Both the readings this week spoke about the importance of developing student ownerships of texts, whether in reading or writing tasks. When students take ownership of their learning, they think more critically about content, relate ideas to aspects of their life, and feel more motivated to learn more.
Vacca, Vacca & Mraz (2011) approach ownership from the perspective of introducing trade books into the classroom. While textbooks have their uses, trade books can supplement student learning and boost critical thinking by relating "experiences and perspectives that may have been excluded in textbooks" (p. 360). Trade books can present a more emotional perspective through personal tales and provide more in-depth information that may be missing from textbooks.
Another important aspect of the use of trade books in the ESL classroom is their ability to help differentiate instruction. Many beginning English learners cannot access textbook material due to the unfamiliar format, specific vocabulary or difficulty of writing. A textbook such as this would be useless for many ELs since it provides little in the way of scaffolding, yet by presenting books such as this, this, or this, learning is supported through graphic representations and minimalist language. In addition, these books can help students relate new concepts to prior knowledge, their interests, or their everyday lives, increasing retention of information and interest in the content. Developing a classroom library with a wide variety of books at a wide range of levels will be a crucial part of supporting students in my own classroom.
Writing is another method through which students can take ownership of their learning, by processing new ideas and connecting to their prior knowledge. As Daniels, Zeleman & Steineke (2007) explain that we often use "writing to find out what's inside our heads, to dump ideas down on a page so we can play with them, move them around, make connections, figure out what's important, cross some out, and highlight others" (p. 21). Successful writers have all learned to do this, in some form or another. I jotted some thoughts on post-it notes while I read these chapters to emphasize important points and highlight what information applied to me. Yet, many students do not see writing in this way, as a process, but as a product that they are graded on based on word choice and grammatical accuracy.
As the authors explain, in order to learn, "kids need to grapple with ideas, transform them and put their in their own words" (p. 26 - authors' emphasis). Writing tasks can be used before a lesson, to prime student's prior knowledge, or after a lesson, to help students synthesize what they have learned. Teachers can incorporate writing into a lesson for students to organize their ideas and monitor their thinking. By using these sorts of writing tasks in class, we show students that they own their writing, and in turn, their learning.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Chapter 4: How do I assess students to see what they *actually* know?
This is a big question, especially within the field of ESL, where language barriers may cause students to struggle with assessments, despite the fact they are knowledgeable in a content area.
Imagine for an instance that you are suddenly transported to a foreign country. You are attending school and taking a Biology class. It should be simple, you think, because you know a lot about life sciences and you've taken the class before at your old school. You follow along with the pictures and diagrams presented in class, and you are able to complete the lab work. However, your first test comes back with an F. Since your reading ability in your new language is not strong, you couldn't understand what some questions were asking. You communicated your knowledge to the best of your linguistic ability, but the teacher assumed by your short answers that you didn't know the material.
This happens every day to English Learners in our schools, and many other native English speakers that struggle with literacy. So how do we make sure that students are being assessed on what they know instead of how they read or write?
One solution to this problem is the use of portfolio based assessment. Portfolios can be created in a number of different ways based on the class or content area. They could feature a students work in creating a single project (for example, KWL chart, research methods, rough draft, peer edits and final draft), or they could draw on assignments completed throughout the quarter or year. This provides information about a student's starting point and the progress they have made throughout the time measured. The student can take pride in what they have accomplished, and it provides feedback to the teacher about the students strengths and where they still need support.
This also offers a solution to a problem that ESL instructors often face: How do I fairly assess students at varying levels of English competence? Should a level 1 student (absolute beginner) be compared to another at level 4 (near native-like fluency)? Since portfolio based assessment focuses on the process rather than the product, students who are working hard and making progress will achieve good grades, despite their difference in levels. The process of building a portfolio and discussing it with the student also allows the teacher to differentiate based on the individual's needs.
Our own observations as teachers can be additional information used in assessing students. In the example above, if we see that a student is engaged during class time and is able to work through a lab, it tells us that he/she is understanding the material. If our test does not reflect this, then it is time to reevaluate our methods and find assessments that show what students actually know.
Imagine for an instance that you are suddenly transported to a foreign country. You are attending school and taking a Biology class. It should be simple, you think, because you know a lot about life sciences and you've taken the class before at your old school. You follow along with the pictures and diagrams presented in class, and you are able to complete the lab work. However, your first test comes back with an F. Since your reading ability in your new language is not strong, you couldn't understand what some questions were asking. You communicated your knowledge to the best of your linguistic ability, but the teacher assumed by your short answers that you didn't know the material.
