Week 9; Learner autonomy , MI, and assessment

Speaking about learner autonomy, engagement in language learning and Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, I think we should also take into account the way we assess our students.


The so –called “ alternative assessment “ refers “to any form of measuring what our students are able to do other than traditional standardized tests . Alternative forms of assessment include portfolios that are collections of students' work over time, performance-based assessments, and other means of testing students such as open-ended essays with no single correct answer, and project work that involves collaboration with peers.” .(http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/eric/faq/gt-altas.html)


“Learner portfolios,”– collections of individual work– are common examples of alternative assessment. Portfolios can include such items as reports on books read, notes from learner/teacher interviews, and learners’ reflections on their progress, writing samples, data from performance-based assessments, and scores on commercially available tests (Fingeret, 1993; Wrigley, 1992).


In our case of technology-enhanced classes, I think we could consider portfolios our students’ reflective blogs, a useful tool which gives the teacher an insight into the learners' written ability as well as any problems that they are encountering linguistically or socially.


I know, you will say that they are hard to assess, but what do you think about assessing learners’ ability to use language holistically, in this case reflecting on their process of learning? Moreover, it is less stressful for students and attempt to cater to all learning styles and intelligences because we could give them the possibility of enriching their reflections with a variety of media. Another drawback of assessing our learners’ blogs could be the time needed to read everything. Maybe a weekly checklist for their blogs would be useful. Or the other peers’ evaluation for a couple of week’s .Or a rubric for evaluating their blogs developed with their help. Building the rubric together, teacher and students could make students feel a sense of ownership .More than that, their participation could make the evaluation freely complied, not something threatening and imposed for learners. Trying to include in this rubric technology standards and creativity, I think it would help the students express themselves in a more personalized way, according to their type of prevailing intelligence.


As a goal for assessment process should be the development of the whole child through creative and productive activities.


I understand through productive activities not only speaking and writing, but also any other type of students’ results of their own learning. Even a drawing. We can use drawing dictations (I have used). The students’ task is to draw and colour the description / scene read by teacher .Or they can produce drawings to represent something they have read. This is less stressful for students as they connect it more with learning than testing.


Besides portfolios and drawings, as alternative assessment tools we could evaluate our students’ oral ability through the use of audio and/or video recordings. In the same time role –plays could be another way of assessing them.


During the last three years I have used my personal catalogue .This is a table where I have written students’ grades from written tests and where I kept the record, and graded at some point, of the participation in class .Maybe it sounds too subjective to grade participation, but, in my opinion, the children’s effort and attempts to improve should be rewarded. It has been an alternative way to stimulate and motivate them.


Participation and effort should also be taken into account because I feel that they are important elements of any overall assessment of a child. A child's attempts to improve (even if unsuccessful) should be rewarded in some form.


Alternative forms of assessment, on the other hand, monitor progress and development over time whilst minimizing the level of anxiety felt by the child. In doing so, they also try to accommodate different learning styles and intelligences.


“A more practical idea is to observe the child doing everyday activities in a classroom setting. Gardner points out that this would be time-consuming but time well spent and a worthwhile investment in the student's academic future. Lazear (as cited in Chipongian, 2000) goes as far as to suggest using games such as 'Twister' in order to assess an individual's bodily kinaesthetic intelligence. This is truly at the opposite end of the spectrum from paper and pencil tests and this idea would be welcomed with open arms by children worldwide. Gardner's and Lazear's ideas may be seen as eccentric by many educationalists. Nevertheless, the point that they are making about the need for testing to be multifaceted is one that cannot be ignored. Paper and pencil tests must be complimented by alternative forms of assessment which evaluate multiple intelligences to a greater extent.”(http://www.teyl.org/article7.html )