As 2022 ends I’m starting to think about next year. I’m now in the middle of a school break and reflecting on the progress that was made this past year. I’ve had some time to think about the last few weeks of school and what will come in January.
Before break my fifth grade students finished a unit on decimal multiplication and division. During the first three assessments I kept on finding that students made simple mistakes or didn’t completely answer questions before turning in the test. I feel like part of that is due to the increased staminia needed as we traversed from remote to hybird and eventually to in-person learning. The simple mistakes or incomplete work pieces were overlooked and impacted their marks – especially related to written mathematical responses.
To address this I decided to created a test checklist. The checklist included a line and a task. For example, __ I made an estimate before using an algorithm. The sheet was about 4″ x 4″ and printed out on colorful paper. All students filled out the sheet and checked-off each line before stapling it to the front of the test. I’d say most followed-through on checking and it reminded students to check their work in the process.
After the assessment I had students self-reflect on their performance. Students completed a Desmos task and here is the deck.
Students then checked-off correct vs incorrect answers. Students saw a list of concepts that might need bolstering and strength areas based on thier initial responses.
Students spent a good deal of time on this particular slide. They had to made a judgement call regarding where they were compared to the standard. Some students felt like they should’ve been placed in a different category because of a simple mistake. The next slide added an opportunity for students to provide context for their analysis or ask questions.
For the most part students found the process useful. I’m looking forward to using a similar self-reflection process for the next unit assessment.
Educational Aspirations 