The WHAT and WHY of Continuous Assessment

WHAT IS CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

Continuous assessment is relational. It promotes a developing relationship between the educator and learner and the learner and learners. It puts the learner at the center, where assessment and learning are co-constructed with the educator. Understanding that learning and assessment is a shared responsibility that focuses on trust and honors the learner and their journey.

Tania Lattanzio and Andrea Muller (2023)

Continuous assessment is an ongoing process of evaluating and providing feedback on learners' conceptual understanding throughout a learning period. It takes the emphasis off relying on a final assessment. It involves the learner as a part of the learning process, where they, together with the educator, are continuously considering their current conceptual understanding and how to further develop this. “It’s an assessment designed squarely to feed into the learning process and make the learning stronger.” David Perkins, 2009.

It involves using a variety of assessment methods to gauge learners' conceptual understanding at different stages of their learning journey. This approach emphasizes regular reflection and feedback, allowing both learners and educators to monitor progress, identify areas of strength and make adjustments to the learning as needed. Continuous assessment aims to promote deeper learning, improve learner engagement, and support individualized learning pathways. This process can help learners to stay focused and motivated as they continue to learn. 

We view continuous assessment as interwoven throughout the learning process which means the teaching is an integral part of this assessment approach. It is key to establishing learners' current and changing thinking of understanding. By regularly monitoring learner’s thinking and understanding, educators and learners can adjust their approaches and provide targeted support and scaffolding to ensure learners have a deeper and more complete understanding of the concepts. 

Building Conceptual Learning and Understanding

In developing continuous assessment we advocate for a Rubric for Understanding. This rubric (see below) builds on conceptual learning throughout the learning process, with each level requiring a deeper level of conceptual understanding. The rubric is co-constructed with learners as they consider what command terms or evidence would be applicable at each level. 

As Hattie and Donoghue (2016) state “Students who can articulate or are taught .. success criteria are more likely to be strategic in their choice of learning strategies, more likely to enjoy the thrill of success in learning, and more likely to reinvest in attaining even more success criteria.”

Learners, together with educators consider what evidence demonstrates their current level of understanding and what steps will assist them in further developing their understanding. 

WHY CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

Continuous assessment is valuable to both educators and learners as it:

PROVIDES TIMELY FEEDBACK

Timely and ongoing feedback can assist learners to identify areas where they need to clarify concepts by making adjustments to their learning strategies.

IDENTIFY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

Educators and learners use continuous assessment to identify current understanding and what is required to further challenge learners in their conceptual thinking.

IMPROVE TEACHING

Educators and learners can use evidence to reflect and plan for how they might revisit the concepts to assist learners in deepening their understanding of the learning outcomes.

PROVIDE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

By providing frequent and varied opportunities for learners to demonstrate their understanding of concepts, continuous assessment increases engagement and motivation. The learner is involved.

SUPPORT EVALUATION

Continuous assessment provides evidence of learning that both the learner and educator evaluate in order to consider where the learner is in the learning journey.

"For students truly to be able to take responsibility for their learning, both teacher and students need to be very clear about what is being learnt, and how they should go about it. When learning and the path towards it are clear, research shows that there are a number of important shifts for students. Their motivation improves, they stay on-task, their behaviour improves and they are able to take more responsibility for their learning” Absolum, M. (2006). 

References:

Absolum, M. (2006). Clarity in the classroom : using formative assessment-building learning-focused relationships. Auckland, N.Z.: Hodder Education, pp.28–46.

Hattie, J.A.C. and Donoghue, G.M. (2016). Learning strategies: a synthesis and conceptual model. npj Science of Learning, 1(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/npjscilearn.2016.13.

Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81–112.

Perkins, D. (2009). Making Learning Whole: How Seven Principles of Teaching Can Transform Education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Concept Based Inquiry with Kath Murdoch and Tania Lattanzio - VIDEO

Genres: Instructional

Duration: 1 hour 13 minutes

Sessions: 1

Availability: Worldwide

In this clip, well known inquiry learning consultants and authors, Kath Murdoch and Tania Lattanzio will take you through what it means to plan for concept-based inquiry. They tackle the most commonly asked questions that arise in their work with teachers and give practical examples.

