Evaluation of Reading and Writing - Essay Example

Reflections on Phase Two "Assessment And Evaluation of Reading and Writing LYST 240 has given me a wonderful opportunity to understand the importance of documentation and interpretation of data for reading and writing. It was also another opportunity for me to learn through my field experience. The course has guided and encouraged me to critically examine the constructs of assessments and evaluation in terms of social contexts. In every inquiry paper, and in every evaluation/interpretation of a student's oral reading, we have been asked to concentrate on the learner's strengths. For me, this is a different approach to teaching and learning. Learning about the different forms of assessments have affected both my teaching and my learning drastically. Instead of looking for errors, I learned to always focus on my student's strengths when assessing his/her reading and writing as it help determine their week points and point where evaluation or support is required. The course has provided different learning opportunities to support this development. Being that reading and writing are language and thinking processes, LYST 240 has shown the importance for me as a teacher to have patience while I document change and assess literacy growth of our students. Patience is important as it takes quite some time to develop a child through language and literacy process. I need to give my students time to adjust to ideas, experiment with them, explore with them, take risks, make mistakes, solve reading and writing problems, and make discoveries. LYST 240 has guided and encouraged me to critically examine the constructs of assessments and evaluation in terms of social contexts. I have two resources that I consider critical for my learning in this course. First, is Denny Taylor's Learning Denied (date). This book has helped me to really think about the ramifications of testing practices, their effects on the students and labelling them. The second is in the LYST 200a. Our students, like the apprentice woodcrafters, spend most of their days with us. They are watching and carving and learning from our examples. The priests are like the teachers and school administrators who carry out the testing. LYST 240 has given me the opportunity to articulate my ideas and understandings, uncover assumptions and negotiate with others in class both in small and whole group discussions, which were both engaging and challenging. Okay, there's a lot in this sentence that needs to be developed. What are your ideas and understandings about assessment and evaluation What assumptions did you uncover And I want to know how the discussions were both engaging and challenging. This is an important piece to write about. The assignment on Writing Document Analysis/Profile of a Writer (See Appendix K) provided me with a system for accurately assessing student writing and for giving students meaningful feedback. In addition, this writing document analysis promotes growth in writing through identification of writing strengths and weaknesses, using positive and constructive feedback in order to measure student writing performance. From this assignment, I learned that the process of writing is a work-in-progress and can be extremely beneficial in itself. I find the assessment and evaluation process to be one in most need of continued progress of the students. As a teacher, I believe that it is important to recognize that my role is tiny but very important which for now accepts and requests assessment. My job, as a teacher, is to make it as equitable and fair as possible for effective analysis. Every individual can make a difference in developing and improving a perception for change in schools. Throughout LYST 240, I am lucky to have made progress of influencing and guiding students in my own little way. Miscue Analysis and Retrospective Miscue Analysis: LYST 241 "Miscue Analysis and Retrospective Miscue Analysis" is generally a new and different concept for me. I found it to be the most important and challenging course that I have taken at Hofstra. Prior to learning miscue analysis, I thought miscues were bad and always wrong. Miscue Analysis has given me a different view on reading. The course has taught me to understand high quality and low quality miscues. It is truly an important tool in analyzing my readers. Another important aspect of learning miscue analysis is the fact that it teaches the reader that there is nothing wrong with making mistakes as long as we make meaning. In the miscue process of retrospective miscue analysis, we can use the miscue as a way to guide our readers through understanding themselves more clearly as readers. We need to show them that meaning making is the most important thing in reading. The information provided in miscue analysis can be used to create powerful reading experiences for the student. It has taught me to show my readers what they can do and not to focus on what they cannot do. Miscue analysis helped me to write a reader's profile. I completed this information on my student Shanna (See Appendix L). Focusing on the high quality miscues such as fluency in word pronunciation to determine whether the miscue is effective or efficient. It also helped when evaluating the development level of Shana. The value of miscue analysis lies in the fact that instead of focusing on the weaknesses of the reader; we are working on the reader's strengths to overcome her needs. This will improve Shana in reading fluency and word pronunciation. Reflection of My Biographic Profile: LYST 242 In the summer of 2009, I completed my practicum; Biographic Profile: LYST 242. By completing a Biographic Profile of one student, I applied all the information that I learned in each class to complete this assignment. My student Lien was a 6th grader and I spent time kidwatching, interviewing, assessing and teaching Lien every day for five weeks. The task was intense but it was not impossible. During Phase I and Phase II, we had learned everything we needed to know in order to create the profile. I learned a lot about teaching and learning and about Lien from creating this Biographic Profile. I learned that we need to experience things to really understand areas which our students need help. Lien's participation and cooperation in all the activities we did together- helped me to determine her strengths as a reader. It also helped me make recommendations to help her to become a more proficient and effective reader. After I completed my Biographic Profile, I have been able to adapt it to my teaching. This has taught me a great lesson about observing my readers and writers instead of just looking at the product. I learned how important the reading process is for learning. At first, I thought the whole process was all about taking statistics. But it was more than that. In doing the Biographic Profile, I looked at every aspect of language Lien used. During this internship, I saw firsthand that miscues can really help the reader, as Lien became aware that using her prior knowledge can help in understanding what she's reading. As I completed my Biographic Profile, I came to understand how miscue analysis and retrospective miscue analysis can help my students feel good about themselves as learners and readers, while also developing new strategies as readers. Read More