Formative assessment is an important part of instruction. It gives the teacher data on how well the students are understanding the lesson. This data can then be used by the teacher to alter instruction, and it can be used by the student to work toward mastery.
There is so much technology available to teachers to make assessment easier! I decided to give Formative a try. This is a website that can be used to create many different types of assessments, and can be used with Google Classroom and Clever. You can choose from a library of already-made assessments, or you can create your own. When creating an assessment, you can add content like videos and images. With the premium, paid subscription there are more options. There are 17 different types of assessment you can create, including reflection, lab, pre-assessment and exit-ticket. There are 11 different types of questions that can be added into the assessment.
I made two different assessments. The first was a spelling test for first grade, and was based on this video. I recorded myself reading the spelling words, and added the recording with html. I made the recordings with Speakpipe, and it was very easy. The student plays the audio and then writes the spelling word in the blank. The paid subscription allows for adding audio directly into the question without a third party, and also allows for students to respond with audio. I like this because of the added accessibility for students who need accommodations. If you would like to try the quiz, go here and use the code RHRHHN. Here is a screenshot of the quiz:
The other assessment I made was a fifth grade science assignment similar to a hyperdoc, where students watch a video about plant cells, go to a link for more information and then draw a picture of a plant cell. To try the assessment, go here and enter the code ZSKYUV. Here is a screenshot:
There is so much technology available to teachers to make assessment easier! I decided to give Formative a try. This is a website that can be used to create many different types of assessments, and can be used with Google Classroom and Clever. You can choose from a library of already-made assessments, or you can create your own. When creating an assessment, you can add content like videos and images. With the premium, paid subscription there are more options. There are 17 different types of assessment you can create, including reflection, lab, pre-assessment and exit-ticket. There are 11 different types of questions that can be added into the assessment.
What I Made
I made two different assessments. The first was a spelling test for first grade, and was based on this video. I recorded myself reading the spelling words, and added the recording with html. I made the recordings with Speakpipe, and it was very easy. The student plays the audio and then writes the spelling word in the blank. The paid subscription allows for adding audio directly into the question without a third party, and also allows for students to respond with audio. I like this because of the added accessibility for students who need accommodations. If you would like to try the quiz, go here and use the code RHRHHN. Here is a screenshot of the quiz:
The other assessment I made was a fifth grade science assignment similar to a hyperdoc, where students watch a video about plant cells, go to a link for more information and then draw a picture of a plant cell. To try the assessment, go here and enter the code ZSKYUV. Here is a screenshot:
Live Monitoring
One of the cool features of Formative is that you can monitor students' work live. Through the teacher account, there is a screen that shows thumbnails of each student's answers to questions as they are being added. The teacher has the ability to give feedback right away. It is also very easy to see who is working and who is not working. Here is a screenshot of two students answering the question in the science quiz:
Some Cons
One of the features about this I thought had potential was that you can choose grade levels and learning standards for the teacher account, and the test questions can be tagged with specific assessments. This worked with the Virginia language arts standards. Unfortunately, the science standards were incomplete and did not have the numbers, so I could not tag my science question.
I also wish it was possible to add a text in more places. For example, I would love to have an instruction at the beginning of the test, or an instruction for a group of questions, but this was not possible. You can only add text as a question. I would also like students to be able to add text to the "whiteboard" where they draw a response so they can label the cell parts. Maybe it's possible, but I have not figured out how.
Recommendation
Overall, I would definitely use this program. If you want to see some different ideas for how to use it, here is a blog post from Ditch That Textbook. I would prefer a simpler interface for younger students, but this would be very easy for older students to use. The assessments are so easy to create, and the site grades the answers for you. For constructed response, the teacher must grade it. There is a slider to allow for partial points.
If the teacher wants to use one of the answers as an example, it is possible to take the names off the answers so they can be shown to the whole class.
You covered what it is, what you made, what you liked, what you didn't and some recommendations for how others can get started. Nice Reflection and good information on this EdTech App.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of this app before and I'm glad you gave it a try! I was able to get an idea on how to use it just by reading your blog. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteIn addition, after reading the cons part, I think you should give Nearpod a try. They have an option for students to add images, text, etc. and you can also add text or images as a teacher.
Hi Heather, Thanks for the detailed blog post. I really appreciated the fact that you put cons about the tech tool as well as the pros. I completed you first grade sight words spelling test. It was both interactive and enjoyable. I liked that you used each word in a sentence that you wanted spelled.
ReplyDeleteI love that there is the option for the student to draw and show their work as an answer! I love the idea of having the spelling test on the computer! That would be great if you have groups of students working with different word lists!
ReplyDeleteHeather-- I thought your blog post was very thorough! I think your screenshots were great additions and helped explain what you were talking about. Thanks for the reading suggestion as well.
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