The Cycle of Learning

-

TESL 0100
Unit 8 Reflection

 Assessment is a complex topic. In most adult ESL classes nowadays, assessment can take on many different forms. The traditional paper-pencil test is not as common anymore, Of course some types of English proficiency tests do still exist, such as the tests that are needed in order to become a permanent resident or attend a Canadian university. However, in government-funded programs, Portfolio-Based Language Assessment, or PBLA, is the method of assessment.

 PBLA is a formative assessment, meaning that it helps to "form" the teaching and the learning. It takes place throughout a topic or unit of study and allows both the teacher and student to find out how the student is doing with a topic. Are they "getting it?" Are there some parts that are still confusing or unclear to the student? Does a particular skill need review or reteaching? Through formative assessment, students also reflect on their learning and think about what they can do to improve their learning and become more autonomous. 

 PBLA is often described as a cycle because it is an ongoing process. For the TESL 0100 class we were asked to consider the five components of the PBLA cycle and describe how the teacher would implement them in the classroom. What follows are my thoughts and ideas.
The PBLA Cycle
1. Plan for learning and assessment and engage learners in planning:
  • Introduce and explain the Language Companion Binder, CLB levels and PBLA
  • Conduct needs assessments 
  • Collect work samples - reading, writing, listening, speaking
  • Identify student goals 
  • Identify learning styles/preferences
2. Build skills and practice authentic language tasks
  • select activities and tasks that align with student goals and needs
  • try to incorporate a variety of types of activities and to utilize activities that appeal to students' learning styles and preferences
  • create task-based lessons where students can show their understanding in all skill areas
3. Perform transparent assessment with clear criteria for success and engage learners in creating and performing assessment
  • Inform students of success criteria before assessment
  • Relate assessment to student goals
  • Teach and incorporate the use of peer assessment
  • Have students complete a self-assessment in relation to the success criteria
4. Provide action-oriented feedback and facilitate reflection on learning
  • Use Start, Stop and Continue to provide students with specific feedback on tasks
  • Make sure feedback will help students move from current toward desired performance
  • Provide time for self-reflection where students can reflect on their performance and how to improve
5. Use assessment info to inform future planning
  • Based on assessments, determine whether review or further teaching is needed on skills/tasks
  • Reflect on teaching practice and consider any necessary changes to lesson procedure
  • Start the PBLA Cycle again
I have recently started teaching an ESL class that incorporates the use of PBLA and found the process of describing the cycle to be beneficial to me as I begin to use Portfolios in my classroom. 

  I would say that I prefer the use of portfolios over tests. Tests focus on the memorization of facts and measure a select set of skills. They show just a snapshot of a student"s knowledge and abilities. Some students may get stressed out or even have test anxiety when a test is approaching. As a result, their performance may not show their true abilities. They may also be having a bad day or not have gotten a good night's sleep, resulting in a test score that does not reflect what they are actually capable of. Although tests can provide teachers with a grade or a percentage that can be put on a report, I do not feel that they are the most effective way to measure a student's learning.

 Portfolios, on the other hand, clearly demonstrate the growth and learning of a student throughout a course of study. They are a compilation of student work and include a variety of samples, often from multiple skill areas. When a teacher or student looks through a portfolio, they can see the progression from where the student began to their current level of performance. The samples of work showcase the knowledge and skills the student possesses in a very straightforward way. 
Given a choice, I would undoubtedly select portfolio assessment over tests. 

 Reference:
Planning for PBLA in My Classroom. PBLA Emerging Practice Guidelines. Retrieved from: https://pblaepg.language.ca/part-b-pbla-in-my-classroom/planning-for-pbla-in-my-classroom/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Continued Professional Development Report

-
Image
TESL 0170 Practicum in Teaching ESL The professional development resource that I selected to engage with and analyze is the free online CLB Bootcamp provided by the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks. The CLB Bootcamp is a 10-hour self-directed online training course that introduces and explains the CLB’s, as well as how to use the CLB’s for lesson planning and student assessment. The CLB Bootcamp is divided into three modules: CLB Basics , Planning and the CLB and Classroom Assessment and the CLB . Each module is then broken down into three to four sections. The material is presented in a format similar to a PowerPoint presentation, with links to resources, documents and example materials. There are also optional short quizzes throughout that can be taken more than once. It is not necessary to complete the sections or modules in order, or even to complete them all. You can pick and choose which areas you want to learn more about. If you do complete all of the modules
Read more

My Classroom Community

-
Image
TESL 0100 So I kind of overlooked this assignment, or maybe I was procrastinating it and avoiding it because I am not much of an artist and was not really looking forward to attempting to draw my classroom. :) I tried to do some of the parts in 3D, but other parts are much more basic. It's kind of a mix of both. Attempting to draw a couch was the trickiest part! Anyways, I like to think of my classroom as a community of learners, which is why I used a circular table with me, the teacher (the one with the speech bubble), as part of the circle. When needed, everyone can turn their chairs toward the whiteboard for direct instruction, or to read sentence stems or discussion prompts. I would put our agenda on the board so the students would know what was in store for the day. There would also be a word wall bulletin board with high frequency words and words we had learned in previous lessons. The classroom would have a bookshelf with a wide variety of reading materials and games/
Read more

21st Century Learners

-
Image
TESL 0100 Unit 9 Reflection As we begin to think about the language classroom that we may be teaching in, we need need to also take a step back and consider what teaching and learning looks like in the twenty-first century. We were asked to think about the skills, tasks and technologies that our students would need to have an understanding of in order to be successful in today's world, and to create an infographic to represent our ideas. Below is the infographic that I created. It includes the skills and strategies that I believe are needed by all students, including language students. In order to succeed in today's ever-changing world, students need to be taught more than just the basic knowledge and skills that were taught in traditional classroom. The four key skills that I have highlighted - communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking, often referred to as the four C's, should be an important component to any classroom. In university, the workp
Read more