.
• Learners
read
the
en,re
text
and
respond
– As
a
free
write
or
a
power
paragraph
– To
create
a
found
poem
– To
create
an
image
that
reflects
their
understanding
– To
present
orally,
a
soundbite
on
their
understanding
of
the
text…

11. Power Paragraphs
• Create a power structure:
• Power 1 – the big idea
• Power 2 – 3 big details about the big idea
• Power 3 – 2 more precise details/examples about the
2nd powers
• Together, write the paragraph, 1 topic sentence (power
1), and 3 explanatory sentences (powers 2 and 3)
• Reread for fluency
• Do several together, then learners can create their
structure, get feedback before writing, then write
independently

12.
power
1
power
2
power
2
power
2
2
details
2
details
(power
3)

13. References
• Grand Conversations, Thoughtful Responses –
Brownlie
(2005).
Portage
and
Main
Press.
• Student Diversity, 2nd ed (2006)
–
Brownlie
and
Schnellert.
Pembroke
Publishers
• It’s All about Thinking – Humanities, Social
Studies and English (2009)
–
Brownlie
and
Schnellert.
Portage
and
Main
Press.
• Assessment Instruction of ESL Learners –
Brownlie,
Feniak,
McCarthy.
Portage
and
Main
Press.