During the choral readings my group focused on the assessment aspect of ELL students. We all agreed that assessments were necessary in order to chart the progress of a student. We, as educators, do not want to simply assume that the students have learned what we taught. Instead, we want proof that shows the students have an understanding of the material. In the article Lenski wrote, "The purpose for assessment can be quite diverse; they can range from students placement to instructions decisions and from program development to program evaluation. It is crucial that teachers identify the purposes for assessing their students before choosing the assessment instrument to be used (Lenski 9)." Teachers need to make sure that the assessments that they are going to use are appropriate for what they are trying to assess. There is no point in assessing a child with a test that is inappropriate for what is being assessed.
I really enjoyed reading the Gibbons text. The 'mode continuum' was one topic that I found to be especially interesting. The mode continuum shows how language is connected through a series of processes, each process building on the previous. As the processes continued through the series, the complexity of the students thinking increased as well. They began to use vocabulary words instead of saying, "... it doesn't go... it doesn't move... (Gibbons 40)," the students used phrases like, "... magnets attracts some kinds of metal... (Gibbons 40)." Having the students work together in groups facilitated the ability for them to use the vocabulary in its correct context.
One final thought, even though I had trouble with the "Where I'm From" poem, it was a lot of fun! I am excited to see what everyone else wrote. See you all in class tomorrow =)
I agree, I really liked the readings for class. I enjoyed reading about ELL students and the way they learn as well as the way teachers are supposed to assess English Language Learners. I also like how you incorporated Lenski, stating that the purpose of assessment can be quite diverse. I never thought about these situations in such detail before, because I have never experienced an ELL student in my classroom. This was a nice couple of chapters to read. I would have never known about all the different ways to assess and work with ELL students if I was not emersed into the readings in class as well as the discussions in class.
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