This is by far the one subject that I really do not like assessing and in general I would rate myself a 4 on a scale from 0-10. Looking at the instructional uses found on page 160, here is the make up of that:
1. I rate myself a 4 in assessing the stages of writing development. I do have a little idea, however, it is something not fully documents, other than their first written piece in their Journals when school begins. We have this journal all year so I see their beginning entries, but I have not implemented a more formal documentations as in Figure 6.3.
2. I rate myself a 7 in assessing writing in the context of other language skills, and integrated languages assessment such as Reading, Social Studies, Science, Employability Skills, PE/Health, and Yup'ik. I do well integrating Writing to other Content Areas. Writing can be use in almost every part of their education, so I plug this into those outlets.
3. I rate myself a 7 in assessing all domains of writing, especially composition, in addition to sentence construction, word usage and mechanics. I use a program called Daily Language Practice everyday as guided instruction. This helps the grammar and language usage. However I do not make that connection of grammar and language usage in their paragraph writing or report writing, and letter writing.
4. As far as self assessment of writing I rate myself as 1, sharing scoring rubric rate is 1, and involving students in setting criteria is 1. I do like the student to pick their writing topics so that is a 5. This is my area needing improvement.
5. In assessing the writing process, I rate a 4 because I do let the students rewrite when necessary, however I do not follow the 6 Trait Writing Process. I do let the students publish or hang their written pieces.
6. I rate a 5 in using Multiple assessments of writing across various purposes, genres, and content areas. including written summaries and learning logs. As stated before I do include writing across the board, but I do not include rubrics other than the one needed in the Writing Level 2 assessment (not one we created -students and I), and I need to have them begin logging this process.
7. Including writing samples in their Portfolios, I rate a 5 because I do save written samples and add it to their thematic unit folders for parents to see. I do not further this as Writing Portfolios go, by having them self -evaluate or peer assess, and I have not had them make Table of Contents for their Portfolios, it is just some assignments they have completed in my classroom selected by me.
8. I do use results to begin planning so that I meet some needs of the student so I rate a 6. I do not have the students write personal goals and that needs to be in place.
In looking back since the beginning of the school year, one of fourteen of my students was able to write in a paragraph, stay on topic, and use proper grammar. Since then I have noticed another who has developed as a writer, shes now able to write a complete paragraph, complete with end marks, capitals, and stay on topic. So I do have a lot of room for improvement. I need to work to becoming a more student and portfolio friendly writing teacher. I need to begin to involve the students in their writing.
Some new terms after reading this chapter are on pages 142-144 the types of scoring. New to me are the Holistic Scoring and I like Figure 6.1 which is an example of a Holistic Rubric and primary trait which focuses on scoring one trait at a time in a written piece. I am familiar with Analytical scoring and that is represented in Figure 6.2. I have seen rubrics similar to this for 6 Trait writing.
Where to go from here? I have included some of these in my Assessment Portfolio and I do want to begin by having the students rate themselves as writers, and I want to document their development by using Figure 6.3 so that their stage or development is clear.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Peregoy & Boyle: Reading Assessment & Instruction: Ch. 10.
The assessments methods here were more analytical approaches to Reading Assessment as compared to Alternative Assessments of Reading as suggested in Valdez chapter 5. The approaches here were more teacher directed as opposed to the Reading assessments in Valdez where the learners were empowered to self-evaluate, document or chart their progress to show growth , and worked toward a goal or goals. One thing remains same in any situation is that teachers and or assessors need to learn more about their test takers and language learners such as gaining background knowledge and language knowledge. When a teacher gains new students he/she quickly tries to learn everything they can learn about the learners like what do they already know, what their strengths and weaknesses are. With this knowledge of the learners are a set of words they might already know, and possibly if the learner can comprehend. The data maybe attained through an "infinite variety" (as in Shakespeare's Cleopatra). Some of the ways to gain access to what the learner is able to do or lacks are through the tools such as the Informal Reading Inventory (IRI), Running Record, Miscue Analysis, and Guided Reading. Running Records, Miscues, and IRI are related in a way that they are testing fluency. Miscues and IRI's go further than Running Records to test comprehension as well as fluency. IRI's go further to test if the student has "tapped the ceiling" or tested as high as he/she can test to the point at which the learner has difficulty.
