Week 13 Video Questions

How do standards and benchmarks inform assessment?

Assessment is needed to get information to help teachers improve instruction and the start point is understanding the standards and preparing instruction with the end in mind.  What do you want the students to know at the end of the unit and the end of the year?  Assessment should be a part of instruction on a daily basis, on-going.  On-going assessment helps to differentiate instruction and anecdotal records give teachers written documentation to help assess if students are meeting the standards and chart growth in knowledge.  Benchmark assessments can inform students on student progress in achieving an understanding and application of a standard.  It can inform instruction by indicating whether a student is on target or needing improved in certain areas in order to meet the year end goal.  Benchmarks should be done at the beginning, middle and end of the year. 

What role can students play in their assessment?

The students should be in the center of their assessment.  They should be able to set goals for their learning (ownership).  They should have a rubric to know what their goals are for obtaining mastery of a concept.  Rubrics should be associated with the criteria for reaching a goal, according to the video.  Ideally, students should be a part of creating a rubric for assessment.  The instructor in the video suggested an evaluation portfolio for each student.  This portfolio would only contain specific examples of mastery of a standard and can be used for a grade on a report card.   The video suggests that having students take apart in their assessment can give them an appreciation of their growth.

How can teachers prepare for high-stakes tests?

High stakes test are not always accurate measures of student learning, because test a student only on one day within the entire year.  Many factors can contribute to student performance on the one test, given on one specific day.  In my opinion, tracking a student’s growth over the year (beginning, middle and end of year assessment) is a better assessment of knowledge gained.  Motivate the students to improve and have a desire to gain knowledge to prepare students for high stakes testing.  According to research, to help students’ p ass high stakes test is to access the rich content knowledge the students already have.  As a teacher we should help students make connections to previous knowledge to build the bridge between old knowledge and new knowledge and predictions for future knowledge.  The curriculum needs to provide opportunity for students to be critical thinkers and stretch their knowledge giving the opportunities to apply what they know.

How does assessment focus instruction?

Running records help to differentiate instruction it gives the teacher knowledge on how to specifically help each student and the class.  With small group instruction, a teacher can use on-going records and teach students what they need to know that may not need to be addressed as a whole group instruction.

The information taught in the video are things I already do in my math classroom.  Open communication with students and parents regarding academic progress is vital to student growth.  The actively the student and parents are involved in mastering the concept, the more motivated the student.  With a motivated student who has the desire to learn, the high stakes test will just be another test which will show the students mastery of the standards.

Week 13 Anecdotal records

Anecdotal records assessment (ARA) is a way for a teacher to keep an on-going record of literacy development.  However, I use a modified type of anecdotal record to record what I observe during small group instruction on students who are struggling in math.  Like ARA, I use my notes to differentiate instruction and provide direction for tutoring.  They can also be used for documentation in the RtI process.  As mentioned in the article, ARA can be used to communicate with the students and parents regarding student progress and provide information to set goals. 

Brittons Prezi Updated link

http://prezi.com/is4q59jnxex0/present/?auth_key=xvi5q9e&follow=dlnjlw8mzlpe

Above is a link to my Prezi for this week. You will need to highlight and copy the link to paste in the URL or you can highlight and select open in new window.

If the link above does not work, try this link. I tested it and it worked.

 http://prezi.com/is4q59jnxex0/untitled-prezi/?kw=view-is4q59jnxex0&rc=ref-16721754

Week 12 Technology

New literacy includes new ways to have students reading and writing.  The computer and internet provide new avenues for literacy development.  Current computer software can aide in student development of stories.  Their stories can include text, photos, personal drawings and animation.  There are programs like Picasa and Picaboo free programs for editing photos and creating books.  New literacy also includes digital books.  These digital books are like mini movies which tell a story.  Digital story (mini-film) can be done using a digital camera.

I liked the idea mentioned in one of the articles about an improv style story spine.  I did something similar to this in math; I called it around the world with order of operations problems.  One student would start the problem and when I say “switch” they had to pass it to the person on their left and continued answering the problem. 

I have used the Web 2.0 tool comicstrip for students to make a math related comic strip.  I have also had students use PowerPointe to create a math mystery.  I would like to have students complete an activity with Prezi or Capzles, but I haven’t quite figure out what to them do.  I was thinking about having them pick a math concept and create a presentation that would teacher others the concept.  This would also make for a great flipped classroom activity.  Even though the focus is on a math concept, students will be practicing writing, reading, and grammar skills.

ELL Case Study

English Language Learner Case Study

            To meet the needs of the ELL student, the state of Texas has adopted ELPS (English Language Proficiency Standards).  Texas also has the Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills (TEKS); it is one of a few states who have not adopted the Common Core Standards.  Since the student in the case study attends a Texas school, the report will include proficiency test scores which are Texas based along with the assessment of her language skills TELPAS and LAS Link scores along with how they parallel to the NYS LEP/ELLs Learning Rubric and the Student Oral Language Observation Matrix (SOLOM). 

