Topic6

= Learning Topic 6: = = Assessments: Formal, Informal, and Virtual Tools =

Background/Rationale
Formal and informal assessments have been used by teachers for many years. Traditionally, teachers, districts, and states used simple paper/pencil techniques to evaluate a student's learning. Today, the Internet provides us with unlimited access to online, interactive tools and rubrics to use as is, revise, or to gather ideas from. It is easy to divert back to traditional methods, but we are in the 21st century, where learning is evolving. Therefore, it's important that our assessment techniques evolve as well. This week you will identify new methods of assessment, evaluate them, and gather ideas for integration.

Learner Outcomes

 * Assess your district's current assessment tools.
 * Contribute current methods of informal assessment.
 * Examine unfamiliar assessment tools and develop ideas for integration.
 * Compare and contrast similar assessment tools.
 * Determine the best formal and informal assessment tool.

Readings and Research

 * Library Resource:**
 * Books 24/7 - @http://libguides.regis.edu/atozdatabases


 * Online Magazines:**
 * Tech&Learning - @http://www.techlearning.com/
 * THE Journal - @http://thejournal.com/Home.aspx
 * Journal of Educational Technology & Society - @http://www.ifets.info/
 * Education Week: Digital Directions - @http://www.edweek.org/dd/
 * eLearn Magazine - @http://www.elearnmag.org/
 * Edutopia - @http://www.edutopia.org/


 * Assessment Resources**
 * Poll Everywhere - @http://www.polleverywhere.com/
 * Easy Test Maker - @http://www.easytestmaker.com/default.aspx
 * Quiz Center - @http://school.discoveryeducation.com/quizcenter/quizcenter.html
 * Quiz Egg - @http://quizegg.com/
 * Quizinator - @http://www.quizinator.com/
 * Quia - @http://www.quia.com/web
 * Yacapaca - @http://yacapaca.com/
 * ThatQuiz - @http://www.thatquiz.org/
 * SurveyMonkey - @http://www.surveymonkey.com/
 * Google Forms - @http://www.google.com/google-d-s/forms/
 * Poll Daddy - @http://polldaddy.com/
 * Rubistar - @http://rubistar.4teachers.org/
 * Online Resources for Assessment - @http://www.rmcdenver.com/useguide/assessme/online.htm
 * 4Teachers.org - //Assessment// - @http://4teachers.org/profdev/index.php?profdevid=as

(Keyword search terms: classroom assessment evaluation; formative assessment, summative assessment, formal assessment, informal assessment)
 * Web Articles Assessment and Evaluation:**
 * [[file:Stiggins Alignment Chart.pdf]]
 * [[file:Stiggins Definitions of Types of Assessment.pdf]]
 * [[file:ASSESSMENTandEVALUATION2007.pdf]]
 * [[file:Formative & Summative Assessment.pdf]]
 * [[file:Role of Rubrics.pdf]]
 * [[file:Linking Classroom Assessment Student Learning.pdf]]
 * [[file:Criteria StepbyStep.1.pdf]]

Field Experience
Contact your district's assessment coordinator to identify the assessment tool(s) your district is currently using (NWEA, Scantron, Educate, etc.). Make sure to bring your login information for these tools. This information will be used in a later activity.

** 6.1 Assessment Article Search **
Before coming to class, search online journals, books, the web, etc. for three articles focusing on technology tools and programs used for assessment and evaluation. Read the articles and highlight the technologies used and how they were used for assessment. These will be used during a class discussion.
 * Part One:** //**To be completed before class**//

Using the articles you located and read, work with a small group to discuss the tools and how they are used for assessment. Consider the questions during your discussion:
 * Part Two: Assessment and Evaluation Findings**
 * 1) Are the tools used for formal or informal assessments?
 * 2) What is the reliability of the tools?
 * 3) Could these tools be replicated in any classroom? If so, how?
 * 4) How are the tools being used? (To check understanding, for small group instruction, etc.)

