Mod05_U04_Act01 Differentiating Assessments

Pre-assessments are essential for teacher to be able to visually see what students actually know. By having a greater, more comprehensive understanding it is easier to facilitate the students learning in a more effective manner to a level that is appropriate to them. It allows us as teachers to open up variable pathways that will deliver access to student learning opportunities.

They allow us to identify gaps in knowledge, inconsistencies within the class’ knowledge and competencies, what needs to be revised or what to cover next.

However, traditional assessment methods are not the best way as we want to ensure we are not “assessing” them before we teach them. There are a large range of ways we can pre-assess them in what could be considered a less formal manner.

Overview

My school has prescribed that we use “Success International English Skills for Cambridge IGCSE - Fourth Edition” as the basis for our curriculum. With this in mind and in accordance with the IGCSE ESOL -0511 syllabus we shall be approaching “Unit 4 - Our Impact on the Planet”.

The students are Grade 11’s, have touched on the subject of the environment previously in other grades with varying degrees, and the classes English levels range from B1-C1.

The following plan intends to have the students expanding their knowledge on a previously covered topic at a suitable level for themselves. Hence the importance of a pre-assessment. Here I will be able to ascertain the level and appropriate groupings to separate them into to ensure they are challenged and growing yet not overwhelmed.

I shall do this via a picture interpretation exercise.

Picture Interpretation Pre-Assessment

The intent of the picture interpretation exercise is to identify what pre-existing knowledge exists in relation to the environment, especially in terms of lexical resources as that will be the focus of this unit. The result is to be able to use and apply new vocabulary into previously learnt grammar structures. The vocabulary will be used later in the term within their science classes, so improving their vocabulary to standard is essential.

Completion of the unit will result in a presentation by three groups of individual areas of a manmade disaster, Chernobyl. Prior to assigning the groups and tasks, the students will have a scene given to them with positive and negative environmental scenarios taking place. Each will be numbered and their task is to explain what they see or think is happening at each number.

After writing down, there will be a brief class discussion to check for their pronunciation of key words I spotted while observing their progress.

Finally, I would collect the worksheets after the discussion. While they watch a brief video that introduces the Chernobyl disaster I will grade their work based on the lexical resources and use of grammar used. Groups will be assigned accordingly.

Groupings

Based on the results of the Picture Interpretation Exercise the groups will be put into homogeneous groups of 3-4. Groups will work together over the course of 2x40 minute classes to work together and develop a presentation. Any work not completed in the second class should be completed in the study group time ready for presenting in the third class.

G1

Group one will consist of the 3-4 individuals who used the simplest vocabulary and grammar structures in the pre-assessment. They will focus on the Chernobyl event itself, what happened, why and how it compared to other disasters.

G2

Group 2 will consist of the next 3-4 individuals who are generally up to standard in the class and will focus on looking at and comparing the pros and cons of nuclear power in comparison to other resources.

G3

Group 3 will consist of those who are above standard. Their task will be to compare and contrast solutions for the immediate and long term future with regards to meeting our energy needs.