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This discussion forum is being moderated as an expression of servant leadership in teaching & learning. As a collaborative tool for brainstorming enriching experiences for students, teacher learning groups, and district learning teams, we can inspire and build experiences to help empower each of us to personal leadership in learning. Thank you, in advance, for your contributions and leadership to realizing outcomes for improving student achievement, equity and well-being.

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Equity through pedagogy - part 4: Formative assessment

1/31/2019

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Welcome back to Flipping the Focus. 

Leading up to the Mid-Atlantic Conference for Professional Learning, March 13-15, in Atlantic City, this marks the fourth in a series of posts devoted to pedagogical practices and frameworks that educators can leverage in their collaborative efforts to respectfully and equitably honour student voice.

1. Introduction
Envision learning environments where students and their teachers are engaged to interact in profound and meaningful ways--ways that demonstrate an evolution of the teaching-learning relationship to one where “...[students] and [teachers are learning] together in a collaborative relationship, each playing an active role in setting learning goals, developing success criteria, giving and receiving feedback, monitoring progress, and adjusting learning strategies” (Growing Success, p30).
Ad for Mid-Atlantic Conference for Professional Learning
MACPL 2019, March 13-15, Atlantic City
In this post, formative assessment is defined, its characteristics explained, and suggestions are made for how you and your students can experience success by framing teaching and learning through its principles.

As you continue with the post, consider framing your thinking against these, sample goals:
  • (Teacher Focus) To deepen your understanding of practices that engage students with differences in backgrounds, learning strengths, needs and interests.
  • (Leadership Focus) To inform your next best moves to supporting the growth of individual and collective teacher learning and practice.

"Having explored these principles, alongside many educators, has
been transformational for my own teaching and student learning,
​as well as that of my colleagues."

2. Formative Assessment - An Introduction
According to Ontario’s Assessment & Evaluation framework, Growing Success, the “...primary purpose of assessment...is to improve student learning” (p6). The improvement of student learning, from a formative perspective, involves two practices: assessment FOR learning and assessment AS learning.

Let’s consider these practices in the context of an example. Throughout the example, consider visualizing formative assessment through the graphic provided in Figure 1 (below): The Assessment Loop (Causarano & Coulombe, @HarnessingA, 2018).
Growing Success
Growing Success, 2010
Figure 1. The Assessment Loop
The Assessment Loop
Printed with permission (Causarano & Coulombe, 2018)
As we plan learning experiences for our students, we take into account learning goals and success criteria. Learning goals, or targets, are set according to one or more of the following: curriculum objectives, global competencies, learning processes, and/or the big ideas of the subject matter students are learning. These goals represent the What of learning.

The How of learning is defined by success criteria. These criteria describe the actions that students are taking to successfully attain learning goals. Prior to engaging students in the learning experience designed, it’s critical that we anticipate success criteria.

Identifying potential success criteria mentally prepares us for recognizing them, as students work on problems and tasks. In the context of questioning, inquiry or project-based learning, it’s also important that we remain 'open’ to variable paths towards a solution or completion of a task. Altogether, being able to recognize these criteria, as well as being open to student thinking, supports educators in helping students consolidate their thinking towards conceptual understanding and procedural fluency.

"You might be wondering, how do I ‘open’ myself to identifying
and recognizing how students will be going and are going
​towards these goals?"

This is a great, if not perfect, question to be asking ourselves. But still...why?
Well, to be open means that we’re in a position, ourselves, to do some learning. That learning might be related to content, pedagogy or a combination of the two. From a content perspective, we might be at a place where we’re figuring out how students will interact with a problem or task. Pedagogically, we might also be considering those aspects that will respectfully and equitably address where students are in their own learning. And there are plenty of aspects that come into play. Take for example the following: prior knowledge, background, strengths, needs, interests, and the learning environment.