Webinar Hosted by Kath Murdoch and Tania Lattanzio

Universal Design for Learning and Differentiation - VIDEO

Genres: Instructional

Duration: 48 minutes

Session: 2

Availability: Worldwide

Join renowned global educational consultants and authors Tania Lattanzio and Dr. Jennifer Chang Wathall as they look at the connections between Universal Design for Learning and Differentiation. In this webinar they examine each as well as provide practical strategies and examples of how they can be embedded into the learning.

We recommend that these videos are watched by teams and time is taken to pause and reflect as the video is in progress. With this video there is a padlet link. Here we ask you to record your ideas, thoughts and responses and take time to read what others have posted. During this time we suggest teams reflect on the learning and make connections to their own educational setting.

Guiding Questions: Session One
Why is UDL & differentiated learning important? 
What is UDL and differentiated learning? 

Guiding Questions: Session Two
How are differentiated learning and UDL connected? 
How do we challenge all learners and provide learners with more control and choice in their learning, what strategies can we use? 

Webinar Hosted by Dr. Jennifer Chang Wathall and Tania Lattanzio

5 Engagements for Conceptual Learning

5 Engagements for Conceptual Learning

 As we say, when we work with teachers the concepts being focussed on are the language of the learning community. Engagements are developed to continually build on learner’s understanding of the concept and to enable them to reflect on new learning, for them to make sense of their learning.

Below are some ideas for engagements to focus on the conceptual nature of a unit.

1.     Concept Walk:

This engagement is a nice way to start the unit, to begin with it would be suggested you introduce learners to the concepts so they have an initial understanding of it. Learners go on a concept walk inside/outside (where possible) and take images of where they think they see that concept e.g. (identity: images could include; photographs, passports, artefacts, clothes, jewellery) (structure: images could include; table, chairs, cabinets, buildings, trees, roads) (pattern: images could include; tiles, materials, leaves, flowers, insects, artefacts). These images are shared face to face or online individually and/or in small groups and then learners decide how they want to present their images together with their understanding of how these images are connected to the concept. This encourages learners to think about the concept more broadly and develop their own generalizations about it. As the unit progresses and learners build their understanding they can go on another concept walk to add to their initial ideas.

2.     Concept Chart/Page:

The concepts focussed on are on an online platform or a page in student’s book/journal (individual understanding), or a chart in the classroom for all to access (collective understanding).

As the unit progresses, learners display their understanding of the concept. This can be done by adding pictures, symbols, words or statements to either the class page or their individual page. This can be done throughout the unit or at specific times.

Throughout the unit learners revisit this page to develop their generalizations of the concept. Educators use this information to check in on learners current understanding of the concept.

3.     Concept Map

Students make connections between the concepts through a concept map. They do this throughout the unit to show their ongoing understanding of the concepts and their connection.

4.     Concept Collaboration Chart

Learners are placed in groups and the chart is used throughout the unit. Each time the learners revisit the chart they add to their understanding in a different color and/or date it.

 Example: Concept of Identity

5.     Concept Board

Students form groups of four. They write the concept as a heading in the middle. Each student takes one quarter of the page and silently writes or sketches their ideas about the concept. Once they have done this, each individual shares their ideas, and those on which the whole group agrees are placed in the middle under the heading of the concept word. This engagement gives students the chance to share ideas and reflect on their understanding of the concept with their peers. Students can continue to get into their groups to add their ideas.

We hope you find these conceptual engagements useful.

Please note that shortly we will be providing a booklet of Conceptual Experiences for purchase on our website.

 © Innovative Global Education 2020

Relationships and Community: The key to establishing a climate of learning

Recently, I had the pleasure of working with EtonHouse Nanjing, looking at how they could begin their school year so that students feel a part of the community and to foster strong relationships. Below are some of the ideas we collaborated on.

As we begin the school year, either face to face with students, in distance learning, or in blended learning, we need to consider what is important for learning. Our goal to set up a community of learners for success should be to create a community of trust, collaboration and respect. How can we do this?

One of the most important factors is to develop relationships with students.

