cdyer31_journal4

March 13, 2009

This week, I was working one-on-one with T., one of the more difficult students in the class. T. is very behind on work because he is absent a lot and is usually distracted when he is present in school. He is very behind on his work this week, so Mrs. Moniz has asked me to work with him individually. We spent the majority of our time working on Word-of-the-Day worksheets, which are assignments Mrs. Moniz gives to have the students practice their spelling words. She puts the spelling word at the top of the sheet with four sets of dotted lines below it. They are to write the word four times to practice spelling and writing it, and below, they are to compose sentences including the word. At the beginning of the year, Mrs. Moniz wanted them to write one sentence each using the spelling word. Now, she wants them to write two or more quality sentences for each word, meaning they must use proper punctuation, extensive vocabulary and relevant, well-formed ideas. When each student is finished with the worksheet, they must put it in their work folder and leave it for Mrs. Moniz to check. She makes sure each word is written on the lines neatly and carefully. She also checks for spelling, punctuation and original ideas.

This assessment fits in many of the CLASS assessment targets: 1) Accuracy and precision of subject-matter knowledge 2) Sophistication of subject-matter (and cross-subject-matter) understanding 3) Effectiveness and efficiency of technical skill 4) Effectiveness of general performance and production 5) Mature habits of mind

This assessment helps students not only to practice spelling each word, but also to use the words in different contexts. This fits in with numbers two, four and five especially of the CLASS system because the activity shows that students can use the words correctly and to use them with depth in thought and effectiveness in syntax.

I like this activity because they remind me of my times in elementary school. One of my favorite activities was writing each spelling word five times each, composing sentences or writing stories using spelling words. This assignment is a combination of all of those activities I used to have to do in elementary school. I feel that this is helpful because the repetition allows the students not only to remember how to spell the words, but they are also able to work on handwriting and writing letters. Moreover, they are able to learn how to write and express themselves effectively. This is obviously a bit difficult to assess because it is subjective, but Mrs. Moniz and the students know what she is looking for.

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