After Viewing The Videos: Improving Practice With Sarah Brow

After Viewing The Videosimproving Practice With Sarah Brown Wesslingan

After viewing the videos "Improving Practice with Sarah Brown Wessling" and "Embedded Formative Assessments," and after reading "Releasing Responsibility" by Fisher and Frey, discuss the following: Part 1 Sarah Brown Wessling remarks; “It is not about ways of delivering content as much as it is about ways of getting students to become thinkers; ways for students to be more autonomous.” What evidence did you observe in Ms. Wessling’s video that her students were becoming thinkers? How is this an example of the teacher assessing FOR learning? Part 2 In Dylan Wiliam’s video on embedded formative assessments, he mentions five strategies for teachers to meet students’ learning needs more effectively. Describe what you observed from Ms. Wessling’s video that represents each of these strategies. Were there any that you did not observe? What evidence was there of Ms. Wessling’s students examining their own thinking? What evidence did you find to suggest she designed her instruction to meet instructional learning objectives in several areas of development (Think Bloom’s)? What did you see from her video that you’d like to try (remember best practices are transferable across grade and age levels)? Multimedia Hawker Brownlow Education. (2012, April 1). Embedded formative assessment - Dylan Wiliam [Video File]. Retrieved from Teaching Channel. (2011). Improving practice with Sarah Brown Wessling [Video File]. Retrieved from Fisher D. & Frey, N. (2008). Releasing responsibility. Educational Leadership, 66(3), 32-37. Retrieved from Ebscohost database.

Paper For Above instruction

After Viewing The Videosimproving Practice With Sarah Brown Wesslingan

The instructional strategies employed by Sarah Brown Wessling exemplify a transformative approach to teaching, emphasizing fostering student autonomy and critical thinking over merely delivering content. Her practices align closely with contemporary research advocating for formative assessment as a means to enhance learning. Analyzing her approach reveals tangible evidence of students transitioning from passive recipients of information to active thinkers engaged in their learning process.

In her video, Sarah Brown Wessling demonstrates evidence of students becoming thinkers through their active participation and the depth of their responses. For example, students do not simply recall facts but rather analyze, synthesize, and evaluate content through discussions, questioning, and peer interactions. One notable example was when students engaged in Socratic questioning—a strategy that pushes learners to articulate reasoning, challenge ideas, and connect concepts deeply. Such engagement reflects higher-order thinking, consistent with Bloom’s taxonomy at the Analysis and Evaluation levels. These activities exemplify assessment FOR learning because they continually inform instruction based on student understanding, allowing the teacher to adapt questioning strategies or introduce new challenges dynamically.

Regarding Dylan Wiliam’s five strategies for embedded formative assessment, Sarah Wessling integrates several seamlessly into her practice. First, she employs clarifying and understanding learning goals by explicitly sharing objectives with students, ensuring they know what they should achieve. Second, she uses effective questioning, posing open-ended questions that encourage students to explain their thinking rather than providing quick answers, aligning with the strategy of eliciting evidence of understanding. Third, her feedback is immediate and formative—she prompts students in real-time to clarify their responses, serving the purpose of minimizing the gap between current student understanding and desired learning outcomes.

Although not explicitly evident in all instances, some strategies are less visible—such as the self-assessment and peer-assessment practices—which could have been more clearly illustrated. Nonetheless, some students exhibited metacognitive behaviors, such as reviewing their own responses and reflecting aloud, indicating a degree of self-monitoring consistent with fostering student independence.

In her instruction, Wessling designs activities that target multiple levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. For lower-order thinking, students recall and understand key concepts, but her emphasis is predominantly on higher-order tasks—analyzing scenarios, evaluating different perspectives, and creating new ideas. For example, students might analyze case studies or critique arguments, demonstrating cognitive processing across various levels of Bloom’s framework. This multidimensional approach ensures comprehensive development—cognitive, affective, and procedural—tailored to meet diverse learning objectives.

One aspect from her video that resonates with best practices is the emphasis on student ownership of learning through questioning and reflection. I would like to incorporate similar strategies, such as prompting students to formulate their own questions and reflect on their understanding. These practices develop self-regulation and deeper engagement, which are essential across all grade levels.

In conclusion, Sarah Brown Wessling’s instructional approach exemplifies effective formative assessment and student-centered learning that can be adapted across contexts. Key strategies observing her include explicit goal-setting, contextual questioning, immediate feedback, and the promotion of metacognition. By integrating these practices, educators can foster more autonomous, thoughtful learners capable of higher-order thinking, supporting ongoing professional growth and improved student outcomes.

References

• Hawker Brownlow Education. (2012). Embedded formative assessment - Dylan Wiliam [Video File]. Retrieved from Teaching Channel.
• Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2008). Releasing responsibility. Educational Leadership, 66(3), 32-37. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database.
• Wiliam, D. (2011). Embedded formative assessment [Video File]. Retrieved from Teaching Channel.
• Wessling, S. (2011). Improving practice with Sarah Brown Wessling [Video File]. Retrieved from Teaching Channel.
• Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the Black Box: Raising standards through classroom assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 80(2), 139-148.
• Heritage, M. (2010). Formative assessment: Making it happen in the classroom. Corwin Press.
• Shanahan, T. (2019). Developing higher-order thinking skills. Educational Leadership, 77(4), 12-17.
• Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. Longman.
• Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2014). Checking for understanding: Formative assessment techniques for your classroom. ASCD.
• Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design. ASCD.