A concept I've been more intentional with and getting a lot of value out of in my classroom are detractors with instructional traction.

This means that on a formative check utilizing multiple choice, incorrect answers identify specific misconceptions and next learnings.

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For example:

Which is an example of a compound sentence?

(A) I went to the store for onions and peppers.
(B) I went to the store for onions, but I also got peppers.
(C) I went to the store for onions, I also got peppers.
(D) At the store, I got onions and peppers.

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(A) Shows they confuse compound objects with compound sentences.
(B) Is correct
(C) Shows they can identify independent clauses but not how to combine them.
(D) Shows confusion between dependent and independent clauses

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Now, instead of a formative assessment only showing whether they have it or not, if they don't understand it yet, it shows WHY they don't understand it. This is what instructional traction means - we know exactly where to go next.

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More importantly, the student can identify for themselves where they need to go next. When reviewing the materials, they don't just see that they got it wrong, but they can identify what concept they need to learn next.

That is the goal of formative assessment.

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Being intentional with this has been really helpful to be able to do more with less during remote teaching when students are struggling to manage the workload.

Here's an article for some further reading on it (requires and ASCD account): http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar14/vol71/num06/Thoughtful-Assessment-with-the-Learner-in-Mind.aspx?logout=true

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