Definitions:

Assessment: the gathering of evidence and documentation of the learning. (Trussel-Cullen, 1998)

We can also define assesment as measuring our students’ performance in any one of many different ways, diagnosing the problems and measuring the progress students make.(Harris and McCann,1994)

Evaluation: the process whereby we seek to interpret the assessment data and make appropriate professional judgments based on that data. (Trussel-Cullen, 1998)

Testing: A method of measuring a person’s ability, knowledge, or performance in a given domain. (Brown, 2004)

Although tests do have a place in assessment strategies, test is only one small part of the assessment universe. (Trussel-Cullen,1998)

Teaching: involves imparting Knowledge, understanding, skills, strategies, attitude and values. (Trussel-Cullen, 1998)

Assessment Audit:

Learning Objectives:

Reflection of Unit 1:

This unit we understood what is assessment, evaluation, testing and teaching, we also have learned how to assess in different ways and the two kinds of assessment, the formal and informal, we have learned the differences between assessment, evaluation and testing and how to apply them in the classroom situation. We think that this was useful because we can understand that each one is different and most of the time teachers mix them and they don’t know what they do.

Informal Assessment:

Informal Assessment allows teachers to keep track on the progress of their Ss´ in a certain moments throughout the school year. No matter what areas are they going to observe either linguistic(spelling, reading, speaking, and listening) or non-linguistic(attitude, group work, organization of work, interest etc) teachers must planned, timed and if necessary have a format to write down important observations in order to generate a solution and interfere on time.

Assessment Plan:

Learning Objectives

Chapter 2.- Prepositions

Lesson 1 .- Prepositions of place (Classroom objects)

• Learning Objectives: The students will be able to identify the main prepositions of place and their usage in real life situations.

Lesson 2.- Who?, what?, where?, how many? (School subjects, class schedules)

• Learning Objectives: By a combination of the prepositions and the "wh" questions the student will construct questions in order to get specific answers about location and amount of a person, place or thing.
  

Lesson 3.- The same as
This, that, these, those (Roman numerals)

• Learning Objectives: Students will learn the four demonstrative adjectives (singular and plural) to obtain more detailed information or belonging about an object.
  
  

INFORMAL ASSESSMENT

What would be assessed informally?

We consider that the non-linguistic factors are the first to be evaluated informally because they involve aspects non related to the knowledge acquired by the student but rather they demonstrate their disposal to learn.

Non-linguistic factors that will be assess:

• Attitude/Effort: By their attitude and effort in class the students will demonstrate their interest in the topic.
• Group Work: We will notice how well the student interacts with others.
  Then, we will assess informally the linguistic factors that are less relevant in this unit:
• Reading: We will evaluate students’ intonation while reading as well as their comprehension of the text.
• Speaking: The aspects to assess in speaking are: how accurate the student express himself in oral communication, also if he managed to communicate his message to his audience.

FORMAL ASSESSMENT

What would be assessed formally?

We are going to assess formally the most important things in this unit that are related to the listening and writing skills.

More specifically, we are going to evaluate through a test (done after the unit is completed):

• Spelling: this skill will be evaluated by dictation of a list of words that were seen in the unit.
• Grammar: in the test there will be a section where Ss´ must fill in the blanks by putting the correct grammatical topic mentioned in the instructions.
• Listening comprehension: this ability will be proved by Ss´ by answering a questionnaire with 5 questions about a short story that T´ will play in her recording machine when Ss´ require it in the test.
  

What would be the weight?

Informal Assessment: 20%

• Participation 20%
  

Formal Assessment: 80%

• Grammar 25%
• Spelling 15%
• Listening comprehension and reproduction 25%
• Writing skills 15%
  
  
  
  

Activities & Instruments:

Activities & Instruments

Informal Assessment = 40 %

Activities:

Writing ---------- 20%

• Students write a short description of a classroom, indicating where the objects are, what there are in the classroom, etc.
• Students will write questions using the “wh” questions words.
• Students will write 15 sentences using demonstratives adjectives.
  

Listening --------10%

• Students will listen to a recording about a description of a kid´s room. (the recording will include prepositions, demonstrative adjectives and class vocabulary)
• They will have to draw what their listening to.
• Teacher will then ask questions, in order for student to answer with prepositions.
  