“A Review of Educational Research analysis of 46 studies found that strong teacher-student relationships were associated in both the short- and long-term with improvements on practically every measure schools care about: higher student academic engagement, attendance, grades, fewer disruptive behaviors and suspensions, and lower school dropout rates” (Sparks, 2019)

How can we develop relationships?

It is important that we take to get to know our students and show that we value them and all they bring to the learning community.

Find out what students are interested in:

Ask students what their interests are and what they like to do outside of school. The important thing is not only finding this out but ensuring that you incorporate these interests into the learning environment.

Ways to incorporate interests:

Provide access to books/videos and/or articles connected to their interests

Find time for learning to connect to interests

Communicate to them about their interests

Have them share their interest with others and teach others about their interest

Show interest in their interests so connections are not only focussed on what is taking place at school.

Survey Students:

The following are suggested questions you might like to ask in order to get to know your students.

Possible Questions

How do you think you will contribute to the class?

What sort of learning are you hoping to achieve this year?

How can I as your teacher help you?

What do you feel about school?

What do you like/don’t like about school?

What are your strengths when it comes to…?

What are you hoping to achieve this year?

Consider the questions you might ask as a way to get to know your students.

Identity Charts/Kits:

Provide time for students to consider ‘who they are’ and what their identity is. This can be done through them creating identity charts/posters/blogs and/or putting together an identity kit using artefacts as a way to share their identity. This can be built on throughout the year.

Development of Community

“By empowering students to exercise a degree of autonomous decision making, student choice makes students active participants in their educations, thereby increasing levels of engagement. Notably, researchers highlight the fact that such autonomy is generally associated with greater personal well‐being and satisfaction in educational environments, as well as in terms of academic performance.” (Hanover Research 2014)

The other area we discussed was making students feel that are a part of the development of the community. That they get a say in what and how that community functions.

Some ways to make students feel that they are contributing the community is to give them the opportunity to set up the environment.

Setting up the Environment (if at school face to face):

Have students involved in the organization of learning spaces that include:

Placement of furniture

Choice of furniture

Resources/Materials (where/what/how)

Allow students to bring in things that are special to them/or matter to them into the environment.

Co construct the space.

Decision Making

When do students get to make decisions in their learning? How can we promote this?

It is important that students see themselves as partners in the learning, that they get a choice and say in decisions at school.

Policy Development

Where do students have input in policy?

Have students involved in policy making in the school and/or review policies with them.

We develop policies for students but rarely have them involved in any decision making around them. Students can research the area connected to the policy to better understand it and be informed enough to make decisions.

Norms and Agreements

Have students create the norms/agreements for the class/year level in terms of expectations. Providing for them an idea of what they see important in terms of expectations.

In an effective learning community people share, grow, collaborate and learn together.

The important thing is to focus on what makes an effective learning community NOT what doesn’t and that students are the ones that are making those decisions. These can be adapted and changed throughout the year as students learn more about being a part of a community.

We want to change the idea of classroom management to classroom community.

Other Ideas for Decision Making

Introduce the topics to be covered for the term and ask students what order they would like to learn them in.

Have students create their own timetable.

Have students create collaborative agreements if working in groups.

Provide space in learning for students to follow their own interests.

Give them choice within their learning.

Systems and Processes

Have students consider the systems and processes that might be required for a community of learners to function effectively.

Questions to consider:

What can we put into place if we finish early?

How can we most effectively transition from place to place?

What routines do we think we need to establish? Why? How?

What can we do if we do not know something?

What resources do we need access to? Where can those be put?

The systems and processes can be changed and developed as the year progresses.

References:

Sparks, 2019 ‘Why Teacher-Student Relationships Matter: New findings shed light on best approaches’ Education Week (Edweek.org)

Hanover Research, 2014 ‘Impact of Student Choice and Personalized Learning’

Tania Lattanzio

Director

Innovative Global Education

Copyright: Innovative Global Education

Planning for inquiry, concepts and choice in an online environment

Planning for inquiry, concepts and choice in an online environment.

Since the start of the 2019-2020 school year, we have been collaborating to review, revise, and rewrite units of inquiry at Dresden International School. Throughout this process, our aim has been to ensure that within all units, inquiry concepts and agency are embedded. Using the model for developing conceptual units from ‘Taking the Complexity Out of Concepts’ we developed the units of inquiry.

