Developing An Authentic Productive Assessment - Dissertation Example

Developing an Authentic/ Productive Assessment Rationale Developing literacy skills is an essential aspect of the school curriculum and must be given the highest priority. Students must adequately develop the four aspects of language, namely reading, speaking, writing and listening. The assessment material has exhibited that all four were addressed in the activities of the lesson plan. Immersing children in literature and ensuring their enjoyment in involving their creative and critical thinking skills may be a challenge for teachers. That is why there is a need to fashion activities that not only engages their interest but also challenge them. Getting into fascinating literature and being enthralled in the events that transpire in the story clearly activates the imaginations of readers. Thinking of countless possibilities is a great exercise in cognitive development. “Bo Møhl and May Schack have also examined the various functions of children’s literature. In their view it should be entertaining, didactic, informative, and therapeutic, and it should help the child grow and develop. A children’s book should also strengthen the child’s feelings of empathy and identification.” (qtd. from Oittinen, 2000, p. 65). Children in the middle childhood years are in the process of acquiring mastery skills in reading printed words. In exposing them to literature, they go beyond such skill. “Reading is about creating worlds with words. The only way to read with fluency and expressiveness is to read closely hooked into the unfolding meaning of the text. It is very important, therefore, that we do everything possible to support the mind work of reading.” (Calkins, 1997, p. 159) The development of comprehension skills is manifested in the activities, to ensure that students completely understand the text so they could successfully complete the other tasks. “One area in which there has been recent work towards such a form of instruction has been reading comprehension. The goal is to assist students grasping what they are in the process of understanding, not simply to have them regurgitate straightforward facts from their texts” (Tharp & Gallimore, 1988 as quoted from Clare, Gallimore, & Patthey-Chavez, 2000) A related goal is helping students to practice the complex cognitive and linguistic operations brought about by reflective student engagement in critical thinking . The activities planned for this unit are all related to the selected books and the process of understanding the literature better and then some. The activities planned are not only meant to stimulate the readers’ critical and creative thinking skills but also encourage confidence in presenting in front of the class. Having this as an end goal develops many skills that would entail their creativity and innovation as well as manage their composure and public speaking skills. The material draws from traditional as well as authentic/ productive assessment activities. Copying the text word for word and identifying story elements are usually done in traditional assessments, however, these tasks have been modified to meet the criteria for authentic assessment. Rather than plainly copying text, students were asked to be more aware of punctuation and spelling as well as discern which dialogues merit more attention due to its information content and be able to interpret such dialogue in the students’ own words. In identifying story elements, the student draws from his own knowledge of classifying which type of book it is as well as pointing out the characters, setting and plot of the story. Knowing more about the author of the book is encouraged in the students’ quest for his or her other works. In doing so, research skills are honed. Mostly, the assessment reflects authentic/ productive learning as it actively engages the students in the tasks, thereby deriving more learning from it rather than simply absorbing knowledge from the material or teacher. The mere task of selecting the books that suit their own reading levels gives them the power of choice to set the direction and pace of their learning. In asking students to predict the events in the book, their knowledge and experiences come to the fore. They draw from what they know and have experienced to associate the events to characters. Since the students come from various backgrounds, they may contribute different ideas as to their predictions. If asked to share their predictions to the class, this becomes a highly interactive discussion involving critical and logical thinking. Active involvement in such a discussion heightens their comprehension of the reading material because they derive a more relevant and meaningful experience from it. Coming up with a character web is another activity that engages the students’ attention for detail and proficiency in descriptions. Going beyond description is their own personal account of why they would or would not want this character to be their friend. This brings about a personal connection to the literature. Creating a mini-diorama may not be directly associated with literacy skills, but it gives the students an opportunity to concretize their abstract ideas regarding the book. It summons their creative skills in crafting scenes from the story as well as coming up with representative characters. This particular activity is concluded by writing their interpretation of the diorama scene and justifying why they have chosen this particular scene. Again, this calls upon their personal insights to add to the whole literary experience. Indeed, this assessment meets the criteria for authentic/ productive assessment and would be a good measure of how much students have learned and retained from the unit. Equity The assessment supports the goals of achieving educational equity. The tasks are designed to be achievable for all students regardless of ability or cultural background. Although the assessment adheres to high standards, students who may score low on some items in the assessment material may compensate in other items, since the assessment provides a wide spectrum of activities that cater to various levels and learning styles of students. The assessment complies with the three dimensions prescribed by the NSW model of pedagogy namely: intellectual quality, quality learning environment and significance. The assessment shall be discussed in terms of each dimension, and analyzed as to its promotion of educational equity. The assessment scores high on intellectual quality as it induces students to use higher order thinking skills and construct their own meanings and interpretations of the text. They are likewise required to communicate their own ideas to each other in the context of community learning. The tasks develop deep knowledge and understanding in the students through the various activities recommended. Depending on the ability level of the students, they set their own standards of quality for themselves. This reflects on