At any point in the instructional cycle, teachers can gather valuable evidence of student learning through formal and informal observations, one-on-one or small-group interviews, and class discussions. These observations and conversations are ongoing and also are often used to "take a pulse" of student progress and to inform instructional decisions at the beginning or in the middle of a unit. They are also used in the lower grades where writing skills are just emerging.
Frequently, in elementary school, group discussions and hands-on investigations are ripe opportunities for teacher observations. These teacher observations can range in structure from informal note taking to formalized checklists that identify specific performance features. Though structure varies, teacher observations are usually planned and deliberate and are linked to specific learning outcomes.
Observations with Checklists
T.R.A.C.S. modules provide a chart for each lesson that includes outcomes and assessment indicators. These help teachers focus their observations on student progress throughout the module. Teachers are also provided with a checklist on which they can quickly record whether or not individual students have achieved the outcome goals. For instance, in Lesson 5 of the grade-2 Designing Sound Systems unit, specific guidelines are given for assessing students’ ability to produce sounds that vary in several different ways, to discriminate the difference between changes in pitch and changes in volume, and to share investigations with their classmates.
Learn more about this example of an observation with a checklist.
Observations with Informal Notes
Insights modules include assessment questions, which are questions printed in the margins of the Teaching Sequence sections. These daily checks focus on specific skills or concepts and remind and encourage teachers to monitor their students’ progress throughout the module. A class record form is provided to record evidence of learning. For example, in Learning Experience 7 of the grade-6 Bones and Skeletons module, teachers are asked, “ How detailed and accurate are students’ drawings of their own teeth?” “Do they understand that different teeth are used to eat different foods?” Teachers enter their observations in their own words on the Class Record.
Learn more about this example of an observation with informal notes.
Interviews
Some grade-1 Insights modules include a verbal interview as part of their Introductory and Final Assessments. Students answer questions individually or in small groups, and responses are recorded in notes or on audiotape. For example, in Balls and Ramps, after students have completed the module, they are asked how they would set up an experiment to test the speeds of different toy cars. They are also asked to explain the reasons behind why a wooden block would or would not be a good substitute for a baseball. By listening to children’s ideas, teachers are able to assess their level of understanding. Teachers use an assessment record provided to record their comments.
Learn more about this example of an interview.
Observations with Scoring Rubrics
FOSS provides assessment charts on which teachers can record their observations as students conduct investigations. In addition, the modules provide scoring rubrics to help teachers categorize students’ understanding of science concepts as well as their collaboration with peers. For example, in the grade-5–6 Models and Designs module, teachers use the assessment chart to record their observations of children working on Investigation 2: Hum-dingers. Space is provided for teachers to record a check, a check plus, or a check minus after observing how students incorporate levers and switches into their models.
Learn more about
this example of an observation with a scoring rubric.
