EIGHTH DAY 17 OCTOBER 2014

1ST SESSION 

TYPES OF ASSESSMENT AND HIGHER ORDER THINKING SKILLS IN ASSESSMENT 

BY KATIE COURTNEY BENNET 

AN OVERVIEW BY AZIZAH MAT YASIN 

  We had a wonderful early session with Katie last Friday. The session discussed the ‘Types of Assessment and Higher Order Thinking Skills in Assessment. Initially, everyone in Oxford agreed that assessment was best associated with checking learners understanding on certain subject taught where they are given marks or grades. 

The fact is that, assessment is not always about marks and grades. Assessment helps teachers to plan their teaching and evaluate the learners’ needs and progress. 

Basically, there are two types of assessment namely the formative assessment and the summative assessment. 

The formative assessment is an ongoing assessment that continuously monitored over time and does not require any marks or grades. It is only meant to check learners understanding towards learning via observation, question-answer, performance (presentation) or learners’ portfolios (record of learners’ work).

 Unlike formative assessment, the summative assessment is only been carried out once after a specific periods of time (at the end of learning term) and learners’ competencies are graded. 

Thus, teaching and learning are better when appropriate assessments are taken into consideration. 

A REFLECTION BY NOR AZMA MANAN

In my personal opinion, I learnt something new today related to Formative Assessment. Back in school, I still remember there is a particular section named “Formative Assessment” in our workbook for every end of the chapter. So from there, I had the belief that formative assessment is graded for every topic that we have learnt. However, I just knew from Katie who taught us that formative assessment is not graded and it can be implemented through several ways including teacher observation, open and closed questions, progress charts, and portfolios. This is definitely new for me and it somehow change the way I think about formative assessment.

2ND SESSION

SCAFFOLDING CONTENT AND LANGUAGE LEARNING

BY CHRIS GLEESON

Scaffolding may be defined as:

The steps teachers take to support learners so that they can understand new content and develop new skills.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

The zone of proximal development, often abbreviated as ZPD, is the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can do with help. It is a concept introduced by Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky (1896–1934).

To successfully apply it in a classroom, it is important to know not only where a child is functioning now and where that child will be tomorrow, but also how best to assist that child in mastering more advanced skills and concepts. This is where scaffolding comes in. Although not used by Vygotsky himself, the concept of scaffolding helps us understand how aiming instruction within a child’s ZPD can promote the child’s learning and development.

8 scaffolding techniques for language learning

1. Creating interest - pictures, music, videos, imagination
2. Chunks - breaking down tasks into smaller steps
3.  Providing before, during and after task support
4. Using visuals and realia (real thing, objects ie instead of a picture of a cat, bring the cat to the class)
5. Demonstrating tasks
6. Word bank, glossaries, writing frames
7. Model texts for production of language
8. Providing constructive feedback

Pen off - Oxford

SEVENTH DAY 16 OCTOBER 2014

1ST SESSION

LEARNING STRATEGIES AND INDEPENDENT LEARNING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

BY ANDREW STEELE

The way the students choose to learn new subject matter are referred to as learning strategies. Memorization and mind map are two common example.

Effective learners are aware of how they learn and think about which learning strategies they will use for different tasks. That it why, it is important for us, teachers to make the students aware of what are the learning strategies that can be adopted for different purpose.

Research has found that students vary widely in what they know about how to learn, according to a team of educational researchers from Australia the journal Instructional Science. Most striking, low-achieving students show “substantial deficits” in their awareness of the cognitive and metacognitive strategies that lead to effective learning—suggesting that these students’ struggles may be due in part to a gap in their knowledge about how learning works.

Teaching students good learning strategies would ensure that they know how to acquire new knowledge, which leads to improved learning outcomes, writes lead author Helen Askell-Williams of Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. 

