cait_journal3

Cait Benson February 9, 2009 EDC 452 Assessment Journal #3 Every week I observe my cooperating teacher administer a spelling pretest. This test is orally given to all students in the classroom and each child has the same amount of time to finish. The teacher starts by asking the students to number their paper one to fifteen then reads a list of words with corresponding sentences until the list is completed. If a student missed or needed a word repeated they are told to simply raise their hand at the conclusion of the pretest and the teacher will then repeat the word for that child. Although this may seem like an ordinary spelling pretest, my cooperative teacher has created a way to make it unique and beneficial for both the student and the teacher. To explain, each child has their own manila folder that holds the spelling list. However, one flap of the manila folder is cut down to the crease to make three different sections. The first flap is labeled Correct Spelling of Words, the second is labeled Pretest, and the third is labeled Final Test. Inside the folder is a sheet of paper, divided into these same sections, stapled to the opposite flap with the cuts. By having this, students are able to open the middle flap during the pretest (hiding the correct spelling of the week’s words) and record their answers. Once the pretest is over, the students are then able to evaluate their answers by opening the first flap and correcting their spelling. After the students are done correcting their spelling they report back to the teacher with their score. If the student misspelled four or more words, he or she is required to take the “normal” spelling homework home for the week while if the student misspelled no more than four words, he or she is told to take home the “challenge” spelling homework. On Friday (after the spelling homework is turned in), the students then take the final spelling test according to their homework, “normal” or “challenge,” by opening the third flap only. Overall, I really liked this form of assessment. The teacher took the everyday spelling test and created something new, unique, and useful for not only herself but also for her students. I believe the manila folder idea was a great and exciting task for the students because they were able to decorate the cover which can encourage the children to think of spelling as a positive part of their week. In addition to this, I also thought the folder was useful because it allowed the students to assess themselves and reflect on their own performance during the pretest Continuing from this, it provided the students with an opportunity to see where they went wrong in their spelling and how they can improve for the final test. With that, I also loved the fact that my teacher distributed two different spelling homework assignments. I thought this was beneficial to the students because if a student scored an A on the pretest, why should he or she have to take that same test again? By having the “challenge” spelling homework, it gives the student time to use a higher level of thinking and to grow or progress as a speller. In addition to this, it keeps the student’s attention and focus because he or she is not bored with the same words. I can certainly see myself not only administering a spelling pretest and final test (since it is usually required in elementary school systems) but I can also see myself using the manila folder idea in my future class. I really enjoyed observing this class because it showed me how to turn a boring spelling test into something creative and helpful. On the contrary, if I were to change one thing about this assessment strategy, I would change how the “normal” and “challenge” spelling homework is distributed. In class, I observed the teacher calling the students that scored more then four wrong to her desk to collect the “normal” homework and then the students who needed to collect the “challenge” homework after. Perhaps being almost singled-out or dividing the class into two different groups could hurt a child’s self esteem so, in my future class, I think I might make two piles of homework, the “normal” and the “challenge,” and I will have the students collect it on their own time to protect their confidence level. Overall, I loved observing this week!

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