Speaking ---------10%

• As a whole-class activity, learners must give their opinion about what place of their house it´s their favorite.
• Students will have a small conversation with one of their classmates about the description of their favorite room in their house. (students must try to use some prepositions)
  

Evaluation

Criteria: (Writing)

5-Construct sentence and phrases correctly (spelling/grammar) - text and ideas are organized
4-Can construct sentences and phrases with a bit of difficulty (spelling/grammar) - text and ideas are quiet organized
3-Construction of sentences and phrases has errors (Spelling/grammar) – text and ideas have no order
2-Sentences and phrases has many mistakes (Spelling/grammar) - text and ideas have no sense
1-Has no idea of the usage of written language

Criteria: (Listening)

5- Can understand what he/she is listening to
4- Can understand mostly of what he/she is listening to
3-Has hard time understanding what he/she is listening to
2-Has lots of trouble comprehending what he/she is listening to
1-Cannot understand the spoken language

Criteria: (Speaking)

5- Speaks fluently and with good pronunciation–rarely no errors and transmits the message.
4- Speaks quiet fluently needs to practice pronunciation – some errors and is able to express themselves.
3- Have a little difficulty when speaking, pronunciation is understandable- lots of errors
2- Has difficulty when speaking, does not have good pronunciation- large number of errors
1- Speaking is not his/her strongest ability

Reflection Unit 2:

Informal Assessment
In unit 2 the topic Informal Assessment was presented which can be defined as the tool that allows teachers to keep track on the progress of their Ss´ in a certain moments throughout the school year. No matter what areas are they going to observe either linguistic(spelling, reading, speaking, and listening) or non-linguistic(attitude, group work, organization of work, interest etc) teachers must planned, timed and if necessary have a format to write down important observations in order to generate a solution and interfere on time.
Concluding, we as a team considered that Informal Assessment must be applied in all classrooms, in order to grade Ss´ development in both linguistic and non linguistics factors. Although opinions may vary depending on each teacher depending their situation.

Types of Testing:

TESTING

Testing can be categorized according to the types of information that they provide. There are four sorts of tests; the proficiency test, achievement test, diagnostic test and placement test. These kind of tests help the teacher to know if they are good and continues working with them or he/she needs to do a new test according with her or his needs.

Proficiency test: measure the people´s ability regardless any training they may have had in that language.

An example could be an English test done at the beginning of a course, to see how the students are doing with the language.

Achievement test: Are based in the language course, their purpose being to establish how successful individual students, group of students, or the courses themselves have been in achieving objectives.

For example, the ones done regularly in a class, so the teacher is able to see how much the students have learned.

Diagnostic Test: This kind of tests is intended to diagnose the strengths and weaknesses of the students, so the teacher can determine which areas are the ones that need more attention.

An example could be a complete test done at the beginning of a course through which the teacher could realize what are the strengths and weaknesses of his students.

Placement Test: As its name says, theses tests are developed to place a student in the level according to his knowledge.
In some English courses this is a requirement, so the students doesn’t start from
the first level but for the level they got in the test.

Direct versus Indirect Testing

•Direct testing: this kind of test requires the learner to perform precisely the skill that we (teacher) wish to measure. Speaking and writing are easier to carry out with direct testing because it provides us with information about the student’s ability in each skill. But in listening and reading learner must perform these abilities successfully on their own.

An example could be measure how well students can elaborate a composition, essay, letter etc.

•Indirect testing: it attempts to measure the abilities that underlie the skills in which we are interested to measure.
Lados (1961) proposed an effective method for indirect testing in listening ability, an example could be a paper and pencil test in which the learner needs to identify pair words which rhyme with each other.

Discrete point versus integrative testing

•Discrete point: a testing of one element at a time.
For example after seeing a topic, you could apply a test but from that specific topic that was seen in the class before.
•Integrative Testing: it requires the students to combine various language elements in order to complete the task.
Some examples of integrative testing is composing an essay, taking notes while listening to a lecture, and dictation.

Norm- referenced versus criterion- referenced testing

•Norm-referenced testing: it relates one students score with the other students. It does not demonstrate directly what the learners are capable of accomplishing in the language individually.

This particular test can be done individually, but what is going to vary is the answer, when the question of what score did the learner obtain. Example, the students score is said with percentage and related with the others students score.

•Criterion-referenced testing: its purpose is to classify people to whether or not they are able to perform some task or set of task correctly. They set meaningful standards in terms of what students can do, which do not change with different groups of candidates, and motivate their students to achieve in those standards.
An example of this kind of test is going to have a certain task, performance will be evaluated. The ones who performed successfully will “pass” and those who didn´t will “fail”.

Objective testing versus subjective testing

These two concepts differ from each other depending on how exactly we want to score our students’ test. If we no judgment is required in the part of the scorer the scoring is objective. Then, when we establish some judgments to the scoring, it is said that is subjective.
The less subjective the testing is the better, but it will mostly depend on the type of the test.