The levels stated here in this article are a little too broad for me. I would use this as another means (to see if the learners are at Independent, Instructional, or Frustration Reading levels), however I like the one Valdez has in Figure 5.18. The Assessment that I use monthly is a Running Record called AimsWeb where I assess the fluency of the child and count the words read per minute and note the errors he/she makes. I do that for three readings and then take the median of each ( middle # of words correct and # of errors). This does not test comprehension. The LY end of level test for Level 2 does provide a short Miscue Analysis where the students read a short story and then aswer 2-3 comprehension questions. This is a hit or miss since the comprehension part is in standardized format and students get only 2 questions.
I think my strengths as a reading teacher are the number of times I read aloud to the class, and mediate the process, I explain and have little discussions as we go along. I read aloud non-fiction, fiction, and chapter books daily. Some of these books are picture books and some are Alaskana books, or books that originated elsewhere. I strive to expose the class to a wide range of literature genres, and discuss these often. The authors here stressed Read Alouds. The other strength here is Silent Sustained Reading. They stressed it's best used after lunch and uninterrupted, and unreported, where learners self select their reading material from books, newspapers, magazines, and other fun literature. This works well because the students are engaged, they usually select a wide range of books, and they want to share a vocabulary they found that we have discussed before. This happens daily!
One thing that sounded interesting is the Echo Reading. I have done something similar to this but not for assessing purposes. I would like to try that. One chart that I liked here is Figure 10.9 the one about Guided Reading. I have thought about this but have not had time to begin to have small reading groups. It's a lot to prepare for since I am the only adult being in my classroom so it's a lot of training, and instructing students on how to work constructively in small groups. That is something I can try if I needed to. Right now, we seem to be getting along fairly well without. (No Barking At Print Here!):D
The levels stated here in this article are a little too broad for me. I would use this as another means (to see if the learners are at Independent, Instructional, or Frustration Reading levels), however I like the one Valdez has in Figure 5.18. The Assessment that I use monthly is a Running Record called AimsWeb where I assess the fluency of the child and count the words read per minute and note the errors he/she makes. I do that for three readings and then take the median of each ( middle # of words correct and # of errors). This does not test comprehension. The LY end of level test for Level 2 does provide a short Miscue Analysis where the students read a short story and then aswer 2-3 comprehension questions. This is a hit or miss since the comprehension part is in standardized format and students get only 2 questions.
I think my strengths as a reading teacher are the number of times I read aloud to the class, and mediate the process, I explain and have little discussions as we go along. I read aloud non-fiction, fiction, and chapter books daily. Some of these books are picture books and some are Alaskana books, or books that originated elsewhere. I strive to expose the class to a wide range of literature genres, and discuss these often. The authors here stressed Read Alouds. The other strength here is Silent Sustained Reading. They stressed it's best used after lunch and uninterrupted, and unreported, where learners self select their reading material from books, newspapers, magazines, and other fun literature. This works well because the students are engaged, they usually select a wide range of books, and they want to share a vocabulary they found that we have discussed before. This happens daily!
One thing that sounded interesting is the Echo Reading. I have done something similar to this but not for assessing purposes. I would like to try that. One chart that I liked here is Figure 10.9 the one about Guided Reading. I have thought about this but have not had time to begin to have small reading groups. It's a lot to prepare for since I am the only adult being in my classroom so it's a lot of training, and instructing students on how to work constructively in small groups. That is something I can try if I needed to. Right now, we seem to be getting along fairly well without. (No Barking At Print Here!):D
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Valdez-Pierce & O'Malley:Chapter 5, Reading Assessment
Basic points in reading assessments (p. 132):
(BTW-thanks Quana I'm rating myself on a scale 0-10 in everything) :D
1. I do focus on validity when assessing reading. If I am going to teach reading activities, I focus on testing those activities taught. An example would be if I am teaching basic site words, I have them read them and use them in sentences. I rate myself an 8 in this.
