Assessment Is Decisive (A.I.D.)

In this section thought is given to the role of summative assessment in our classrooms. It is explained that this should spiral throughout our curriculum maps and that graduated student-speak process criteria should be shared with students beforehand. Thought is also given to timings, modelling, and access.

Here we discuss the importance of learning intentions and offer a working explanation of aims and objectives. Learning intentions are the Cinderella aspect of AFL - the neglected relation that makes something magical happen when done well. The importance of graduated process criteria is discussed and tips are given about use of student-speak and visualisation of LIs. Tried and trusted techniques such as WALT/WILF/TBI are raised and suggestions are offered to avoid falling into the trap of having 'wallpaper objectives.' These include cloze-captioning, throwing in red herrings, and allowing for con-construction. A word is given also on modelling and mysteries. By the end of this session you will be ready to set up your learning so that you can assess learning later.

In this chapter we offer our first way into knowing if our Learning Intentions are being successfully hit. Self-assessment techinques discussed include the use of mini whiteboards (and baby socks!), thinking thumbs, fist to 5, ABCD cards, paper cups, craps, Connect 4, self-annotation, CREAM, online quizes, voting spectrums, exist passes, and revision o'clock. This chapter will furnish you with heaps of ideas you can try out in your classroom to promote student self-assessment.

In this chapter we go beyond self-assessment to work on ways to promote peer assessment. Techniques discussed include student swaps, clever group work setting, BBBB4B, C3B4ME, 'more than 1 teacher', Homework Help Boards, 3 x work returned, and feedback glasses. By the end of this chapter you will have great techniques to promote peer-assessment in your classroom to ensure students are achieving what you set out in your Learning Intentions.

This chapter offers insight into the importance of rich questioning technique. We discuss managerial, recall, and analytical questions and explain why you should have a no-hands up policy (except for questions). Randomisation devices including playing cards and lollipops are discussed as are on the go techniques such as 1-20 and Doug Lemov's cold-calling. Methods are provided to ensure students cannot opt out at all and thought is given to waiting time with the promotion of think-pair-share and pose-pause-pounce-bounce. We also discuss why the reward for a good answer should always be a harder question.

We are often judged as educators by the quality of our written feedback and this chapter offers thoughts abotu how to raise this aspect of our AFL game. Areas discussed include comment-only marking, Jackie Beere's DIRT, and how to use gold envelopes. We discuss the purple pen of progress, feedback margins, 2 stars and a wish, WWW EBI MRI, feedback keys, - = +, and lots more! Above all we explain the importance of promoting a culture where it is okay to make mistakes.

This chapter deals with how we can offer oral feedback to our students and how to do it more effectively. It is explained that timing is crucial and that all feedback must be credible.

In this concluding chapter we run through what we have learned in the course. You are asked to reflect on 70 different ways you can assess for learning and to try one or two takeaways out.