Examples:

Multiple Choice Tests: Objective.

Composition Rubrics: Subjective.

Computer Adaptive Testing

Computer adaptive testing refers to a test in which the difficulty will vary depending on the performance of the student, if he answers correctly the difficulty will increase but if he answers incorrectly an easier item will be presented.
So, this type of test will adapt itself to the student’s abilities.

Communicative Language Testing

This kind of tests will try to measure the ability to take part in acts of communication.

Analysis of a language test ....

Instituto Paula Montal
Examen de Inglés 5nto Grado
4rto Bimestre Marzo-Abril 2010

Name________________________________
Date________________


Part I
Read the sentences and find the adverb and write how, when or where, according to its belonging.

1.My dad was waiting for me patiently __________
2.The dog ran quickly through the woods ________
3.I always will be your friend ________
4.I found a treasure 30 ft below the water______
5.Then, I suddenly heard a voice ___________
6.Now, I know where I found him________
7.She was here a minute ago______
8.He is there, next to the roof _______
9.We came late from the trip________
10.Up and down it’s a song_________

PART II
Write 10 sentences using the following pronouns I, you, he, she, it, we, you , they, me, us, you, him, her, it, us, you, them.(Each sentence must have a least 2 pronouns.)
1._______________________________________________________________
2._______________________________________________________________
3._______________________________________________________________
4._______________________________________________________________
5._______________________________________________________________
6. ________________________________________________________________
7. ________________________________________________________________
8. ________________________________________________________________
9._______________________________________________________________
10.______________________________________________________________

PART III
Match the meaning for each indefinite pronoun.

A someone
B somebody
C anyone
D anybody
E something
F somewhere
G anything
H anywhere

1. ( ) ningún lugar
2. ( )ninguna cosa
3. ( ) algún lugar
4. ( )alguna cosa
5. ( ) ninguno
6. ( ) ninguno
7. ( ) alguién
8. ( ) alguno

Part IV
Write the meaning and one example for each one.

1.Everyone ________________________________________________

2.Everybody _______________________________________________

3.Everything ______________________________________________

4.Everywhere ______________________________________________

5.No one __________________________________________________

6.Nobody___________________________________________________

7.Nothing__________________________________________________

8.Nowhere__________________________________________________

Analysis of Test:

1.-What is the purpose of the test?

This example is based in an English course test for the 5th grade (bimestrial test) in "Instituto Paula Montal". Because it´s purpose is to realize how successfully individual students have been in achieving the objectives of the unit in a certain period of time, we considered this example as an "Achievement test".

2.-Does it represent direct or indirect testing (or a mixture of both)?

This test represents an indirect testing, for the reason that it does not measure only a single skill, otherwise it measures the grammatical abilities reached during the unit.

3.- Are the items discrete points or interrogative (or a mixture of both)?

Within this test items are considered discrete points because they evaluate some particular grammatical elements at a time (wh question words, the adverbs, indefinite pronouns, etc)

4.- Which items are objective, and which are subjective? Can you order the subjective items according to degree or subjectivity?

The part IV of the test is the more subjective, because the student has to define the word with his own words, and also to provide an example, and even though the student has to write some characteristics of the words to give the right meaning of them, the way students express their ideas will be different. Then, the part II of the test is the one that follows in subjectivity, because it is about constructing sentences. And, the part I and the part III are objective because they only admit one correct answer.

5.- Is the test norm-referenced or criterion-referenced?

Criterion-referenced test because it evaluates individually each student, and the student who performance successfully will “pass” and the ones who don’t will “fail”.

6.- Does the test measure communicative abilities? Would you describe it as a communicative test? Justify your answers

Because it evaluates grammar and students are not asked to demonstrate their communicative skills in this test, it cannot be contemplated as a communicative test.

7.- What relationship there is between the answers to question 6 and the answer to the other questions?

In this test there is no such relationship because it focuses in grammar and leaves out the communicative competence.

Validity-Realiability-Practicality-Backwash effects:

Validity

A test it said to be valid if it measures correctly and precisely what is intended to be measure.
In order to prove tests validity, we have to consider several factors to reveal its relationship between the test and the performance is intended to demonstrate.

Content Validity: represent the entire range of possible items the test should be cover correctly and appropriately.

Criterion-related validity: demonstrates the degree of effectively in predicting criterion or indicators of a construct.

The following are two kinds of criterion-related validity:

•Concurrent validity: when the test and criterion more or less have been done at the same time.
•Predictive validity: when test can predict future success.

Reliability

Factors in the test are consistent. Therefore if a student takes a test today but also takes the same test tomorrow, if the results come out more or less the same, we consider the test is reliable.