2. In planning, timing, and experience of assessing reading, there are certain activities I have learned based on my experiences: these are the activities I use every year: introduce themed vocabulary based on reading, mutltiple choice tests on these, flash cards with themed vocabulary (just started during the SIOP lessons last spring) and have student read aloud and say in sentences, Miscue analysis to record reading fluency done per month, use of graphic organizers like Story Outlines for comprehension, reading journals, use both themed fiction and non-fiction, Home Reading ,and provide Silent Sustained Reading time daily. I rate myself an 8.
3. As stated in the previous, students are assessed in decoding and in fluency, and some comprehension assessments strategies include graphic organizers, reading journals, multiple choice, true/false, and some short questions.
4. As far as students attitudes and feelings toward reading, I rate myself as a 5 (0-10) because I am not consistent in this. I would like to begin using reading attitude surveys, and my short term goal is to begin having the students say how the story makes them feel.
5. Again as stated in the previous (#4), I am not consistent in making assessment accountable for students time management. I can say though the time they spend in school is quality in general, however there is always room for improvement.
6. I rate myself as a 9 in that assessment is on-going and regular. Althought this is not a 10, I do see some little areas where I can improve as in the areas of self and peer assessments, peer or shared reading, and students expressing how they feel about the stories.
7. I rate myself a 2 for students being actively involved in their own assessment, setting criteria, and engaging in self-assessment or peer evaluation. I have done pieces of these but not enough for the students to have that confidence in their own assessment. They would not be able to orally tell about these.
8. This is an interesting reading assessment tool that states teacher should be recording observations of reading systematically. I can say I am about a 6 in the scale. I do write my plans to reflect needs of students, based on standards not met yet. My plans are visible and printed, copies of my plans are in the computer so I can check back. Each student has a score summary sheet and a check off report card that is computerized, so records are on-going. But I do see where I can improve is maybe an activity like an anecdotal record and to actually print reports of their fluency reports for them to see. This is where I can have students write reading goals too and work toward that goal so that they can become fluent readers.
9. I would say I rate a 7 in using multiple assessments. I can alwasy use more like the reading portfolios complete with attitudes, peer assessments, and self assessments. I also like the idea of students being constructive with their reading logs like charting how many books read per month. That is something I would like to start.
10. So far I rate myself in using reading assessments to inform students, parents, and teachers as a 6. I do inform parents, and some teachers if they request info. But I do not use it as a means to inform students. I need to become more balanced to involve student in their own process and make them more aware, and more responsible for their reading.
(BTW-thanks Quana I'm rating myself on a scale 0-10 in everything) :D
1. I do focus on validity when assessing reading. If I am going to teach reading activities, I focus on testing those activities taught. An example would be if I am teaching basic site words, I have them read them and use them in sentences. I rate myself an 8 in this.
2. In planning, timing, and experience of assessing reading, there are certain activities I have learned based on my experiences: these are the activities I use every year: introduce themed vocabulary based on reading, mutltiple choice tests on these, flash cards with themed vocabulary (just started during the SIOP lessons last spring) and have student read aloud and say in sentences, Miscue analysis to record reading fluency done per month, use of graphic organizers like Story Outlines for comprehension, reading journals, use both themed fiction and non-fiction, Home Reading ,and provide Silent Sustained Reading time daily. I rate myself an 8.
3. As stated in the previous, students are assessed in decoding and in fluency, and some comprehension assessments strategies include graphic organizers, reading journals, multiple choice, true/false, and some short questions.
4. As far as students attitudes and feelings toward reading, I rate myself as a 5 (0-10) because I am not consistent in this. I would like to begin using reading attitude surveys, and my short term goal is to begin having the students say how the story makes them feel.
