The really fantastic thing about writing SMART goals is that I’m finding it already gets me so strongly on the path to considering HOW I will determine if my students have achieved the objective, that the assessments (summative and formative) seem to flow much more freely than they have for me in the past. I found that as I wrote each of the five objectives in the previous activity that I could visualize the ways in which I would gauge student mastery, whether that came in the form of a formative (along-the-way) or summative (summing-it-all-up) assessment.
One formative assessment that I will use for this unit is already described in the objective:
“Students will be able to demonstrate ability to appropriately apply tu-commands vs su-commands when greeting individuals who are friends/peers (as indicated by student actors wearing baseball caps) and adults/authorities (as indicated by student actors wearing ties). Student actors will present point cards for each effectively chosen subject (tu vs su), and students must collect a minimum of 8 cards.”
Using this assessment will allow all students to demonstrate individual mastery at the same time, without anyone attracting too much attention to themselves, which is key for students who are just beginning to gain their confidence in allowing words of a new language come out of their mouths. In this assessment (which I have used before, minus the inclusion of tickets), I picture the class bustling about, people greeting one another, and smiling faces as tickets are handed over and received. I also see myself floating around the classroom, listening in on students as they greet the student actors, and seeing in real time their success or lack of success in greeting in the appropriately formal / informal pronoun (tu or Usted). I can offer assistance in the moment, such that students who might be struggling to receive tickets can turn it around and immediately course correct so as to collect tickets (and confidence!) without attracting the attention of classmates. Using this assessment will also allow me to observe any patterns of error that exist in the class, and what / how thoroughly I might need to reteach some or all of this unit.
One summative assessment that I am excited to use also emerged from the creation of the SMART goal:
“Students will create fire safety posters in Spanish by writing simple instructions for exiting the building in su-command format. They will then design clear eye-catching images to include on their posters which will draw the view of native readers of Spanish and further convey the messages without distracting them from the content which could lead them to safety.”
I believe that I could make this assessment a bit more complete by having students draft and create their posters, and then present them aloud (in Spanish) to the class. For this project-based assessment, I would create a rubric which I would share with students ahead of time such that they could utilize it in their planning. The rubric will include scoring components for:
- Correct conjugation of verbs into command format
- Correct use of additional vocabulary to convey directions
- Strong visual delivery as demonstrated through use of clear text in the company of eye-catching images and symbols which further convey the message without distracting the reader from the vital information they need
- Effective pronunciation of verbs and vocab (which will ensure that students practice speaking the words aloud before they get up to present)
- Appropriate presentation skills (things like: stands tall, faces audience, speaks loudly and clearly enough to be heard and understood by those in the back of the room, etc)
I think this project will allow students to spend time with the commands and vocab as the project unfolds, while also tapping into their creativity and building their confidence not only as speakers of the language but also as presenters to their peers.
This project could also be enriched by having one or more native speakers of Spanish who are not members of the class listen in on presentations and present an award or some additional points to the student whose project and presentation provides them with the clearest set of directives for getting to safety from THIS classroom in the case of a fire.
I love the applicability of this unit, and how immediately the work we’re doing seems to come to life as I visualize bringing it into my clinical work this spring. I’m so excited to get started in March! :o)
References:
- (n.d.). Retrieved February 01, 2018, from https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=WXZr8geo&id=C3BF6E57D7A41EBAD1038609D9EA0A6315009D2F&thid=OIP.WXZr8geo6oku4TyKACjFJQHaHa&mediaurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rohenfire.ca%2FPortals%2F236192%2Fimages
- Performance-Based Assessment: Reviewing the Basics. (n.d.). Retrieved February 01, 2018, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/performance-based-assessment-reviewing-basics-patricia-hilliard
trees do bend 