assessment
May 23, 2014
I just taught my last class for the foreseeable future and what a sweet handful of minutes it was. I decided to revisit the Photopeach final this year, after having not done it for 2 years because of babies arriving at the end of the school year. I’ve blogged about Photopeach and this particular project […]
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May 7, 2014
4 ways to tweak the exit ticket
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When I first heard about the exit ticket, I thought it was a great idea. It seemed like a way to keep myself accountable to assess every student, and it seemed like a way to keep students accountable to do something to show me they’d learned what I’d taught. It also seemed like a decent […]
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March 25, 2014
One of my most popular posts last year was how to use Marc Anthony’s Latin Grammy-winning song Vivir mi vida to stage Spanish Class Idol in a novice class. A few people have asked me directly, and the topic has been brought up enough on Edmodo, about more clear directions of how to teach the song. […]
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March 4, 2014
I’ve gotten this question several times lately and it’s made me remember I sort of blogged on that when I wrote about taking the leap to standards-based assessment but I should go into it a little more. So, you’re ready to move to proficiency-based assessment and standards-based grading, but if you’re assessment is focused on […]
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December 11, 2013
If you’re interested, here’s my final exam for AP Spanish, addressing two themes we have incorporated this semester: religious celebrations, and healthcare challenges. The exam includes a persuasive essay and an audio prompt for a speaking response. In the persuasive essay, students are asked to discuss whether we should try to change other people’s opinions […]
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December 9, 2013
2013’s eighth most popular post is about telling the difference between novice high and intermediate low. Be sure to check out the comments on the original post for more helpful distinguishing tips. I got a question recently from a colleague who was having trouble pinpointing the difference between novice high and intermediate low with her […]
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October 25, 2013
Assessment has a lot of purposes, the least important of which is to give students a number on a report card. Some that come to mind are: educating students and parents on proficiency helping students identify areas that need improvemen keeping parents informed on their child’s progress, responsibility, etc. showing administration what your class is doing […]
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July 10, 2013
Back when I used to ask for translation at the end of every test, I’d comb through that chapter’s vocabulary list to come up with sentences that would test the maximum number of words and target features. Like this gem: I saw a turtle with two heads in the park with my tall friend and […]
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June 12, 2013
Guest post: Coaching with choice
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This semester I was blessed and honored to teach an amazing group of kids who were coachable. Coming from an athletic background, this concept of being “coachable” is one of the most valuable traits that a coach can have in a player. The coachable player is one who may not have the best skills or natural […]
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June 8, 2013
Screencast: Photopeach
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My favorite way to wrap up AP Spanish, after the exam, is to do a project we call “21 important things.” Students do a slideshow on Photopeach using, at least: 21 photos with text, illustrating things important to the student No simple sentences At least half the photos from creative commons, properly sourced Music in […]
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June 4, 2013
I can write all I want about how much I dislike traditional worksheets and multiple-choice questions, but we have to admit they’ve got something going for them: they’re easy to grade. Do you ever feel like there’s a battle between wanting to do more communicative assessments and dreading how long it’s going to take you […]
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May 13, 2013
Novice high vs. intermediate low
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I got a question recently from a colleague who was having trouble pinpointing the difference between novice high and intermediate low with her students, especially in writing. When it comes to writing, here are some keys that I think mean a student is consistently performing at IL and not NH: Changing topics with relevance A few […]
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