Taken here

Learning strategies to share with our students:

• Repetition/ Memorizing
• Observation
• Experiential learning - by doing it
• Association
• Experimentation - trial and error
• Ask questions
• Exploration - Self -study
• Research
• Note taking
• Using Mnemonic- short forms
• Carry out survey- questionnaire

Independent learning : Self-directed learning : Autonomous learning through technology

Using new media to encourage independent study among the students in a way helps to make them to be more interested in learning.

Teachers have to be up to date and equip themselves with the latest technology or so-called new media these days. The example of new media that we can adapt in the classroom are Blogs, Wikis, Social Bookmarking, Twitter and the most popular social network which is Facebook.

Some of the methods teachers can use to promote independent learning are:

1. Set up a class Blog where students can write reflection, comments, videos or audios to assist learning
2. Some students are more open/ prefer to ask and answer questions on twitter rather than put up their hands in class to ask questions. Therefore, use Twitter for problem solving questions for the students to respond accordingly.
3. Set up a closed group in the Facebook page, where students can share their problems, concerns, and do discussions on any topic arose. Other than that, the teacher also can use the closed group to notify the students earlier on the topic/ activity that will be carried out in the classroom so that they will enter the class well-prepared.

2ND SESSION

SUPPORT STRATEGIES AND MEETING THE NEEDS OF ALL LEARNERS

BY PETER ELLIS

Peter Ellis

In order to become familiar with the content and the language assessment in a non-native language, support is essential for learners. We, the teachers can help by modifying the assessment and providing support strategies to help them express their answers orally and in writing. This is called accommodation. 

Some examples of support strategies that we can use in class:

• Change vocabulary
• Simplify language structures
• Add visuals
• Some use of L1 or target language glossaries
• Modify test instruction
• Additional example
• Extra time
• Oral instruction repeated in L1
• Instruction read aloud
• Instruction explained
• Questions from learners in L1

*Tips: Identify support strategies that you can use for the students before, during or after 

 assessment.

Pen off- Oxford

SIXTH DAY 15 OCTOBER 2014

AN OVERVIEW BY NORDIYANA BINTI MOHD. RANI 

Action, horror, romantic, drama, thriller. These movie genres sound very much familiar to us. Like movies, we also have genres in teaching by where we call the teaching process as a genre-based approach. This is a part of the lesson that we had in Slot 1 on Wednesday with Andrew that is ‘Language Demands of Subject Content and Accompanying Tasks’. 

Basically, there are two major genres which are spoken and written. There are different genres with distinctive features that we use as a teaching approach in order to help learners to develop awareness of the language related to their specific subjects. Writing report for example, is most likely fundamental in learners’ studies therefore it is teachers’ responsibility to be aware of the language demands of this genre. 

 In Slot 2 with Carol, we discussed the topic ‘Cognitive and Higher Order Thinking Skills across the Curriculum’. 

Cognitive skills or thinking skills can be divided into two categories which are LOTS (lower order thinking skills) while the other one goes with the acronym HOTS that stands for higher order thinking skills. There is a range of skills that we can enhance and develop in learners’ cognitive skills for example concrete information processing skills like indentifying and organising information along with more abstract thinking skills such as reasoning and hypothesising. By making themselves aware of developing students’ thinking skills, teachers will be able to help learners to utilize their cognitive skills besides fulfilling the language demands of a particular task. 

 For the last slot on Wednesday, we had Bill to facilitate us on the topic ‘Consolidating Learning with Differentiation and Mixed Ability Groups’. Generally, there is always a mix of different abilities in a single classroom, unless if you are teaching ‘one-to-one’. Thus, it is more likely that teachers cannot use a single set of fixed materials to teach a subject to a classroom. It is just like you asking learners to wear the same size shoes. We know that all of them cannot fit into the same materials so what we need to have is personalisation by where we can set up a tiered or biased task and text so that each individual students will be able to cope with the lesson. 

Preparing open-ended activities is also another way of catering these mixed ability groups’ needs, plus teachers can also give differentiated homework to learners. Whatever materials, tasks or activities that we plan for the learners, it is best to put them as a priority so that we can ensure that the aims of learning are highly achieved. 

