Guidelines for Using Writing for Assessment

[Admin]

Like Reading, Writing is a meaning constructing process used not only as a learning tool but also as a means of assessing students' understanding and learning of content. When used for assessment, several important guidelines are to be followed. Some of these include:

1. Making the purpose of the writing assignment clear to all
students.
2. Conveying clearly the criteria for success on the task.
3. Providing writing materials at the students'
reading level
4. Varying the type of writing and activities in the assignment
5. Making the assignment meaningful and challenging etc.


Task:
Now share with us two writing tasks/assignments that you design for students in your content area.

Identify two guidelines that you usually follow to ensure that students successfully complete the task and demonstrate their understanding of concepts learned.

[mmathurin]

writing in maths gives me an insight of students mathematical understanding. two writing tasks that h
Form 1, Topic: Integers,ave been assigned are:


1) New words: Integers, positive number, negative number, whole number, natural number, neutral,
using th.e new vocabulary learnt in the lesson, teh students are to write a paragraph incoporating all the new learnt vocabulary.

Task 2: Problem solving. One writing task that is usually given is that i provide students with a word problem based on 'Integers' and they have to complete two task.
1) solve the problem
2) in their journals, explain how they go about solving the problem, In other words what steps they employed.

two guidelines that are followed are followed for these tasks are: making studnets knowledgeable about why it is important to use vocabulary learnt as well as letting know that explaining their problem solving steps allows me as the teacher to gain an insight of their undersatnding to to determine whether they have any misconceptions.

2) Studnets are given a general rubric for using new vocabulary in paragraph as well as a rubric for the problem solving task before the task has been completed so students know what is expected of them

[law]

Content area: Mathematics
Age: 14-15
Concept: Basic Wage

Task One:
After modeling Cornell notes with a text already known to the students, students will write Cornell notes on one key term on basic wage in pairs. They will resume writing notes individually.
Task Two:
A word concept web will be placed on the chalkboard. Students thereafter will attempt to write a summary using the concept web. Students will be graded based on their connection of the key terms and their use of signal words according to the text structure.
Guidelines:
- Students will be notified of keywords which should appear in their notes. That way they pay close attention to them in their reading and provide concrete information.
- Students will be reminded of the signal words used in the text structure.

[jchicotlouisy]

Two guidelines/ strategies used to ensure that students successfully complete the task and demonstrate their understanding of concepts learned:


TASK ONE:
Subject: Mathematics
Age Group: 12- 14
Topic: Exponents

Use of Comic Strip
Students will be provided with a comic strip which lacks dialogue. However, one character does not understand the importance or benefits of exponent notation. The student, who represents another character, explains via authentic situations how and why this concept is applicable to his/ her life.

TASK TWO:
Subject: Mathematics
Age Group: 12- 14
Topic: Polygons
Use of RAFT

Using this exercise, students are directly involved in their learning. For instance, students will be asked to complete this task.
“You are triangle. Explain to quadrilaterals how much you differ from them, highlighting your uniqueness in great detail.” The students are personified as a shape, where their express their views from the perspective of that shape.

Using these two tasks, students present their creativity and understanding in the concepts taught. Teacher gets great insight into students’ thinking. These strategies are also authentic as it allows students to relate the concepts learnt in the Mathematics classroom to real life situations.

[canthony]

age group- 13- 14
Students will write down the new vocabulary in the passage and define them.
Students will summarize what they have read.

Guidelines
Students will write and define the words bold
Using the cornell note strategy which was demonstrated to students in a previous strategy, will be used to identify key words, create main ideas and write a summary.

[canthony]

age group- 13- 14
Students will write down the new vocabulary in the passage and define them.
Students will summarize what they have read.

Guidelines
Students will write and define the words bold
Using the cornell note strategy which was demonstrated to students in a previous strategy, will be used to identify key words, create main ideas and write a summary.

[canthony]

age group- 13- 14
Students will write down the new vocabulary in the passage and define them.
Students will summarize what they have read.

Guidelines
Students will write and define the words bold
Using the cornell note strategy which was demonstrated to students in a previous strategy, will be used to identify key words, create main ideas and write a summary.

