Activity 1

Report and reflect on the assessment lesson

Take it in turns to describe your experiences of using self and peer assessment.

• How did your pupils perform on the task, unaided?
• How did pupils assess the provided responses and the work of their peers? What aspects did they attend to?

• How did pupils make use of the 'progression steps'? Did these help pupils to understand the Key Processes?

• How well did pupils react to and use the evidence to improve their own work?
• What are the implications of this lesson for your future lessons?

Activity 2

Discuss strategies for differentiation

Reflect on your normal teaching practices. When you assess classes, you begin to realise the considerable individual differences in pupils and they have very different learning needs. Some pupils need more support, while others need a greater challenge.

• How do you normally deal with range of different learning needs of your pupils?
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the four strategies shown on Handout 3.
• Compare your views with the comments given on Handout 4.

Activity 3

Discuss ways of helping pupils that struggle

As well as finding the tasks challenging, pupils may find the whole idea of self and peer assessment difficult. They are being asked to reflect on the methods and processes that they and others have used.

Think again about your lessons using the Bowland assessment tasks.

• How might you help those who struggle with the task?
• How can you help those who struggle with the whole idea of peer assessment?

Activity 4

Discuss ways of stretching pupils that succeed

Some pupils may have done very well at the problems, even at the very beginning. Others may have worked well and finished quickly. It is a good idea to plan for such eventualities.

Think back to your own lesson:

• When pupils succeeded, how did you extend their thinking?
• What alternative approaches to the task did you, or could you suggest?
• What extensions to the task did you, or can you suggest?

If you wish, you can watch a video of Shane, Emma and Sheena discussing this issue.

Activity 5

Plan assessment strategies for future lessons

• How might you apply what you have learned about assessment to your other mathematics lessons?
• How might you embed peer assessment strategies in your scheme of work?

You may like to watch the video showing the teachers discussing the wider implications of assessing Key Processes.