maletta_journal4

Michelle Maletta EDC 452 Assessment Journal 4 Context and Structure: At the conclusion of each and every week on Friday morning my students take a spelling test. These spelling tests consist of twelve words and one bonus word. Students are also required to write two sentences using two given words from the previous weeks spelling test. Students are given a blank sheet of paper to start the test. My teacher administers the test by saying the word, using the word in a sentence, and then repeating the word a second time. Once the twelve words have been given students are given ample time, within reason, to complete the sentences using the two words from the previous week. The test is concluded with my cooperating teacher reading the bonus word. Implementation and Results: When the tests are completed my cooperating teacher grades them based simply on whether or not they spelled the word correctly and whether or not they applied the words from the previous week correctly in the sentences. Once they have been graded they are returned to students for review. Upon return, after review, students add the words of the week to their spelling dictionaries. They then use these as a reference for anytime they do writing within their classroom. Along with being a future source of reference for the students, my cooperating teacher uses the grades of these tests on report cards. Each quarter she compares the improvement of spelling to the PALS (Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening) results that the kids did at the beginning of the year in September. Thus the spelling test results show improvement along the whole spectrum of the year. Reflection: Reflecting back on this type of assessment I am sort of on the fence as to how useful it is for the students in the long run. Although seeing words and having to memorize how to spell them each week does help in recalling them later, I am not sure that ultimately this is the best style of learning. Often in school we learn something for the test and then tend to forget it. And I feel that a spelling test each week almost sets students up to do just that. At the same time I struggle to find another way to teach the spelling of massive amounts of words to students within the time constraints of a single school year. So ultimately I feel that although this type of assessment has its flaws, it seems to be the only working model for teaching spelling that is feasible in schools.