The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Awesome Acquisitions On Assessment And Assurance

Your ATA library keeps you up to date on a host of educational topics! We are pleased to present our newest titles on assessment. Of course, there are many more new titles available in our library catalogue (http://library.teachers.ab.ca), and we hope that you explore some of your favourite subjects there. Please remember that no matter where you are in the province, we will get the materials to you in a jiffy and we pay for all shipping so there is no cost for using our great resources.

Books

Assessment and Student Success in a Differentiated Classroom

Tomlinson, Carol Ann, and Tonya R. Moon. 2013. Alexandria, Va: ASCD (371.394 T657)
After discussing differentiation generally, the authors show how differentiation applies to pre-assessment, formative assessment, and summative assessment. They also consider how assessment reliability and validity can be improved.

Assessment in Music Education

Fautley, Martin. 2010. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press (780.71 F261)
With the aim of improving learning for students, this book presents the case that formative assessment on a daily basis in music education is more effective for thoroughly evaluating learning than summative assessment at the end of key stages, such as performance.

Assessment of Learners with Dyslexic-Type Difficulties

Phillips, Sylvia. 2013. Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE (371.9144 P558)
This guide links theory, research and practice to assist teachers in analysis, interpretation and use of appropriate assessments when working with children who have dyslexic-type learning disorders.

Breaking Through: Effective Instruction and Assessment for Reaching English Learners

Calderón, Margarita. 2012. Bloomington, Ind: Solution Tree (371.829 C146)
Calderón presents a compelling argument for language, literacy and subject matter, rather than focusing solely on language acquisition, when teaching English language learners (ELL). She refers to new research that shows that ELL students learn better and improve their language skills more rapidly when their learning is integrated.

Cognition-Based Assessment and Teaching of Geometric Measurement: Building on Students’ Reasoning

Battista, Michael T. 2012. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann (372.76 B336)
The assessment methods described in this book will enable teachers to better respond to students’ learning needs and choose instructional activities that best support their students’ development of mathematical reasoning.

Common Formative Assessment: A Toolkit for Professional Learning Communities at Work

Bailey, Kim, and Chris Jakicic. 2012. Bloomington, Ind: Solution Tree (371.26 B15)
Teachers become more knowledgeable about education standards, more assessment literate and better able to develop more strategies for helping all students learn when they are engaged in the process of writing and implementing common formative assessments. To help teachers develop these skills, the authors present ideas for teams to create and incorporate common formative assessments into the practices of a PLC.

Differentiating Science Instruction and Assessment for Learners with Special Needs, K–8

Finson, Kevin D., Christine K. Ormsbee and Mary M. Jensen. 2011. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin (372.76 B336)
Because many teachers feel overwhelmed when tasked with developing differentiated science lessons, the authors present both general and special educators with strategies for altering science lessons and assessments specifically for students with special needs.

Digital Learning: Strengthening and Assessing 21st Century Skills (Grades 5–8)

Serim, Ferdi. 2012. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass (371.33 S485)
To develop students’ 21st-century skills while also engaging them in subject-based learning, Serim presents research-based ideas for teaching practice that connect student learning with real-world applications. A DVD with graphic organizers, supplemental materials and video interviews is included with this book.

Getting from Arithmetic to Algebra: Balanced Assessments for the Transition

Schwartz, Judah L., and Joan M. Kenney. 2012. New York: Teachers College Press (512.90712 S399)
Focused on learning in the middle grades (5–8), the authors provide multidimensional assessment tasks that are designed to evaluate students’ mathematical learning. An effort was made to make each assessment extremely adaptable so that it could be used in any curriculum.

Measuring What Matters Most: Choice-Based Assessments for the Digital Age

Schwartz, Daniel L., and Dylan Arena. 2013. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press 2013. (371.260285 S399)
Calling for a full review of what is assessed in learning, the authors argue that choice is not an instructional ingredient to improve learning but is the outcome of learning and therefore choice itself should be assessed. Digital technologies allow teachers to create interactive assessments that can evaluate students in a context of choosing whether, what, how and when to learn. A fascinating read in the assessment field!

The Mismeasure of Education

Horn, Jim, and Denise Wilburn. 2013. Charlotte, NC: Information Age (371.26 H813)
Horn and Wilburn look at the history of policy and culture that led to the development of No Child Left Behind in the United States. They discuss how the assessment of learning in students has been twisted into an unreliable tool for determining teacher competency.

PISA, Power, and Policy: The Emergence of Global Educational Governance

Meyer, Heinz-Dieter. 2013. Oxford, UK: Symposium Books (300 M612)
PISA assessment has begun to dominate national and international discourse about educational accountability. This book questions the role of PISA in global educational governance and its apparent goal of making schools more efficient at the expense of teaching students to be active citizens and creative thinkers. At the heart of the book is a question about the underlying assumption that a nation’s school system can be evaluated fairly through a standardized assessment that is insensitive to the world’s cultural and institutional diversity.

Task Rotation: Strategies for Differentiating Activities and Assessments by Learning Style

Silver, Harvey F., Joyce W. Jackson and Daniel T. Moirao. 2011. Alexandria, Va: ASCD (371.394 S587 2011)
Task rotation is a strategy that provides teachers with a manageable way to differentiate learning activities and formative assessments. When using task rotation, teachers present students with four interrelated tasks that ask them to use different styles of thinking. This guide provides the tools teachers need to design task rotation for their lesson plans.

