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    Think time

    Formative assessment empowers teachers to try new practices

    By Teresa Egan, Beth Cobb and Marion Anastasia
    August 2009
    All of the students waited patiently while a classmate focused on the problem he was trying to solve on the board. He attempted one solution and realized it didn’t work, then haltingly tried another. His classmates watched intently, apparently all thinking through their own solutions. Many of them referred to their writings on individual whiteboards in front of them. No one snickered. No one sighed impatiently. Eventually, the teacher offered the student the option to request help from a classmate. The classmate respectfully suggested he adjust his strategy slightly, and in doing so, both worked together to find a solution. The teacher then asked other students to offer alternate solutions, with several appropriate ideas proposed and accepted by the class. ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING IN THE

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    Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

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    References

    Black, P. & Wiliam, D. (1998a). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education, 5(1), 7-74.

    Black, P. & Wiliam, D. (1998b, October). Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 80(2), 139–144.

    Ciofalo, J.F. & Wylie, E.C. (2006, January 10). Using diagnostic classroom assessment: One question at a time. Teachers College Record. Available at www.tcrecord.org/ content.asp?contentid=12285.

    Coburn, C. (2003). Rethinking scale: Moving beyond numbers to deep and lasting change. Educational Researcher, 32(6), 3-12.

    Educational Testing Service. (2007). Keeping Learning on Track: TLC leader kits. Princeton, NJ: Author.

    Leahy, S., Lyon, C., Thompson, M., & Wiliam, D. (2005, November). Classroom assessment: Minute by minute, day by day. Educational Leadership, 63(3), 18-24.


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