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Enhancing competencies,broadening minds

- how assessment supports learning

March 8, 2008

Ms Dorothy Lam & Ms Fiona Chung S.K.H. St. Peter’s Primary School speakers

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TSA Pre-Sec 1 Textbooks

Challenges to schools nowadays ….

Different programmes (e.g. CECES, PLPR, school-based support) ope

rating in schools

Curriculum guide

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From 2003 - what are we up to now?

While realizing the objectives suggested in the English language curriculum guide, we help students get prepared for standards required in TSA

While enhancing students’ language skills and generic skills in the modules, we bear in mind that meeting Basic Competency Descriptors and the learning outcomes is important.

While implementing reading workshops, we train more able students to read high order thinking questions and support the struggling ones with achievable tasks

While designing writing tasks for students, we keep in mind that our students nowadays need more exposure to different text types in face of the rapidly developing media world.

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An overview of today’s sharing

1. How reading skills are embedded in the curriculum (both design and delivery)

2. How learners’ differences are catered

3. How independent and process writing skills are incorporated in the curriculum (feedback – when and where?)

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Challenges to our students in reading nowadays

• Questions that require them to read into details • Questions that require them to look for main ideas

by drawing information from several places in the text

• Questions that require them to analyse• Questions that ask about intentions, attitudes, feeli

ngs• Questions that require them to think ….

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A comprehensive idea of book concept ~

Locating information Locating information provided on the book provided on the book cover, on the spine or cover, on the spine or blurb, index and blurb, index and glossary.glossary.

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Working out unfamiliar words ~Predicting speakers’ feelings and intentions ~

“… the rat to nibble with her sharp front teeth.” (paragraph 2, p.4) To nibble means …A. to hold the food.B. to play with the food.C. to take the whole piece of food at a time quickly.D. to eat the food with small bites.

What is the meaning of ‘as usual’ in the sentence ‘Mum is happy as usual.’ on P1?A beforeB afterC alwaysD now

On P4, Grandma says, ‘What a mess!’ Do you think she is happy?A yesB no

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Locating information and ideas from a biography

Complete the fact file based on the biography in Part C.Real name: _________________________Pen name: _________________________ Job: _____________Age: ___________________ Place of birth: _______________Important times / events / achievements:_____________: born in EnglandChildhood: studied in _____________________________;

wrote her first story about ______________;liked _____ing

At her 20’s: studied in ___________________________________First book: name--“___________________________________”;

about a boy studying in _____________________

____________________________________________;

image of this boy appears in her mind when she was travelling on a ___________;1994: wrote her book in a _______________;later published by _______________________;1997: won her the first award: __________________________________________________________________;1998: ____________________ began to make the Harry Potter books into films

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Character SnapshotsWhat characters are in your story? Use this character snapshot table to help you describe the characters.

CharactersAppearance/Personality

What happened to them?

Locating information and ideas from a story

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Understand story Understand story structure that structure that comprises setting, comprises setting, characters, characters, problems, events problems, events and solutions.and solutions.

Understanding story structure

Students need to build up their analysing ability

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Looking for main ideas and supporting details

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Teach them the way to read

•Train them the ways to work out the meaning of unfamiliar

words or expressions by using contextual clues or pictorial cues.

•Most importantly, they need to have the right attitude when dealing with this kind of questions

•Get students think more during class time

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Skim a text to get the gist and main idea.Skim a text to get the gist and main idea.

Skimming and Scanning Techniques

15Scan for specific information.Scan for specific information.

Skimming and Scanning Techniques

16Skim a text to get the Skim a text to get the gist and main ideas.gist and main ideas.

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Reading exposure

– Balance intensive and extensive reading Are the text types well covered in each modules, at

each Key Stages, throughout the whole year?

Do your student benefit from the extensive reading

scheme? Is there room for improvement especially when it comes to monitoring the practice

Have they been reminded that reading can be done any time and anywhere? (Look at the signs around us, look at the advertisement on the street, look at the bar of chocolate you are eating, etc)

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How reading skills are taught to students?

All the materials are done, time to deliver them during lessons …

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Catering for learner differences

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Cater for Learner Differences

– Different sets of materials

Creative writer booklet for Creative writer booklet for the majority of studentsthe majority of students

Creative writer booklet for more Creative writer booklet for more able students—with an able students—with an additional page for each topicadditional page for each topic

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– Bilingual notes to parents• Help explain the school’s English language

policies to parents and solicit their support

Cater for Learner Differences

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COMMON WRITING CHALLENGES

lack oflack of elaborationelaboration

lack of variety or creative expression in guided writinglack of variety or creative expression in guided writing

limited vocabularylimited vocabulary

syntactical problems (not enough understanding of what a sentence is)syntactical problems (not enough understanding of what a sentence is)

inappropriate diction (choice of words)inappropriate diction (choice of words)

short of ideasshort of ideas

Sometimes, direct translation from Chinese to English Sometimes, direct translation from Chinese to English e.g. I can do your friend. The lion wants to eat the mouse. e.g. I can do your friend. The lion wants to eat the mouse. The mouse is afraid. The mouse is lion friends now.The mouse is afraid. The mouse is lion friends now.

Challenges to our students in writing nowadays

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They could All Be Little Writers!