Whatever combination of factors you’re considering, they all have one thing in common--that is, what defines the problem or task that’s being assigned to students.
puzzle piecesPhoto by Hans-Peter Gauster on Unsplash
3. Formative Assessment-Moving Beyond the Task
Let’s take a look at moving beyond the task. Earlier, I mentioned that success criteria represent the actions that students are taking towards attaining goals. That means we’re now in a space where students are ‘working on it’--either independently or collaboratively thinking about the assigned problem or task.

Formatively, we, as educators, now go on ‘high alert’...monitoring the ‘how’, listening to interpret, and looking for learning progressions that can be used to facilitate conversations around criteria important for attaining the goal(s). Over the time that students are engaged with the problem or task, we’re naming and noticing key moves that students are making and providing timely, descriptive feedback to all students.

As you discuss students’ thinking with them and the group, you’ll be well-positioned to co-create success criteria, and over time, with each opportunity to revisit concepts, students can reflect for themselves and/or with their peers about refinements that can be made to the existing criteria.

Providing opportunities and encouraging students to engage in this type of reflection--be it self- or peer-assessment--is referred to as assessment AS learning. The beauty of this form of assessment is that it imparts leadership to your students: it helps them to recognize agency in their own learning, and it helps them to build autonomy--i.e., independence to influencing their own learning, as well as taking it upon themselves to learning on behalf of and supporting others.
Each time that we, alongside our students, reflect and discuss the ‘how’ of ‘what’ is being learned models metacognition--the act of thinking about one’s thinking. In essence, as students develop their metacognitive skills, they are becoming better monitors of their own learning--setting goals and making plans for how they can achieve them.
4. It’s Not That Straight-Forward
As we come to know our students better, we recognize the following:
  • Each individual develops proficiency in their own time;
  • Learning progressions aren’t linear; and
  • Students will become more adept at monitoring and personalizing goals.
Person holding a lightbulb
Photo by Diego PH on Unsplash
As a result, learning doesn’t look so straight-forward after all. In fact, each aspect of The Assessment Loop (Causarano & Coulombe, 2018), in Figure 1 (above), is connected and dependent upon the others.

Truly, this loop--or framework--represents the complex nature of the thinking and decision-making that occurs for both teachers and their students. It is a ‘space’ that we find ourselves in each and every day. As educators, the more we come to know our students, the curriculum, and what learning and student learning looks like, the better we can communicate where students are in their learning and next steps. By this point--having waded into the complexity of thinking and decision-making with students--we’re providing them with a communication of or an assessment OF their learning.
5. Final Remarks
As you reflect, how are you seeking to co-create conditions that can give life to equity in the teaching and learning you do with students and your colleagues each and every day?

When thinking about your assessment practice, consider the following:
“...student assessment IS the beginning point for instruction, not simply the end” (Volante et al., 2018).
​In closing, I can't help but to think of the conversations that can be inspired when we take collective action to improving student learning. As this blog is a means for readers to network and gradually change the context for how they teach and learn, we all benefit by drawing nearer to the perspectives shared here and shared beyond with our professional learning networks.
​
I am more than happy to collaborate with you and make our learning visible, here, in this blog and across Flipping the Focus' social media platforms, as well as your own. I
f at any time, you have questions or comments, please feel free to reach out to me at Flipping the Focus. 

Sincerely,

Chris Stewart
Education Leader, Flipping the Focus (c) 2019
CONTACT
BOOK CHRIS

6. References
Causarano, J., & Coulombe, H. (2018, September 14). The Assessment Loop: Merging Assessment and Instruction. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from https://harnessassessment.com/2018/09/04/the-assessment-loop-merging-assessment-and-instruction/


Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting in Ontario’s Schools. (2010). Toronto: Ministry of Education.
​

Volante, L., et al. (2019, January 24). Culturally-Responsive Teaching in a Globalized World. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/culturally-responsive-teaching-in-a-globalized-world-109881
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creating conditions for occasioning thinking & Supporting student well-being in mathematics classrooms

3/2/2018

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Welcome back to Flipping the Focus.

