Relevance of Essay Tests to Grade/Subject Level

EDU 6160 bPortfolio Post 4                            Ian Lewis                                 October 30, 2016

Discuss the relevance of essay tests to your grade level or subject.

Essay tests are incredibly relevant to the grade level and subject areas of my internship experience. The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) test that each seventh grade student completes near the end of the year includes an essay portion where students read selected passages and respond in essay format to a relevant prompt. In order to prepare students for this test, while also developing skills required of seventh grade common core state standards (CCSS), students work throughout the year to master scaffolded steps that lead to the completion of entire informative, comparative, or persuasive essays.

In English Language Arts (ELA), the necessary skills are constantly drilled and practiced with regard to essay tests, but social studies as well experiences practice that inevitably assists with the completion of essay tests. At the start of the year, a pre assessment essay prompt resembling that incorporated in the SBAC was given to students to assess their entrance essay skills in ELA. These were graded using a 32 point rubric that then corresponds to a scaled system of writing bands (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5…4), where students are taught ways and encouraged in how to increase the band level of their essay writing through attentiveness to each portion of the rubric (thesis, intro. paragraph, concluding paragraph, craft/voice, etc.). Further essays will use the same rubric so that students may continually track and reflect on necessary skills and areas for progress. However, at this point, we have not actually written any essays or had any further essay tests. This is because we are still building foundational, scaffolded skills necessary for an essay, such as the ability to write effective summaries, and the ability to craft a single, efficient informational paragraph that incorporates the use of text evidence to support ideas.

The ability to adequately summarize presents itself in an essay via its introduction. In crafting a thesis statement relevant to two text excerpts, for example, a student will be required to create an introductory paragraph that introduces the texts (titles and authors), briefly summarizes their main points, and states how such main points relate to a thesis topic, all of which are steps practiced in writing a summary based on our format of Somebody (character), Wants (goal), But (conflict), So (rising action, and climax), and What (falling action, and resolution). In addition to useful summary skills, single paragraph expertise is required before an essay can be mastered.

To create a format that is easily transmitted to essay application, students are taught a specific paragraph structure for writing information paragraphs, which were practiced twice this quarter. The Step-Up paragraph model uses a combination of three chunks of three sentences (main idea, incorporated example from text, and explanation of text evidence as it relates to topic sentence), and the emphasis of transitions between main ideas, to enable students to create simply structured informational paragraphs that may later be expanded into essay format; the three main ideas turn into three body paragraphs, each of which provides three text examples and three associated explanations. As second quarter begins next month, we will continue to practice this single paragraph model, but we will now apply it to the creation of comparative and persuasive paragraphs. Eventually, we will be ready to practice essays by expanding this single paragraph structure. As stated before though, it is necessary to teach the foundational skills necessary before jumping straight into entire essays.

In addition to specific paragraph writing practice, students experience short answer questions on all of their ELA reading selection quizzes. While these are just short answer questions that is not to say they are not useful in establishing essay test skills. As previously discussed, our paragraph model places an emphasis of incorporating text evidence and explaining this evidence in relation to a main idea (skills necessary for crafting successful essays), and the short answer questions always lend themselves to being turned into a single paragraph response following this model. While not the primary focus, social studies also allows for essay skill practice. The social studies unit tests include short answer questions as well that allow students to practice foundational skills to be used later when writing expanded essays. Eventually, the single paragraph practice will turn into the essays and students will begin to be able to track their growth and progress as essayists using the previously described rubric and band system.

Strengths and Limitations in Rubrics

EDU 6160 bPortfolio Post 3                            Ian Lewis                                 October 23, 2016

Describe a rubric used for a unit you might teach with attention to strengths and limitations.

During the first social studies unit in my 7^th grade internship, we applied the use of a grading rubric for a mapping project regarding the Byzantine Empire. The students were largely successful in following the step-by-step instructions provided regarding labeling and coding map features. However, in hindsight, the rubric did not quite reflect the importance of the completeness and accuracy of mapping, a primary goal. Rather, the rubric weighed heavily on more subjective categories of “neatness”, “effort”, and “color”. Regarding completeness, a student could miss 1-5 items and only go down one level of the rubric. The map could inherently be useless, missing more than ten items (cities, bodies of water, etc.), but still receive partial credit. But then if it were neat and outlined, shaded and detailed, both of which state a subjective quality in each pairing, the student could earn points for components that truly were not based on the learning target. My mentor and I reflected on this…and immediately got to work changing the rubric.

