Thinkering Studio – Formative Assessments

Below are a set of formative self-assessment tasks students can select from throughout their project. These would be posted in the students' journal in the reflection section.

• Dos & Don’ts - Create a short list of the top Dos and Don’ts for your topic, tool, or process.

• Common Mythunderstandings - Describe a common misunderstanding you had, that you came across while researching, or that you might think would easily develop for others.

• Ask a Question - Ask a question you need to know the answer to in order to continue your project, that now intrigues you, or that might push "readers" of your work to think more deeply.

• Two Stars & A Wish - Describe two parts of your process/product that you think are going well. Then, describe one an area that did not turn out as well as you had hoped or an area you think still needs more work/attention/thought. Or, call it Two Successes & A Struggle.

• Critique Session - Work with your triad or other group to complete a critique session.

• Journal Reflection - Use one of the reflection prompts, one of the formative assessment techniques above, or create your own.

Free Range "Fences"

• Reflections

• Peer Critiques

• Proposal - Evaluation section

• Portfolio (added to each quarter)

• Teacher mini-conferences (proposal acceptance, casual conversations, teacher walkabouts, visiting teachers/guests)

• Mini Maker Faire (2016-17) - Feedback from visitors

Resources

• 10 Assessments You Can Perform In 90 Seconds

• 22 Easy Formative Assessment Techniques for Measuring Student Learning

• Documentation & Reflection Prompts

• Thinkering Studio - Critique Session

• Thinkering Studio - Rubric

Questions

• What is the difference between a reflection and a formative self-assessment?

• Do these self-assessments fit better with the students' reflections in their journal or do they better belong with the students' portfolio?