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.

Multithreaded Language Learning

In the article written by Robert A. Morrey title Multithreaded Language Learning: Students at Different Levels Working in One Classroom he goes on to discuss how he has created lesson plans that allow the students to work almost on their own and create their own lesson plans. He doesn't leave them hanging though. This is just on the technology part of the class. He does encourage the target language to be used in the classroom. This style was also used in an advance German class so it wouldn't be as effective in a beginning class due to the students already having a foundation. He uses technology such as the Internet, videos, news articles, CD's, books, audio-tapes, and many other forms of media to engage in learning and has assignments all geared around these medias. The students then have the freedom to learn about subject of their choice as long as they follow the guidelines of what is to be applied to the learning. He has presentations that they give, reports, summaries of what they learned all in the target language. The class he does this in is a 3rd and 4th year German class. They learn new vocabulary, customs, grammar, language skills, pronunciation, and many other aspects. This is taking the the traditional teaching role and allowing the students to learn about things that interest them while having the support and and guidance from the teacher. He stated that the interest of learning increases when he teaches in this manner and allows all students to find materials at their level of learning.

Food for Thought Questions

1. What if you are from a lower S.E.S. school how would you go about doing this?

You may not have that many computers but I'm sure their is one. You can use Newpapers, Cassettes along with your one computer as well as a VCR. Where there is a will their is a way.

2. Would you recommend groups? 

Groups could be good or bad. It might allow for to much group noise (distraction) and they may not allows be communicating in the target language. A pro could be group cohesion if they did it using the foreign language. They would be able to learn from one another and well as build socialization skills using the foreign language.

Technical Frience

In an article written by Maria Pastorek and Lisa Craig titled Technical Frience they talk about how they integrate multiple subjects and technology into one lesson plan. These subjects are Science, Foreign Language, and Social Studies. The language that this article talks about emphasizing is French. What the teachers have their students do is is very interesting. First the teachers read a book called The Mixed up Chameleon and learn about defenseless animals in English and French. The students then create their own defenseless animal and then used Kid Pix studio to re-create the animal on the computer. They then are assigned a country that speaks French and a title ambassador, consul, etc. and find their country on an atlas or globe. The students then group themselves by country and start the research. They research the habitat and climate in French as well as English and then discuss this with their group and decide what their animal needs to survive. They then go on to create a slide show using software that describes their animals and the country in both languages as well.  The teachers who wrote about this said their students not only learned about animals but how to use a globe/atlas, do research, French words, technology, as well as working in groups (social interaction). I think that this is a very unique way to be able to teach a wide variety of subjects in just one lesson and thought that it also builds student creativity. 

Food for thought Questions

1. What are the cost of this Kid Pix software that was mentioned for the creative process?

It can be picked up off of Amazon for around 20.00 dollars and there are different a few different versions as deluxe four seems to be the newest version.

2. What other alternative ways would you be able to do a similar project if your classroom does not have too many computers? 

You could still do the project just establish a time period for each group to use the computer and so on. Of course you allow everyone the same time just have the final project due at a different time for the different groups.

Too Few Computers and Too Many Kids

In the article titled Too Few Computers and Too Many Kids  written by Douglas Bedient, Jacqueline Scolari, and Tamela Randolph they talk about ways to incorporate learning strategies into classrooms that don't have enough computers for everyone. This article goes on to talk about different subject areas that this can be applied to but the area of my interest in the foreign language strategies that they have come up with. They have numerous other ways besides just using a textbook to teach the students. Although textbooks are still are primary aspect of learning another language it is still important to have some immersion into the language. Going on the internet and finding News headlines of what's going on in a country of the target language is one of the many projects that they have come up with that deals with using the computer for a short time only to allow another student to use it. They get the headlines, preferable having words they need to look up and create a poster board out of it and present it to the class.  They can also search for headlines that are audio so they can hear the native speaker talk about to learn accents and emphasis on certain parts of the words. On another audio aspect of the learning strategies the students can also search for radio stations that are in the target language and listen to that to learn more about the accents and what not from a native speaker. You could also bring in popular broadcasts and have the students listen to those as well on headphones. Another project would be to create a menu out of some of the cultural foods that can be found in the country of the target language as well. I think all of these are great ideas on top of the traditional learning style of the textbook. This helps build creativity and grammar not found  in textbooks as well. Also with the listening project the students can learn what part of words get emphasized and how you might enunciate a word differently. For example the difference in Spanish speakers from say Mexico City compared to those Spanish speakers in different parts of Spain.

Food For Thought Questions:

1. If there are not enough computers how much out of pocket money does one usually spend on this type of activities (ie: cassettes, radio players, etc etc)?

It all depends on what activity usually and how many students there are in the class plus how many computers you are short. There are many variables.

2. Do you find the students excel more when you integrate these styles into the classroom.?

I feel as thought they do because it is more hands on and they are working on things and putting pieces together themselves rather than just reading a book. Much more research goes into this as far as looking up new grammar in a dictionary, etc. etc.

Opening Doors to the World

In the article Opening Doors to the World written by Karen French she speak of how to integrate technology in a classroom so you can create a global learning plateau. Students can use the internet to communicate internationally with other students in a target language so that they can both learn from one another.  This turns your normal classroom into a global classroom with no barriers. You can communicate first hand with native speakers and you learn one another's culture as well. She makes sure she follows the U.S. Foreign Language Learning Standards when she creates her assignments which are Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities. She has the students get e-pal friends from countries of their target language and once partnered up they complete assignments together using a chat system,. They could type or they can actually talk so you hear the native way of speaking. Some examples of what kind of work they do is that for starters they have activities that are based on Interpersonal Exchange where they can get to know one another. This is followed by information collection and analysis in foreign language learning. This is where they research one another culture and try to get a better understanding of one another's way of life in a day to day sense.

Food for Thought Questions

1. How much does it cost for the E-pal services?

IT'S FREE,  Now your school can't cut this part of the curriculum.

2. What if you have students that find the projects too easy as they might be ahead of the rest of the class when it comes to this language?

Talk to the other teach in the class that you are collaborating with and se he has a similar situation and team the two of them up.