The new rubric is 76% weighted toward location and accuracy of placement of geographic and political map features, the remaining 24% devoted to aspects of the previous “neatness”, “effort”, and “color”, yet now far less subjective. Nineteen features (cities, bodies of water, map elements such as a legend, etc.) now may each receive up to two points for aspects of presence and accuracy, one point for one of the two aspects, or zero points for neither aspect. The coloring is less subjective, in that it focuses on allocating points for presence and accuracy of location of shading versus cross-hatching the territories of the Byzantine and Muslim empires, respectively. There is now just a single category where points are allocated for “Neat/complete coloring, legible ink labels, obvious time and effort” (4 points), versus “Mostly complete…” (3-2), versus “Lacking color, pencil labels, difficult to identify features” (1-0). We feel this edited rubric will allow for a better assessment of student comprehension as it focuses more on the aspects of the learning target and objective: to identify and label prominent locations in the Byzantine Empire in order to understand how physical geography affected development of societies, rather than allocating major points toward subjective categories of neatness and effort.

There were multiple limitations in the rubric that we used for the unit mapping project. I suppose the important thing is that we found these limitations and did something about them, illustrating the continual learning and reflection in one's own practice. Shermis and Di Vesta (2011, p. 136-137) note how it is important not to include elements on a rubric that are not related to the primary performance task being assessed, and to craft rubrics so that they may be used to show consistency in rating between varied users (a scientific principal in validity). The edited version aligns better with the learning target, removing unnecessary elements, as proposed by Shermis and Di Vesta, as well as reduces subjective elements that would cause difficulty in producing similar results between varied graders. My mentor is excited to use the new rubric next year. I am glad to have been part of the editing and construction of a more efficient and purposeful rubric, which shows how educators are constantly reflecting, modifying, and making adjustments in order to better organize, align and present material and assess student comprehension of said material.

Reference List:

Shermis, Mark D. and Di Vesta, Francis J. (2011). Classroom Assessment in Action. Rowman &   Littlefield Publishers, Inc., Plymouth, UK.

Formative and Summative Assessments in Current Unit

EDU 6160 bPortfolio Post 2                            Ian Lewis                                 October 16, 2016

Discuss the formative and summative assessment plans for a unit presently being taught in your class.

Midway through October, the end of the first quarter of my 7^th grade internship experience at Narrows View Intermediate is growing near. In social studies, we have completed the first unit on the Byzantine and Muslim empires and are on to the second, a bit of an impromptu unit on politics, as the election is upon us. In English Language Arts, the students are finishing a final explanatory paragraph this weekend, and have a single selection to read before the first unit regarding the review of fiction plot structure is over.

Throughout both of these units, I have observed and participated in the administration of multiple formative assessments. With the end of each unit, I will have experienced summative assessment as well. Shermis and Di Vesta explain how assessment is integral, not separate from instruction, and that assessment of student progress occurs daily (2011, p. 83). I have experienced this in both subjects. In social studies, an example of formal formative assessment would be restructuring the week lesson outline after progress through a chapter of the four in the unit seemed to be difficult for students to understand. After we thought the students were able to take notes on their own after demonstration of note taking for the first chapter, we instructed them to take notes (in pairs) for another chapter. However, this proved to be confusing, with some students not knowing what types of notes to take. Therefore, we rearranged the schedule in order to incorporate a guided note taking the next day. Informal formative assessment that assisted in this decision included observations of the social and performance context (Shermis and Di Vesta, 2011, p. 87-89) of students working in pairs, but faltering to decide, even with two minds, which notes were important to take. The summative assessment for the unit consisted of a test comprised of multiple choice, data analysis, and short response questions. Regarding the data analysis section, a social studies pre-assessment at the beginning of the year showed that many students needed more practice analyzing data (whether in form of tables, graphs, charts, maps, etc.), and thus this area has been emphasized in order to act as a marker of student growth throughout the year.

In ELA, the paragraph due this coming Monday represents the second of the quarter. Therefore, it will allow for analysis of student progress in relation to their last piece, a form of formal formative assessment. After writing a summary paragraph for the first few ELA reading selections, the students were then instructed how to create an eleven sentence explanatory paragraph for the next selection, and an associated non-fiction text; both were used to cite text evidence as support in the paragraph. Students added this paragraph to their writing folders, which include a reflection chart for each new piece of writing throughout the year; based on written feedback on the rubric, and oral feedback from my mentor teacher and myself, students reflected on what they did well and what they could improve next time. With this second piece, we will be able to analyze student growth and progress, and they will hopefully note their own growth in their reflection charts. Similar to social studies, we also had students complete a reading/writing pre-assessment. The essays they wrote for this were the first piece of work added to the writing folders, and each student received an individual conference regarding their assessment, including the grading rubric, areas of strength, and areas for improvement. This verbal informal formative assessment allowed for student and teacher to be on the same page regarding expectations of writing reflection and progress for the remainder of the year. Once the final reading selection is complete, students will also take a unit test related to plot structures and their relation to the various selections read, which will act as a summative unit assessment.

