Chapter 4 BLOG

When looking at the Performance Based Learning information in this chapter I was reminded of what we already are required to do for all students. For every lesson we must have a learning objective. This information takes it a step further and asks that we include a language objective and learning strategy objective. This is a good way to look at my lessons for all of my students, not just my ELs. I firmly believe that we should be assessing our students based on what they have learned and what they can demonstrate to us through speaking, reading, and writing. Some of my students do well with written assessments, but most (especially my ELs) do best with oral responses. My question is: Why has the government become so narrow-minded in their definition of learning? Why don’t they consider an oral response to be an adequate demonstration of what the student has learned? In California, oral responses with a scribe are considered modifications on the state tests. The district doesn’t receive the same “credit” for student learning outcomes that cannot be demonstrated through filling in a bubble. The text says, “Performance-based testing procedures can be based on tasks that students are asked to do, including essays, demonstrations, computer simulations, performance events, and open-ended problem solving” (Diaz-Rico, p. 79). While we all know that standardized tests are required, there is a push for teachers to start using different assessment measures. “Teachers of ELLs work in school environments that are increasingly under pressure to prepare these students to pass standardized tests for accountability purposes. Closing the achievement gap between language minority and non-minority students will also require improved assessments that research shows can promote and support learning at the classroom level,” Valdez Pierce says in an article called Performance-Based Assessment: Promoting Achievement for English Language Learners.


Response to peers:
There were various ideas and main ideas selected from this chapter in the BLOGs. One student looked at the necessity for standards in our classrooms.“The educational world we live in today consists of standards. Everything we do in the classroom must be to meet a specific standard and each lesson will be given an objective that relates to the standard you are meeting,” says Jenna King. Everything we teach is dictated by someone else; not dictated by the individual needs of our students. While I agree with Jenna that this is true, I’m not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Another student focused on assessment and its impact on the students we teach. Amanda Wright addressed assessment through the view of redesignation. She is correct that there is a lot of pressure on teachers to move students up in their EL levels and get them redesignated as proficient English speakers. She also addresses the fact that ELs, once reclassified, are left in the classroom without additional support. Are they really ready for this type of classroom support?