In the last post, a detailed look was taken at one means through which school improvement teams could enact their 'How.' For your consideration, a developing series of tools & resources (i.e., for additional learning) have been posted here.

Recently, as set in the context of supporting student and professional learning, a colleague and I were considering strategies to getting to the 'What' of school improvement in a Grade 9 Mathematics class. For contextual purposes, this time of year in Ontario marks the beginning of semester 2 courses, leading up to Spring Break: the perfect time to looking upon students' past learning experiences and contemplating how to increase student engagement moving forward.

As per their school's goal in Mathematics, the importance of students improving their confidence in self-assessment (i.e., in relation to success criteria) had been identified. With this in mind, we set our minds to contemplating the collaborative inquiry we might engage in to helping students come to the knowledge that 'they can?' 

"Yes, I Can!"
A recent publication, "Yes, I Can!," published by the Ontario Ministry of Education (pdf, below) portrays the multi-faceted nature of approaching such problems of practice (i.e., identifying the components necessary to building student well-being through mathematics).

On page 6, one of the key learnings of a five-year inquiry in the Province of Ontario is that
"[s]tudent self-assessment is linked to student well-being." 
​

We know that students require mathematical experiences where they are engaging in uncovering and authoring criteria necessary for understanding and solving problems. And by interacting with descriptive feedback, relating and acting out upon feedback in relation to criteria for success, students become more adept at self-assessment--i.e., knowing what 'good' looks like and when it is achieved.

​It follows that the more experience a student has in developing confidence in their self-assessments, the more capable they become in setting goals for their learning and monitoring achievement of these goals.
Picture
Ontario's Vision for the Mathematics Learner
Picture
The Pedagogical System for the Teaching & Learning of Mathematics
pedagogical_system_for_reflective_practice.pdf
File Size: 449 kb
File Type: pdf
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Returning to the previous statement concerning the correlation between student self-assessment and well-being, "...students [come] to see themselves as successful mathematics students, particularly when they [have] problems that they [are] allowed to approach in many different ways" (Yes, I can!, p7).

Monograph: Yes, I can! Paying Attention to Well-Being in the Mathematics Classroom
yes-i-can.pdf
File Size: 2377 kb
File Type: pdf
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Connections to Well-Being

Returning to the professional discussions with my colleague (i.e., How might we help students come to the knowledge that 'they can?'), it became clear, in part, that we need to use
 problems where students are allowed to approach solutions in many different ways.

Other considerations for creating a space more conducive for students to build their self-confidence are described below.
Picture
Making the Mathematics Well-Being Connection (Yes, I Can!, 2018)

Thinking Classrooms
Recently, a framework for enacting pedagogical practices that can engage both teachers and their students in occasioning worthwhile tasks, developing responsive classroom environments, culturing classroom discourse, and use of tools and representations for thinking is that of "Thinking Classrooms" (see Dr. Peter Liljedahl's summary on Edutopia and 2017 OAME Leadership Conference keynote for background).

This framework presents an interesting opportunity to engage the four, pedagogical practices above, as well as enacting the recommendations made by researchers (i.e., those identified (above) for building student well-being, thus bringing the vision of the mathematics learner to light--for both student and teacher.

With current research recommendations, our professional practice, a keen desire to know and support our learners, and a school-level inquiry into the impact of students' self-confidence upon their achievement in mathematics, we had much to go on in setting directions with students to teaching and learning in ways that might better serve both teachers and students.

Picture
Pedagogical practices present in Thinking Classrooms

Getting Started with a Thinking Classroom in MFM 1P: Observations & Reflections
In this section, you'll notice that our observations, reflections, and considerations for developmental next steps have been provided (pdf, below). Further along, a slideshow has been built in (ppt included for download) to provide further context as to how we went about conducting our lessons for the first, two days of our journey into a #thinkingclassroom. 

