Making a Difference

Part 1—Making a Difference
|
Meeting diverse learning needs with differentiated instruction
55
Individual assessment
In addition to strategies that allow a whole-class response, assessment 
for
learning 
can occur through various strategies focused on the learning of individual 
students. Students can use this individualized information to re
fl
ect on their own 
progress, to understand themselves better as learners, to set goals, to make plans, 
to make choices and to prepare to demonstrate their achievement. Consider the 
following elements for individualizing assessment to support student learning. 
Metacognition
• 
—Assessment strategies that focus on metacognition 
encourage students to think about their own learning preferences and 
processes and to transfer new understandings and skills. They also 
encourage students to discuss and demonstrate their learning with peers, 
parents and teachers.
Strategic questioning
• 
—Questions are at the heart of most assessments, 
and so your ability to ask good questions is critical. Black et al. (2004) 
note that questions should “raise issues about which the teacher needs 
information or about which the students need to think” (p. 13). Black et 
al. (2004) also stress the importance of allowing students time to answer 
questions, explaining that increased wait time gives students the time they 
need to think and shows that the teacher believes everyone will have an 
answer. 
Varied assessment activities
• 
—Students can demonstrate their learning 
by writing, making, doing and saying; within these four modalities there 
are many possibilities for different kinds of expression and production. 
Varying assssment tasks will provide you and your students with a more 
accurate picture of student learning.