Checking for
Understanding
User Friendly and Relevant
I hear and I forget
I see and I remember
I do and I understand
Improve Student Learning
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Have a clear learning objective
Segment each chunk of learning
Follow each chunk with a check for understanding
Students should have plenty of opportunities to
work in pairs
● Teacher should talk no more than 5 minutes before
giving students opportunity to process
● Give plenty of opportunity to read, discuss, and
write
Checking for Understanding
During a Lesson
Administrative Expectations
Checking for Understanding
During a Lesson
Open Ended Questions
● Sentence Stem - "I learned a new way to
factor . . ."
● QSSSA (Question, Signal, Stem, Share,
Assess)
● MBC Discussions
● Today's Meet - Sample Math Discussion
from 2/14/13
Check for Understanding Using
QSSSA
(Question, Signal, Stem, Share, Assess)
● Question "What is the first step you would take to solve this
expression?"
● Signal "Stand when you can finish this sentence: The first step I would
take to solve this expression is..." (Wait time)
● Stem "Using the sentence stem given, turn to the person standing
nearest to you and give them your answer. If you agree with them say, "I
agree because..." If you disagree with them say, "I disagree because..." Ok,
ready, go.
● Share Students: "The first step I would take to solve this expression is..."
Wait for all students to finish.
● Assess "Ok, what is the first step to solving this expression?" Randomly
call on a student. Sample Student Response: The first step I would take in
solving this expression is to solve for the exponent. To a new student, "Tell
me more about that..."
Infuse Learning
Tutorial for Infuselearning
www.infuselearning.com is a great student
response system that is free and works on
most any device.
● Student-to-student interaction focused on lesson
concepts
○ significant effect on student achievement
● Sentence stems provides an opportunity to increase
the number of exposures to academic vocabulary
● Students who participate in discussions show a 19%
gain
Checking for Understanding
During a Lesson
Randomize and Rotate
Goal: Total Student Involvement in
Discussions
Random Groupings - Matching Cards,
Birthday Month, Count Off
Random Questioning - Popsicle Sticks,
SuperTeacherTools
● Learning increases when students are focused on tasks
during instruction
● Rotating responses holds students accountable
● Random oral questioning increases student
preparedness, attentiveness, and achievement
● Students in classrooms using randomized questioning
outperform by a margin of 20%
Checking for Understanding
Response Signals
Written: Hold up Pinch Card, Whiteboards
Ready: Hands up, Stand, Sit, Pen on Paper,
Lids Down
Making Choices: Open/Closed Hand, Thumbs,
Four Corners
Ranking: Rank with Fingers, Rank with Arm
(higher is better), Line up According to
Response, Knocking/Clapping/Cheering
Checking for Understanding
During a Lesson
Additional Strategies
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Google Forms
"Show Me" - Draw a Picture
Pinch It Card
Thumbs
Pair/Share
Socrative
Checking for Understanding Using
Socrative
Begin Using Socrative:
Socrative Teacher
Register to Create an Account
Post your Socrative Room # in a Visible
Location
How Students Participate:
Socrative Student
Students Type in your Room #
Click Join Room
*Investigate Socrative with a tutorial.
● Student engagement increases attention
which increases student achievement
● Response signals have a highly significant
effect on achievement
Checking for Understanding
How to Make it Look Easy
Be mobile during a lesson:
Room Arrangement
Wireless Mouse
VNC Remoter App - iPad to Mac
Be Flexible
Checking for Understanding
Post Lesson
*Immediate feedback on homework.
*Meet with students in a small group setting to discuss
completed work. Provide completed answer keys for each
student and allow him/her to check in your presence.
*Have students correct work. Clear up lingering
misconceptions by having students explain verbally or in
writing what went wrong. Incorporating analysis broadens
understanding.
*For this to work it is critical to have indepenant
activities/work in place.
Google Forms & Socrative
In Google Apps:
1. Choose "Create"
2. Select "Forms"
3. Click "Add Item"
4. Create a customized survey to check
for understanding
*The same concept can be applied in
socrative.com
Checking for Understanding
During a Lesson
Guided Practice
*With your "Elbow Buddy," Pair/Share one strategy to
check for understanding that you will implement in your
next lesson. Checking for understanding should happen
every five minutes.
*Sketch out your next lesson and incorporate one new
strategy from Randomize and Rotate and one new strategy
for checking for understanding during the lesson.
Be an Example of a Life-long
Learner
“Be observing constantly. Stay open
minded. Be eager to learn and improve.” –
John Wooden
Works Cited
Seidlitz, John and Perryman, Bill. 7 Steps
to a Language-Rich Interactive Classroom.
San Clemente, CA: Seidlitz Education,
2011.