Teaching and Assessing 21st Century Skills

Marzano, Robert J., and Tammy Heflebower. 2012. Bloomington, Ind: Marzano Research Laboratory (379.260973 M393)
Marzano and Heflebower present a solid argument that cognitive and conative skills will be the most valuable skills for graduates in the 21st century. Unfortunately, assessment appears in only one chapter and the assessment examples are quite generic.

Transformative Assessment in Action: An Inside Look at Applying the Process

Popham, W. James. 2011. Alexandria, Va: ASCD
(371.26 P827)
In the follow-up to his best-selling book Transformative Assessment, Popham focuses this time on the challenge of formative assessment: the decisions involved in its planning and implementation. He answers practical questions such as how much preparation is required and how this type of assessment can work in existing lesson plans.

Uncovering Student Ideas in Primary Science, Volume 1: 25 New Formative Assessment Probes for Grades K–2

Keeley, Page. 2013. Arlington, Va: National Science Teachers Association (372.35044 K26)
To learn what your students know and think about science, Keeley suggests using her formative assessment probes that are included in this book. A great way to identify preconceptions and monitor progress in understanding!

Using Formative Assessment to Differentiate Mathematics Instruction, Grades 4–10: Seven Practices to Maximize Learning

Laud, Leslie. 2011. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin (510.712 L367)
Supporting struggling students while also challenging high achievers is a difficult task for teachers. Laud provides a roadmap for using formative assessment in an easy way to differentiate mathematics instruction for students. Included in this book are assessment examples, reproducibles and student activities.

Writing Instruction and Assessment for English Language Learners K-8

Lenski, Susan, and Frances Verbruggen. 2010. New York: Guilford (372.623 l573)
To become successful writers, English language learners (ELL) need specialized support. In this book, teachers will find methods for adapting their current practice to meet the needs of their ELL students. Included are lesson planning ideas, examples of student work, rubrics and reproducible worksheets.

Video

How to Assess Authentic Learning

Burke, Kay. 2011. Corwin (69 min)
This useful video provides step-by-step instructions for developing unit plans using differentiated learning and assessment strategies, building Response to Intervention checklists for struggling students, designing performance tasks that engage all learners, and creating tests that focus on higher-order thinking skills. The book contains updated/ easy-to-implement formative assessment tools that teachers can use to help all students meet or exceed mandated academic standards.

Talk to Me: Conferring to Engage, Differentiate, and Assess, 6–12

Tovani, Cris. 2012. Stenhouse (115 min).
This video follows Tovani as she differentiates her instruction with students individually and with groups of students. To assess students, she asks them to talk to her then guides them in expressing their background knowledge of the subject and, later, in expressing what they have learned.

French Books/Livres En Francais

Ma dernière conférence : La planète en héritage

Suzuki, David. 2010. Montréal, QC : Les Éditions du Boréal. (304.2 S968)
Ce livre reprend les paroles laissées en héritage que David Suzuki a prononcées en décembre 2009 à l’Université de la Colombie-Britannique où il a enseigné pendant 39 ans. C’est sa version personnelle d’une dernière conférence, dans l’espoir de répondre à quelques questions éternelles : quel est le sens de tout ça? Qu’ai-je appris en une vie que j’aimerais transmettre? Comment l’espèce humaine en est-elle arrivée là aujourd’hui?

Salades de mathématiques et autres gourmandises numériques

Gangemi, Paolo. 2010. Paris, FRA : Édition First-Grϋnd (510 G197)
Qui a dit que les nombres étaient réservés aux grosses têtes? Finissons-en avec le tableau noir et la craie, avec les devoirs et les interrogations : ce livre s’adresse à tous les amateurs de curiosités arithmétiques, géométriques et logiques, et en révèle les saveurs les plus amusantes. Dans cet ouvrage, l’auteur couche sur le papier sa passion pour les chiffres en l’associant avec art, poésie, musique, religion et géographie.

L’enseignement des activités physiques,  sportives et artistiques

Leca, Raphaël, et Michel Billard. 2005. Paris, FRA : Éllipses Éditions Marketing S A. (613.707 C139)
L’objet de cet ouvrage est de mettre à jour les principales caractéristiques d’un enseignement efficace en éducation physique et sportive (EPS) tout en s’inspirant des principales caractéristiques de l’acte d’apprendre en EPS.

Approche par compétences et réduction des inégalités d’apprentissage entre élèves : De l’analyse des situations scolaires à la formation des enseignants

Beckers, Jacqueline, et Jacques Crinon, sous la direction de Germain Simons. 2012. Bruxelles, BEL : Groupe De Boeck S A. (371.3 B395)
Cet ouvrage ouvre des pistes de réflexion sur des pratiques susceptibles de diminuer les risques d’inégalités sans réduire les exigences des tâches et le niveau taxonomique des apprentissages. Les auteurs insistent sur la nécessité de rendre explicites et collectifs les savoirs en voie d’appropriation par les élèves.

Techniques expérimentales en chimie : Réussir les TP aux concours

Bernard, Anne-Sophie, et Sylvain Clède, Matthieu Émond, Hélène Monin-Soyer, Jérôme Quérard. 2012. Paris, FRA : Éditions Dunod. (540 B482)
Sous forme de fiches détaillées, cet ouvrage décrit de façon simple et pratique les techniques de la chimie expérimentale (organique et générale) rencontrées en travaux pratiques. Chaque fiche commence par une courte partie théorique permettant de comprendre les fondements physicochimiques de la technique abordée.
La mise en œuvre pratique est ensuite détaillée pas à pas afin de guider efficacement l’élève à la paillasse.
Il s’adresse principalement aux élèves de classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles, mais aussi aux étudiants de BTS, d’IUT, de Licence et à ceux qui préparent les concours de l’Éducation nationale.