Module 2

This module has helped me think about using standards, CFQs, or formative assessment in the following ways…

First, standards must guide the instruction. West Virginia sets forth specific information all students are required to know and that in which teachers are required to provide instruction. We are extremely fortunate that our state provides numerous, evidenced based instruction guides to help meet the goals of each standard, specifically the Teach21 site.

Secondly, essential questions are very important in engaging students. Essential questions are broad, open-ended questions that address big ideas and enduring concepts. I now know that essential questions should be discipline neutral. For instance, “How can you live in harmony?” can encompass a variety of disciplines and assists with helping students see how the disciplines are interrelated.

Thirdly, unit questions serve to unite the project and the essential questions. Also open ended questions, unit questions help students and teachers see how well they understand the core concepts of a project.

Fourthly, content questions are the fact-based, concrete questions we typically use on assessments. Content questions often consist of identification, definition, and general recall of information. This is the point in which we can choose narrow or specific pieces of information about our topic of study.

Finally, while my county has championed the use of curriculum framing questions, I never truly understood the use and importance until I participated in the module. Such questions help engage student learning and allow students to know what will be expected of them during and after instruction. CFQ’s set the goal of student learning and teacher instruction.