Chapter 3: Game-Time Assessment

I must help my students remember that "...meaning doesn't arrive.  It has to be constructed" (p.38).  I have "given" my students meaning so much that they have stopped thinking for themselves.   I have been guilty of doing all the work in my classroom.  How about you?   Don't you hate it when a student says, "Just give me the answer" and aren't willing to do the hard work of thinking?
Are you giving "students the bulk of the class period to work, practice, or apply what has been taught during your mini-lesson" (p. 39)?    "Instead of planning what you will do during that time, plan what you want students to do" (p. 45) is a quote that makes so much sense.  This is a great way to help us think about gradual release.

Chapter 2: Let's Get Personal

Chapter 2 speaks volumes about formative assessment.  WE are the people who "determine what kind of learner each student can be" (p. 32).  Asking students to think about themselves as learners and knowing our students' perceptions of themselves is POWERFUL.  I believe our formative assessment process with our students should begin on this personal level.  Our current "system has beaten them down, and they have given up control...of their learning" (p. 28)  After reading this chapter, has your thinking shifted about formative assessment?  Have you tried anything out of this chapter?  If you have, let us know how it's going.  I would really like you to try the challenges at the end of this chapter. 

Chapter 1: Assessment: It Doesn't Have to Be the Enemy

The term "firsthand" and "secondhand data sources"(p. 11) really helped me think of how powerful our conversations with parents and the community can be.  I must admit, I have spent a great amont of time moaning about not being trusted as a professional, yet I have never tried to do anything about it. The idea that I know my students best, but a single test on a given day ends up being the final say on my students' ability has always upset me.  However, I have complained and never even tried to find a better way to put my words and practices together to come up with a solution to help parents, community and students (stakeholders) see the importance of formative assessment.  Maybe now I can begin that journey. 
What are you thinking?