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Posted on December 30, 2012 11:01 am
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Heather Blue
Heather Blue
Reps: 143
Change Style of Teaching?
Mr. Taylor has been enjoying his first year of teaching sixth grade in a comfortable suburban setting. He has been implementing the new and innovative teaching techniques recommended for ESL (English as a Second Language) students. Mr. Taylor's sixth grade ESL students outnumber his English speaking students in the classroom. Mr. Taylor has been very motivated about the visuals and manipulatives he has added to his lesson information in order to enhance the learning opportunities for all of his students. The animated read alouds and the fun role playing activities certainly have been assets when presenting comprehension skills to the second language learners. Mr. Taylor feels strongly about his successful unconventional strategies that seem to close the language gaps and truly help make learning connections for the ESL students. While the school year is progressing smoothly, Mr. Taylor starts to worry about the conventional end of the year standardized achievement tests. He knows that these scores will be a reflection of his teaching profession as well as an integral part of his school's overall assessment averages.

Questions:
1. Should Mr. Taylor change his style of teaching?
2. Is Mr. Taylor's concern about the end of the year assessments a valid concern?
3. Will the conventional assessments administered at the end of the school year reflect Mr. Taylor's teaching ability?
 
     
     
 
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Solution 1
Posted February 11, 2013 2:30 pm

Michelle Plumer
Michelle Plumer
Reps: 80
Mr. Taylor should not change his style of teaching but he should slowly begin to incorporate multiple choice questions into his assessments, so the students are not completely surprised when it comes time to take the end of year government test. Mr. Taylor can start giving multiple choice tests after the students have learned the material through animated read-alouds and fun role playing activities. The students can continue to learn the material in fun, interesting ways, but should begin to be assessed through standardized tests. At the beginning, Mr. Taylor will have to guide the students through the questions and how to go about answering the questions. Then the students will begin to catch on. Mr. Taylor's concern is a valid concern because how well the students do on the end of year standardized tests reflects him and the school. The results of the conventional assessments given at the end of the school year will not reflect his teaching ability because he actually teaches material that accommodates his learners. If the scores are not great, is not his fault because he taught his students the material and tried his best to accommodate his student's needs.
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neHaGy
neHaGy
Reps: 200
good idea
  Posted on: October 16, 2015 6:49 pm

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Solution 2
Posted February 10, 2013 11:46 pm

Sara Jernigan
Sara Jernigan
Reps: 78
This is a very hard situation. While I personally do not think that standardized testing should reflect student's knowledge, I do think that government support is. Now the government is tightening is enforcing punishments if students do not meet certain standards. Mr. Taylor is doing all of the acceptable things to help the students learn but adapting his lessons a to prepare students for the end of the year assessments is needed. While I do not think it will, the government and people not in Mr. Taylors shoes will see this as a reflection of Mr. Taylor's teaching ability.
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neHaGy
neHaGy
Reps: 200
good idea
  Posted on: October 16, 2015 6:49 pm

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Solution 3
Posted February 13, 2013 9:45 am

Julia DiTillio
Julia DiTillio
Reps: 28
1. No, Mr. Taylor should not change his style of teaching. He is using strategies that engage the students and cater to different interests and levels of language proficiency. It is important for ESL students to have dynamic, engaging teachers who make learning less frustrating and more natural.

2. Yes, Mr. Taylor's concern about testing is very valid. Even seasoned teachers in classrooms with no ESL students have concerns over standardized testing, as they are so high-stakes. Mr. Taylor could give the students practice in the classroom with the kinds of questions and setting that they will experience during testing, as it will likely be a new experience for them. These practice sessions can start off short, with possibly five questions, and mimic the testing environment. He can then build up time so that students know exactly what to expect and figure out ways to pace themselves. He should not abandon his style of teaching, but rather supplement it with these special test practices.

3. No, I do not think the assessments at the end of the year will reflect Mr. Taylor's teaching ability; I don't think they reflect any teacher's teaching ability. These tests all come down to the students; if one had a rough morning, test scores will reflect that. Many factors affect test scores, not just a teacher's ability. However, Mr. Taylor will have prepared his students and taught them thoroughly, giving them a deeper knowledge base than teachers who solely teach in one conventional way, using conventional assessments.
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neHaGy
neHaGy
Reps: 200
good idea
  Posted on: October 16, 2015 6:49 pm

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Solution 4
Posted February 11, 2013 1:54 pm

Mallory Stewart
Mallory Stewart
Reps: 26
1) I do not think Mr. Taylor should change is style of teaching I think that he should maybe incoorporate more of what will be on the standardized tests, as well as, the things he is teaching now.

