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Title: How to Start Using IPA’s
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From https://marishawkins.wordpress.com
Do you prefer to change your teaching gradually? Maris Hawkins writes, “While some people may be happy making huge changes, I prefer to change a little bit at a time until I am ready to make bigger jumps. Below, I will detail how I evolved my assessments to prepare for larger IPAs in the following years.”
Read on if you are also starting to implement Integrated Performance Assessments: https://marishawkins.wordpress.com/2017/06/01/how-to-start-using-ipas-an-evolution/
Source: Maris Hawkins
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Title: Using Authentic Texts and Resources
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From http://www.kentuckyteacher.org/subjects/global-competency-world-languages/2017/06/core-practices-using-authentic-texts-and-resources/
The Kentucky Department of Education has been running a series that focuses on the core practices of world language instruction. In this sixth installment, Dorie Conlon Perugini writes, “While students in traditional classes may be exposed to cultural tidbits through a textbook, authentic cultural resources in a modern class can include websites, newspaper and magazine articles, brochures, infographics, YouTube clips, social media posts, and even live or Skyped-in guest speakers from the target culture. As long as the materials were created for a real audience that uses the target language, and not solely for language-learners, it can be used as an authentic resource!”
She continues, “My personal reason for using authentic resources is allowing students to experience culture, rather than simply learning about culture. They also provide students language input that is representative of how language is used in real life – not simplified or watered down.”
Read the full article at http://www.kentuckyteacher.org/subjects/global-competency-world-languages/2017/06/core-practices-using-authentic-texts-and-resources/
Source: Kentucky Teacher
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Title: Feedback and Assessment
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From http://cristinaskybox.blogspot.com
Just in time for our June focus on assessment, Ana Cristina Pratas has created a wonderful infographic about feedback: types of feedback, suggestions for when to use which type, and ideas for professional development. She writes, “Learners … have the right to feedback, to know how they are progressing in the content matter, how they are developing as learners and how they can better achieve both their learning goals and the overall goals set by the curriculum they are learning in.”
The infographic and blog post are available at http://cristinaskybox.blogspot.com/2017/05/reflecting-on-feedback-and-assessment.html
Source: CristinaSkyBox
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Title: Research Summary: The Academic Vocabulary List and University Student Writing
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From http://www.eltresearchbites.com
Philip Kerr summarizes a 2016 study by Philip Durrant examining how relevant the Academic Vocabulary List is to university student writing. Kerr summarizes, “It is clear … that the AVL is a useful guide but needs to be treated with some caution. A learning / teaching focus on Durrant’s 427 items would appear to make more sense than a more ambitious attempt to deal with the entirety of the AVL (or, for that matter, the AWL). However, more research is needed before this can be settled.”
Read the full research summary at http://www.eltresearchbites.com/201705-to-what-extent-is-the-academic-vocabulary-list-relevant-to-university-student-writing/
Source: ELT Research Bites
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Title: Teaching with Trading Cards
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From http://www.freetech4teachers.com
Richard Byrne points out two sites where teachers and students can create trading cards for their students. He suggests making a set about characters in a novel, about historical figures, our about significant places. Watch his videos demonstrating how students can use the trading cards and templates at http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2017/05/teaching-with-trading-cards.html#.WS9UasaZM1g
Source: Free Technology for Teachers
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Title: Activity Idea: Whiteboard Doublestack
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From http://indwellinglanguage.com
Here’s a low-prep activity that gets students using more complex sentence structures (including subordinate clauses): students write the main clause on one whiteboard, and the subordinate clause on another. Then the whiteboards are shuffled and re-combined, with entertaining results. Read more about this activity at http://indwellinglanguage.com/whiteboard-doublestack/
Speaking of whiteboards, here are some more ideas for whiteboard activities: http://busyteacher.org/24927-mini-whiteboards.html
Source: Indwelling Language
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Title: Crafting Appropriate Lessons Within a Thematic Unit
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From http://www.path2proficiency.com
Rebecca Blouwolff describes her struggles moving from carefully-developed, proficiency-based unit plans to daily lessons for 180 days of instruction. She writes, “Luckily, I spent a week last summer at the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association’s Proficiency Academy, where Thomas Sauer shared yet another template for unit-planning (I’d already experimented with the ACTFL template by Clementi & Terrill and Helena Curtain’s template, experiences that you can read about here). Sauer’s template breaks down objectives into smaller and smaller segments so that teacher and students can really see how daily learning objectives (what he calls performance indicators) build to meet unit objectives. While this method front-loads a lot more thinking into the unit template, it all pays off when it comes time to plan individual lessons.”
