Second task work

In Special Didactics, there is content related to lesson planning. For doing the review of the material, I decided, instead of the common debate, to play a version of “Who wants to be a millionaire”. This activity is a combination of several workshops, since it involves promoting reading and therefore checking their comprehension through oral discussions with the rest of the class; and I think I also applied some stuff about motivating and awarding students for their achievements as well. It was planned a couple of weeks beforehand, since I needed to recollect the reading material and check it out before assigning it. And so, I gave the links to my students a week before applying the activity. I told them to read the material and any other text they had related to lesson planning, since we were going to discuss it in class the following week.

I prepare the questions and I used a template found on the web from a teacher’s website, and adapt the instructions given. The main change were the prizes given: For every five correct answers, students were treated with a 5% extra points from the total of the grade obtained in any evaluation of their choosing; then 10% for the next five correct answers; and finally 15% for the final 5 correct answers. The prices had expiration dates, just for the sake of it, since I only have my students for a semester; I guess High School teachers should actually mark them with expiration dates because they have their students for a longer period.

It did not go so well, since students failed to answer the first question correctly, and therefore lost all their prices. However, we continue to play anyway, just because they got caught in the format of the game. They still lost big time (only a total of 3 correct answers; the students later confided me that, even though they got the links and the information, they didn’t read them completely, if nothing at all. The positive outcome of this was that they later started looking and reading the information beforehand and participating

For later applications, I would like to change the order of the questions and maybe change some of them; also, I would like to add some other reading material, preferably related to the changes that are being applied on this new school year here in Venezuela. In addition, I would offer extra points for every acceptable explanation for the correct answer to any of the students. The students didn’t have any trouble understanding the questions (grammar and syntax) but I wouldn´t outrule rewriting some or all the questions either in the future.

This is a time-consuming activity preparation wise, in relation to application difficulty and resources needed. But it is worth the time spent organizing it since students will want to continue participating, even though they missed and won’t win any prices, and is a satisfactory moment when you realized the students continue challenging themselves and working together to improve themselves. They didn't prepare themselves for this surprise activity even though they were given the tools for doing it; but for the rest of Summer classes, they looked for the information related to the topics studied, and I didn't have to remember them to do it, upgrading the quality of their answers as well as the amount of participation in class. 

Assessment procedure

Assessment procedure

Design Stage

This is an achievement test. It was applied weekly during Special Didactics’ summer classes 2015, with the 8° semester English students. They needed to design and apply an strategy or activity related to the content discussed in the previous class.

The elements assessed were related, mostly, to their speaking skill, although the other macro skills were considered taking into account the nature and resources of the activity they applied. Aspects related to the content used and inter and intra personal skills were also taken into account. The assessment sheet stated as follows:

After a topic was explained in class and modelling activities were applied, students were asked to elaborate and apply a strategy or activity related to the content taught (all topics were related to EFL teaching). They were given the guidelines (the above aspects plus some written instructions on a spreadsheet) and a time frame (no more than 15 mins per group, with 5 mins for questions from the audience or teacher).

Application Stage

There was a total of 6 times when the assessment sheet was used with the topics related to: Icebreakers and warm ups, ages and levels of students, teaching speaking and listening, teaching reading and writing, assessment and positive feedback, and the final presentation.

The first time the instrument was applied (icebreakers and warm ups) was on an entirely formative level, in which the students tried their hands with the procedure of the class, as well to make them acquainted with the evaluation process. At the end of each participation, the students were given a feedback, emphasizing the positive aspects first, and then pinpointing the portions they should work a little bit more. Questions were answered and students approved the structure of the assessment sheet as it encompassed a complete set of aspect that helped to achieve the goal of the subject.

This procedure was repeated each week during the activity’s presentation period. As time passed, the students’ questions were fewer, as well as the aspects to be improved. By the 5^th week (assessment and positive feedback), the teacher gave the rubric to students to be fulfilled in a peer evaluation. It was a success as students presented a complete assessment of their partners, stating the positive aspects, as well as the not so good aspects to still be improved. They considered this activity as an excellent practice to be applied constantly, but not with so many aspects, and not with more than 15 students per class. This technique was used again with the final presentation, in which the peer evaluation was considered in order to grade the activity.  

Reflection Stage

I liked the way this type of assessment went, because it really shows the progress of each student and group during the whole course. It is arduous to fill every single descriptor, but worth it; especially during the first couple of times in which students were still trying to grab the concept that evaluating is not to point out every single bad thing they do.

For following applications, I will try to create an actual rubric, particularly if the group is too big, as the time is going to be more limited and restricted; also because the feedback given is as important as the time the students may have for their activities, as it is the opportunity for them to improve.

I would like to reinforce the concept in my students that teaching, evaluating and assessment can be done with the same strategy, and because of that, they can also improve as students as well as future teachers.