Practically

Concerned or well related to all actual intend and purposes of the test.

Achieving a beneficial Backwash

Backwash is the effect tests have on learning and teaching. Backwash will result better understanding of the process involved and how different variables can contribute on its effect in different situations, it could be positive or negative backwash effect.

Do you know if the tests you have been using or done are valid, reliable, and practical or if they have a negative or positive backwash effect in teaching and learning?
In my experience the small amount of test I have taken in my career have been valid, reliable, practical and had a positive backwash my learning, and in a future in teaching also.

Reflection Unit 3:

This unit was about Testing, through some readings we gave the definition of testing, describe the types of testing and each type of test. Also, we analyzed a language test used in an institute by answering some questions about its purpose, its type of testing, the type of the test, etc. At last, we reflect about the concepts of validity, reliability, practicality, and backwash effect.
This unit gave us a specific view inside testing, it went further about its definition and the concepts we, as teachers, should know about it. We found it very interesting and helpful, because now we not only that we should apply a test as teachers, but which of them will be more useful to our students analyzing their content and their real purpose. Also, the aspects we need to take into consideration before applying any kind of test.

Items:

Items

Reading:
Level: Beginners
Instructions.- Read the text below, then choose the right answer.

A Special Christmas Present

David wants to buy a Christmas present for a very special person, his mother. David's father gives him $5.00 a week pocket money and David puts $2.00 a week into his bank account. After three months David takes $20.00 out of his bank account and goes to the shopping mall. He looks and looks for a perfect gift.

Suddenly he sees a beautiful brooch in the shape of his favourite pet. He says to himself, "My mother loves jewelry, and the brooch costs only $17.00." He buys the brooch and takes it home. He wraps the present in Christmas paper and places it under the tree. He is very excited and he is looking forward to Christmas morning to see the joy on his mother's face.


But when his mother opens the present she screams with fright because she sees a spider.

1. What does David want to buy his Mother?
A. a special birthday present
B. a Christmas present
C. a spider ring

2. Who does David get his money from?
A. his pet
B. his mother
C. his father

3. What does David buy his mother?
A. a ring
B. a brooch
C. a spider

4. What does David do with the present when he takes it home?
A. he gives it to his mother
B. he wraps it in Christmas paper
C. he is very excited

5. Why does David buy a spider brooch?
A. spiders are his favorite pet
B. he loves Christmas
C. to scare his mother

6. Where does David put the present on Christmas Eve?
A. under his pillow
B. under a spider
C. under the Christmas tree

Writing:
Level: Beginners
Instructions: Put in order the images. Then, describe the boy´s activities during the day in a six lines paragraph using the present tense.

Listening:
Level: Beginners
Dictation
Instructions: Listen to the following words, and write them correctly and in the order they are being read.
1.________________
2.________________
3.________________
4.________________
5.________________
6.________________
7.________________
8.________________
9.________________
10._______________

Speaking:
Level: Beginners
Introducing Yourself
Instructions: Introduce yourself to your classmates answering the following questions, and adding some extra information you want them to know about you.

1. What´s your name?
2. How old are you?
3. Where you were born?
4. Do you have brothers or sisters?
5. What are the names of your parents?
6. Are you studying? or What´s your profession?
7. What´s your favorite thing to do?

Reflection Unit 4:

Testing and assessing the four skills was the topic of this unit. First, according to some readings, we had to decide which assessment techniques were more useful and to explain why we believe that. Then, we designed our test items for each skill, taking in consideration the techniques we had mentioned before, and also, according to the level of the students.
In this way, we had the opportunity to design our own items for a test, and it made us reflect about choosing or creating the right and useful exercises to make our tests more specific and reliable.

The test and the narrative:

Test for Level 1
Unit 1

Introduction:


This assignment (task) was done by three students of the faculty of idioms. The test is designed to evaluate a group of beginner’s students in English. It consists on the construction and detailed elaboration of a unit test, in order to establish clear prove of students understanding of the topics seen in their first unit as well as the four (certain) skills (reading, listening, grammar, and writing). The construction of this project is based on the “7 steps to develop a test”. This project will start by providing the learning objectives and contents with its respective analysis. Secondly, specification will be stated with their respective objective, format, task, and time for each one of them. Third, the test items which refer to the original test will be included. The fourth step will consist on the answer key will be presented. Continuing on, the fifth step will be making a rating guide in order to get a scoring. Sixth step will be the comments that a moderator will provide about the exam including the chart provided by the teacher Dominguez. Lastly the narrative part of the detailed explanation and step by step through the elaboration of the exam.

