Participants+-+Book+Reviews

Be explicit with learning intention and set criteria for how learning intention will be met. Feedback is crucial as is self-evaluation. Learning Intentions help to provide a focus for the teacher and children. Children take more responsibility for their learning, there is less confusion and off-task behaviours. To help children succeed, children and the teacher use criteria to decide if learning intention has been achieved. It explains skills, knowledge and understandings children need to demonstrate. Sharing this knowledge is important as children need to know what they should be achieving, not just the teacher. Process criteria breaks into steps what is needed to complete required work. Checklists, self-assessments and rubrics help to support working through and meeting criteria and also evaluating performance. Discusses the differences and purposes of open and closed questions. Wait time is important – 1.5 seconds if teacher’s average wait time! We will get positive results if we wait longer. Think time is important for children. List of strategies provided. Some advice is provided on modelling listening behaviours and how to distribute questions so more children have opportunities to answer. Allowing children to ask questions of teacher and peers is an important strategy too with many learning and assessment benefits. Focuses on formative feedback and letting children know what they have done well and areas for improvement. Teaches children to be accountable and act on feedback to improve their learning. Feedback is only valuable when suggestions for improvement are provided. Provides advice for oral and written feedback. Peers offer advice not evaluative grade. Strategies and suggestions for modelling peer feedback and creating a class environment conducive to providing constructive feedback are given. Strategies for implementing peer feedback with younger and older students are provided. Discusses the benefits of self-assessment. Don’t expect too much written self-assessment. This can be distracting – orally is just as good. Many ideas for tools and strategies are provided. Discusses use of summative assessments and how these can be used formatively to improve student learning. Looks at pre and post summative testing. The choice of assessment task is important and guiding questions are provided.
 * Provided by Marina Portelli **
 * Improving Student Achievement: A Practical Guide To Assessment For Learning **
 * Toni Gleeson (2009) Curriculum Corporation: Carlton, Vic. **
 * Chapter 1: Learning Intentions **
 * Chapter 2: Success Criteria **
 * Chapter 3: Strategic Questions **
 * Chapter 4: Effective teacher feedback **
 * Chapter 5: Peer Feedback **
 * Chapter 6: Student Self-Assessment **
 * Chapter 7: Making formative use of summative assessment **
 * Included in the Appendices are pro-formas useful for assessment – including a reflection on classroom practice. **