20130925 How English Teachers Mark Your Work

How English Teachers Mark Your Work.

English compositions are marked by qualitative and empirical measurements.

---

• Learning Objective:

To enable students to meet the objectives of secondary school standards in writing.

• Aim

To inform students about the teaching practices that affect their overall marks.

• Focus

Students will focus on the methods to improve their ability to comply with the assessment criteria and rules.

• Process

Introduction:

English teachers use subjective methods to assess a student's abilities and competency based on performance standards versus content standards. During this lesson the student will be given the opportunity to become familiar with the teaching methods expected by their school. The reason a student must know this is;

The student will be expected to deliver English essays of a specific standard.

Assessment for this lesson:

The student is required to summarise the passage in 600 words, in 30 minutes.

Assessment criteria:

• Word count
• Spelling accuracy
• Grammar and tense
• Accuracy of information

Consolidation

Review the main points of the article:

English teachers rely on empirical and subjective assessments.

Definition of assessment.

References:

Marsh, Colin. “Becoming a Teacher. 4th Edition”, Pearson Education, 2008.

How English Teachers Mark Your Work.

English compositions are marked by qualitative and empirical measurements.

The passage below is taken from the book Becoming a Teacher by Colin Marsh.

‘Assessment’ is the term typically used to describe the activities undertaken by a teacher to obtain information about the knowledge, skills and attitudes of students. Activities can involve the collection of formal assessment data by the use of objective tests or the use of informal data by the use of observation checklists. Teachers typically assign a grade or mark: a numerical score, a letter grade or a descriptive ranking for work undertaken.

Assessment Principles:

• Assessment can only be based on samples of behaviour and therefore inaccuracies will always occur.
• Assessment must communicate to teachers how to make instruction more effective.
• Assessment is not done mainly to grade students, but to promote instruction.
• Assessment must be fair to all students and groups.
• Assessment must measure a broad range of abilities.
• Assessment results must be meaningful to all participants, students, teachers and parents.

The reasons for assessment:

Assessment is usually undertaken for the following reasons:

• diagnosis of learning and monitoring progress
• grading students
• predicting future achievements
• motivating students
• diagnosis of teaching

Who benefits from the assessment?:

Students should be the main reason for assessment but they are typically not given a high priority.

Teachers need feedback about the effectiveness of their teaching and student assessments are used increasingly for appraising teachers.

Parents want regular feedback on the progress of their children and schools are subject to a parental review based on the assessment results.

Tertiary institutions require specific information from applicants intending to enrol.

Employers are demanding more specific information in terms of literacy and numeracy and key competences.

---

Write the answer to the questions in the space provided using a short sentence.

Your answers will be assessed on spelling, grammar and correct tense. Your opinion will not be assessed.

Can you see any conflicts of interest in the assessment process? Explain your answer.

---

---

What questions should you ask your teacher about your assessment?

---

---

If there are 15 students in a class, and only one student passes an assessment, has the teacher failed to deliver the lesson? Explain the reason for your answer.

---

---

If there are 15 students in a class, and only one student fails an assessment, has the teacher failed to deliver the lesson? Explain the reason for your answer.

---

---

Write a summary of the passage in 600 words in 30 minutes.

---