Learning objectives and contents to be assess with the test:


This project bases its learning process in the four mayor skills and the sub-skills that are used as a bridge to achieve our objectives in the first unit. As beginners students level they have their first contact with the four skills, and therefore these skills will provide students the knowledge they must have to develop their learning process efficiently. The following skills and sub-skills with its goal will be covered by learners. For speaking, students must be able to develop a good pronunciation, accuracy and ask for specific information. Listening, learners are supposed to carefully make a full comprehension of what he/she are listening to and as a result infer for specific information along with being able to reproduced it in a written form. Writing, students must acquire the competence of right use of new vocabulary with its correct spelling and the right usage of the grammatical topic seen in the first unit. Reading is focused on pair-reading, a complete comprehension of the text and gives its appropriate intonation to the reading. As a sub-skill, grammar requires that students developed the skill in order to identify correctly the main prepositions of place and their usage in real life situations, make combinations of the prepositions and the "wh" questions the student will construct questions in order to get specific answers about location and amount of a person, place or thing, and learn the four demonstrative adjectives (singular and plural) to obtain more detailed information or belonging about an object. For vocabulary and spelling learner must practice new vocabulary and it’s corrects spelling. Although students will have their fist contact with the four principle skills, each of them has been designed with a specific purpose in order for them to have a suitable understanding in learners.


Specifications of the test:


Grammar:

Objective: students developed the skill in order to identify correctly the main prepositions of place and their usage in real life situations, make combinations of the prepositions and the "wh" questions the student will construct questions in order to get specific answers about location and amount of a person, place or thing, and learn the four demonstrative adjectives (singular and plural) to obtain more detailed information or belonging about an object.


Time: 10 minutes


Format: some sentences with missing information but that have coherence that let the students to know the correct answer.


Task: fill in the blank. Students would have to use correctly the wh questions words, the demonstratives adjectives and some preposition of place that they learned in the curse.

Writing:

Objective: students must acquire the competence of right use of new vocabulary with its correct spelling and the right usage of the grammatical topic seen in the first unit.


Time: 15 minutes


Format: prom for at least 6 lines paragraph: the classroom vocabulary and preposition of place.


Task: write a paragraph describing the classroom using the correct vocabulary and preposition of place.

Listening:

Objective: learners are supposed to carefully make a full comprehension of what he/she are listening to and as a result infer for specific information along with being able to reproduced it in a written form.


Time: 3 minutes


Format: audiotape of 10 sentences given directions and a map to check if the information is correct.


Task: students marks correctly, with true (T) or false (F), if the information given in the audio is correct or incorrect according with the map.

Reading:

Objective: pair-reading, a complete comprehension of the text and gives its appropriate intonation to the reading.


Time: 15 min


Format: an story with multiple choose


Task: Read the story and then choose the correct answer.

Speaking:

Objective: students must be able to develop a good pronunciation, accuracy and ask for specific information.


Time: 5-8 minutes for each student.


Format: individual assessment. Speech must involve the classroom and question related of giving/asking for information.


Task: The teacher will ask for some directions to the student or the teacher will ask the student to ask her/him directions. Another format will be that the student will describe the classroom.


Test items (The test):

Unit 1 (Evaluation)
Name: _________________________________ Date: ________________________

• Grammar
Instructions: Fill in the blanks using the correct demonstratives adjectives.

1. He can't finish________ chocolate. Would you like some?
2. Hello, ________ is Rachel speaking. Hello. How are you, Rachel?
3. Hey, Jillian, is ___________ your ring? I've just found it on the floor.
4. Look at __________woman over there. She's a Spanish teacher
5. Jane! _________ is her penfriend Joe'. ´Hello, pleased to meet you´.
6. Look at _________ painting over there. What fabulous colors!
7. Don't take ________ mug, it's broken. Take this one.
8. Listen! __________ awful dog next door is barking again.
9. His uncle, who fought in world war II, told him that in ________ days they didn't have enough food.
10.________ mountains in the distance are the Alps.
11. Mmm. I love __________ pancakes. They're home-made, aren't they?

Instructions: Complete the exercise according to the picture.
Use the preposition of place.

1. - _______the picture, there are three kids.
2. - the girl is standing ________the two boys.
3. - the boy with the game-boy is _________ the right.
4. - he has a game-boy _______his hands
5. - the kids are looking _________ his game-boy.

