Outline Nature of Writing in Schools The Writer Purpose of Writing assessment Types of Writing Writing Genres Instructional Approaches in Assessment Authentic assessments Criteria of Writing Assessment Types of Scoring & Stages of Writing
Development Self & peer Assessment Frame Writing & Writing Portfolio Instructional Uses of Writing Assessment Conclusion
Nature of Writing in
Schools Writing assessment is a teacher-centered approach in
setting up a criteria which is mainly based on:
Content
Clarity
Writing Mechanics; spelling, capitalization & punctuation
& grammar.
Despite the importance of writing, many high school
students do not learn to write well enough to meet the
demands of school or the workplace because of;
More focus on component skill in sequential order
rather than the content.
Isolate teaching writing from reading and other skills.
Over focus given to Writing Mechanics & grammar in
account to content of the composition.
Therefore, authentic assessment measures are
performance-based, and should be used to guide instruction
(Evaluation Springboard.org, 2006).
The WriterThe writer draws on background knowledge and complex mental processes in developing new insights. Thus, students are highly advised to incorporate the content of the topic to their own unique approach of writing: How can they do so?
Four types of knowledge:
Knowledge of content.
Procedural knowledge to organize the content.
Knowledge of conventions.
Procedural knowledge to integrate all the above.
Purpose of Writing Assessment identify skills that need review, monitor student
progress, guide teacher instruction,
demonstrate the effectiveness of instruction,
provide teachers with information on how the
instruction can be improved.
Types of Writing Informative:
describes events, experiences
analyzes causes & effects
composes a biography about a person
Expressive/narrative:
personal & imaginative observations and interpretations
composes an autobiography. i:e more “fun”
Persuasive:
influences, initiates, analyses & argues any topic of interest to convince for a specific point of view
Writing Genres Biographies
Essays
Stories
Journal entries
Letters
Newspaper reports
Manuals
Research papers
Dialogue journals
Learning logs
Instructional Approaches in Assessment
Process Writing: interactive (S-S) or (T-S) through:
1. Prewriting: graphic organizer, brainstorm ideas
2. Writing: in class or at home.
3. Postwriting: revise, edit and evaluate the writing-in-process.
Writing Across the Curriculum: Students write to:
1. Manipulate information
2. Consolidate prior knowledge
3. Prepare further learning activities
4. Reformulate prior knowledge
Authentic assessments benefit students best
when they are utilized across the curriculum.
Summaries, journaling, quick-writes, rewriting a story,
and letter-writing are some examples of well-designed
activities that provide teachers with fast authentic
assessments of student performance. A variety of
writing rubrics are available from reliable sources that
can assist teachers and students before, during, and
after writing activities. It is also suggested that peer
editing can be utilized to provide interaction among
students. Students often benefit from reading, editing,
and rewriting one another’s work.
Criteria of Writing Assessment invite the desired type of writing or genre.
engage the thinking, problem-solving, composing, and text-making processes central to the type of writing.
be challenging for many students and accessible to all.
provide equitable opportunities for all students to respond.
produce interesting, not just proficient writing.
be liked by many students.
Examples
Writer Checklist: it should mirror the components of the scoring rubric to rate the student writing. E.g (p141)
Integrated Language Assessment: it should observe & assess integrated skills like reading, speaking & writing
Types
of Sco
ring
o Holistic Scoring: rates all the criterion in the rubric like organization, fluency word choice and Mechanics. (p143)
o Primary Trait: rates specifically one or more of the mentioned above.
o Analytic Scoring: rates each criteria separately. (p145)
1. Pre-Emergent
2. Emergent
3. Dependent
4. Developing
5. Independent
6. Fluent
7. Proficientp146
Stages of Writing Development
Writing Conferences
Research on the writing
process advocates that writers learn
most efficiently about writing when
they share and reflect on their writing.
In classrooms, this is most commonly
done through writing conferences as
part of the revision stage. Whether
they occur with pairs, with small
groups, or with the teacher, the social
benefits of sharing writing improves
writing (Reading Rockets, 2011d).
Donald Graves (1982) identified six
characteristics of successful writing
conferences. Conferences should: (a)
have a predictable structure; (b) focus
on a few points; (c) demonstrate
solutions to students' problems; (d)
permit role reversals; (e) encourage
use of a vocabulary appropriate for
writing; and (f) stimulate pleasure in
writing. Most teachers use some
variation of these characteristics in
their classrooms across the curriculum.
Self Assessment
encourages students to;
o think about their purpose of writing and
o reflect on what and how much they are learning
through; Dialogue journals
Learning logs
Surveys of Interests & awareness
Writing Checklists
Peer Assessment
Revising one’s writing is a way to learn about the craft of
writing. Learning to revise, teaches students about the characteristics
of good writing, which will help to improve the quality of their future
writing. Revision skills complement reading skills and require that
writers distance themselves from their writing in order to critically
evaluate their own work (Reading Rockets, 2011c). It is important to
instill good revision practices in young writers because it gives them
an opportunity for reflection about their process. Peer editing has
proven to be a successful way to help students develop revision skills
(Graham & Harris, 2007, as cited by Reading Rockets, 2011c). This is
particularly true when peer groups have explicit goals for revision
(MacArthur, 2007, as cited by Reading Rockets, 2011c).
Framed writing models are
graphic organizers that offer
students a solid framework in
which to write paragraphs and
essays. The instructor-
provided frame guides
students through a formal
writing structure while making
available scaffolding for
writing skills like transitional
sentences and compound-
complex syntax (Reading
Rockets, 2011).
Framed Writing
An individual portfolio is an informal way to assess. It models reflection of their own work while encouraging students to take an active role in learning information they feel they have not yet mastered (Reading Rockets.org, 2011b). This allows the teacher to compare and check the progress of students over the course of an academic year.
Writing Portfolio
Instructional Uses of Writing Assessment
Assess the stages of writing development for students gradually.
Assess writing in the context of other language skills, when appropriate
Assess all domains of writing.
Include self assessment of writing, share scoring rubrics, and involve students in setting criteria well as in developing and selecting writing prompts.
Assess the products of written efforts.
Use multiple assessments of writing various purposes, genres, and content areas, including written summaries and learning logs.
Include writing samples in portfolios to illustrate student growth over time.
Use the results of writing assessments and of your conferences with students to plan instruction and identify student strengths and areas of shortcomings that need to be developed.
Both instructor and student
benefit from the results of
initial and ongoing
assessment. Informal
assessments (partner
reading, class discussion,
role-playing, brainstorming,
etc.):
provide a more
well-rounded picture
of their skills, abilities,
and ongoing progress.
design immediate
instruction based on the
results of informal
assessment.
Mastering reading and
writing skills are
extremely important
because they are used in
every subject area.
Achieving these skills at
every level of learning
helps students to be
successful life-long
learners.
Conclusion
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