Assessment
Classroom Assessment at an International School
Rationale
My students had very little diagnostic information in their school records, so I completed classroom assessments in language during the first weeks of school. I used the resulting data to create vocabulary lesson plans at the appropriate level for each student.
The activities described in the article are informal assessments of the students’ retention and use of the vocabulary. I observed the students on those days and made notes for areas of concern, but did not assign grades. I chose these activities specifically for their valuable kinesthetic components, and the repetition that they provide without boredom.
For the graded assessments, I created quizzes that would look familiar, being similar in style to the lessons and study guides, and offered different formats for response. Although our school had quality supplies available on each grade level, it was lacking in specially designed material for older, low-level readers. For me, this was an opportunity to create teaching and assessment materials to suit my students’ needs.
Classroom Assessment for Grade 7 Vocabulary
Grade: 7
Class: English, Special Education
This English class consists of seven boys. Their ages fall between 13 and 15. They participate full-time in a special education pull out class for English. Most of the students do not have formal evaluations or IEP’s. General education teachers refer students to the Learning Support Center after a series of team meetings. One student is legally blind, two of them have dyslexia, and two of them very likely have cognitive disabilities. For all but one student, English is a second or third language.
In September 2008, each student in this class completed the Brigance Diagnostic Inventory of Basic Skills for students in grades 1 through 9. This assessment is especially designed as "pre and post testing for ESL and Resource students." This assessment tool is reported to have an acceptable reliability (Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Council for Exceptional Children 64th, New Orleans, LA, March 31-April 4, 1986), however, several factors in this classroom make the results less valid; the students native language is Arabic; they have grown up in the Egyptian culture; two of them used readers and scribes who had received no training.
The Brigance assessment did help to find a baseline for the group. All the scores are below grade level on all sections of the assessment, except one student in spelling and another in reading comprehension. The seventh-graders range from 2nd grade level to 4th grade level in the vocabulary assessment.
The students have worked individually on the their own levels of vocabulary skills and in groups with their peers. Lessons were selected from Steck-Vaughn Vocabulary Connections A Content Area Approach (1997, Steck-Vaughn Company). One student worked in Level A, four worked in Level D, one worked in Level G, and one in Level H.
Each week the students receive one lesson consisting of ten vocabulary words. Steck-Vaughn presents the words in a news-style article that reflects the content areas of literature, social studies, science, mathematics, health, and fine arts. The students' response to the reading and the level of work is generally positive. However, early in the year, students did not always complete the assignment and did not use the new vocabulary accurately in conversation or writing.
For the second semester, I added a teacher-made quiz to the weekly vocabulary assignment. The quiz helped to increase student participation in the vocabulary assignment. Also, throughout the week, all levels were combined for whole-group activities that helped create more interest in the vocabulary. The following activities had a positive impact on recall as well.
Activity 1 – A sampling of vocabulary words from each level is used. The words are printed on individual index cards with a very brief definition on the back. Each student takes one card and sits in a circle. The teacher begins for demonstration. She reads the word and its meaning, and then makes a hand motion that will help in recalling the definition. For example, the word is "trade winds." The definition is "steady winds blowing east to west." The teacher says the word and its definition, and then blows across her hand, moving left to right, as though blowing kisses. The class repeats the word, its definition, and the motion.
The student sitting to the right follows the same steps with his word. The class repeats the first word and its motion, and then the second word and its motion. The pattern continues to the right. The class repeats the words and motions of the teacher, and the second student, and the third, and so on, until everyone has invented a hand motion, taught it to the others, and the entire circle is complete.
Activity 2 – The SmartBoard has an activity built into its software called "Balloon Pop." Definitions of vocabulary words are written on the screen then covered with solid color balloons. The vocabulary words are written on the balloons themselves. The activity works like a game, with the class divided into teams. Taking turns, the students go to the board and choose a vocabulary word to say its definition aloud. Then they tap the balloon on the board, which causes it to pop and reveal the definition. If the student is correct, the team scores a point.
The two activities above are used a formative assessment, and credit is given for class participation. After initiating the activities, scores improved on the weekly quizzes. In general, the students showed greater interest in knowing the words and definitions due to the competition of the Balloon Pop game.
Two written assessment tools were used for this vocabulary study—a weekly quiz of ten words each, and a final exam of forty words. Of course, different quizzes and exams were made for each vocabulary level. The learning goal for this vocabulary work is that students will develop a larger vocabulary, which they will learn to use in context, and demonstrate long-term recall of the definitions.
The students received the Steck-Vaughn dictionary along with their study guide. They also have choices to use the Internet, speaking dictionary or a Franklin electronic dictionary. The results of weekly quizzes and writing samples are used to determine the level of difficulty of the vocabulary words appropriate for the needs of the individual student.
Reflection
At first the teaching assignment discussed in this reflection seemed overwhelming. I had no prior experience with second language learners, and the lack of printed materials concerned me. Fortunately, I began my masters studies at the same time. Suddenly, I had a wealth of information and the support of professors and colleagues. Oftentimes, the knowledge that I gained in an evening of my own homework could be put into practice in the classroom the following day.
While pressed by the need to create classroom materials, I learned new technological skills, but more important, I learned how to meld instruction and assessment in the most effective way. Now that I am working in the United States, I often create assessment materials because I want more specific results than most packaged materials can offer.
At first the teaching assignment discussed in this reflection seemed overwhelming. I had no prior experience with second language learners, and the lack of printed materials concerned me. Fortunately, I began my masters studies at the same time. Suddenly, I had a wealth of information and the support of professors and colleagues. Oftentimes, the knowledge that I gained in an evening of my own homework could be put into practice in the classroom the following day.
While pressed by the need to create classroom materials, I learned new technological skills, but more important, I learned how to meld instruction and assessment in the most effective way. Now that I am working in the United States, I often create assessment materials because I want more specific results than most packaged materials can offer.