Like many of you, we recently shifted to online learning, so the Grade 4 team was forced to rethink their upcoming unit, how we express ourselves. This collaborative blog post is the first in a series; this piece explains the process of unit planning. Future pieces will highlight student learning and engagement.

In their first few days of teaching and learning online, the team noticed that they needed to provide students with more in-depth opportunities for learning and inquiry. They were successful in planning online collaborative projects for students which allowed for in-depth inquiry and for the students to stay connected with their peers. A focus for the school’s mission is to be a collaborative, diverse learning community, so keeping collaboration at the heart of what they do is important. This unit allows for teachers to work in smaller collaborative groups to provide authentic and engaging learning opportunities for students to be self-directed and responsible for their own learning.

Whilst this is an IBPYP transdisciplinary theme and Dresden International School is an IB World School, we believe the ideas could be taken and focussed on using the IGE (Innovative Global Education) framework for planning. Below we have outlined possibilities for a unit like this that some of you may find useful. 

The first thing to consider is the quality of the unit, below is the criteria we used when developing the unit. 

Central Idea

People use techniques to create and produce artistic expression.

Lines of Inquiry (for those that use essential questions and/or conceptual questions, these can be made into questions)

The different techniques artists use as a form of expression

How people respond to artistic expression

Creating and producing using artistic expression 

Concepts:

Artistic Expression

Response

Inquiry as Provocation

We want learners to be curious about possibilities, to see where their interests might be and to ensure an element of choice. Therefore, it is important to introduce them to possibilities and get them curious as a part of the unit. 

Given the nature of the concepts this is a unit that can easily involve most subject areas. Therefore, the team decided that single subject and homeroom teachers will run mini lessons as provocations.

We encourage teachers to explore their interests to spark student curiosity and creativity. 

Examples could be:

• PE teacher: Ballet and Hip Hop

• Music Teacher: Singing and Creating music using technology

• Drama Teacher: Mime and Monologue

• Art Teacher: Painting and Sculpture

• Homeroom teachers: Poetry and Short Expressive Writing

The reading and writing unit of study is poetry, so all students will engage with reading and writing poetry, and a group of students could take their focus even deeper in a small group.

In working with students online, teachers will create mini lessons around each of these ideas to share with the class and will focus on these key questions:

How is this artistic expression?

What is your response to this?

Inquiry as Critical Wondering

After a week of engaging in various mini-lessons, based on their response, the learners will choose which area they want to focus on. Students will then be organized into groups with teachers taking a group each. Instead of having an art, music, drama, PE lesson per week teachers work with their interest groups. 

We would suggest that as the unit is progressing teachers have a place for learners to post ongoing questions/wonderings that they may have about the unit. This will enable teachers to ensure the investigation part of the unit is being co-constructed with students, that students are contributing to the planning of the unit and the learning is connected to their needs. Tools like Padlet, Google Classroom, or FlipGrid could be used to facilitate this kind of student reflection.

Inquiry as Investigation

Once the groups are organized teachers will curate resources to assist learners with their new learning, while focussing on the skills required for artistic expression.

Where possible teachers might also reach out into the community to see if there are other experts in the chosen areas that learners could connect to. This could include a question and answer time or a mini learning experience. This provides an opportunity to extend beyond the teacher and for learners to connect to others in the community. Given the range of online learning experiences that are being provided around the world, there is great possibility with this.

As they are introduced to different ideas around their artistic expression e.g. through videos, podcasts, virtual museums, images, quotes, conferencing with teachers, learners focus on the concepts of artistic expression and response.

Artistic Expression (other questions can be used)

How was artistic expression shown? How do you know?

What elements of artistic expression were used? How do you know?

Response (other questions can be used)

What is your response to the artistic expression? 

How did it make you feel? 

What did you like/not like about it? Why? 

You may even choose to use a graphic organizer such as the one below “Concept Collaboration Chart” that students can collaborate on as they continually unpack their understanding of the concepts. 