Instructions: Write the correct WH word:
1. - ________ do you want to eat? Pasta and cheese.
2. - ________ do they smoke? Cigarettes.
3. - ________ does John drive? Cars
4. - ________ do we get up? Early in the morning
5. - ________ does that girl go swimming? At the club.
6. - ________ are you dressing like that? Because it is Halloween party
7. - ________ is the weather in London today? Oh! It is so bad; it is rainy the whole day
8. - ________ have you been here? A month
9. - ________ is the house? It is too expensive, it costs $500000 UDS

• Listening
Instructions: Look at the map, then listen the audio and choose F (for False) if the information is incorrect, or T (for true) if the information is correct.

1. The hotel is next to the _____________. (T) (F)
2. The zoo is ____________ the police station. (T) (F)
3. The __________ is between the post office and the supermarket. (T) (F)
4. The bowling alley is on _________ Street. (T) (F)
5. The _____________corner of ________ Street and ________ Street. (T) (F)
6. ______________ front of ________________. (T) (F)
7. ____________________________________________. (T) (F)
8. ____________________________________________. (T) (F)
9. ____________________________________________. (T) (F)
10. ____________________________________________. (T) (F)

Reading
Instructions: Read the text below, and then choose the correct answer.


A Special Christmas Present
David wants to buy a Christmas present for a very special person, his mother. David's father gives him $5.00 a week pocket money and David puts $2.00 a week into his bank account. After three months David takes $20.00 out of his bank account and goes to the shopping mall. He looks and looks for a perfect gift.
Suddenly he sees a beautiful brooch in the shape of his favorite pet. He says to himself, "My mother loves jewelry, and the brooch costs only $17.00." He buys the brooch and takes it home. He wraps the present in Christmas paper and places it under the tree. He is very excited and he is looking forward to Christmas morning to see the joy on his mother's face.
But when his mother opens the present she screams with fright because she sees a spider.

1. What does David want to buy his Mother?
A. a special birthday present
B. a Christmas present
C. a spider ring

2. Who does David get his money from?
A. his pet
B. his mother
C. his father

3. What does David buy his mother?
A. a ring
B. a brooch
C. a spider

4. What does David do with the present when he takes it home?
A. he gives it to his mother
B. he wraps it in Christmas paper
C. he is very excited

5. Why does David buy a spider brooch?
A. spiders are his favorite pet
B. he loves Christmas
C. to scare his mother

6. Where does David put the present on Christmas Eve?
A. under his pillow
B. under a spider
C. under the Christmas tree

• Writing
Instructions: Write a description of your classroom in 6 lines paragraph. Remember to use the classroom objects vocabulary learned in class and the preposition of place.



___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________



• Speaking
Instructions: Give the information that the teacher ask you. Remember to use the demonstrative adjectives, preposition of place, the wh question words and the vocabulary that you learned before when speaking with the teacher.

Answer key:



Grammar:
Part one: Fill in the blanks using the correct demonstratives adjectives.


1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10)
this this this that this that that that those these

Part two: Complete the exercise according to the picture. Use the preposition of place.

1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
In between on in at

Part three: Write the correct WH word.

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9)
what what what when where why how how long how much

Listening:

Look at the map, then listen the audio and choose F (for False) if the information is incorrect, or T (for true) if the information is correct.

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10)
True True False False True False True False True False

Reading:

Read the text below, and then choose the right answer.

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
A C B C A C

Scoring/rating guide:

Writing:
9 pts. Construct sentence and phrases correctly (spelling/grammar) - text and ideas are organized
7 pts. Can construct sentences and phrases with a bit of difficulty (spelling/grammar) - text and ideas are quiet organized
5 pts. Construction of sentences and phrases has errors (Spelling/grammar) – text and ideas have no order
3 pts. Sentences and phrases has many mistakes (Spelling/grammar) - text and ideas have no sense
1 pts. Has no idea of the usage of written language


Speaking:
9 pts. Can express himself correctly using what was learned in this unit
7 pts. Has some troubles trying to express himself
4 pts. Can barely express himself
0 pts. Cannot express anything


Listening:

8 pts. Can understand what he/she is listening to
6 pts. Can understand mostly of what he/she is listening to
4 pts. Has hard time understanding what he/she is listening to
2 pts. Has lots of trouble comprehending what he/she is listening to
0 pts. Cannot understand the spoken language

Comments by moderators:

The test was moderated by each of us. All of us tried to find mistakes or things that could be improved that the others didn’t notice. We all agreed in the aspect of validity and reliability, and the test was appropriately designed to evaluate the unit. We designed the items to match with the specifications of the test and the objectives of the unit. We had to change some of the instructions because they were confusing and too hard to understand, since we are making a test for beginners. Also, some of the items were modified to fix better with the objectives. That was our more significant errors during the realization of the test as well as some spelling mistakes.

We present the table we used to evaluate the design of our test.

