Welcome to post number five in a series devoted to formative learning (assessment). In this post I showcase some websites that can assist in providing interactive tools and resources essential in the classroom focused on student centered formative learning. Please keep in mind these are only tools and are best utilized through the important art of teaching. Do you have some formative tools to share… please let me know and I will share them in an upcoming post. Please take a moment to subscribe by email or RSS and also give me a follow on Twitter at mjgormans. I promise you will find some great information coming your way this school year…So Sign Up Now and please pass this on with a retweet! – Mike Gorman (https://21centuryedtech.wordpress.com/)
Part 5: Over 35 Formative Assessment Tools To Enhance Formative Learning Opportunities
Interactive Tools for Formative Assessment
- Formative Learning
- Digital Possibilities
- Iterative Process
- Feedback
- Motivation
- Metacognition
- Creation
- Production
The act of interacting allows for the natural processes that make up formative learning. While classrooms have been filled with analog and pre-analog interactive tools for years, the digital era opens up a whole new arena of possibilities. There are websites on the internet that allow students to make and construct amazing artifacts of knowledge. Some of these resources include digital versions of what has always been possible, while other provide a whole new idea or concept that was not possible until the advent of digital technology. Many times these tools and resources provide motivation and the process for creating, allowing students to engage in the flow of an iterative cycle. Of course, allowing students to create and produce facilitates important meta-cognition which is an important concept found in formative assessment. Take a moment to look through these tools. There is bound to be something that will work in your classroom. Providing students these resources may allow them to have voice and choice as to how they may wish to demonstrate learning. Preparing for a presentation provides a multitude of formative checkpoints. Feedback demonstrate once again that formative assessment and learning is a key factor in the support of students as learners.
ReadWriteThink – Known for a wonderful collection of lesson plans, don’t forget to check out their amazing selection of web interactive tools. You will discover Bio-Cube and Trading Cards to name a few. All provide a formative experience and are connected to lessons and standards. Best of all, they can be used in any classroom beyond just Reading and Language Arts.
ClassTools.net – Think of past analog tools built in a digital way. One example might be a Venn Diagram ready for digital creation and output. What might have George Washington’s Twitter or Facebook account looked like… imagine the followers! Perhaps you just want students to create a museum display. Let your students get formative with these amazing tools.
Graphite – The people at Common Sense Media bring a collection of vetted apps that might fit into your formative lesson plans. Search these teacher reviewed possibilities and decide how you just might use them in the classroom. Students could do the same for demonstration of learning. While you are there… check out Graphite’s Common Core Apps along with their Lesson Building App.
APPEd Review –Discover a site that provides in-depth reviews of 500 apps complete with screen shots. You will discover instructional ideas along with comprehensive rubrics. It is searchable by Operating System, Price (many are free), and Subject/Grade. Discover some amazing formative interactive tools.
The Others for Formative
Not everything fits into one category! In fact, many of the resources I have shared could bounce around to other categories. I have this last set you might be interested in. They could be used in a multitude of ways and so I include them in this category. It really is up to you to see just how you can use these to make formative happen in the classroom.
Scrumy – It really is hard to find another tool like this! It is a project management module for individuals and/or groups. Scrumy allows all members including the teacher to see progress. It provides those important meta-cognitive moments for self-reflection on progress. Great for a PBL environment!
Plickers – This tool is all about formative feedback with one computer or phone. Ask a question and students hold up paper with codes… suggesting their answer. Scan the group and get a temperature read on both the entire group and individuals. Data can be saved to help inform future instruction.
GoFormative – Part feedback, part game, part group brainstorming. Students can give feedback on their individual devices…which can then be shared. One of the best features includes the ability to write or draw the feedback. This is a great formative tool to check understanding and decide the next instructional learning move.
Prism – An outside the box application that measures the crowd in reference to a particular reading, Students are provided a text on their device and then highlight attributes in color to represent thoughts and understanding. The teacher and students are able to view the entire groups’ thinking process in relationship to the reading.
Booking Info – It is time to think about your school or conference needs. Are you looking for a practical and affordable professional development workshop for your school or conference? I have traveled the country delivering PD relating to technology integration, PBL, STEM, Digital Literacy, and the 4 C’s. I have delivered hundreds of workshops and presentations. Check out my Booking Page. Please contact me soon if you have an interest. I am am booked through October and have a few November dates. The 2016 calendar is beginning to fill including the summer months, so please get with me as soon as possible to ensure a date.
cross-posted at 21centuryedtech.wordpress.com
Michael Gorman oversees one-to-one laptop programs and digital professional development for Southwest Allen County Schools near Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is a consultant for Discovery Education, ISTE, My Big Campus, and November Learning and is on the National Faculty for The Buck Institute for Education. His awards include district Teacher of the Year, Indiana STEM Educator of the Year and Microsoft’s 365 Global Education Hero. Read more at 21centuryedtech.wordpress.com.
