Weekly Message
Monday, December 21, 2015
Dan Watson follow-up!
Essential Component of the Classroom!
“Firm evidence shows that formative assessment is an essential component of classroom work and that its development can raise standards of achievement.”
P. Black & D. Williams (1998) inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment. Phi Delta Kappa, 80(2)
Improving by Doing!
Increase level of Rigor.
Match assessment to identified level of thinking.
Use Models of Strong and Weak Work!
Make sure students know which items match learning target.
Increase Cognitive Demand!
Use Applying Webb’s Depth of Knowledge Levels for Mathematics to increase Rigor in Math!
Hess Cognitive Rigor Matrix (Math and Science)
Applying Webb's DOK Levels in Science
requires deep knowledge using reasoning, planning, using evidence, and a higher level of thinking than the previous two levels. The cognitive demands at Level 3 are complex and abstract. The complexity does not result only from the fact that there could be multiple answers, a possibility for both Levels 1 and 2, but because the multi-step task requires more demanding reasoning. In most instances, requiring students to explain their thinking is at Level 3; requiring a very simple explanation or a word or two should be at Level 2. An activity that has more than one possible answer and requires students to justify the response they give would most likely be a Level 3. Experimental designs in Level 3 typically involve more than one dependent variable. Other Level 3 activities include drawing conclusions from observations; citing evidence and developing a logical argument for concepts; explaining phenomena in terms of concepts; and using concepts to solve non-routine problems.
requires high cognitive demand and is very complex. Students are required to make several connections—relate ideas within the content area or among content areas—and have to select or devise one approach among many alternatives on how the situation can be solved. Many on-demand assessment instruments will not include any assessment activities that could be classified as Level 4. However, standards, goals, and objectives can be stated in such a way as to expect students to perform extended thinking. “Develop generalizations of the results obtained and the strategies used and apply them to new problem situations,” is an example of a Grade 8 objective that is a Level 4. Many, but not all, performance assessments and open-ended assessment activities requiring significant thought will be at a Level 4.
Level 4 requires complex reasoning, experimental design and planning, and probably will require an extended period of time either for the science investigation required by an objective, or for carrying out the multiple steps of an assessment item. However, the extended time period is not a distinguishing factor if the required work is only repetitive and does not require applying significant conceptual understanding and higher-order thinking. For example, if a student has to take the water temperature from a river each day for a month and then construct a graph, this would be classified as a Level 2 activity. However, if the student conducts a river study that requires taking into consideration a number of variables, this would be a Level 4.
Lodge Community School
Website: http://www.edlinesites.net/pages/Lodge_Community_School
Location: 2000 Lodge Avenue, Evansville, IN, United States
Phone: (812) 477-5319