EdCircuit Staff 
An interview with Michael Chiles, author of The CRAFT of Assessment.
In this interview with Michael Chiles, author of The CRAFT of Assessment: A whole school approach to assessment of learning (John Catt Educational), discover new approaches to assessment that move beyond the traditional summative practices to examine the fundamentals of what students understand in terms of concept and process. The idea is to set up reflective learners through regular retrieval practice to allow students a better understanding of what they are learning while cementing long-term memory through all stages of their education journey.
“CRAFT” is used in Chiles’s book as an acronym to describe the various stages of his new approach. “It’s five key principles to explore assessment for learning,” he says. “The first principle is condense; the second principle is reflect; the third principle is assess; the fourth principle is feed-forward, and the fifth principle is target-driven improvement.”
As you listen to the interview, think through the following questions, and consider your views on assessment and what areas you feel need more attention in addressing learner’s needs:
• As you review Chiles’ “CRAFT” concept, what areas stick out as most in need of improvement from the perspective of your learning environment?
• What do you feel are the key principles of assessment? Are there things that are typically done – or not done – with assessment, that you want to do differently?
• Do you see Chiles’ idea of generating reflective learners as a benefit to your classroom learning?
• Districts and schools worldwide are trying to establish what the new normal is going to be. How do we progress not only from the adult perspective of proctoring learning but also from the students’ side of things?
• From your perspective, experience, and role as an educator, what are you doing consistently to affect the overall culture of learning?
Learn more about Michael Chiles’ book, The CRAFT of Assessment, and more great John Catt Educational publications, by visiting us.johncattbookshop.com
About Michael Chiles
Chiles has his own consultancy with a demonstrated history of working in the education management industry. He is a specialist in e-learning, topic-based authoring, literacy, coaching, and secondary education. In addition to over 10 years of experience teaching geography, Chiles is currently the Head of Department at Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy in Runcorn, Cheshire, UK.
He holds the position of Principal Examiner, writes blogs at GeogHod, and is recently the author of The CRAFT of Assessment (John Catt Educational). He enjoys walking and exploring the British countryside with his Border Collie.
Follow Michael Chiles on Twitter @m_chiles
About
Dr. Berger is one of many industry education correspondents for the Mind Rocket Media Group, An educator and former school administrator. His video interview work and conversational podcasts have been featured in various media outlets. He often hosts education panel discussions and develops strategic content. As an academic Dr. Berger is a guest lecturer at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. A former assistant principal, he has been an adjunct undergraduate professor and developer of online college courses. He is a passionate Detroit sports fan who has also adopted Nashville sports teams as his own.
Contact the Mind Rocket Media Group if you are interested in an industry interview and a placement on EdCircuit.
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