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Author Topic: evaluation methods and student testing (elementary focus)  (Read 122 times)

teacher_del

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evaluation methods and student testing (elementary focus)
« on: September 30, 2010, 05:34:14 pm »
I have some fresh educators as co-teachers this year.  They are very eager to hear my ideas and plan around my opinions wherever the school system allows it.  I am really grateful for these extra opportunities to influence how my students learn, but it can be problematic when I don't know what I'm doing. 

Testing is one of those areas where I don't know what I'm doing. 

How would you suggest evaluating third-grade students?  We apparently have to develop our testing criteria for the Fall/Winter semester by Saturday.  I wasn't given access to the grade 3 test papers from the Spring/Summer semester, so I don't know the precedent.  I just know there should be a tiny bit of writing, a tiny bit of reading, and some listening and speaking. 

I hope to do 1:30 to 2-minute student interviews to test listening and speaking, including checking comprehension of basic commands and vocabulary using realia.  I'm not sure what to evaluate for the speaking portion of the interview.  Just two or three questions, given the time we have, but what about?

Do I test them only on things learned since August, or should there be a few questions based on the spring, as well?

I don't even know when the testing needs to be done; just that we have to develop our test plan tomorrow to meet the Saturday deadline. 

Can anyone share any experience or advice concerning this part of teaching?  Thanks.  :)
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AnthonyTeacher

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Re: evaluation methods and student testing (elementary focus)
« Reply #1 on: September 30, 2010, 06:06:20 pm »
If you are willing to dedicate some time, and your teachers are interested in alternative methods of assessment, you could try portfolio assessment, which would include some writing, reading, and an interview plus some sort of cumulative test.
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mgfreen

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Re: evaluation methods and student testing (elementary focus)
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2010, 11:34:04 am »
When I worked at a hagwon we did monthly oral tests - it was a similar format to what you suggested, with 4-6 questions in a quick one on one interview. With a class of 25-35 students you would obviously need to have fewer questions to get everybody tested in a single period. I would try to have one general 'warm up' question (weather, whatever), a review question, and the rest would be questions from the units they'd completed that month. With grade 3/4, I'd do one general question and 2-3 questions on the most recent semester only.

If you can spare the time, you might think about having bi-monthly oral tests. Do the testing in the hallway or somewhere quiet near the classroom, and have your co-teacher lead some sort of review activity in the classroom.

The previous tests I'd seen for grade 3 were entirely multiple choice listening tests using a CD - the students would listen to a sentence or short dialogue in English and choose the corresponding picture or Korean sentence. There was no reading component since the national textbooks for grade 3 don't have any reading/writing beyond the alphabet. As far as I know these were national tests.
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