Poetry

As learners are learning the skills and artistic elements of their chosen interest, they are also involved in looking at poetry. Teachers will choose different poems providing mini lessons on different poems, and give learners choice over the poems they may like to look at. 

Learners respond to and write poems as a part of the unit.

Learners choose a poem and using their artistic choice or another artistic choice, they respond to the poem through that art form. This can be done in an ongoing basis and shared with others.

Inquiry as Representation

Learners will share their artistic response to the poems. This is done in small groups where teachers regroup learners so that they get to see other artistic forms. As they share their artistic response to the poems they have chosen again they focus on the questions connected to the concepts. 

Additional reflections could include:

How do you feel this artistic response was connected to the selected poem? 
Learners as a part of the unit decide what their final piece will be and work on this. 

This is shared with others in the Artistic Museum. Each student uploads their final piece e.g. video, written piece, photograph into the Artistic Museum. Included in their upload is an explanation of how they used artistic expression.

Learners then choose 2 pieces to respond to using the questions above or other questions. 

Inquiry as Transformation

As the unit is taking place learners will keep a journal of their learning process and a focus on skills.  They will be asked to document how they learnt, how their learning has impacted them and transformed them.

Examples could include

What I found easy and why?

What I found difficult and why? 

What the biggest learning for me this week was?

How this has changed the way I think?

What I found most valuable?

Inquiry as Reflection

Reflection is built into the entire learning process, through reflecting on their learning and reflecting on their understanding of the concepts. 

The ideas presented in this unit can be used for many units, in particular units that are interdisciplinary in nature. Obviously with anything there are additional ideas that people can add to this or adapt what is here to suit their own needs. There is always room for improvement. We would love to hear your thoughts and ideas about how we can improve this unit of learning for students.

Article by:

Tania Lattanzio is Director of Innovative Global Education

Beth Queeney-Dressler is Primary Principal/Deputy Director of Dresden International School, Dresden, Germany

In collaboration with:

Anne Renes & Susanna Edmonds are the Grade 4 Homeroom Teachers

Nilo Neubert is the G4 EAL teacher

Sara Larrington is the G4 Learning Support Teacher

Brandon DiTieri is the Music Specialist

Sebastian Lindler is the Performing Arts Specialist

Mandy Henning and Rene Fest are the PE Teachers

Maria Tran is the Assistant Principal/PYP Coordinator

Key Points for Teacher Reflection

Flexibility and Adaptability: the ability to adapt as needed, to not follow a rigid plan and realize that lessons often do not go the way you intended. Being a flexible teacher means that you are more likely to meet the needs of your students as you adjust the learning in response to student needs rather than ‘covering’ a checklist of predesigned activities.

Tip: Let the planning be organic, flexible and develop in response to student needs within a planned overview. The less planning there is at the beginning (recording possible ideas is fine) the more likely the possibilities for adapting the learning.

Co-constructing meaning: co-construct meaning with your students. Provide opportunities for students to be involved in their own learning and make decisions about it. Whether through enabling them to follow their interests or ensuring they are continually building their own knowledge and understanding, student voice is critical to meaningful learning.

Tip: Teachers who co-construct with their students involve student’s ideas, thoughts and questions in their own planning.

Challenging: continually challenge students regardless of where they are in their learning. By knowing what a student knows, understands and can do at the beginning of the learning is key is to ensure learning provides challenges and direction for moving forward. It is not just about giving students more work, it is about giving them different challenges that will move them on in their understanding and knowledge.

Tip: Developing ways to gather students’ prior knowledge and understanding is essential if you are going to challenge students. This information is then used to differentiate so all students are extended.

Connect with Purpose: ensure that the learning students are involved in, where possible, is connected to their real world, is authentic and they see the relevance of what they are learning. Opportunities need to be provided for students to see those connections so the learning is purposeful.

Tip: It is not about selecting fun activities; it is about deciding what it is you want students to learn and planning the most effective way for them to achieve this. All learning engagements need to be purposeful and meaningful and give students the ‘why’ to their learning.

Real People, Places, Objects: use resources that are real where possible as a way for students to make connections to what they are learning; real people, real experiences, real objects. If students understand that their learning is connected to the real world, it provides the purpose and enables them to see that their learning has meaning.  

