Moving Toward Authentic Assessment
The first chapter on Authentic Assessment for English language learners got me curious to find out more about it, and it looks like something that will fit into our immersion program. I like the way assessment is tied into the way we teach, in that in order to adapt authentic assessment we must change our philosophy of teaching (pg. 5). This chapter reminds me of the critical pedagogy we spoke about in our second language teaching class. There are three models: transmission, generative, and transformative. Transmission is a perspective where the teacher holds all knowledge and the student is the receiver, and this model wouldn’t fit into authentic assessment because it doesn’t leave room for self evaluation. The generative model is a perspective in which the child is responsible for learning and the teacher acts as a guide, and transformative involves the community.
The scoring guide that is described in page 5 reminds me of our phase assessments. The students are graded basic, proficient, or advanced in each indicator. I’m curious now as to how phases came about, and are they for English first language speakers? I wonder, are the village schools taught as if all the students are English first language speakers? Is that why most villages aren’t doing so well in the standardized tests?
Back to Work
13 years ago
2 comments:
Sally-
When We have a face to face in Bethel, I will bring a couple of portfolios I have to share with you.
To answer your question about village children being English first language, I believe that they are thought to be proficient enough to be able to take those standardized tests, and because they are standardized, the students in our villages are labeled as failures, because the tests are not relevant to them, they are normed after the middle class, English speaking students! Can you believe that? Yes, that is why the students who try to take these tests don't perform well on those tests. Sad isn't it?
Sally,
I like the connection you made linking critical pedagogy to authentic assessment. I do think they relate because both encourage schools to engage students in tasks related to real life that make a difference in people's lives.
Marilee
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