[canthony]

age group- 13- 14
Students will write down the new vocabulary in the passage and define them.
Students will summarize what they have read.

Guidelines
Students will write and define the words bold
Using the cornell note strategy which was demonstrated to students in a previous strategy, will be used to identify key words, create main ideas and write a summary.

[lgidharry]

ACTIVITY ONE
SUBJECT: French
CONCEPT: The community
AGE GROUP: 14- 15 years

A RAFT exercise will be used in this activity. Students will be given to write a letter to their penpal in Martinique about their community. However, to ensure that they have understood what is expected of them and also in order to cater for the struggling learners, the teacher will break down the task in a simpler way for them to understand. That is, the teacher will inform students what key points should be found in the letter.
You just moved to this new community in Guadeloupe. Write a letter to your penpal in Martinique describing this new community. Your letter should include:

• The facilities in your community and their positions
• Any problems in your community
• Ways in which you can improve your community


ACTIVITY TWO
SUBJECT: French
CONCEPT: School
AGE GROUP: 14- 15 years
Students will be given an incomplete dialogue about school. They will be required to complete the dialogue by writing in the appropriate responses and questions. This activity will foster the use of students creativity in the responses or questions asked as well as make students use various forms of the language. That is formal and informal and the use of interrogatives.

[juecher]

Subject: Social Studies
Topic: Human Resources
Age group: 14-15 years

Activity 1: Quick Writes

Students are given 1 minute to write everything that they know about workers on strike.

For e.g put down tools, do not answer phone calls, call in sick, go slow, protests, placards, want better working conditions, want higher wages.

Guidelines


1. Do not make corrections or erase your work.
2. Write until I the teacher says "STOP' do not stop before 1 minute is up.


Activity 2: The 5Ws

Students are to read an article about a controversial issue that affects human resources such as a strike at a local manufacturing company and answer questions which follow based on the 5Ws.

5Ws

What is this all about?
What happened?
Where did it happen?
When did it occur?
Who was involved?
Why did this occur?
What happened as a result?
What other choices were possible?
How does this affect others?

Guidelines

1. 5Ws can be used to find info that is right there in the text as well as that which is in the text but requires making connections between sentences or paragraphs.
2. 5Ws can be used to infer about information that is outside the text but relevant to the topic.

[juecher]

Re: JChicotLouisy

I have not planned any lessons using comic strips for development yet but I like the idea of the incomplete comic strip. This is a way of developing students critical literacy-multiple perspectives on an issue and also it gets students to respect divergent viewpoints. I can see it happening in an SS class of mine in the future. Thanks much!!!

[juecher]

Re: LGhidarry

I like your writing activities because they promote higher order thinking. It also gives students the opportunity to use their creativity within the guidelines so they can express themselves freely but with relevance to the topic and concepts which must be examined. Bravo!

[Admin]

Thank you Jeucher for commenting on the activity of another member. Well done . I want to encourage the other members to provide some feedback to at least one of your colleague's work.

Thanks

[juecher]

Re: Admin

Thanks Miss, I like constructive blogging.

[tedward]

Subject: Social Studies
Topic: Tourism
Age group: 15-17

Task #1

The use of Comic: While listening to your friend she says that she does not know who or what a tourist is. Using a comic strip, explain to your friend Sammy who a tourist is and the types of tourist. One guideline that is followed with the comic strip activity is to provide students with a sample of a comic strip so that they have a better idea of what the comic strip should entail. Students will also be given a rubric so that they have a better idea as to what the comic strip should entail. In this activity students will be encouraged to use the slang language but the teacher will also explain the importance of the use of standard english when students are defining the term tourists and also when they are listing and explaining the types of tourists.

Task # 2

The use of RAFT: Students will be given a scenario where the tourism minister of their country is strongly against tourism and wants to get rid of the tourism industry because he believes that tourism has no benefits for the country. As a tourist, write a letter to the Tourism minister persuading him that the tourism industry provides a number of benefits to the country and as a result, instead of destroying the industry he should improve it.
In this activity one guideline that the teacher will follow is a recap of the format of a formal letter with the students and the teacher will explain to students that they letter should be in standard English because of the audience that they are writing too. Additionally, a rubric will be provided to students so that they know what is expected within the letter.