Tip: Use primary resources wherever possible so that students can make connections and apply their learning to the world in which they live.

Concepts: use concepts, broader ideas, as a way to connect knowledge and skills. Using broader ideas that have meaning and purpose that can be connected to the real world give students the opportunity to build their understanding of a broader and more complex idea. Concepts also provide a connection within and between learning, providing opportunities for students to develop deeper learning and understanding.

Tip: Using concepts provides opportunities for students to make connections between their classroom, across the curriculum and beyond in order to develop a deeper and ensuring understanding.

Facilitate: when organizing a learning engagement an effective teacher thinks, ‘Do I have to give students this information/understanding, or is there a way I can set up learning engagements so that they will give me the information/understanding.’  If students discover things for themselves they are far more likely to retain it. Teachers should carefully select appropriate learning engagements that encourage students thinking and allow them scope to draw their own conclusions and ideas.

Tip: Misconceptions may come out of this, which is exciting! An effective teacher will then look at the misconceptions and plan the next learning engagements as a way to address these.

Environment: develop an environment of trust, collaboration and innovation. It is in this environment where students will feel safe and emotionally ready to learn. In a culture of innovation, students understand that mistakes provide opportunity for new learning and further innovation. Students understand that together with their peers they are part of the teaching process and know that it is not about who is best, but rather how can we best support each other to further our knowledge and understanding.

Tip: Give students the opportunity to create the environment they want to be a part of and ensure that there are resources at their disposal that promote independence, thinking and curiosity. The environment is a shared environment and where appropriate, students should have a say in the way it is set up.

Feedback: provide specific feedback for improvement. Whether written or oral each time a teacher gives feedback it needs to come with meaning and purpose. Saying ‘good’ provides minimal constructive feedback. Feedback needs to be used as a way to assist students in deciding what their next steps in their leaning are. It assists students in understanding there is room for improvement.

Tip: to give specific feedback a teacher has to know exactly what it is they are looking for and the purpose of the learning. Having clear criteria as a teacher ensures that you can give clear specific feedback.

Problem Solving: not only provides opportunities for students to problem solve, but also opportunities for students to problem pose.  Students who develop their own problems will be far more engaged in their learning as they are invested in finding a solution. Teachers need to develop more opportunities for students to solve their own problems, regardless whether it is a social problem or educational problem.

Tip: Too often teachers jump in too quickly without giving students a chance to grapple with their problems and come up with possible solutions. We want students to be resilient and to not give up so we need to give them time to reach their own solutions.

Think and Reflect: get students to think, whether it is about their own learning, reflecting on how they are doing or solving a problem. Thinking is key to learning. It is essential to plan for reflection time otherwise it is often omitted or becomes an afterthought!

Tip: Use questioning as a way to get students to think. When students answer or suggest something, ask them a question that will make them think deeper about their learning. What makes you say that?  How do you know? Can you elaborate on that? Good questioning is key to being a better teacher if you want to promote thinking and deeper learning. 

© Innovative Global Education, 2019

Co-Constructing Planning - Who Do We Plan For?

 Planning for Conceptual Learning:

The planning process, should be dynamic, flexible, ongoing and encourage reflection. Schools and teachers should view planning as being responsive to student learning and interests. The planning process continues throughout the life of the unit and is developed according to the experiences and wonderings that occur during the learning process. There must be space for students to engage in meaningful conceptual inquiry and teachers need to create that space. Without space for student inquiry, wonderings and curiosity it would need to be questioned if the presence of authentic student inquiry existed within the unit. 

We advocate that effective conceptual planning is based on the following principles and understandings:      

1. Conceptual planning is a dynamic process that requires teachers to be reflective and flexible

Teachers begin the planning process prior to the start of the unit, however, it is important to note that the planner is not completed until the end of the unit. Teachers are encouraged to regularly collaborate, reflect and develop the planner in light of the experiences with and understanding of their students. Planning is not a list of activities to tick off, but a process that is ongoing, responsive and organic. We co-construct the learning with students as they begin to make sense of the unit, we include their wonderings, responses, interests, ideas and questions into our planning. Flexibility is key.

