Formative Assessment Strategies for EdTPA Capstone Projects
Formative assessments are designed to measure student progress during the lesson. They give real-time feedback that allows you to adjust instruction and support student learning. For EdTPA Capstone Projects, formative assessments must be well-integrated into the lesson plan to ensure that you can make adjustments as needed.
3.1 Questioning Techniques
Questioning is one of the most powerful formative assessment strategies. Use a variety of questioning techniques to gauge student understanding and prompt deeper thinking:
- Open-ended questions: Encourage students to explain their reasoning, providing insight into their understanding.
- Think-pair-share: Ask a question, have students think individually, then share their responses with a partner before discussing with the class.
- Wait time: Allow students time to think before answering, which can improve the quality of responses.
3.2 Student Reflection
Encourage students to engage in self-reflection during the lesson. You might ask them to:
- Write a brief reflection on what they have learned.
- Identify areas of confusion and share them with you.
This helps you monitor student understanding and determine whether further explanation is needed.
3.3 Interactive Activities
Use interactive activities that allow you to monitor student engagement and comprehension. Examples include:
- Think-alouds: Ask students to verbalize their thought process while solving a problem, allowing you to assess their critical thinking.
- Group work: Observe how well students collaborate and apply the concepts in a group setting, providing insights into their understanding.
3.4 Quizzes or Polls
Short, informal quizzes or polls (e.g., using tools like Kahoot! or Google Forms) can quickly assess student understanding. These assessments provide instant feedback for both you and the students, showing which concepts need to be revisited.
