Building Academic Language and Rubrics
In relation to https://blogs.ubc.ca/lled360/2013/11/17/chapter-9-lesson-plans-and-assessments/
Though the chapter and overall book has some flaws, I found this text to be incredibly helpful. The information it provided about teaching and understanding ELLs has opened my eyes to new perspectives and new techniques that I had never considered previously. I have found that, out of the numerous texts I have read so far in this program, this text is the most applicable to the everyday classroom situation and has the most practical advice, which translates directly to the management of a classroom and the planning of lessons. The activities and techniques described in this text are applicable to effectively teaching our content areas as well as to the teaching of academic language and I believe that I will use many of the techniques in this book numerous times, as I plan lessons for my practicum and further teaching.
I agree that this chapter (Chapter 9) is particularly helpful because it integrates much of the information from the other chapters into more fully developed lesson plans, which gives readers a clearer idea of how to use these activities and strategies in a broader context.
One of the elements of the chapter that I thought was most interesting was the use of rubrics. I have always viewed rubrics as a method of assessment that defined the criteria for grading. However, this chapter broadened my understanding of what rubrics can be used for and how they can enhance, not just evaluate, learning. Having the students create their own rubrics is an excellent way to discuss expectations for what the students should know about their content area. This helps the students to focus on the most important information when doing research and creating their products. It also works to give the students a sense of autonomy and create a more democratic classroom environment. I also like the idea of having the students assess their own and other students’ works using rubrics. This helps the students to fully comprehend what good quality products are and how to create them. It is especially helpful if the students are able to edit and rework their product before the final assessment of the teacher. These methods of using rubrics will undoubtedly improve students’ learning as well as the quality of their final products.
Melanie Reich