the final assessment of each student’s performance. The students are given enough latitude in the process of completing the tasks. From the choice of material that they believe suits their reading level to the order in which the assessment is completed, students are free to decide for themselves and set their own learning pace. Of course, this it is clear that they are within the bounds of prescribed grammatical rules and the time frame provided by the teacher. This in itself promotes equity, as low and high achieving students and those coming from different backgrounds are given the same amount of freedom. The dimension of Quality learning environment provided by the assessment likewise sets the same criteria for all students. They are all expected to set high expectations for themselves. and produce best quality in their works. The reins of control are shared with them as they direct their own learning upon given instructions for the tasks. All these are set in the background of a positive and supportive environment conducive to learning. The third dimension of Significance is the one that most directly promotes educational equity as it gives importance to each student’s ideas and personal insights as they are asked to give their own interpretations and opinions of the story. This is where their existing knowledge and backgrounds can come to the fore and be acknowledged. The activities that call upon their opinions develop a strong connection to the literature, hence establishing more relevance and meaning to them. The activities of prediction, writing if they would prefer the character they described to be friends with them or not, choosing a particular scene for the diorama and explaining their choice, sharing their personal opinion of the books and planning their own presentation styles of the storytelling session all call upon the students’ own contributions to the learning process. Here, they can take the opportunity to express their own ideas based on their particular cultural backgrounds or how they understood the story and expect that their ideas will be respected, as there is no right and wrong answer. Response to Feedback I found the feedback of my fellow students’ very helpful in the design of a good authentic/ productive classroom assessment. Since I have been immersed in its creation, I might have missed some important details or have overemphasized some. Allowing fresh insights from other learned peers helps me see in it in a more objective perspective. I am pleased with the scores my peers assigned to my assessment and on agree with their opinions, on hindsight. Although I did not score consistently high on all the items, I have been shown that there is room for much improvement and humbly accept this fact. For one, the element of cultural significance and background knowledge was lacking in my assessment. Although the tasks promote equity for all students with various cultural backgrounds, this was not explicitly expressed in the assessment tasks. It just assumed that the students will bring in their own cultural insights and background knowledge into the picture, but was not assured of that possibility. This may be managed by providing choices of material that represents various cultures so the students can readily relate to them. Another feedback is the lack of integration of the activities. Much as I tried for them to be varied to meet the different needs and address different learning styles of the students, the flow is just not significant to make it a fully integrated plan. It would be easier to integrate it using one theme from the story and relate it to all the other activities. The use of computers to present ideas is a good suggestion that I incorporated in the assessment. Also, the awareness of correct text structure must not be neglected even if the students are already given free rein on their learning direction. Going for further knowledge and information beyond what is available from the texts themselves and the insights of the students is another wonderful suggestion from one of my peers, as it develops research skills in the students. It also encourages them to think deeper and beyond what is presented on the surface. Giving the students a feeling of pride in their work, like the mini diorama by displaying it for all to see and appreciate during a special occasion helps in the development of their self-esteem. Not to encourage external motivation, such an act provides internal satisfaction more because they would realize that their hard work and creativity becomes all worth it at the end. The fact that I scored mostly average to above average in this assessment validates my ideas of how a good authentic assessment should be. I am aware that the tasks develop a whole range of skills not only in literacy but in work habits, creativity, organization and planning, and presentation skills as well. It also promotes communication and collaboration among the students as they share with each other their own ideas, thereby learning from each other. However, I must not be complacent because there is still much work to be done in the pursuit of an excellent authentic learning assessment. Thus far, I am glad that I was able to modify what could be a traditional assessment task to a more authentic one by giving the students opportunities to construct their own knowledge and communicate it to the whole class. I am sure that in doing so, I shall be able to engage the students’ interest in the task, and the positive experiences will heighten their learning. REFERENCES Anstèy, M. & Bull, G. (2006) From Teaching and Learning Multiliteracies: Changing Times, Changing Literacies. International Reading Association Calkins, L. (1997) Raising Lifelong Learners, A Parents’ Guide. MA: Perseus Books. Clare, L. Gallimore, R. & Patthey-Chavez, G.G., (1996) “Using Moral Dilemmas in Childrens Literature as a Vehicle for Moral Education and Teaching Reading Comprehension, Journal of Moral Education, 25(3), 325-341. September 1996. Darling Hammond, L, Ancess, J., & Falk, B. (1995). Authentic assessment in action: Studies of schools and students at work. New York:Teachers College Press. Chapters 2 & 5. Newmann, F. M, Bryk, A.S., & Nagaoka, J. (2001). Authentic intellectual work and standardized tests: Conflict or co-existence. Chicago: consortium on Chicago School Research. Newmann, F., Secada, W.G., & Wehlage, G.G. (1995). A guide to authentic instruction and assessment: Vision, standards and scoring. Madison WI: Wisconsin. Center for Education Research. Introduction, Chapter 1. NSW Board of Studies (1998). K-6 English Syllabus. http://k6.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/files/english/k6_english_syl.pdf NSW DET (2004). Quality teaching in NSW Public Schools. An assessment practice guide. Professional Support and Curriculum Directorate, NSW Department of Education and Training. Oittinen, R., (2000) Chapter 4: Children’s Literature and Literature for Children, Translating for Children, 2000, 61-71 Read More