            This study is a continuation of the observation of a 6^th grade student previously called Maria to protect her identity.  To recap information previously presented, Maria was born in the United States and her first language is Spanish.  Maria’s mom does not speak any English.  Her mother did not graduate from high school; therefore, is unable to assist Maria with her school work.  Maria’s mom also is unemployed and has moved Maria and her sibling from one school district to another.  According to school records, Maria has moved nineteen times since kindergarten.  When interviewing Maria’s English Second Language (ESL) teacher, the teacher stated that Maria speaks Spanish; however she cannot not read or write at proficient level in her native language.  According to the LAS Links test administered at Maria’s previous school, she scored a Level 4 in English and in Spanish.  This score indicates that Maria is fluent in both languages, but the test only measures oral language proficiency not comprehension.  Maria’s TELPAS scores indicate that she is advanced high in listening, speaking, and writing which indicates that she is nearly comparable to her native English speaking peers.  However she ranks as advanced in reading, which is low.  TELPAS is not meant to rate academics, but only the student’s ability to communicate in English in the four domains.  Therefore, Maria’s scores maybe in the normal range; yet, her comprehension of the academic content and vocabulary is below average.

            The previous TELPAS results from last semester correspond to the Advance Low ranking for listening, speaking, and writing in the NYS LEP/ELLs Learning Rubric.  As for reading, Maria was ranked Intermediate Mid-level.  Since the first semester, Maria has made great gains.  She is now at the Advance High for listening, speaking and writing and Intermediate High for reading. 

            When conducting a QRI-5 (Qualitative Reading Inventory), I first administered Maria a 6^th grade examiner word list.  She automatically identified thirteen out of twenty (65%) words correctly and three out of twenty (15%) of the words were correctly identified after she used phonics to decode the word.  Hence, the total number correct was sixteen out of twenty (80%) of the words from the list correctly, which places her vocabulary identification at the instructional level.  When continuing the QRI-5, Maria scored a three out of twelve (25%) on the concept questions, which indicated she was unfamiliar with the topic of the story “Pele.”  After reading the passage, Maria had ten total miscues, but no miscues that changed the meaning of the text.  Therefore, she read at the instructional level with a reading fluency of 103.6 WPM (Words per Minute) rate.  Her corrected WPM was 100.7.  Additionally, Maria could remember twenty-eight out of sixty-six ideas from the story.  She also recalled that soccer was on TV in the United States and this why soccer became popular due to Pele.  Maria answered correctly one explicit question and four implicit questions without look-backs.  With look-backs, she answered another implicit question correctly.  Overall, Maria’s reading comprehension of the 6^th grade reading level text was at the frustration level and her recollection of ideas from the story was low. 

            To assess her growth in writing, I gave Maria the same prompt from first semester.  I did not notice a difference between her writing from first semester and now.    Her sentence structure was not adequate, but the reader can understand her story.  I would rank the writing as advanced under TELPAS.  However looking at other writing samples from this year, Maria still communicates her thoughts in writing when the writing prompt is personal.  However, she continues to struggle with the conventions of writing.  Her paragraph was one long run-on sentence.  In a few spots, she used a comma to end a sentence.  Furthermore, the writing prompts in her math journal also did not demonstrate growth in using punctuation correctly.  When writing a personal narrative, she can give detailed information, but struggles with giving detail in academic writing.  Her writing does demonstrate organization in thought, but the word combinations remain simple.  Therefore, Maria would be ranked at the Intermediate Mid-level when using the NYS- LEP/ELLs Learning Rubric. 

            Using the SOLOM Matrix, Maria’s scored a four in the domains of comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary in the first semester and scored a five in pronunciation.  In the second semester, I continued to observe Maria in reading, math, and ESL class.  Maria continues to communicate with teachers and peer in normal conversation.  Maria interacted with her peers and teachers during a book study group, ESL discussion table, and working with peer during small group rotations in math.  Her fluency in everyday conversations is comparative to a native English speaker.  She sometimes struggles with fluency during academic discussions.  On occasion she will use inappropriate vocabulary during academic discussions, but during everyday conversations, she used appropriate vocabulary with teacher and peers.  Her pronunciation of words during everyday conversation is comparable to that of a native speaker even though she has a slight accent.  However, in the domain of grammar, she improved from scoring between a three and a four in the first semester to a solid four in the second semester.  Maria improved in fluency from the first semester.  Her SOLOM score was a 22 (20 first semester), which indicates English language proficiency. 

