Assessment

Assessments have always been one of the most worrisome parts of learning a course or a class. I have always been scared of taking tests and quizzes. Most of the time we had to give standardized tests at school, oral reports for part of a chapter of a book, or just pop quizzes at the beginning or end of the class time. Other forms were Open-book tests or End of unit tests. We also had science experiments, writing folders, math puzzles, and just recently, portfolios. At times, we also had to debate certain topics in groups in class.

I have also given assessments to my ESL students. Standardized tests, pop quizzes, writing tests, multiple choice quizzes, grammar tests, debates, open-book tests, oral reports, lectures, and projects.

As an ESL student and teacher, I have experienced many of these assessments in different settings.

Traditional Assessment Practices - Traditional, criterion-based multiple choice tests do not measure higher-order thinking nor do they measure a student's progress. These are not effective practices to assess the diverse learners in our classrooms today (especially with the number of ELLs and Special Needs students increasing.)

Alternative Assessment Practices - Alternative assessment is synonymous with authentic assessment and performance-based assessment. These types of assessments ask a student to generate a response rather than choose a response (matching/multiple choice.) Alternative assessment is aligned with both the curriculum, the instruction, and, in some cases, the authentic problem. Some examples include: rubrics, portfolios, electronic portfolios, projects, oral presentations, and essays.

The most effective ones to me as a student were group projects. They were more detailed and demanding but we also learned from each other. Nevertheless, there was less worry and thus the learning outcome was higher.

I have always tried to assess my students both individually and in a group. The collaboration among group members created a better learning environment and less tension.

Recently, I also took some courses where there was no assessment. There was no assessment of the sort that used to worry me. Surprisingly, everyone studied harder and paid more attention to learning in class. There were no pop quizzes, tests, or lectures, but there were authentic problems. The instructor used to introduce the objectives of the lesson in the form of an authentic problem and we had to solve that problem. The class included all kinds of assessments, but there was no label of “testing.”

The multiple intelligences and different learning styles of Howard Gardner have a very important effect on whether an assessment can be effective or useless. I have had students who demanded tests, because then they forced themselves to study. On the other hand, there were some who expected a more engaged and interactive class with art collections or Science experiments and projects as their assessments. To all of these students, standardized tests have always been a beast.

I also remember,when my teachers prepared us for the big test, we were more prepared and we would have a better result. But sometimes, this ended up with just studying for the test and not the real content learning. “Adequate test preparation significantly improves student attitudes toward test taking.” (Chittooran and Miles 2001)

Other forms of assessments are:

Informal Assessment:

▪ On-the-spot, ongoing opportunities to determine the extent of students’ learning.

▪ Teacher observations, anecdotal reports, informal conversations with students, and quick-writes.

Authentic Assessment:

▪ Application to real life—real life contexts

▪ Multidimensional—ex: students’ writing, taped pieces, interviews, videotapes, observations, projects, discussion, performances, group responses.

▪ Includes multiple indicators to show competency of content objective. Use of a rubric defines the level of learning and is shared with students and parents.

A teacher AND a learner

Specific methods I have experienced as a teacher or a learner

Having been a second language learner myself, I was taught partly by the traditional approach Grammar Translation Method and partly by Direct Method and Audio lingual. I remember I liked audio lingual because I could hear native speakers on the conversations and it felt very real. The grammar translation, I never liked it because it was simply boring and I could not connect it to any of our daily conversations. I also liked the drills and the repetition especially when the teacher would add real examples of daily life sentences that had a connection to each student.

I did learn a lot from all the methodologies I grew up with. For one thing, I always try to connect the content lesson with my students' personal lives. Surprisingly, when they see the connection, they feel it, they pay attention, they participate and they'll get engaged in learning. Lessons with no relevance to students will make no connection and thus we will lose our students right in front of us.

I would know if my method and approach working, when I see my students are learning. If I see engagement in class, full participation, asking and answering questions, follow up, formative and summative good grades; thus, I will know that my approach is working. If I see my students are collaborating with each other, they care about each other's learning, they search for information and use that information, If I see they are knowledgeable about their subjects and are literate, then for sure I know my methods are working. I do need to update myself with new approaches and methods in teaching languages as well. For this, I have also taken courses in Integration of Technology into Schools (ITS) at GMU and am working toward enriching my classes with tools that maximize students' learning. I will also need the support and mentoring of peer teachers and collaboration with other schools to see what is working for students in the 21 st century. We not only need to update ourselves and seek support from our co-workers but also need to be in continuous contact with parents to get to know their kids better and help them with their education.