5. Again as stated in the previous (#4), I am not consistent in making assessment accountable for students time management. I can say though the time they spend in school is quality in general, however there is always room for improvement.
6. I rate myself as a 9 in that assessment is on-going and regular. Althought this is not a 10, I do see some little areas where I can improve as in the areas of self and peer assessments, peer or shared reading, and students expressing how they feel about the stories.
7. I rate myself a 2 for students being actively involved in their own assessment, setting criteria, and engaging in self-assessment or peer evaluation. I have done pieces of these but not enough for the students to have that confidence in their own assessment. They would not be able to orally tell about these.
8. This is an interesting reading assessment tool that states teacher should be recording observations of reading systematically. I can say I am about a 6 in the scale. I do write my plans to reflect needs of students, based on standards not met yet. My plans are visible and printed, copies of my plans are in the computer so I can check back. Each student has a score summary sheet and a check off report card that is computerized, so records are on-going. But I do see where I can improve is maybe an activity like an anecdotal record and to actually print reports of their fluency reports for them to see. This is where I can have students write reading goals too and work toward that goal so that they can become fluent readers.
9. I would say I rate a 7 in using multiple assessments. I can alwasy use more like the reading portfolios complete with attitudes, peer assessments, and self assessments. I also like the idea of students being constructive with their reading logs like charting how many books read per month. That is something I would like to start.
10. So far I rate myself in using reading assessments to inform students, parents, and teachers as a 6. I do inform parents, and some teachers if they request info. But I do not use it as a means to inform students. I need to become more balanced to involve student in their own process and make them more aware, and more responsible for their reading.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Ochoa, S. H. (2005). Disproportionate representation of diverse students in special education:Understanding the complex puzzle.
In three years since this book was written and finding these appalling data, I wonder how much of the data has changed to the betterment of the native and diverse students who were labeled all these such as Limited English proficiency, mental retardation (MR), learning disabled(LD), seriously emotionally disturbed(SED), and all the other names and labels mentioned here. I almost was convinced that I am "poor with low birth weight, to have poorer nutrition, and to have home and child care environments that are less supportive of early cognitive and emotional development than their majority counterparts" (p.4). But, I am much too proud of my heritage, language and culture to let these findings and labels get the best of me. It was hard to read this and I found myself searching for solutions. It is good that included were a set of possible conclusions to this horrid chapter. This is not to say that all natives are not and do not qualify for special education, some do. On the other hand this article states most diverse students are special education students. What's wrong with this picture? (first display question of this blog).
Some suggested solutions to this include Teacher Training, Early Intervention, and Research.
My connections to this reading is how Hollywood has displayed minorities in movies and shows. One example are the old westerns like the cowboys and the Indians. All this "disproportionality"has crept onto the big screen in that sense that white is the ideal and any other culture is below. There is an excellent book that explains some of this oppressiveness called "Off White: Readings on Race, Power, and Society" by Michelle Fine, Lois Weis, Linda C. Powell, and L. Mun Wong. So I will look for more solutions to all this and not revel in the negativity.
Some suggested solutions to this include Teacher Training, Early Intervention, and Research.
My connections to this reading is how Hollywood has displayed minorities in movies and shows. One example are the old westerns like the cowboys and the Indians. All this "disproportionality"has crept onto the big screen in that sense that white is the ideal and any other culture is below. There is an excellent book that explains some of this oppressiveness called "Off White: Readings on Race, Power, and Society" by Michelle Fine, Lois Weis, Linda C. Powell, and L. Mun Wong. So I will look for more solutions to all this and not revel in the negativity.
Poehner & Lantolf (2005) Dynamic assessment in the language classroom. Language Teaching Research, 9(3), 233-265
This article forced me to use my noodle! It entailed what Dynamic Assessment is and is not! So I will take a stab at it, please correct me if I am wrong. Just off the top of my head, DA is the process that a teacher and learner undertakes in the classroom together, it is the gradual release of responsibility from teacher to learner, it involves learners' self-corrections therefore may lead to grasp or mastery of concepts, it is scaffolding, however all scaffolding may not qualify as DA, and it is more Formative Assessment than it is Summative Assessment.