The lesson elements, observations, reflection and developmental next steps (i.e., for students and ourselves) are also linked to both the four domains of the pedagogical system and where these elements might also occur in a lesson using guided inquiry (stages of Before, During, After) through the 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions. 

File: Our Observations & Reflections from Days 1 & 2
journeying_into_introducing_vnps___vrg_in_gr_9_applied_math_days_1___2.pdf
File Size: 771 kb
File Type: pdf
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Slideshow: Making Space for You & Your Peers to Think Mathematically
File: Sample PPT Lesson
collaborative_problem_solving_in_mathematics_thinking_classrooms_an_introduction.pptx
File Size: 31340 kb
File Type: pptx
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Some Final Thoughts
In reflection, the experience for both teachers and students over these two days lead to considering what is possible when we work collaboratively to culture #thinkingclassroom environments that engage the four domains of the pedagogical system.

As co-teachers, we did just that: planned and taught together. We experienced an excellent 'back-and-forth:' What was invisible to one of us was made visible by the other. When we made 'moves,' we not only explained them to one another, but we modeled this for students and explained why we were making them. We openly shared our reflections and invited input from students about process and what we might consider doing differently. We were empowered by students to facilitate their learning because we had access to their ongoing and developing thinking...we were (all of us) engaged in assessment for learning.

For students, we (in a short time), engaged them in considering learning through a non-traditional manner (e.g., rich/open problems, collaborative work with #vnps, and making visible & discussing their thinking to uncovering what was important...meaningful). And most significantly, we noted how quickly their knowledge was mobilized, noticed and referenced by others using this type of classroom setting.

As per classroom discourse, this is an area of great interest and development for us.

What value do we see in/place on it?
What value do students assign to it?
Altogether, if we value it, how will we co-construct and enact principles for occasioning it?


In short, teachers and administrators recognize that for many classroom types to thrive (e.g., #thinkingclassroom, #flipclass, #blendedlearning), both teachers and students need to engage in making and discussing their thinking in a visible manner; that is, we need to respectfully occasion and remain within spaces of argumentation where we are productively reasoning and proving one another's conjectures to derive a deepened sense of mathematical understanding and ability to solve problems--supporting both the individual and the group. In these 'spaces,' we have the potential to gain traction in creating and sustaining vibrant, mathematical communities. 

And in relation to this class, our collaboration, and this school's improvement processes--where students see themselves as assessment-capable and confident learners--we are laying the groundwork for supporting students' well-being. Through these types of experiences, students can come to the understanding that 'they can' and that 'we can', too.
​

Some Questions for Your Reflection

-How have you helped/are helping students occasion thinking in mathematics such that they come to know that 'they can'?

-How have you worked/are working with school teams to create/creating an understanding that 'we can'? How are you taking action on this understanding?

-What elements of the #thinkingclassroom (or other classroom) are you and your students working on? What has been the impact upon student learning and your 'moves' as an educator?

-What are you wondering about student-centered approaches to teaching and learning? Student-centered leadership?


In closing, I hope that you have not only found this post informative but supportive towards how you can better address your face-to-face time with students, colleagues, and/or network partners, as you engage in exploring your professional and school improvement practices that can be potential 'game-changers' for student achievement, equity and well-being.

Be sure to check the blog and/or website, periodically, for updates regarding a depository of  several tools & resources to help you in your teaching and/or instructional leadership journeys. 

​

​Professionally Yours,

Chris Stewart, OCT
Learning Partner, Upper Canada District School Board
Founder & Educational Consultant, Flipping the Focus
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    I am passionate about leadership for learning and teaching and learning through inquiry. Through collaborative exploration of high-yield, pedagogical strategies, I have been able to further engage students to deepen their learning and fellow educators in continuously growing their practice--Flipped Learning, Thinking Classrooms, and culturing Student Voice as examples.  I hope that this site serves you well in your educational journey through teaching and learning by moving professional learning into your time ... your space. If you have questions or feedback, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Chris Stewart (OCT).

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