Direct Instruction: Methods for Closure and Evaluation

Direct Instruction:Methods for Closure and

Evaluation

Kellie DelmonicoEmily Egan

Susan Gunther

In the last 24 hours, if you have...

What is Closure?

• Closure in a lesson is provided when the teacher is ready to begin the next lesson or activity in the school day and wants to 'tie the bow' on the previous lesson

• Closure brings any lesson to a satisfying finish both cognitively and aesthetically

• In a Direct Instruction lesson, closure will occur after the independent practice period and before instructions are given for the next activity

Chapter 4 - Direct Instruction

How Should I Approach Closure?

• The teacher should give a signal for attention, then ask for a quick review of what was learned during the lesson.

• While the teacher can provide the review, it is ideal for the students to summarize or comment on what was accomplished during the lesson.

• Teachers can highlight students' metacognitive abilities by asking questions that not only reflect content concerns but also reinforce the value of the lesson:

Chapter 4 - Direct Instruction

Student Reflection

WHATdid you learn in today's lesson

that you did not know yesterday?

WHYis that learning important to you?

Some teachers complete closure by previewing

what will be happening in class the next day.

Chapter 4 - Direct Instruction

What is Assessment and Why do we need it?

• Educational assessment is the process of documenting in measurable terms knowledge and skills.

• It determines whether or not goals and objectives are being met.

• Assessments should bring about benefits for students either in direct services to the student or in improved quality of educational programs.

• Assessments should be reliable, valid, fair and age and linguistically appropriate.

www.education.com/reference/.../why-assessment-important

Assessment & Evaluation

Formative(Daily Successes)

Teacher:Checks student work each day

and offers corrective instruction as necessary

Student:Complete independent work at or above a given level of proficiency

Summative(Mastery)

Teacher:Checks student work

at the end of each unitof instruction

Student:demonstrate knowledge and

application of concepts and skills at or above a given level of

proficiency

http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/instruct/instevnt.html

Types of Assessment

• Standardized Assessment: state-mandated standardized tests.  Some examples include: SAT, ACT, Stanford Achievement Test, TerraNova, LSAT, GMAT, GRE

• Alternative or Authentic Assessment: usually designed by the teacher to gauge the level of student understanding. Some examples include: portfolios, journals, performance tasks, interviews, essays, self  and peer evaluations.  

Formative Assessments

Examples:• Criteria and goal setting: establish and define quality work together;

determine what should be included in criteria for success

• Observations: assist teachers in gathering evidence of student learning to inform instructional planning; this evidence can be recorded and used as feedback about their learning

• Questioning strategies: should be embedded in lesson/unit planning

• Self and peer assessment: helps create a learning community within a classroom; students who can reflect while engaged in metacognitive thinking are involved in their learning

• Student record keeping: helps students better understand their own learning as evidence by their classroom work; this process engages students as well as allows them to see where they started and the progress they're making towards the learning goal

http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/WebExclusive/Assessment/tabid/1120/Default.aspx

Formative Assessments (continued)

• Formative assessments takes place during the lesson and provides the teacher with information regarding how the learning objectives of a given activity are being reached.

• It provides valuable information as to what modifications need to be made while the learning is happening.

• Below is a clip that demonstrates formative assessment.  Note how the students are directly involved in the formative assessment process.  These students are highly engaged and act as resources for their peers.  The teacher is also providing much descriptive feedback.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxfvCtmiDhI

Examples:

• State assessments• District benchmark or interim assessments• End-of-unit or chapter tests• End-of-term or semester exams• Scores that are used for accountability for schools (AYP)

and students (report card grades)

http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/WebExclusive/Assessment/tabid/1120/Default.aspx

The key is to think of summative assessments as a means to gauge, at a particular point in time, student learning relative to content standards

Summative Assessments

Balancing Assessment

• As teachers gather information/data about student learning, several catergories may be included

• In order to better understand student learning, teachers need to consider information about the products (paper or otherwise) students create and tests they take, observational notes, and reflections on the communication that occurs between teacher and student or among students

• When a comprehensive assessment program at the classroom level balances formative and summative student learning/achievement information, a clear picture emerges of where a student is relative to learning targets and standards

http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/WebExclusive/Assessment/tabid/1120/Default.aspx

The More We (They) Know...

The more we knowabout individual students 

as they engage in the learning process,the better we can adjust instruction

to ensure that all students continueto achieve by moving forward

in their learning.

Your turn!Use your whiteboards to answer the following:

1. The purpose of closing a lesson is:    a.) To help "cement" the key ideas of the lesson.    b.) To foreshadow or to check for foundational skills          for the next lesson.    c.) a and b.    d.) To use as a filler when you have extra time.Correct! The answer is C! 

2. At the elementary level,     a.) Formative assessments are more important than summative          assessments.    b.) Formative are just as important as summative assessments.    c.) Summative assessments are more important than formative          assessments.Correct! The answer is B!

3. Which statement is false?    a.) Like the rest of the lesson, the closure portion of a DI             lesson is also teacher directed.    b.) Closure in a DI lesson only addresses lower cognitive skills         such as knowledge.    c.) Students can do their own formative assessments by        self-monitoring by keeping records of their progress.Correct! The answer is B!

4. Which of the following is a formative assessment?    a.) Ten division problems for homework.    b.) The "L" in a KWL chart.    c.) A student's oral retelling of a story he just listened to in a          listening center.Correct! Tricky - the answer is any of the above!

Ticket out the door

On your whiteboards:

Write what you think is the most important benefit of formative assessments. 

Hand in your whiteboards on the way out of the room.