Job Discussion Forums

[Justin Trullinger]

[denise]

One thing that the OP should keep in mind is that for alternative assessment, the students should be well-trained so that they know what to expect. Like it or not, some of them expect "standard" things like tests. Portfolios, asking them about their own learning, interpretive dance, etc. might come across to them as a bit, uh..., hippy-trippy, touchy-feely, like we are not properly doing our jobs.

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[Justin Trullinger]

The "interpretive dance thing" was a joke. or at least an attempt.

But I second that- students expecting traditional evaluation is NOT a joke. Whatever kind of evaluation you use, make sure that there's clear, open communication with students about it.

Be aware of local habits, as well. In Ecuador, there is a tendency to reduce everything ( I mean EVERYTHING!) to a percentage. So we're constantly explaining the 5 point grade scale we prefer. (We adopted this scale simply to avoid percentages- because I find it counter productive for students to think much about what percentage of English they know.) But in spite of the key that goes out with every grade card (5 Excellent, 1 deplorable, 3 average; But in more detail) students who get threes invariably come in and whine. "HOw could I possibly get only 60%?"

Best,
Justin

[denise]

I know it was a joke! I got a good laugh out of it, actually.

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[quoi_de_neuf?]

You scared off the OP! Be gentle with us newbies, please - we're fragile.



Quoi

[Jetgirly]

I had a lot of success last year (when I was student-teaching ESL to middle school students in a Canadian public school) when I got the students involved in the assessment practice. If you have samples of student work- SAVE THEM! Next year, cover the names, stick them on an overhead projector, and ask your new students to evaluate what works and what doesn't. Is it an A paper? A C paper? Does it even qualify as a paper? Talk it over and work collaboratively to construct a rubric. You can make a general one (say, for all written or spoken activities) or a specific one (for example, for a project where they interview three Canadians and present their findings in a PowerPoint slideshow). Have the student self- and peer-assess before you assess them. I find students do soooo much better when they're really, truly clear on the evaluation criteria, and the best way to bring about that clarity is through participation in their own assessment.

[carolj]

Hi, I'm back. We had a great time teaching at a youth camp in Russia and simultaneously training a group of teachers from the Vologda region. I did my homework on alternative assessment strategies (a topic I was assigned to lecture on). One of the most helpful resources was an article by Jo-Ellen Tannenbaum of the Montgomery County Schools (MD).
Thanks for all the input, everything worked out well.