YES NO

Is the English grammatically correct?
Is the English natural and acceptable?
Is the English in accordance with the specs?
Does the item test what it is supposed to test?
The correct response cannot be obtained without the appropriate grammar knowledge?
Is the item economical?
Multiple choice- is there only 1 correct answer?
Gap filling – are there just one or two correct responses?
Multiple choice – are the distractors really going to distract?
Is the key complete and correct?
Are the instructions complete? Not too long?
Is there an example?


The elaborative process of the test:

As any process, there were many steps to follow before the test was considered to be ready. We based the creation of this test in the learning objectives of the unit, every decision we made was contrasted with the objectives so there would be coherence.
The items were chosen to be known as the best to fit in the test because of how well they measure the skills worked in this unit. Every single item was revised and supervised a lot of times to avoid any mistake or any confusing part for the students.
Our test was developed to be direct because it offers a more concrete way to assess each skill worked in this unit.
The test was made to be done in 1 hour, and each item has its own time to be done:
The part of grammar should be completed in 10 minutes, writing was given 15 minutes, listening 3 minutes, reading 15 minutes, and speaking 5-8 minutes, as well as we left some extra minutes in order for students to revise their test. At this stage it is worth to mention that the highest score is 100 points and each item will have next value:

Grammar: 15
Writing: 25
Listening: 20
Reading: 20
Speaking: 20


When the students finish, and when we complete to check every test, the students will get oral feedback individually, as well as a global written feedback on the test.
In terms of validity, reliability and practicality it is worth to mention that this test covers all the requirements that each of that aspect asks to reach the term.
First, our test is valid because it is focused on those relevant skills in this unit, it does not include irrelevant topics and only contain the knowledge the students should had acquired during this unit.
Then, the reliability came when watching the test finished, we could assure that the students were able to get a high score in it by demonstrating all the significant learning they got from the unit and even if they repeat the test some units ahead.
The last thing we are going to analyze is the practicality of our test, which is very notorious, because it is no to long and hard to do, but instead its contents are easy to answer and at the same time highly confident. Our test was no designed to be a long and boring test but the opposite.

Reflection Unit 5

The development of a test – Unit 5

As futures teachers we need to take into consideration all the techniques, tools or methods that are presented in order for us to select the ones that fits us best and make sure we apply them correctly in our classrooms. In this case the selection of techniques must be appropriate in order to design a well elaborated language test.
In unit 5 the objective was to focus on the development of a test with their respective objectives and the 4 skills must be included. The language test is based on the “7 steps to develop a test” by Hughes. All the content of the test must be specificated in the project in a clear and concise way . We learned that the elaboration of a test in not as simple as it looks likes, there has to be some important aspects that have to be included.

Instrument or technique:

As a team we decided to choose “Descriptions” because students can feel with more freedom and write down their ideas, thoughts and feelings about their experience in English class. Keeping a diary about their English class does not only have the objective to keep a record of what they have done in class or learnt or didn´t learn but also has the aim to develop their writing skill as well. We considered that a diary can be more personal and each student can write with no stress or fear that it could be graded. Although this could take time from class, this could be done 20 minutes before ending the class, sessions about their progress could be done certain period of time in order for students to know in what areas they must work on.

Self-assessment (Jaz)

Self-assessment of the MTEE course

Name: Jazmín Gutiérrez Ríos Date: Monday November 22, 2010

1.Your experience in the MTEE course was:
• Excellent
• Good
• Bad

2. Your learning acquisitions of the topics seen in the course were:

What is assessment?- 3
Informal assessment -3
Testing -2
Testing and assessing the four skills -2
The development of the test -3
Self assessment -3

3 Excellent
2 Good
1 Bad
Rating:

3. What did you considered it was/were your main problem during the course?
Sometimes the pressure of time to turn in the assignments, some of the due dates of some tasks were to close. The various types of testing were a little bit hard to understand each one of them with their characteristics.

4. What would you do to improve your learning acquisition in the topics that you struggled in?
a. Ask for an explanation or some book/s to research that will help you to its understanding of the topic
b. will research books about the topic
c. make simple and clear notes about the topic

5. How did you feel working in team once in a while ?
a. Excellent
b. Good
c. Bad

6. Why?
I enjoyed working in teams because if a doubt emerge I would had my peers to ask them to explain me what I didn´t understood, or a word that I didn’t have knowledge of, and to have different opinion when planning a task in order to make an appropriate project.

7. Your participation and comments in the forum was:
a. posted on time
b. posted late
c. never posted

8. How well did I do on the course?
I believe, my performance in this course was good. I turned in all the tasks that were asked by the teacher, as well as my participation in the forum. I considered I did a good job in group work, providing ideas, feelings and thoughts in each of the tasks done as a team.

