For my interview, I interviewed Mrs. Smith. I have known her for many years and it was great to get to learn more about her everyday schedule and routine inside of her classroom.
Mrs. Smith talked about how in her routine that she does many different things. In the younger grades, she does a pull out system, where she pulls students out of their classrooms into hers to work with them on a more intimate level. On the other hand, the older students that she works with, she has more of a co-teaching style. Wright states, “cooperative learning appeals to language teachers because it offers rich opportunities for students to engage in meaningful communication and obtain comprehensible input as they interact to complete academic tasks” (Wright, 2015, p. 63). Mrs. Smith talked about how she thinks this style of teaching is beneficial because they are able to learn many different things at once.
Mrs. Smith also talked a lot about her opinions on high stakes testing. She believes that this is not beneficial to the student if they are at a beginning level. Wright states, “how educators must be aware of the heavy testing burden placed on ELLs and the impact test results can have on students’ and teachers’ lives” (Wright, 2015, p. 119). She feels that students’ can’t be properly assessed based on a year of growth if they are being tested at the same level as a general education student. She feels that since these students are not on the same level, they should not be tested on the same level, which I completely agree with!
Wright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caston, Second Edition.
Click here to watch my interview!
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ReplyDeleteHi Mackenzie! I think that every single teacher I have ever met has hated high stakes testing. I truly believe there aren’t that many teachers out there who think it has any value in order school system and is beneficial for our students. I also agree that handing out the same exact test to every student and expecting everyone to have the same results is ridiculous. We as teachers have to differentiate our tests sometimes in order to accommodate our students, so why is standardized testing different? ELL’s are also probably the most tested students in our educational system, and take language proficiency tests every year (Wright, 2015, p. 119). So much stress is placed upon students, especially those who are ELL, that it seems to be more of a hinderance than a help.
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition
Hi Zoe,
DeleteI am with everyone else. I do not think high stakes testing is my favorite thing in the education system. I feel that differentiation is very important when it comes to ELLs who are taking a high sakes test. Wright states, “So far, research can suggest that there are only two kinds of accommodation with the potential to support ELL’s access to test content: testing students in their home language, and simplifying the language used in the test” (Wright, 2015, p. 129). I feel that doing both of these accommodations are beneficial to an ELL who is taking a high stakes test. If they aren’t able to understand the material, they will not be completing the test on a level that shows their growth and knowledge at a reliable level.
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition
Hey Mackenzie! The individual I interviewed did not provide as much feedback regarding high stakes testing (she has only taught Kindergarten and first-grade) because she has not been directly exposed to the effects it has within her classroom. Therefore, I was eager to watch you and Mrs. Smith converse regarding this popular topic. I am 100% on board with her comments "students’ can’t be properly assessed based on a year of growth if they are being tested at the same level as a general education student." She is right, how can our ELLs be tested on the same level as our general education if we know they are not on the same level. It makes no sense in a sensible way. In my opinion, these high-stake tests are all flawed. I feel this way because, in general, these tests can be affected by a wide range of factors on any given day that have nothing to do with what the test is attempting to measure. How can this be fair to anyone? For example, there is test anxiety, ADHD, etc. I mean what if someone’s family member just passed away, went to jail, or diagnosed with terminal illness? What if the night before one of these students was taking care of siblings all night for that single mom and did not get adequate sleep? What about our babies who don't go home to a loving environment or there was no food on the table that night or morning? What if it is an ELL who is trying to first understand the target language? How in the world can they be given this "high stakes test" with us knowing that it is not an accurate measurement of their ability when given in a language they have not had the opportunity to learn yet? Again, there are so many variables to put such high stakes on ONE test. It is not fair to so many of our students because it does not accurately access their abilities. Wright states that these factors are sources of was testing experts call "content-irrelevant variance," aka "test score pollution" (Wright, 2015, p.125). Factors that interfere with an accurate interpretation are viewed as polluting the validity. Test score pollution that threatens validity includes factors such as; "mismatched tests, cheating, inappropriate test preparation, inappropriate or unfair test administration, and failing to consider the context for a student's group or a group of students' performance. (Wright, 2015, p.125). Wright states that ELL's limited English proficiency is a huge source of test score pollution that seriously affects a student's score (Wright, 2015, p.125.) So with so many factors affecting an accurate measurement of our students’ results, why oh why do we put so much emphasis on ONE TEST?
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caston, Second Edition.
Hi Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that you got some information in regards to high stakes testing with ELLs from my interview! I agree with you there are so many different factors that can affect a child’s score and performance, yet there is so much pressure on students from these tests it seems unrealistic! I feel that there are other ways to assess a child’s knowledge. I feel like working with partners, group projects, and small groups and taking data within these different sections in the classrooms is a great way to assess an ELLs growth. (Wright 2015) “Cooperative learning appeals to language teachers because it offers rich opportunities for students to engage in meaningful communication and obtain comprehensible input as they interact to complete academic tasks.” (Pg.63). These students are learning while communicating. They are learning the target language and content at the same time. I feel like with group work, they are knocking out two birds with one stone.
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition
Oh my gosh, Mackenzie, yes, I agree with everything you said! It amazes me at times the way not only how some fundamental parts of our education system work, but also how a variety of our fundamental systems in the United States work. I have first-hand-experience at seeing flaws in our systems here in the United States that have a profound effect on children in the foster care system, low SES, immigration, child custody system, and domestic abuse. At times, I just do not understand the way the individuals at 'the top' come up with some of these laws, procedures, etc. Ok, I am rambling. I do that at times. Deep breath, refocusing. Point being is that, yes, the amount of pressure put on our teachers and our students' over ONE test is ridiculous. I do feel like our ELLs are at an extreme disadvantage with this type of testing. To me, teaching is so much more than how you score on one test. Yet, so much is at stake. Wright states that the portfolio assessment is one of the "most effective ways to measure a student's progress" (Wright, 2015, p.143). I agree. I feel that collecting samples of student's work throughout the year provides a more accurate measurement of a student's progress, than one individual test. To me, well-organized student portfolios provide more adequate evidence than a single high-stake test. With the opportunity to provide evidence of student's progress on a yearly outlook not only shows a clearer image of the students’ progress but also reduces the stress level for teachers and our students.
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caston, Second Edition.