This happens every day to English Learners in our schools, and many other native English speakers that struggle with literacy. So how do we make sure that students are being assessed on what they know instead of how they read or write?
One solution to this problem is the use of portfolio based assessment. Portfolios can be created in a number of different ways based on the class or content area. They could feature a students work in creating a single project (for example, KWL chart, research methods, rough draft, peer edits and final draft), or they could draw on assignments completed throughout the quarter or year. This provides information about a student's starting point and the progress they have made throughout the time measured. The student can take pride in what they have accomplished, and it provides feedback to the teacher about the students strengths and where they still need support.
This also offers a solution to a problem that ESL instructors often face: How do I fairly assess students at varying levels of English competence? Should a level 1 student (absolute beginner) be compared to another at level 4 (near native-like fluency)? Since portfolio based assessment focuses on the process rather than the product, students who are working hard and making progress will achieve good grades, despite their difference in levels. The process of building a portfolio and discussing it with the student also allows the teacher to differentiate based on the individual's needs.
Our own observations as teachers can be additional information used in assessing students. In the example above, if we see that a student is engaged during class time and is able to work through a lab, it tells us that he/she is understanding the material. If our test does not reflect this, then it is time to reevaluate our methods and find assessments that show what students actually know.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Chapter 1& 1: Think like a....
In both of our texts this week, the authors talk about the importance of teaching students to think like an expert in your content area field. For example, students studying Biology would learn to approach reading tasks in the same manner as scientists do, perhaps by drawing on prior research or analyzing any biases the authors may have. In addition, students should learn to write as experts do in their content area. Students in a Biology class would practice creating a lab report and learn to report their findings through writing.
This concept certainly makes sense, and it gives guidance to content area teachers who may not know how to approach literacy development. But how does this approach work for teachers and learners of language? Language teachers who teach as linguists may give too much attention to grammar structures and word functions, while ignoring important aspects of communication, fluency, and culture.
The answer for language teachers is to teach students different strategies based on the type of text or writing task they are encountering. Teachers of language, therefore, must be comfortable in thinking like a scientist, an historian, an artist, or a novelist in order to guide students in using these methods. We can also teach students how to identify the nature of a particular task and what strategies would be useful in decoding or creating it.
Our colleagues are powerful allies in this task, since students learning these strategies in their primary language or in another subject will be able to transfer them to our language classrooms. They are also valuable resources in helping us as language teachers to "think like a....". There is a reason I am not teaching Biology, and I could certainly use some help in developing those skills!
Another interesting aspect of the reading this week was the discussion of literacy as it relates to information and communication technologies. Students who regularly use the internet are already experienced in navigating this large amount of information. Teachers can help students transfer this skill to their approach of texts at school. It is important to remember, however, that for many students, the internet and other technologies are more intimidating than a classroom textbook. This is especially English Learners who have lived as refugees and have limited or interrupted formal schooling. These students would benefit from more direct instruction on strategies to use in processing and using online texts.
This concept certainly makes sense, and it gives guidance to content area teachers who may not know how to approach literacy development. But how does this approach work for teachers and learners of language? Language teachers who teach as linguists may give too much attention to grammar structures and word functions, while ignoring important aspects of communication, fluency, and culture.
The answer for language teachers is to teach students different strategies based on the type of text or writing task they are encountering. Teachers of language, therefore, must be comfortable in thinking like a scientist, an historian, an artist, or a novelist in order to guide students in using these methods. We can also teach students how to identify the nature of a particular task and what strategies would be useful in decoding or creating it.
Our colleagues are powerful allies in this task, since students learning these strategies in their primary language or in another subject will be able to transfer them to our language classrooms. They are also valuable resources in helping us as language teachers to "think like a....". There is a reason I am not teaching Biology, and I could certainly use some help in developing those skills!
Another interesting aspect of the reading this week was the discussion of literacy as it relates to information and communication technologies. Students who regularly use the internet are already experienced in navigating this large amount of information. Teachers can help students transfer this skill to their approach of texts at school. It is important to remember, however, that for many students, the internet and other technologies are more intimidating than a classroom textbook. This is especially English Learners who have lived as refugees and have limited or interrupted formal schooling. These students would benefit from more direct instruction on strategies to use in processing and using online texts.
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