2. Conceptual planning requires clarity of the knowledge and skills that will support the Understanding Goals (conceptual learning): What you want them to know, do and understand?

Teachers begin the unit mindful of the skills (e.g. Approaches to Learning), knowledge (generally derived from the scope and sequence documents or mandated curriculum) that support conceptual understandings. These are documented at the beginning of the unit; however as the unit progresses it will be clear that additional knowledge, skills and understanding will emerge from student’s interests, wonderings and own inquiries.

3. Conceptual planning requires annotation of learning and assessment that provides evidence of conceptual understanding. 

Teachers consider what evidence of understanding will look like through the Levels of Understanding (see Taking the Complexity Out of Concepts p.48) Effective formative assessment ensures that the teacher is informed throughout the unit of the level of understanding of the students and co-construct the next steps in the planning for learning. Teachers differentiate the learning engagements as required based on student’s current understanding level. Through ongoing formative assessments teachers and students are able to guide the learning to ensure a level of success in the unit and clarify misconceptions. Formative assessments can vary and do not always need to be a formal checkpoint. Questioning, conversations, observations, student reflections and learning engagements provide teachers and students with a picture of a student's current level of understanding. Teachers and students scaffold, plan and refine learning engagements around these levels to ensure that all students are developing their understanding of the Understanding Goals.       

4. Conceptual planning involves the design of a variety of learning engagements and resources that promote conceptual understanding 

Teachers plan to use a range of strategies and resources to engage students throughout a unit of work, that also addresses the differentiated needs of the students. The learning engagements and resources should engage and motivate students, enabling them to co-construct learning in meaningful ways. Through utilizing a variety of learning engagements teachers are able to better cater to the learning needs and styles of students. Resources should be varied, local as well as global, and where appropriate, include technology as a tool for learning. Resources should also include, as often as possible, real people, real experiences and real objects to ensure a connection to the real world. 

5. Conceptual planning is built from the ‘Inquiry as Provocation’ and ‘Inquiry as Connection’ phases. These take place throughout the unit.

The significance of these two phases in the inquiry process is key to developing and fostering student curiosity around the conceptual focus of the unit. We encourage teachers to plan diverse and engaging ways to connect their students with the concepts driving the unit. Without this connection, the students will be searching for the point of inquiry and may find it difficult to make a personal connection to the unit. Through making a personal connection the students are able to further understand the concepts driving the unit as well see connections to their own lives. Once students understand the concept at a personal level it is transferable to the contexts within the unit of learning.

The provocations provide students with a sense of wonderment, curiosity and a connection to the unit of learning. For students to inquire we need to set the scene for what might they WANT to inquire into; for what may be of interest. This promotes the opportunity for learning to be personalised for the student by pursuing their own interests and questions. Often this becomes a shared inquiry - a collaboration of ideas. It is important to note that not all students will be ready for their own wonderings at the same time. That is why questioning and wonderment needs to be a focus and revisited throughout the unit, not just at the provocation stage.

6. Conceptual planning involves students in co-designing learning through their active involvement in the conceptual inquiry process. 

When planning units, being attentive to the voice of students is crucial. Without student voice, which includes students co-designing the unit, the process remains teacher led and directed. Student inquiry demands that students have a role in identifying their inquiries, and, each of the phases of inquiry require teachers and students to take an active role. In our work we encourage teachers to see and acknowledge the capabilities of students which can at times be underestimated. Children are capable of directing their learning and for teachers to appreciate that listening to students engaged in the inquiry process is the starting point for negotiating the learning. This requires that teachers trust their students and have the openness to ensure that planners are developed to reflect student interest and that they remain flexible adaptive documents that become a true reflection of the teaching and learning. 

7. Conceptual planning involves planning and learning around the Understanding Goals.  

Planning is authentically documented to reflect the conceptual focus for the teaching and learning. Teachers and students should plan experiences that promote and support the unpacking of concepts within the Understanding Goals. This ensures that planning and learning will focus on depth rather than breadth and keep the conceptual focus of the unit at the forefront. Elements of the planning are mapped to guide the inquiry but it is also a document that reflects how students respond throughout the process which means it cannot all be planned in advance. It tells the story of the inquiry and respects that the process can look and sound different from classroom to classroom. It is an accurate record of what actually took place in the teaching and learning. This is built through the ongoing reflection by teachers and students.  

