The purpose of this paper is to redesign the instructional plan for the first-grade students that includes the summative assessment for language lessons. It is important to improve the assessment with the focus on developing students’ innovation skills according to the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In this paper, it is necessary to discuss the approaches to redesigning the assessment and evaluate the outcomes of plan modifications.
Redesign
Alignment and Mastery
The series of language lessons for the first-grade students included formative and summative assessments. The goal of lessons was to develop the students’ vocabulary and understanding of words’ meanings. The summative assessment was based on the reading placement inventory that was distributed on sheets of paper, and students had to select the right word to match the sentence and context. The modification included the alignment of the series of lessons to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.4.a: “Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase” (Common Core State Standards, 2016, para. 5).
Moreover, instead of providing students with printed reading placement inventories, it was reasonable to use tablets and online surveys given in a form of tests to make students become interested in completing the assessment.
Learning and Innovation Skills
While using tablets to conduct summative assessments and unit tests, it is possible to develop students’ innovation skills. Using technologies for testing, students become “open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives” (Framework for 21st century learning, n.d., p. 4). Furthermore, students also become more flexible in demonstrating their knowledge (Neumann, 2014). It is relevant to use not only online reading placement tests but also simulations that are developed to improve the students’ vocabulary.
Modification
In order to meet the redesign expectations, it was necessary to improve the method of conducting the assessment. Tablets and online reading and vocabulary tests were selected as the method of assessment (Neumann, 2016). This slight modification allowed for addressing the MAED program learning outcomes (PLOs). Thus, the teacher received an opportunity to make the assessment time-efficient and attractive. Moreover, the assessment was aligned with the Common Core State Standards. Finally, it is possible to state that the use of devices allowed for building the technology-enriched setting.
Evaluation
In the first grade, tablets are actively used in lessons. Students improve their learning and develop their innovation skills (Harwood, Bajovic, Woloshyn, Di Cesare, & Lane, 2015). The modified assessment is effective to engage students in the technology-driven learning environment (Beetham & Sharpe, 2013). This online resource is appropriate to guarantee the students’ ongoing evaluation and save the teacher’s time because of providing automatic calculations (Neumann, 2016). Thus, students can monitor their progress and changes in scores, and the teachers’ decision-making can be based on collected test results.
Reflection
The main challenge is associated with guaranteeing that each child in the class will have a tablet and the access to online resources which are necessary to complete the test. In a situation when the number of available tablets is limited, it is reasonable to divide students into groups and organize independent and assessment activities for different groups simultaneously. The other challenge is the assessment’s organization with the focus on the Framework for 21st Century Learning. To overcome the barrier, it is reasonable to focus only on the creativity and innovation skill area.
Conclusion
The modified assessment plan is aligned with the Common Core State Standards and principles mentioned in the Framework for 21st Century Learning. The proposed modified assessment allows for improving students’ vocabulary skills, as well as skills in working with technologies. As a result, the application of PLOs is based on changing methods that are typically used in order to assess students’ achievements.
References
Beetham, H., & Sharpe, R. (2013). Rethinking pedagogy for a digital age: Designing for 21st century learning. New York, NY: Routledge.
Common Core State Standards. (2016). English Language Arts Standards: Language, Grade 1. Web.
Framework for 21st century learning. (n.d.). Web.
Harwood, D., Bajovic, M., Woloshyn, V., Di Cesare, D. M., & Lane, L. (2015). Intersecting spaces in early childhood education: Inquiry-based pedagogy and tablets. The International Journal of Holistic Early Learning and Development, 1(2), 53-67.
Neumann, M. M. (2014). An examination of touch screen tablets and emergent literacy in Australian pre-school children. Australian Journal of Education, 58(2), 109-122.
Neumann, M. M. (2016). Young children’s use of touch screen tablets for writing and reading at home: Relationships with emergent literacy. Computers & Education, 97(1), 61-68.