Pen- off -Oxford

SIXTH DAY 15 OCTOBER 2014

1ST SESSION

LANGUAGE DEMANDS OF SUBJECT CONTENT AND ACCOMPANYING TASKS

BY ANDREW STEELE

Andrew Steele

 Genre- based Approach

A method/ way - looking at different text types and identify the features used (language structure, words, grammar) so that the students are aware of it and how to use.

For example:

A business proposal has different language features compared to the spoken presentation script

 The process in learning to produce any genre

Stage 1 is dependent on the teacher being able to explain clearly and coherently.

Stage 2 requires teachers to model their thinking. We need to be able to show how our thoughts become writing. For example, use Thought Stems as showed below;

Stage 3 is where group work comes in. In order to avoid cognitive overload, students need to transfer what they’ve learned from working to long term memory. As any fool knows, the best way to do this is use what you’ve learned. 

Stage 4 is where they are able to work independently and at this point you should, if you’ve talked effectively, be able to finally zip it. This is true independent work, where students are confidently able to transcribe their thoughts without having to speak because of all the high quality talk to which they’ve been exposed.

 

More readings on this Teacher Talk: The Missing Link go here.

The final stage is Comparing where students compare their work with other texts of the same genre-type and consider similarities and differences.

2ND SESSION

COGNITIVE AND HIGHER ORDER THINKING SKILLS ACROSS THE CURRICULUM

BY CAROLE ALLSOP

Cognitive skills/ Thinking skills

HOTS vs LOTS

Key concept

• Progressively more chalengging taska
• A language- rich classroom
• Wait time before answering questions (7 seconds)
• Thinking time before doing tasks
• Awareness of the cognitive demands of the tasks

 The students should be provided with frames to ensure they are able to use the words/ sentence/ language features that we want in the classroom. This is one example of language frames to scaffold what the students want to say.

More readings on this example : Sentences Frames: Helping students Become Writers, go here

 

3RD SESSION

CONSOLIDATING LEARNING WITH DIFFERENTIATION AND MIXED ABILITY GROUPS

BY BILL BOWLER

OVERVIEW BY HARLINI BT KHAIRUDDIN

From Marco Polo to King Kong

“A mixed ability group of learners is one in which there are more able, average and less able learners in the same group. Many teachers find mixed ability classes problematic to teach. However, unless you are teaching ‘one-to-one’ you will always be teaching mixed ability classes, to a greater or lesser extent.”

Having a big number of students in a single classroom (sometimes could total up to 52 students per class) is a real challenge to me. Normally, the composition of the class would consist of nearly half of the students with average ability, less than a quarter with strong ability and the remaining are students with weak ability. Hence, my main concern is to cater the needs of these mixed ability students in the classroom. In planning out my daily lessons, I have tried to do activities that I think could cater the different needs of them but it always frustrates me to see that what I’ve planned did not turn out as how it should be.

I first heard about ‘Differentiation’ from my home tutor, Andrew. I was piqued by the term and wanted to know more. Today’s lesson with Bill Bowler on ‘Consolidating Learning with Differentiation and Mixed Ability Groups’ was an eye opener for me. Some of the points that were being discussed:

Ø  How to deal with level diversity?

Ø  Supporting students for success

Ø  Personalization, tiered tasks, and extra ‘early finisher’ tasks

Ø  Open-ended activities

Ø  Differentiated homework

Ø  Exercises with answer key feedback

Ø  A ‘sliding’ correction scale

At the end of the lesson, we were also given samples of exercises that focus on differentiation for the mixed ability students.  Short articles on Marco Polo, The Middle East, Rain Forest, and King Kong were used and expanded into varieties of exercises that integrated all the four essential skills namely reading, writing, speaking and listening.

All in all, the art of differentiation in designing materials is one of the key elements that should be taken into consideration in my future classes.