Read the full blog post at http://www.path2proficiency.com/creating-order-out-of-chaos-crafting-appropriate-lessons-within-a-thematic-unit/
Thomas Sauer’s template is available at https://www.dropbox.com/s/vqd5hl9zlx020qz/FromUnitObjectives2LearningTargets.pdf?dl=0
Source: path to proficiency
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Title: Games for Distracted Students
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From https://lasclasesdestilson.wordpress.com
Here are some games you can play with your students when it’s near the end of the school year and hard to hold their attention for longer projects: https://lasclasesdestilson.wordpress.com/2017/05/26/after-the-exam/
Source: Las clases de Stilson
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Title: High Stakes Assessment as a Learning Tool
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By Julie Sykes, CASLS Director
In a context of high-stakes testing, teacher merit based on student scores, and an increasing number of assessment requirements, returning to the role of assessment in the learning process is fundamental to transforming the learning experience. High stakes language tests are prevalent throughout the education system, where they provide, or prevent, access to learners in a variety of domains. Incorporating scores from these assessments in classroom reflection can add value to the experience for students beyond the score they receive.
Fundamental to incorporation of scores throughout the learning process is guided reflection about the value of the scores and what learners will do with them (see the Activity of the Week as an example). Benefits of guided reflection include:
- An opportunity to focus on learners’ overall strengths and weakness as measured in a validated testing environment. This allows them to see learning from a comprehensive perspective that goes beyond a quiz or chapter test.
- An increased value of the results for leaners who received a low score by allowing for reflection and focus on where they would like to go.
- A shift from product to process, in which learning become the focus and not just the score.
- Added validity for students who typically don’t place value on high stakes assessment scores.
Key to making guided reflection useful is reflection both before and after the test itself.
Stage 1: Before the Test
Ask students to answer the following questions:
- Which areas to you think you will do well on during the [name of test]?
- Which areas do you think you will struggle with on the [name of test]?
- What are three things you could do to help improve the areas you are concerned with?
Stage 2: After the Test
- List three things the test report tells you about your language ability beyond the score.
- How do those things compare to what you predicted before taking the test?
- Do you think the test was reflective of your abilities in each of the three areas? Why or why not?
- Based on the results, what are three things you will do to improve your language abilities moving forward?
As learners engage in the process, the score is still important, but simultaneously tied to learning, abilities and future goals.
Source: CASLS Topic of the Week
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Content Type: 4
Title: Reflecting on STAMP Test Results
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Objective: Students will be able to engage in guided reflection before and after taking the STAMP Proficiency Assessment.
Procedure:
Stage 1: Before the Test
Ask students to reflect on their skill prior to taking the test.
- Which areas to you think you will do well on during the STAMP?
- Which areas do you think you will struggle with on the STAMP?
- What are three things you could do to help improve the areas you are concerned with?
Stage 2: After the Test
Sample Student Report (STAMP, Avant Assessment)
- List three things the test report tells you about your language ability beyond the score. Remember, this is a proficiency exam. Be sure to focus on the skills and descriptors of each.
- How do those things compare to what you predicted before taking the test?
- Do you think the test was reflective of your abilities in each of the three areas? Why or why not?
- Based on the results, what are three things you will do to improve your language abilities moving forward?
Source: CASLS Activity of the Week
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