Creative Testing and Expanding Vocabulary

Assessments create artificial situations in which students must demonstrate what have learned in a short amount of time. Usually, tests capture only a snapshot of knowledge. Why is this? Teachers do not realize that the design and implementation of the assessments we use in our classroom as often restrictive. We tend to design tests in a manner that elicits an expected answer and does not leave much room for students to demonstrate what else they know or have learned. In some instances, direct questions are necessary to ensure that students have grasped the main concepts before moving onto the next unit. However, educators need to be careful to construct their assessments, both formal and informal, in as nonrestrictive way as possible to promote validity and even learning during the testing process.

Chapter 10 in Content Area Writing listed some guidelines to follow in order to create better testing designs, especially focusing on essay tests. They include: focusing on big ideas - those that should stay with students long-term, incorporating tests into part of the learning process, building in more time for test taking, utilizing oral presentations, implementing lab-type tests if possible, and asking questions that require reflection - not memorization. Students also need to be taught how to respond appropriately to essay prompts. If they are able to develop arguments, draw conclusions, elaborate understanding, and construct knowledge, they will be ahead of most of their peers across the nation. These skills are pertinent to successful writing on standardized test essays as well which reflect strongly on the school and teacher (although it is more of a necessary evil than anything else). Writing skills are not innate; they must be taught. Our students deserve the opportunity to be successful writers, and that achievement lies in our instruction and assessments.

Another important aspect of writing and learning lies in vocabulary development. Chapter 8 in Content Area Reading discusses the role of vocabulary knowledge in reading comprehension. Internalization of new vocabulary words often relies on direct or indirect instruction with repeated exposure to the words. Every content area has a specific set of unique vocabulary that must be learned in order to understand the material. These words cannot simply be overlooked or shoved down our students' throats via dictionary definitions without application or connections to their lives/studies.

The ability to comprehend vocabulary words provides students with the tools to understand and express concepts. Concepts are the means by which we explain and depict our world. They form the center of teaching. The authors of the text stress that we can build and reinforce conceptual knowledge of content area terms by teaching and stressing concept words in relation to other concept words. Vocabulary instruction is so very important. It is not something we can fail to explain to our students. Take the word "meter" for example. It has many different meanings in different contexts. In science, it is a unit of measurement, in music it means the pulse or beat of the song caused by repetitive patterns, in literature, it refers to the rhythm of poetry, in a city, it can describe an object that one must insert coins in order to park for a certain period of time. There are many words that share this characteristic of multiple meanings.

As teachers, it is our responsibility to ensure that our students are familiar with the vocabulary of our content area and can comprehend the reading we assign. As a language teacher, I understand the importance of vocabulary on a deep level in regards to the effectiveness of communication. If you cannot understand the words someone is using, you will not be able to understand what they are attempting to communicate. Whether instruction is done in a foreign language or in English, the underlying idea is the same. Vocabulary makes the pathway to comprehension and knowledge retention much easier to navigate.

Polishing Students' Skills for Polished Writing

Much of what we have discussed in class and read about has centered on writing to learn. This normally includes short, spontaneous, and unrefined writing pieces whose purpose lies in sparking a feeling of competency regarding writing and providing a less intimidating atmosphere for writing assignments. However, this week's assignments focused on something deeper and more refined - public writing. Chapter 5 in Content Area Writing emphasized public writing while Chapter 2 in Content Area Reading honed in on the importance of knowing how to navigate electronic sources as well as implement them into a classroom. The two chapter really go hand in hand. Here's why:

Public writing is different from writing to learn because it should not be a quick, one time, informal, personal, exploratory, unpolished piece of writing. Public writing is substantial, planned, authoritative, composed, and edited. It is a highly polished composition. It clearly states that the author has investigated the topic and lays out the facts in an appropriate manner (according to the genre of the piece itself). Many students are overwhelmed by the idea of "big essays." They give up before they even begin to write because they feel that they do not have the tools, strategies, or experience to competently compose a strong essay. That is where educators' jobs come in to play.

It is our duty to stress that we have high standards for public writing pieces. After all, public writing is an essential skill for advancing in the world of education as well as in life. There are a few key steps to consider in order to ensure that students will be interested enough to begin writing with confidence and motivation. If students can choose their topic (the choices can be narrowed down, but need not be a specific statement provided by the teacher), are given time to write in class (accompanied by scaffolding that walks them through the writing process), and are provided with feedback before they turn in their final draft, they are much more likely to succeed and produce a polished writing piece. However, they must be familiar with enough strategies in order to proceed confidently.

Another aspect of public writing to consider, which spills over into other areas of classroom life, is the use of the internet. Students are very familiar with the internet - it pervades their everyday interactions and consumes an enormous portion of their free time and their social lives. That does not mean, however, that our students are aware of how to use the internet properly in an academic sense. Most students are unaware how to know if a website is valid - if it has a bias, if it's reliable. Also, many internet sources are nonlinear. Students must be taught how to properly tap into internet resources. If not, the vast quantity of information that lies just beyond the touch of the "enter" key can be nearly unnavigable. Our students need effective tools to be able to utilize that information and to find sources that are appropriate for public writing, small assignments, and simply background knowledge.

Although media is a "new literacy" there is a large gap between in-school and out-of-school literacy. Therefore, it is important for teachers to incorporate technology into our classrooms. Doing so automatically connects the students' lives outside of school to academic material which can boost motivation and engagement. It would be foolish to ignore the fact that our students live in a technologically-based world. We cannot exclude such a large portion of their lives from our classrooms. We must guide them to use the internet in ways that are appropriate for academic contexts so our students can successfully apply media to assignments and their classroom lives.