• journal writing

• I’m a creative writer!

• create platforms create platforms for writingfor writing

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I’m a creative writer!TopicTopic ThemeTheme GenreGenre Target structureTarget structure

Someone I like People and family

description Present tense, adjectives of characters

School picnic School life narration Past tense, verb forms

Christmas festivals narration Past tense

My feelings before examinations

Feelings, school life

expressive, explanatory

Adjectives of feelings, futurity

How I use my lucky money

Daily life, festivals

expository, imaginative

Quantifiers, adjectives

My favourite sport

hobbies description Present tense, preferences, reasons

A riddle riddle expository, informal

Adjectives, body parts, questions

My plans for the future

plan expository Futurity, predictions

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I’m a creative writer!

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Make a biography using a can.This time you will try to write not on a piece of paper, but on a can! Think of a famous you like. Write a biography for him or her. Instructions:1.Find a can of soft drinks. 2.Enjoy the drink. 3.Wash the can and let it dry.

Cut long slices of drawing paper.1.Join the slices together with tape.2.Stick the end of the slice to the can.3.Roll the paper on the can.4.Write on the can with colour pens.5.Print photos or draw pictures of the famous person. Stick them onto the paper.6.Show the can to your friends and read your biography to them. Peer editing: Help your partner to check the followings

LanguageOrganization

Correct use of tensesPast Tense

Make sure the writing:1.is arranged according to the order of the events 2.includes important events 3.includes Ending Statement to comment the person

ConnectivesCorrect use of First”, “Then”, “Next”, “After that” and “Finally”

Your scroll will be marked based on the following criteria:

Content /50Organization /20

Language /20 Style /10

Total /100

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Biography student work

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Setting up a common marking criteria

Score Content Language Organisation Punctuation

Very Competent 45 – 50-Provides relevant information and interesting ideas-The overall meaning is clear

16 – 20-Ideas are communicated clearly and coherently, with few errors in vocabulary, grammar or spelling-Uses a good range of vocabulary and sentence structures

16 – 20-Ideas are clearly and logically organized-Includes a.arranged according to the order of the eventsb.important eventsc.comment of the person

8 – 10-Few errors in using punctuation marks-Few errors in capital letters

Competent 30 – 44-Provides some relevant information-Some effort is required to understand the overall meaning

8 – 15-Ideas are communicated clearly, with some errors in vocabulary, grammar or spelling-Uses a reasonable range of vocabulary and sentence structures

8 – 15-Ideas are generally clearly and logically organized-Includes any 2 of the followings:a.arranged according to the order of the eventsb.important eventsc.comment of the person

4 – 7-Some errors in using punctuation marks-Some errors in capital letters

Fairly Competent 15 – 29-Provides mostly irrelevant information but makes some attempt to write-The overall meaning can be understood but with considerable difficulty

2 – 7-Ideas are ineffectively communicated, with frequent errors in vocabulary, grammar or spelling-Uses a limited range of vocabulary and sentence structures

2 – 7-Ideas are not clearly and logically organized, thus impeding comprehension-Includes 1 of the followingsa.arranged according to the order of the eventsb.important eventsc.comment of the person

1 – 3-Frequent errors in using punctuation marks-Frequent errors in capital letters

Needs more Effort 0 – 14-Provides totally irrelevant information or makes no attempt to write-The meaning is unintelligible

0 – 1-Comprehension is seriously impeded by constant and significant errors in vocabulary, grammar or spelling-Uses a very limited range of vocabulary and sentence structures

0 – 1-Ideas are muddles and incomprehensible-Doesn’t include any of the followingsa.arranged according to the order of the eventsb.important eventsc.comment of the person

0-Significant errors in using punctuation marks-Significant errors in capitals

Detailed Detailed descriptorsdescriptors

Comments Comments can be derived can be derived from thisfrom this

Target Target structures are structures are expectedexpected

Marks awarded Marks awarded according to the according to the spectrum fallen inspectrum fallen in

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Teacher feedback to students

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• Use different marking methods and subject-specific marking criteria in line with the focuses and emphases within the learning targets set for the assessment tasks    

• Do NOT confine marking to ticks, crosses, marks and grades

(A tick marked with the word 'good' only does NOT tell the student why the work is good or what criteria it fulfils)

• Try to provide explanatory comments (which are timely and concise and inform students about

why something is good or less good)

Quality Marking

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• Agree guiding principles among panel teachers as to the methods, frequency and amount of assessment and ways for marking based on professional judgment   

• Detailed marking is desirable but schools cannot expect teachers to mark every single piece of student work in a detailed way, nor is it necessary for them to do so in view of their manageability and workload

Quality Marking

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Connecting Formative Assessment and Feedback with Learning

• Involve students in self-assessment  (self-checking, peer feedback)

• Help students to know themselves and the standards they should attain (show them both good and bad examples)

• Celebrate achievement, enhance motivation, build self-esteem

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How do you organise the writing in the curric

ulum?

– Have students got adequate inputs in the module?

– Do these inputs help to build up their productive skills?

– Are they provided with an authentic context to write?

– Is time being given to them to enjoy the writing process ?

– Are constructive feedbacks provided at different stages of writing?

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