Classroom Management and Design

As the 19th century American philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson quoted “If you only learn methods you will be tied to them, but if you learn principles you can devise your own methods.” One way and I believe the best way to provide accountability for what I know and am able to do as a teacher for classroom management plan is addressing Organization, Discipline, Instruction, and Motivation in all classrooms.


The main issue in a classroom management is students’ engagement throughout the lesson. Repeated research has validated that active student participation and engagement with each other are vital for effective learning and promoting improved retention of information and vocabulary. Teacher lecture will only result in a 5% retention level, reading a 10% level. Practice by doing can result in a 75% retention level and students who teach material to each other will retain 90% (PWC). Classroom management consists of three critical factors of consistent discipline, quality instruction (assessment) and effective motivation. Consistent discipline and quality instruction go hand in hand. Good classroom management provides the structure and expectations for effective lesson delivery. Good assessment drives lesson plan and quality lesson plan promotes student engagement which ultimately will reduce time spent on CM. These all must function together. Self-assessment is a valuable commodity for any teacher – when beginning the profession. It takes skill and practice to build a firm foundation. The more a teacher spends time in effective application of these key factors, the less time is needed in classroom management and thus maximizing actual teaching time.


Organization:
• Organize a safe environment for learning
• Create an effective harmonious classroom by using various instruments.
• Know the academic, social and cultural backgrounds of their ESL students
• Use proper body language and word selection especially with ESL students and their diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Acquire plenty of information about students including family backgrounds, countries of origin and levels of education.
• Pay close attention to the federal mandates of students IEP’s.
• Accommodate special necessities for special education and also ESL students.
• Plan ahead, be consistent and be proactive. Prevent, earn respect and limit unexpected surprises.
• Set the physical learning environment according to different levels and grades to maximize learning, motivation and students’ interaction.
• Do not preach or lecture. Facilitate learning and engage students


Discipline:
• Manage your classroom with Day One.
• Show no fear
• Be ready to offer information about yourself in a professional and exemplary way.
• Get to know students from the very beginning.
• Integrate interactive instruction with communicative skills that include discipline strategies.
• Obtain discipline through proximity and non-verbal communication
• Make a clear distinction between the “helpless hand raiser” and the student who requires help
• Take the time to help the dysfunctional student in classroom by achieving a realistic and mutually satisfying conclusion for both you and the student.

Instruction:
• Make meaningful instruction and engage students all the way through the lesson.
• Relate the lesson with students’ lives. Teach and make it fun and watch students learning on the run.
• Have both the agenda and syllabus ready. Distribute an approved course syllabus and guide students for note taking through the agenda.
• Incorporate instructing strategies into one’s teaching profession.
• Observe students use of language in other contexts.
• Do not water the instruction down. Instead differentiate and scaffold learning.
• Use pre-planned handouts, guided instruction, visual and graphics, simplify language and use realia for students of lower grades. Make learning more precise and comprehensible
• Scaffold by means of comprehensible input, modeling, visuals, supplemental materials and pairing with selected students ( in case of special or ESL presence)
• Create cooperative learning for IEP and ESL students as well as understanding heart
• Generally remove scaffolding when students reach learning goals.
• Employ collaborative problem solving with a student displaying helpless behavior
• Give repetitive modeled SOLs and WIDA tests to students to prepare them for the real high stakes tests and provides them with more language proficiency.
• Recognize and assess if your instruction is in lieu with other elements of teaching.
• Offer help and model learning yourself
• Teach partner teaching, engage student pair work in teaching each other
• Instruct along with continuous feedback both for yourself and students.
• Be ready for change and try out new strategies in teaching
• Seek feedback and do not be self- critical

Motivation:
• Take extra time to encourage or seek alternatives to make subject matter more comprehensible
• Maintains a wonderful balance of structure and flexibility as well as a great incentive system
• Foster a culture of success and promote diligence.
• Create a safe environment, active learning and high expectations to encourage success.
• Apply proactive incentives in any classroom or subject area.
• Develop intrinsic motivation and a love of learning in all students.
• Instill confidence and inspire potential
• Promote cooperative learning
• Create a culture of success
 
Cited works

Cary, S. (2007). Working with English Language Learners..

Cushman, K. (2003). Fires in the Bathroom. New York: The New Press. (Middle School)

Greene, R. (2008). Lost at School.

Jones. (2007). Tools for Teaching. Santa Cruz: Frederick H. Jones & Assoc. .

Vogt. Short, D. (2008). Making Content Comprehensive for English Learners. Pearson Education Inc.

Prince William County Public Schools Website: http://pwcs.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=102442&sessionid=ee4cd95828fa8b0bda2de1fcee11106b

Goal-Setting Policy for Virginia Adult Education and Literacy Programs, Policy 3.1