Some of my initial thoughts here include teaching in response to data or results. The teachers seemed to be more in tuned to the learner's weaknesses and/or strengths, therefore they were able to navigate or lead the process in the direction that students begin to master the skills or areas needing improvement. One other thought regarding this is teachers teaching to the test, so correct me if I am wrong in thinking this. It seemed that direct focus was on students mastery of skills at hand and where ever the teacher directed the learners was toward mastery of that skill based on test criteria. Although this happened discretely, learners were focused or geared toward mastery. The second thought that came to mind is the gradual release of responsibility, could be from teacher to learner, peer to peer, until the learner was able to work or master as an individual. I just received a student from another grade lower and as I read this, I was thinking of how she did this past week as it was her first week in my class. Especially in the beginning of the week, I am display more responsibility as I guide the students in their lessons such as guided practiced on the board. By mid week the students work more in peer-to-peer situations where scaffolding is taking place. Fridays are my assessment days like spelling tests, vocabulary quizzes, and other little quizzes where students work individually hence the gradual release of responsibility is individualized at this point. The new student did not do well on the spelling test and the quizzes and I was thinking it was because she was not used to my methods, she still needed the guidance from another, and/or she was not use to taking tests as the ones I give. The students who have been with me since the beginning of the school did fairly well. This was just one thing that was on my mind as I read this article. The third thought that came to mind was the way the teachers interacted with the learners as hit or miss, this helped define DA clearly. To be called a DA teacher , you must interact with the child in a way that promotes self actualization's and provide opportunities for the learners' correct their errors as opposed to providing the answers. I also thought about the questioning techniques here by the teacher and it seemed most were display questions rather than genuine questions so that the learners internalized the lessons and made personal connections.
My final thought here is if this is an assessment, how is it recorded? If we (students and I) wanted to include this in the portfolios, what will it look like (DA material)? I thought about recordings and transcriptions and/or field notes or observations. This was an interesting take on assessment!
Some of my initial thoughts here include teaching in response to data or results. The teachers seemed to be more in tuned to the learner's weaknesses and/or strengths, therefore they were able to navigate or lead the process in the direction that students begin to master the skills or areas needing improvement. One other thought regarding this is teachers teaching to the test, so correct me if I am wrong in thinking this. It seemed that direct focus was on students mastery of skills at hand and where ever the teacher directed the learners was toward mastery of that skill based on test criteria. Although this happened discretely, learners were focused or geared toward mastery. The second thought that came to mind is the gradual release of responsibility, could be from teacher to learner, peer to peer, until the learner was able to work or master as an individual. I just received a student from another grade lower and as I read this, I was thinking of how she did this past week as it was her first week in my class. Especially in the beginning of the week, I am display more responsibility as I guide the students in their lessons such as guided practiced on the board. By mid week the students work more in peer-to-peer situations where scaffolding is taking place. Fridays are my assessment days like spelling tests, vocabulary quizzes, and other little quizzes where students work individually hence the gradual release of responsibility is individualized at this point. The new student did not do well on the spelling test and the quizzes and I was thinking it was because she was not used to my methods, she still needed the guidance from another, and/or she was not use to taking tests as the ones I give. The students who have been with me since the beginning of the school did fairly well. This was just one thing that was on my mind as I read this article. The third thought that came to mind was the way the teachers interacted with the learners as hit or miss, this helped define DA clearly. To be called a DA teacher , you must interact with the child in a way that promotes self actualization's and provide opportunities for the learners' correct their errors as opposed to providing the answers. I also thought about the questioning techniques here by the teacher and it seemed most were display questions rather than genuine questions so that the learners internalized the lessons and made personal connections.
My final thought here is if this is an assessment, how is it recorded? If we (students and I) wanted to include this in the portfolios, what will it look like (DA material)? I thought about recordings and transcriptions and/or field notes or observations. This was an interesting take on assessment!
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