            As in the first semester, being an ELL student is not affecting her full participation in all academic activities.  She still has difficulty with understanding and expressing her thoughts to higher level Blooms questions.  There is still a difference between her performance in social settings, such as the playground or cafeteria, compared to the academic setting.  However, her academic vocabulary and performance is improving.  During the social settings, Maria has increased her group of friends and participates more in the discussions, fluently like a native English speaker.  During book study and small group discussion in math, she has become more confident in her academic responses.  Maria continues to ask for clarification on questions or vocabulary words.  Maria utilizes her vocabulary quick sheet accommodation and the Spanish/English dictionary for math homework and tests.

            Maria continues to struggle with reading comprehension and vocabulary words.  Yet, she does have growth in these areas.  I spoke with her reading teacher, Mrs. Songer and she indicated that she has also seen improvement in Maria.  I asked her what she did different the second semester, and she told me she partnered Maria with high academic students during literacy circles, book study and other small group instruction.  She also increased the amount of time Maria spent at the teacher small group station during rotations. 

            As I continued to work with Maria in math, I used reading strategies to help her understand the math word problems.  I noticed Maria struggled with common math terms such as: reasonable, approximate, product and quotient.  In addition to these few academic words, Maria continued to struggle with other common vocabulary.  To help with the language acquisition, I gave the ESL teacher weekly a worksheet of math word problems to use to discuss vocabulary and using context clues to comprehend the problem and unknown words.  I found having the ESL teacher, is a wonderful resource for designing intervention lessons for an ESL student and for intervention support.

            The year is almost over; however, I will continue to have one-on-one mini lessons on using context clues to determine meaning of unknown words and problem solving with Maria.  The reading teacher is continuing using the web-based programsTumble books and Istation during before school tutoring once a week.  The use of Marzano’s strategies for building vocabulary has helped with this acquisition of new vocabulary words.  I will also continue small group or one-on-one instruction and intervention before school twice a week.  I will continue checking frequently for understanding and clarify vocabulary.  With the aforementioned strategies, I believe Maria will continue showing growth in reading comprehension and academic vocabulary.

            Having the opportunity to follow Maria over a school year has given me the chance to grow professionally in my knowledge of affective reading assessments and teaching strategies as they pertain to my ELL students.  As I observed the ESL teacher during group discussion, she used a variety to techniques to break down a variety of vocabulary words the students needed to know for that unit of study.  She also used visuals to help students understand vocabulary.  The most resent discussion was on when to use a specific reference material: encyclopedia, dictionary, thesaurus, atlas and almanac.  I have used her strategy of giving pictorial visuals when introducing math vocabulary with all of my students, and I have extended the strategy to include having the student draw their interpretation of the vocabulary word.  Furthermore, the math word wall has increased the use of academic vocabulary in writing with the math journal.

            As mentioned in my previous report, I was able to assess my other ELL students using SOLOM and NYS LEP/ELLs Learning Rubric.  With these results and the results from the TELPAS assessment, I further differentiated the instruction for my ELL students to help them grow in their language acquisition. 

3 Mini Lesson with Graphic Organizers

Mini-Lesson using a KWL Chart 

Objective:  Students will be able to use a KWL chart to record, question, and investigate a social studies reading passage.

CCStandard: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

 

Material:  KWL Chart

reading passage on Vietnam War written by a survivor of the demilitarized zone

Reading journal

Students will record what they already know about the Vietnam War in the first column.

In the second column, they will record pre-questions they have and what they want to learn.

In the third column, they will record what they learned after reading the passage.

 

Note:  I will have students also focus on connecting self-to-text since the passage is the memory of a girl who was 12 at the time of the war.  The girls and her younger brother were separated from their mother.  They were in the north and their mom was in the south.  The story tells of their journey to escape the northern soldiers and run to the demilitarized zone to freedom in the south.

Assignment:  Students will journal what they would do if a war broke out in Texas and they were here in Rockwall while their mom was in Austin.  What would they do to get to their mom.

 

 

Mini-Lesson Using Timeline Graphic Organizer 

Objective:  Students will be able to use a Timeline Organizer to record important historical dates from an expository text on the Civil War.

CCStandard:  Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution. 

Material: 

Pictures from a magazine or internet, manila paper, colored pencils

Timeline Organizer

Expository Text of the Civil War 

Note:  Students will record important Battles throughout the Civil War and the impact those events had on the war, the people and the country. 

Assignment:  Student will draw a picture or make a collage that represents the a spot of the timeline of the Civil War.

 

Mini-Lesson Using “What’s the Main Idea” Graphic Organizer 

Objective:  Students will be able to analyze the main idea of a science expository text.   They will also be able to give supporting detail to the main idea. 

CCStandard:  Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. 

Material:  Main Idea Graphic Organizer

Expository Text regarding science observatories

 

Note:  Students will read about The University of Texas McDonald Observatory from the STEMS lessons.  They will use the organizer to record data on why it was important to place the McDonald Observatory in the West Texas area and why it is a famous observatory.

 

Assignment:  Student will use the internet to learn more about the McDonald Observatory.  They will create a KWL Chart to use while exploring the website. http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/