What do you really know about Assessment for Learning?
Assess your knowledge and understanding of Assessment for Learning by taking this Assessment of Learning Test.
Take as long as you need:
1. Children should be
a) seen and not heard
b) herded like sheep
c) actively listened to
d) regarded with suspicion
2. My job as a teacher is to
a) talk at the top of my voice, dominate all discussions and show-off
b) moan about my wellbeing and lack of work-life balance
c) eavesdrop, facilitate, scaffold, challenge, plan next steps in learning
d) get through the day
3. Dialogic teaching is
a) a form of dire instruction underpinned by misguided rationale
b) teaching that runs through the centre of a circle
c) collective, reciprocal, supportive, cumulative and purposeful
d) military coaching run by the Defence Intelligence Agency
4. This test should be done
a) independently
b) in a small group so we can talk about our ideas
c) for homework
d) when no one is looking
5. In my class children don’t need to use their
a) hands
b) brains
c) chairs
d) targets
6. When I mark children’s work
a) I write ‘Good’, ‘Well done’ and ‘See me’
b) scan, tick, initial, grade and write ‘UNDERLINE’ in red pen
c) write targets in a language that children can’t understand
d) write legible thoughtful comments that identify what has been done well, what still needs improvement and give guidance on how to progress (in words that mean something to children)
e) I don’t mark – no one does that anymore fool!
7. Feedback is
a) the eighteenth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush.
b) a sonic loop nemesis caused by audio or video signal being fed back into itself
c) something not dissimilar to vomit
d) information shared with learners to help them upgrade their knowledge and understanding in order to move forward with their learning
8. The learners in my class are
a) passive recipients
b) battery hens
c) active, risk-taking critical thinkers engaged in the co-construction of ideas
d) hard work
9. Learners take control of their own learning through
a) keeping their heads down and ‘getting on’
b) a metacognitive approach
c) doing as their told
d) copying
10. Peer assessment is
a) one of the main vehicles to promote self-assessment
b) a good excuse for a chat
c) something to do when Ofsted are around
d) a chance to catch up on some marking
11. A school is
a) a place where children come to watch me work
b) a vibrant discourse community where learners share meanings and develop knowledge
c) a large group of fish that swim as a unit
d) an asbestos building full of tired, underpaid and insecure pedagogues
12. ‘Rich’ questions are
a) uberous, mellifluous and full of calories
b) questions directed to learners whose parents have a dual income of over 90K
c) ‘big’ or open questions that have formative potential
d) questions you ask after school as a private tutor in order to top up your income
How did you score?
You didn’t.
Grades and marks have no place in a formative environment and I have no time or inclination to mark them. I’m sure you did very well. Mark it yourself or get one of your ‘peers’ to do it.