8. Conceptual planning should be collaborative so that teachers can share and respond to the inquiry process that unfolds in their classrooms in their planning.

 Collaborative planning is essential to authentic conceptual inquiry. Regular planning meetings with the team responsible for teaching the unit, will ensure that the teaching and learning are responsive and capitalize on the student’s wonderings that emerge throughout the unit. It also enables teachers to share what is working and what is not. We have seen powerful learning, both for the teachers and the students, involving, in primary schools, classroom teachers and single subject teachers planning and teaching together. Similarly, subject teachers can work collaboratively to develop units. No two classrooms would look the same! 

Copyright: Innovative Global Education 

‘I’m So Excited I Could Burst’

'I’m So Excited I Could Burst’

How do we cultivate curiosity, interest and wonderment? If we want students to genuinely inquire it is important that we give them the context for that to occur, a situation where curiosity, wonderment and excitement become a natural part of the learning process.

When working with a Grade One class that was exploring a unit on changing materials, to get the students thinking about the concepts driving the unit we decided to do the ice balloon activity from the Exploratorium site. http://www.exploratorium.edu/afterschool/activities/docs/iceballoons.pdf

The difference between the way it is laid out in the explanation on the site and the way we do it with younger students was that we set no boundaries or expectations. The only instruction provided to the students was ‘you have to cut the balloon away from the ice.’ The rest was up to them in terms of what materials they used and when they used them. All materials were made available to them. It was an opportunity for open inquiry and free exploration (with guidance as they were limited by the materials placed on the table.)

Timing is So Important!

We decided to prepare the activity before break time with the hope of building curiosity and enthusiasm, to get students excited about what was to come. It was wonderful to see the excitement on student’s faces about the possibility of what was to come and the students started asking question. ‘What do you think we are going to do?’ ‘Wow that is so interesting; what is it?’ ‘Look at what they are putting on the table, what are we going to be doing?’ They left to go to break with the wonderment of what was to come, with a level of curiosity about the possible learning they would be involved in. We are often told by teachers that their students do not ask questions. Our answers are usually how are you provoking them, what are you putting in their way to make them curious to make them wonder, to naturally ask questions. If students are interested have made connections, questions will naturally flow.

When they came back to the class everything else was set up and they were looking at the tubs with the ice balloons and the resources. ‘I’m so excited I could burst,’ one student shouted. The anticipation, the excitement and the sheer joy of what is to come was so clearly evident in their body language and noises of excitement. 

As stated the students were given the instruction to cut the balloon off and told they could use any of materials on the table whenever, however they wanted. ‘We can do anything?’ We love those moments when students realize they are in charge of their learning, they decide what to use, when and how to use it without a step by step instruction. Some students took the inquiry further heading to the soap dispenser to see if soap would have an impact on their ice balloon. Creating their own theories and questions and self-directing their investigations. As this is when you get students exploring when there are not huge limitations placed on them, when the teacher is not out the front saying do this, now do this, when they can touch, explore and experiment and when the inquiry is open enough that they are directing their own learning. 

Role of the Teacher

The role of the teacher in this process is to actively listen.  It is not to direct, or to suggest, however instead to illicit understanding and listen to students to see what questions they are asking and what they understand or the misconceptions they have. It was wonderful to hear teachers ask questions such as; ‘what makes you say that?’, ‘how do you know?’ ‘what happened? Why?’ these questions do not lead students to an answer an instead provide opportunities for teacher to truly understand what student misconceptions are and what they understand.

As for the students their questions and theories were ongoing. ’what will happen if we add this?’ ‘wow add more let’s see what it does?’, ‘look look, look at what it is doing’, ‘why is it doing that?’ as the experimentation continued it was clear that students had misconceptions however as the lesson was so open it was also clear that many had already grasped some of the outcomes they were expected to cover in the unit.

Inquiry is children discovering for themselves, it’s about teachers providing the opportunities for children to figure it out themselves. It’s authentic and it is active.

How do you plan and build for curiosity? 

Copyright: Innovative Global Education