Implementing Performance Assessments

Throughout the year a teacher/instructor can perform various methods of assessments to ensure that the students are progressively learning the material needed to excel to the next level. For my ESL class I would incorporate various methods of assessments to ensure the students are meeting the course objectives and the objectives of each particular lesson plan. 

First off I would in the ESL class I would hold at the end of each lesson plan class presentations. Students will use vocabulary that had been recently covered that ranges from types of verbs, nouns and punctuation. They will be critiqued on pronunciation, vocabulary used (from lesson), and length. Student must have a minimal time of 3-4 minutes and have less than 6 errors to pass. This type off assessment will show that they have mastered the vocabulary of the lesson and know how to appropriately use it in conversation. A good test, beginning with objectives is meant by the authors to say that objectives help the teachers have direction in what to teach in order to meet the objectives or end goals for the unit, and having objectives also gives something to be measured (Kubiszyn, 2010).  A teacher will also know the success of a unit by what students remember and how many of those things relate to the objectives. These presentations will reflect just that. What they have retained from the lesson we had just covered. This type of assessment I think goes well with Bloom's Taxonomy due to the fact they have to understand the proper usage of the vocabulary, apply it to create a presentation, analyze their usage of words to make sure it flows appropriately, and use all this to create a full presentation.

Thought Process with Test Items and Essay

When dealing with students at a young age whom are still learning how to speak english as a secondary language its imperative to include various techniques that could help aide cognitive development. Pronunciation. grammar building, word association will help build their vocabulary but at the same time by using pictures and word association you are in a way forcing them to build cognitive development by having them build upon what they know by relating it to something similar. This also falls under, “What kinds of essential tasks, achievements, or other valued competencies am I missing with paper-and-pencil test (Kubiszyn & Borich, 2010 p. 190). The reason why that falls under this is because one of the test items is to present their own ending of the short story they have read. This leads to creative thinking, vocab building, builds confidence with speaking and many other areas. These types of assignments are great because you get to see areas of the student cognition that you do not see on a basic pencil test. 

ESL Grade 2 Learning Objectives

Unit of study- Grammar Building, Comprehension, Reading Skills, Analytical Thinking

1. Reading comprehension-  Short story reading followed by questions. Building upon established grammar skills and building new grammar as well. The test will be conducted on matching the english word to the picture to show understanding.

2. Critical thinking/Creative writing skills-  Rewrite the ending of the short story by selecting words from a word bank. This will engage their creative side and be able to interact with the story how they may have wanted it to end.

3. Grammar Building- Using photos the student will describe what they see. These can be scenic pictures to picture or people. The idea is to get them to use grammar they may have just read and learned in the association within the pictures.

Testing Strategies

1. Matching drawings to words- Student will need to match pictures to corresponding words to show that they understand everything they had just read with a passing score of 70%.

2. Presentation- Students will take their on ending of the story and read it aloud to the class. They will be tested on pronunciation and how well they used the words in relation to context. Will be graded on how many mistakes are made with no more that 7 mistakes.

3. Word Association- Students will be tested on matching words that are associated with one another for example (winter/snow). Students will have a word bank of 20 words making 10 pairs. Must pass with a 70%.


 Essay Prompt

The essay that will be assigned will be one that is associated with what the students will be doing for Christmas break, where they may be going and what they are asking for for christmas. Essay is to be written in English with no other languages represented. Stick with words they know so they are used correctly. You may used that are associated within the test to show you have learned them.