Pen off - Oxford

FIFTH DAY 14 OCTOBER 2014

2ND SESSION

RESOURCES INCLUDING MULTIMEDIA AND VISUAL ORGANISERS

BY KATIE COURTNEY BENNET

One of the way to engage all students in a classroom is by learning their interest, senses and learning styles. Multiple intelligences identified by Howard Gardner is a different kind of smart, a different kind of learning which able increase motivation and achievement for any topic.

 So, teachers, start learning your students now and be creative to make a fun teaching and learning environment. 

3RD SESSION

FOCUS ON ASSESSMENT AND ERROR CORRECTION

BY BILL BOWLER

Bill Bowler

We were introduced with a new approach in teaching today. It is known as The Present Practice Produce (PPP) approach.

"The "Three Ps" approach to Language Teaching is the most common modern methodology employed by professional schools around the world. It is a strong feature of the renowned CELTA certification and other TEFL qualifications offered especially in the United Kingdom.While this approach is generally geared toward adult learners, most of the principles involved are also essential to lessons for children"

By British Council taken from here

Now, let's understand the concept of PPP approach.

In this three phases, there are two possibilities that teacher can do for error correction.

1. Firstly, by giving immediate response. Interrupt the students immediately, stop him and correct the mistakes.
2. Secondly, wait till the end of the lesson/ activity, jot down on a piece of paper (to avoid forgetting) and do correction.

*Tips in doing error correction*
Praise the students before point out the mistakes.

Pen off - Oxford

FIFTH DAY 14 OCTOBER 2014

AN OVERVIEW BY ABANG MUAMMAR GHADDAFI 

The morning session started off with an “English Language Class” by Carole.We learned about biometric engineering with her and did a biometric investigative activity.The second session was about “Resources – Including multi-media and visual organisers (multimodality) with Katie.

Multimodality is a variety of/ mixture of different resources mix - audio. video, handouts, text, clips, authentic materials, physical world- all combined in a lesson/ activity.

We learned about visual organisers and their uses in CLIL contexts, we also match them with their purposes and understand some reasons for using them in the classroom.The last session was “Focus on Assessment and Effective Error Correction” by Bill Bowler.

 In this session we learned about assessing the language, content and ‘content language’ and also types of correction that could be used in class. 

 REFLECTIONS BY ABANG MUAMMAR GHADDAFI

All three sessions were quite interesting and useful to be applied in the teaching of English in my Vocational College. Usage of content in the English language class is quite important to make the lesson relevant and connected to the students.

Variety of graphic organizers/ visual organizers that could be implemented in the classroom. Image taken here

 Usage of visual organisers are also quite important as they can cater to those whose learning style is visual. When we assess students it is also very important to use the right correction tool to make the students feel motivated in learning English. 

AN OVERVIEW BY ROSLAN BIN MAMAT

We started the day with english language class (engineering) with Carole. She started the lesson with test-teach-test approach when she first showed us some words on hand biometrics. Some of us could not figure out the meanings of some words shown. Next, she explained about the aims and the learning outcomes for us to have a clearer picture of what should we achieve in the lesson. The topic was on hand biometrics - something that was new to some of us including me. It was an advanced level lesson that explores language and concepts around biometric engineering for identification or security applications.

The activities held were very interesting whereby we were given a group task with clear instructions to investigate on how to measure our hand dimensions. From these measurements, we created our own id for security. In our group of 4, we needed to discuss whether this hand biometric technology is suitable to be used for security purpose by answering few questions. From the brief presentations made by the group leaders on the findings, all groups unanimously agreed that hand biometric technology is not suitable to be used for security purpose. 

 REFLECTIONS BY ROSLAN BIN MAMAT

It is not the findings that is important, but it is; actually the way the lesson was carried out. Many learning strategies were involved in the activities. They were investigation, group discussion, peer evaluation, presentation and decision making. They also involved all four skills in L2 learning.

Pen off- Oxford