Corners

 Corners is a quick formative assessment that uses a socially safe way for students to voice their opinions about information the teacher has introduced to the class. It is an formative assessment designed to find out if students agree, disagree, or don't know about any information that can lead to a discussion or a simple opinion. At the beginning of class, the teacher has placed the words -agree, disagree, and don't know on separate placards and placed one on the wall, in its own corner of the room. When the teacher wants to find out if a concept has been learned they can simply say “corners” and the students go to the corner that best describes their opinion on the subject. Once the students are in their respective corner, the teacher can see if the students agree, disagree, or simply don't know as quickly as looking at the classroom corners.
 * Explanation **

Corners can be a useful assessment strategy for social sciences, natural sciences or any concept where the subject can be discussed and opinions developed. In educational settings, corners can be used to assess prior knowledge, attach new learning to prior knowledge, and help develop the students learning into higher-order learning skills where the student understands, analysis, and creates new learning by developing and defending personal opinion. Corners is best suited to subject matter that has opinions or logical thinking and is not suited to basic facts that use simple rote memorization such as multiplication facts.

Corners can be used to pre-assess a subject where many opinions may be available and were prior knowledge may have misconceptions. A teacher needs to know if prior knowledge needs to be relearned or corrected before giving new knowledge, in order to move on to the learning goal set by the teacher with correct information.
 * Pre-assessment **

Corners can be a good way to start a class discussion when students see that others may have some of the same opinion that they have. It may be a reality check to some students to see that no one has their same opinion and let the students do some analyzing to figure out why they don't share the same opinion as other students, and is that important to them. Corners can be a teaching tool to direct student up the ladder of Bloom's Taxonomy, by using understanding, analyzing, and creating knowledge skills. During Corners if given extra time, students can firm up opinions and learn logical thinking skills to state them to individuals or larger groups.
 * Assessment **

Corners can be used as a post-assessment tool, to show teachers if students have their opinions aligned with good logical thinking and if any misconceptions exist. This could be a time for the teacher to allow the students to share opinions with individual peers or the larger class. Being able to discuss opinions could show the final development of higher-order learning.
 * Post-assessment **

I have not used Corners, but I can visualize having students go to the specific corner, and giving them time to discuss why they have the opinions they have. I think making students accountable for their opinions is a good thing, and Corners is a fast, socially safe way to do this. I can see students enjoying the opportunity to share their views with others in a safe environment.

Dalene Burch