Using Photographs and Learning Trajectories to Enhance Teacher Noticing to Support Formative Assessment

Abstract

In this chapter, the authors propose a re-imagined framework for formative assessment that weaves professional teacher noticing with the use of learning trajectories and photographs. Photographs can be used to capture “disappearing data” in early childhood mathematics classrooms as a way of documenting children's mathematical thinking and used in data analysis for formative assessment. A case study, including a series of photographs of a single child's work on a one more/one less task is used to demonstrate the ways in which this new framework can be used as part of a coaching cycle aimed at improving formative assessment. The coach supports the teacher in using photographs to document student thinking; employing professional noticing coupled with learning trajectories to identify where the student's work is along the Base 10 progression of counting; and synthesizing noticings and trajectories to plan instructional next steps. Implications for both teaching and research are identified and explored.

What they notice in photographs: A study of preservice teachers' noticing in a formative assessment cycle

“…Teacher noticing is a skill that informs and supports formative assessment practices (Furtak et al, 2016;Marin et al, 2020;Pai, 2018). Specifically, Furtak et al (2016) synthesized the processes of teacher noticing (N) and formative assessment (FA) to include: "eliciting (FA), attending (N), interpreting (FA, N), deciding (N), and responding (FA, some N)" (p. 4).…”

“…This merged framework begins to highlight the ways teachers process information in the classroom (attending, interpreting, and responding) and the tools and actions teachers use to elicit student thinking and make future instructional decisions. Likewise, Marin et al (2020) and Pai (2018) present visualizations focused on noticing skills that teachers are cognitively engaged in during formative assessment practices (i.e., attending and interpreting) and the instructional actions a teacher does in response to the student's thinking. Thus, formative assessment is an activity in the work of teaching where teacher noticing skills (attending, interpreting, and responding) can be authentically practiced and developed in teacher preparation.…”

“…We draw on the prevalent conceptions of noticing: Learning to Notice (van Es, 2011;van Es & Sherin, 2002) and Professional Noticing of Children's Mathematical Thinking (Jacobs et al, 2010), and formative assessment (Wiliam, 2018). Through those lenses, we used an adapted version of Marin et al' (2020) reimagined cycle of formative assessment drawing on teacher noticing skills that utilizes photographs, and displays how learning trajectories can be incorporated at each stage to enhance noticing and promote formative assessment (Figure 1). The cycle includes the teacher noticing skills of attending, interpreting, and responding to student's thinking (Jacobs et al, 2010;van Es, 2011), while extending this work to mirror formative assessment practices of anticipating student thinking prior to the start of a lesson and recommending next instructional steps.…”

“…The pulling apart of these constructs aligns the reimagined cycle with the Learning to Notice frameworks (van Es, 2011;van Es & Sherin, 2002). Marin et al (2020) note "the disappearing nature of children's work makes it difficult for teachers to capture data that illuminates children's mathematical understandings, a necessary component in planning future instruction" (p. 135). Photographs are a means of capturing this disappearing data, particularly in early childhood classrooms where work is often built (using manipulatives) rather than written and therefore cannot be collected for later analysis.…”

“…However, as noted by van Es and Sherin (2002), it is possible for teachers (especially novices) to lose focus and attend to moments not about mathematics. In an effort to help teachers maintain focus on the mathematics content and goals, Marin et al' (2020) framework places learning trajectories around the teacher noticing work. Thus, suggesting that learning trajectories can offer teachers a lens and support to help notice and focus on students' mathematical thinking.…”