Alternative Assessment: When Procastination Attacks.

To see the Slideshare presentation click HERE

Assessing Reading: A Sample of a Test to Tackle some of the Skills when Reading.

Designers: Zulma Xiomara Rueda, Sulma Julexy Quijano, Sebastián Acevedo, Juan Pablo Triana

This is  sample that we designed taking into account two Micro and two Macro skills which we want to assess in our students when reading.

These skills were presented by Brown (2000) in his book "Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices" 

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CHALLENGES WHEN ASSESSING READING

"Even when we are bombarded with an undenying supply of visual media and auditory media, the written word continues in its function to convey information, to amuse and entertain us, to codify our social, economic, and legal conventions and to fulfill a host of other functions" (Brown, 2000) When reading this quote this reminded me of my experience at one airport for the first time. I was completely lost and, therefore, scared, untill, I saw my salvation: Information signs! My ability of reading helped me get through that situation. And like that, reading gives us a number of opportunities to access new information.

Now, knowing the importance of reading, and helping our students to find proper strategies and ways of developing this skill, there is a big challenge in front of us. How to assess it?

Certainly, many are the factors which make assessing reading a challenge; I will focus this entry on one which is define in one word: Schemata

Brown (2000) defines schemata as background information and cultural experience. This represents a challenge. When learning a second language we are also getting closer to a set of different cultural aspects; but, students bring their own cultural background. I think the challenge is presented when assessing reading specially interactive and extensive reading. Two different students may bring different ideas and comprehend a text differently. In addition to that, we as teachers bring our own. the challenge is to guide our students by presenting them not only texts but the proper schemata, and so, when assessing, having a clear idea of what are the goals we want our students to achieve and taking into account what our students bring to the text.

My strategy would be having a rubric which does not limit to "correct" answers, but that is directed to the analytical abilities of the students. Now, dear partners, what would be your ideas?