S H O W & T E L L : A V I D E O C O LU M N

Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey

Don’t Just Gather Data—Use It

chools are awash in data, and teachers are You can turn exit slips on their head by posing
S being asked to gather data in a myriad of
high-tech and low-tech ways. But gathering
the question or prompt at the beginning of the
lesson. High school precalculus teacher Jorge
is not analyzing, and without analysis there’s little Fernandez posts a problem at the beginning of
reason to gather the data in the first place. It’s like class that students are not familiar with and asks
picking apples off the tree, only to let them rot them to speculate on how they would arrive at a
rather than consume them. solution.
We need data-collection systems that lend On this day, he posts a word problem asking
themselves to rapid analysis and action. Here are them to calculate interest on money that com-
a few methods we’ve seen teachers use to leverage pounds continuously. Even though the students
formative assessment have not yet had expe-
data in ways that inform rience using the algorithm
instruction and learning. Data that sit unused to calculate compounded
interest, Mr. Fernandez
Low-Tech Methods
Data can be quantitative
are no different from explains that “I want
them to use mathematical
(quiz scores, the number
of words written in a
data that were never reasoning first, before I
introduce them to the
timed writing sample)
or qualitative (observa-
collected in the first formula. The algorithm
makes sense only after
tions of student behavior,
responses to a writing
place. you’ve had a chance to
work through its logic.”
prompt). Both kinds of data The rest of the lesson is
are important—but both related to the math con-
get stale pretty quickly if they’re not analyzed and cepts and skills needed to solve the problem, but
made actionable. Consider the following low-tech, he never directly revisits the problem. As the class
high-leverage ways to check for understanding and draws to a close, the teacher asks his students
then do something about it. to return to their written response and add to or
Exit slips to plan for tomorrow. Teachers have change their answer given the new information
used exit slips forever as an assessment tool. they’ve learned.
These are commonly short responses to a question After class, Mr. Fernandez sorts the exit slips
related to the day’s lesson, which students com- into two piles—students who changed their
plete near the end of class and hand to the teacher answer and those who did not. “I’m looking to
as they leave the room. The problem is that stu- see whether their thinking has evolved in light of
dents often dash off their responses with little new knowledge,” he says. Sometimes a student is
investment in their learning; their focus is to leave correct from the start. “When I see that, I make
as quickly as they can. a note to myself. I’m watching to see if he or she

WATCH See how a middle school math teacher uses a free app to
▲

gather and display student responses and guide discussion at

the Video www.ascd.org/el1115fisherfrey

80 Educational Leadership / Novemebr 2015 © JOHN JAY CABUAY

Fisher_Frey_REV.indd 80 9/29/15 5:10 PM

 sticks to the original correct answer Should the answer be bigger or students answer by holding up their
during the next day’s activity.” smaller? “This practice has helped us unique card with their response (A, B,
During the next day’s lesson, still cultivate a community where mistakes C, or D) facing up.
not revealing the correct answer, he are important to our learning,” she In the video, we see Ms. Benak
reposts the question and divides the says. “In fact, errors are celebrated posing a question, giving students two
students into small groups on the basis because they give all of us an oppor- minutes to solve the problem indi-
of their exit slips, inviting them to tunity to learn.” vidually, and then using the app on
explain their thinking and justify their her tablet to scan the upheld cards.
answers. This exercise gives students See It in Action: The program immediately produces a
opportunities to practice constructing A Higher-Tech Method graph of the answers, which she dis-
viable arguments and critiquing Teachers can also achieve quick plays on the whiteboard. The graph
the reasoning of others. “The col- and actionable analysis of data with shows that most students got the right
lective thinking that goes on is pretty a growing number of digital tools. answer, but some did not. Ms. Benak
amazing,” he said. “They usually end Audience response systems, for ask students to discuss and justify
up figuring out the right approach in a instance, have been used for a decade their choice within their groups, and
matter of minutes.” then she poses the same question
My favorite mistake. Fifth grade again. “There’s almost always a shift
math teacher Ilsa Davidson sometimes We need data collection the second time, with more students
poses a problem for students to solve answering correctly,” she says. When
at the beginning of the lesson, and systems that lend there isn’t, she knows it’s time to
then gathers the responses and quickly provide more direct instruction on the
looks for her favorite incorrect answer. themselves to rapid concept being studied.
“Often they have so many elements
done correctly, but there’s that one analysis and action. Leverage Data to
step that makes it incorrect.” Improve Learning
For example, when she teaches Data that sit unused are no different
dividing decimals, Ms. Davidson or so. These tools traditionally require from data that were never collected in
often sees students placing the specialized response devices for the first place. We recommend using a
decimal points incorrectly. On the each member of the class. But newer few high-leverage formative
lookout for this error, she finds a systems use readily available tech- assessment procedures routinely in
student’s incorrect answer to the fol- nologies to gather and analyze data your classroom. It’s an effective way to
lowing problem: 30.05 ÷ .04 = ? Ms. without using specialized devices. adjust instruction to meet students’
Davidson copies the student’s work For example, middle school math needs and to avoid spending precious
in her own handwriting to protect the teacher Staci Benak, featured in the moments reteaching content to stu-
student’s identity. She then puts it video that accompanies this column dents who have already mastered it. EL
on the document camera and models (www.ascd.org/el1115fisherfrey),
her thinking. “The correct answer is uses Plickers (www.plickers.com)
752. My favorite mistake today was to rapidly assess what her students Doug Fisher ([email protected])
a student who moved both decimal know. The app is free, and teachers and Nancy Frey ([email protected])
points correctly, but then put the can download an accompanying set of are professors in the Department of Edu-
decimal point back in the answer. He 40 or more black-and-white cards with cational Leadership at San Diego State
came up with 7.52.” individual designs (which look some- University and teacher leaders at Health
Sciences High and Middle College.
Together the class identifies where thing like QR codes). Each card is
They are ASCD authors and creators of
the error happened, and Ms. Davidson linked to a student’s name. Ms. Benak’s ASCD’s Framework for Targeted and
models how to think about the rea- students keep their cards in their math Intentional Teaching (FIT) (www.ascd​
sonableness of an answer and what journals. She poses questions with .org/professional-development
happens when we divide decimals: up to four possible responses, and /about-fit-teaching.aspx).

ASCD / w w w . ascd . o r g 81

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