There are many assessment tools that districts purchase or have purchased to aid in formalized testing. Some teachers are able to use these tools to their fullest potential and others are unaware of the resources available to them. How much do you know about the assessment tools in your district? For this activity, follow the directions below:
 * Part Three: Assessment Tools on a District Level**
 * 1) As a class, identify the resources your district is using.
 * 2) Select the one tool, you feel you use the most for assessment/data in your classroom.
 * 3) Locate other classmates (if any) that chose the same assessment tool
 * 4) If you found a partner, work together to discuss ways that you are using the tool. Are your methods effective and/or efficient? How else have you seen it used? Do you have any new ideas?
 * 5) If you are working by yourself, think about the way(s) you are using your tool? Is it effective and/or efficient? How else have you seen it used? Login into the site and do some research to see if you come up with any new ideas for use.

While completing this activity, you and/or your group should complete the table below. You will turn this in to your instructor at the end of the activity.
 * 6.1 Assessment (30 points for completion of activity)**
 * Assessment Tool || Current Methods of Use || Other Ideas for use ||

** 6.2: Informal Assessment Tools in Your Classroom **
Wallwisher is a free online tool that is an interactive sticky note wall, which can be used as a method for informal assessments and/or to simply monitor the participation of your students. Visit the link @http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/InformalAssess and create a sticky note for each tool you are using or have used in your classroom and include a brief description of how you are using it. For example: Thatquiz.com - Students complete an activity and print out their score to demonstrate proficiency on a standard if applicable.
 * Instructor Note: You will need to create a Wallwisher wall for this activity.

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If Wallwisher seems to be unreliable, the instructor will create a Free Text Poll using Poll Everywhere @http://www.polleverywhere.com/. You will be given a number to text your answers to.

** 6.3: Investigation of Unfamiliar Assessment Tools **

 * Instructor Note: You will need to create a Google Spreadsheet and share the link with students for this activity.

Using the examples from Wallwisher, there are probably a few assessment tools you are unfamiliar with. If not, use the Internet to find some assessments tools you have not explored. For this activity you are going to visit a minimum of three assessment resources and identify ways you would be able to use them in your educational setting and whether it would be used for formal or informal assessment.

After completing your investigation, add your resources onto the Google Spreadsheet your instructor created. If your tool has already been added, add your name to the row and include your integration ideas below the others.

Google Spreadsheet Information:
 * Your Name || Assessment Tool || Formal or Informal || Integration Ideas ||
 * 6.3 Assessment (40 points):**
 * Assessment tools (10 points)
 * Integration contributions (30 points)
 * Integration contributions (30 points)

** 6.4: Assessment Tool Evaluation **
//**(Capstone Project Suggestion)**// Now that you have briefly investigated various formal and informal assessment tools, you are going to conduct a more thorough investigation for evaluation and create your own "Best and Worst" of assessment tools. You are going to select two similar tools used for formal evaluation and two similar tools used for informal evaluation. In a six paragraph essay (a minimum of 5 double spaced pages), you are going to compare and contrast your selected tools. Using the following format: Please post your paper to the Topic6_StudentPage.
 * Introduction paragraph
 * Two paragraphs to compare and contrast formal evaluation tools
 * Two paragraphs to compare and contrast informal evaluation tools
 * A concluding paragraph

You will evaluated using the following free rubric from www.readwritethink.org. @http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson275/compcon_rubric.pdf (Search terms: Comparison and Contrast rubric, compare and contrast rubric)
 * 6.4 Assessment (40 points):**



** 6.5: Blogging About Assessment Tools **
For this week's blogging activity, you are going to share your opinion about the best formal and formal assessment tools. Then reflect on the following questions and share your thoughts on the blog: Please read and comment on a minimum of 3 classmate’s blogs.
 * 1) How are online assessments beneficial to your instruction?
 * 2) How can online assessments hinder your instruction?
 * 3) Are online assessments better to use with students than traditional methods? Why?


 * 6.5 Assessment (16 points):**



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