Overall, it is obvious of the importance of integrated assessment, both summative and formative, and how they each shape and interact with the teaching and learning processes. Not discussed in detail above, but the simplest of strategies, such as a show of hands or thumb survey regarding current understanding, or asking students to restate a learning target, are all minor, but integral aspects of daily assessment in the classroom that have all been put to practice as well. Throughout the next units in both subjects, I will continue to be aware of the various assessments and their importance to shaping future teaching.

Reference List:

Shermis, Mark D. and Di Vesta, Francis J. (2011). Classroom Assessment in Action. Rowman &   Littlefield Publishers, Inc., Plymouth, UK.

How do chapter tests in your class relate to Bloom’s Taxonomy of educational objectives?

EDU 6160 bPortfolio Post 1                            Ian Lewis                                             October 9, 2016

Throughout the first month of my internship, I have had the opportunity to provide copious assessments, both formative and summative in nature. For each ELA title we have read, for example, there has been a selection test. This assessment provides an opportunity for summative assessment. Throughout the few days/week we are on the certain selection, however, there are multiple opportunities for formative assessment. A major area for formative assessment is with regard to the vocabulary words presented in each selection.

Prior to reading a selection, we often preview the select vocabulary words with the students. This takes multiple forms, ranging from powerpoint presentations with associated graphics to enhance memory via visual learning, to the textbook website based game where students take turns using the smartboard to unscramble letters to form words based on a presented definition, which adds a kinesthetic aspect to learning. A previous preview worksheet consisted of the words presented in a table with a student self assessment of knowledge in which they were to check whether each word was either: 1) unfamiliar, 2) new, but understandable based on context, or 3) known and could be used; then provide a definition based on this level of knowledge (which were later compared to the actual definitions). For each word, via worksheet, we also explore them in context – that as it was encountered in the story and another made up example –and students underline/highlight the context clues. Students then list definitions/synonyms based on the context clues they have identified, write the word in a meaningful sentence (one that has its own context clues), and do another activity (e.g. What is the difference between singe and burn?, for the word singed, as presented in Kipling’s Rikki-Tikki-Tavi); such tasks allow for independent work and partner/group sharing. Covert and overt strategies are used in attempt to engage the whole class. For each portion of the vocabulary exercise, teachers monitor and informally assess student understanding by walking through the room, simply looking at student work, which informs pacing and how/when to proceed to the next segment for each word, or to the next new word. Thus, as Shermis and Di Vesta (2011, p. 16) note, assessment becomes an integral part of everyday instruction, and not just one part of a cycle of teaching phases.

With such an emphasis placed on understanding key vocabulary, the summative selection tests contain vocabulary sections. Related to Bloom’s Taxonomy (Bloom et al. 1956), as summarized by Shermis and Di Vesta (2011, p. 42-44), some of these vocabulary questions equate to the basic level of Knowledge where knowing definitions is what is expected. However, if we set up some vocabulary questions to ask students to identify a word that most nearly matches the opposite of the given word’s definition, then students assessed level jumps up to Analysis, as they are comparing, noting similarities/differences, and determining opposites. Comprehension questions regarding the content of the selection offer students the opportunity to assess skills at the level of Comprehension/Understanding. Levels of Synthesis and Application are attained when students explain how aspects of the selection relate to certain literary/plot elements, and then address how such elements were present in another text, respectively. A section where students underline or note context clues related to a vocabulary word in an example sentence allows practical application of the vocabulary building skills continually developed through each selection and across selections. Overall, the summative assessments for the ELA reading selections offer opportunity for students to engage in learning at each level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Reference List:

Bloom, B., Englehart, M., Furst, E., Hill, W., and Krathwohl, D. (1956). Taxonomy of       Educational Objectives.

Shermis, Mark D. and Di Vesta, Francis J. (2011). Classroom Assessment in Action. Rowman &   Littlefield Publishers, Inc., Plymouth, UK.