Teachers should employ both assessing and advancing questions in their instruction.
But…what’s the difference between the two?
Make the point about the symbolism of RED and GREEN.
Focus closely on the instructional content the students have received
Use what students learned as a basis for making progress towards mastery of the clear target
Clarify what the students understand about what they have learned
Move students beyond their current thinking by pressing students to extend what they know to a new situation
Provide information to the teacher about what students understand
Press students to think about something they are not currently thinking about
The student’s response to a well-chosen assessing question illuminates his/her understanding.
A Student’s Current Understanding
The purpose of the lesson is to help students move towards our mathematical goal. This implies that we MUST identify our goal prior to beginning. An advancing question must take into consideration both the student’s current understanding and the mathematical goal we are moving towards. It is the question that facilitates the student’s movement towards the goal, as s/he grapples with it. Note the trajectory takes the student from where s/he is towards the goal.
Why is it important to ask students both assessing and advancing questions?
What message do you send to students if you ask ONLY assessing questions?
Consider your own practice in the classroom. Do you ask more questions to assess or to advance learning?
All content and tasks are not created equal.
Assessing and advancing questions can be asked of some tasks but not others.
What are the characteristics of content and/or tasks in which it is worthwhile to ask assessing and advancing questions?
Can some questions be assessing in some circumstances and advancing in others?
Can some questions be assessing for some students and advancing for others?
In planning a lesson, what do you think can be gained by considering how students are likely to respond to content or tasks and by developing questions in advance that can assess and advance their learning?
Which of the indicators on the Teacher Evaluation Rubric are related to the use of Assessing and Advancing questions?
Take a copy of the components of the TEAM rubric, and highlight or underline any area that would address your use of assessing and advancing questions.