9. How I feel now?
I feel a person who has acquire a lot of knowledge which will help in a future.

10.What was the best part?
I considered the best part, working as a team and sharing, information, knowledge already known, feelings, dislikes etc. I also enjoyed working with Mape and Ana students and a great friends which have made this course even enjoyable, although Mape´s time in TJ is about to end, he has brought to the team, brilliant ideas and comments which made our task to acoomplish their objective. Ana on the other side, is a member, that could easily explain to you a word that probably you don´t know or and idea that is fuzzy in your head.

Self-assessment (Ana)

Self- Assessment my performance on the course
1. What was the topic you found more difficult to understand or to realize?
The topic I found the most difficult to realize was the development of a test.
2. Why?
I found it difficult because I realized it wasn’t an easy job to do. As a student I have done a lot of tests, but I had never thought about the process of designing it, and how hard it was.
3. What were the topics you found most interesting?
I think the entire course was interesting, but I think I would say it was testing.
3. Which were your main problems during the course?
As a course given through internet, the main problem was to remember the due dates, because I didn’t organize my time as I should to have my work ready to that date.
4. How could you solve those problems?
I should improve my organization skills, so I will avoid forgetting that I have to turn in my homework.
5. Where all the topics useful to your career?
Yes, all the topics seen in this course will help me to try to assess my students in the right way, when I become a teacher.
7. How you consider it was your performance working on team?
I think it was good, everyone on the team worked equally, and of course the opportunity to share ideas to improve our work was very efficient, it brought us really good results.
8. What was the best part of the course?
I consider the best part of the curse were the topics. I think they were chosen correctly, since assessment is one of the main tools a teacher should manage as truthful as possible.
9. In general, do you think your performance in the course was…
I think it was good, I posted on time all the homework, and I participated on the discussion boards and corrected all the work that needed to be improved. Also, I worked on team, sharing ideas, sending the work on time, etc.


10. Do you think you could improve your performance in this course?
Maybe the only thing I could improve is about the organization of my time, and looking for more references to get more information about the topics, but besides that I think I did a good job and the things I could improve are not specifically related to the course.

Reflection Unit 6:

This unit we learned techniques for self-assessment, this time we have learned that there are many techniques that students can self-assess. We liked the follow up technique because we think it let the students to express themselves and we, as teachers, can get specific information about the course. With Follow up technique the students must evaluate with their correct grade and not lower or higher.

Self-assessment (Mape)

Self evaluation about the course

1.- Did I do all the assignments?
4) I did all the assignments
3) I did between 75 and 50 % of all the assignments
2) I did less than half of the assignments
1) I did not do anything

2.- did I send the activities on time?
4) I always sent it
3) I sent between 75 and 50 % of all the activities on time
2) I sent less than half of the assignments on time
1) I did not send them on time

3.- did I read the teacher´s and my classmates comments after post the activities?
4) I read all of them
3) I read between 75 and 50 % of all the texts
2) I read less than half of the assignments
1) I did not read

4.- did I do the activities again when the teacher asked for?
4) I always did
3) I did between 75 and 50 % of them
2) I did less than half of them
1) I did not

5.- did I show interested in the team´s activity?
4) I always did
3) I did between 75 and 50 % of them
2) I did less than half of them
1) I did not

6.- Did I do the same effort then my classmates team did?
4) I always did
3) I did between 75 and 50 % of them
2) I did less than half of them
1) I did not

7.- Did I included all the aspects that the teacher asked in the activities?
4) I always did
3) I did between 75 and 50 % of them
2) I did less than half of them
1) I did not


8.- did I understand all the topics in this course?
4) I always did
3) I did between 75 and 50 % of them
2) I did less than half of them
1) I did not understand


9.-how much did I remember about this course (all the topics), can I explain about them?
4) I remember all
3) I remember between 75 and 50 % of it
2) I remember less than half of them
1) Nothing

10.- Did I agree my teacher´s grades in the activities?
4) I agree completely
3) I agree between 75 and 50 % of them
2) I agree less than half of them
1) I disagree

11.- What are my final comments about the course?
I think this course was helpful for me, it helped me to know many ways of asses students, to know that there are many aspects to include in a evaluation and we can change the traditional ways to asses when we are teaching. Now I know more about assessment and how to apply it in a classroom situation. I know about test formally and informally, how to develop a test, etc.






40 points= Done. Good job
30 points= I did not bad
20 points= I can do it better
10 points= Mmmm I need to study harder. Fail