2) The concern for the end of the year assessments is a valid concern, but if Mr. Taylor feels as if the students are learning the materials they should know he should not be too concerned with them. He should prepare the students to the best of his ability and they will succeed.

3) They test will somewhat be a reflection of his teaching, however, it should not be solely based on that. Some students do not test well, or get nervous under the pressure of these test so the reflection can be waivered in this way.
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neHaGy
neHaGy
Reps: 200
good idea
  Posted on: October 16, 2015 6:50 pm

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Solution 5
Posted February 11, 2013 3:41 pm

Iesha Little
Iesha Little
Reps: 34
1. Mr. Taylor should continue his style of teaching because his strategies are useful and effective. Mr. Taylor should incorporate the curriculum that will be covered on the standardized test, using the same strategies as much as possible. Then provide an opportunity for the students to practice in a more formal way. Take away some of the visuals and manipulatives, and see what your students know.

2. Mr. Taylor's concern about the end of the year assessments is a valid concern because this can influence the academic future of the students. Standardized testing has become very important in decisions about whether a student should go to the next grade, be put in special needs classes, is performing at appropriate grade level, etc.

3. The conventional assessments administered at the end of the school year will reflect Mr. Taylor's teaching ability to a degree. It is not all about the test scores, because many students can perform on different levels depending on the way they are assessed on the knowledge and skills. Also, with so many standards to cover there are times when the students do not get the full understanding of something the teacher taught but do not say anything.
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Comments posted for this solution

neHaGy
neHaGy
Reps: 200
I would exactly do this
  Posted on: October 16, 2015 6:50 pm

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Solution 6
Posted February 13, 2013 8:30 am

Tamra Lamb
Tamra Lamb
Reps: 33
Questions:
1. Should Mr. Taylor change his style of teaching?
First and foremost, Mr. Taylor needs to have confidence in the teaching techniques he has been using as they are recommended for ELL , and these students make up majority of his classroom. However, his concern should be if these teaching styles are reaching those students who are not learning English as a second language. Are they getting what they need in order to pass the end of the year assessments? In my opinion, the teaching styles that Mr. Taylor is implementing should work for all students, because they are meaningful, and they give students the chance to interact with the content material. Meaningful interaction such as these makes comprehension of the content easier and more memorable. If the students are showing progress in the material with the use of these unconventional strategies, Mr. Taylor should continue teaching his students with these visuals and manipulatives. Unfortunately, only the teacher can make the ultimate decision in this specific case. Mr. Taylor should do his own personal assessments of his student's to track their progress, and maybe he could pilot two different strategies with content if time allowed. To me it seems like he is doing a great job using the strategies he knows works for ESL, and it is working well for the students thus far.

2. Is Mr. Taylor's concern about the end of the year assessments a valid concern?
I think concern about the end of the year assessment is most certainly a valid one. It is natural for Mr. Taylor to be nervous about the end of year assessment as he is a first year teacher, and he knows that these scores will reflect back on his teaching profession. I personally hate the stress that testing puts teachers under, but I know that we have to have some system in place to hold students and teachers accountable for the information they learn and teach throughout the year. My advice for Mr. Taylor would be to take a deep breath, and to have confidence that his students know the material. Of course he should prep his students for the test using test prep strategies like practicing test questions, and making them aware of the format the test is going to be in. However, I think he has the hard part covered. Mr. Taylor has taught his students the content in an authentic and meaningful way. He didn't just teach the material for them to know it for the test, and this is something that should help his student perform better on these assessments.

3. Will the conventional assessments administered at the end of the school year reflect Mr. Taylor's teaching ability?
The conventional assessments administered at the end of the school year may not ask questions like Mr. Taylor does during his lectures or on his own assessments. The conventional assessment also will not have the visuals and manipulatives that Mr. Taylor uses in his teaching every day, but the content on the assessment should seem familiar to the students. The students will know the content that is on the assessment; they will just remember it in a different way. For example, when asked a question about the Declaration of Independence, the students of Mr. Taylor's class will remember holding their very own Second Continental Congress instead of simply reading about it in a textbook.
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neHaGy
neHaGy
Reps: 200
I would exactly do this
  Posted on: October 16, 2015 6:51 pm

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Solution 7
Posted February 11, 2013 12:37 pm

Jessica Eason
Jessica Eason
Reps: 26
I do not think Mr. Taylor should change his style of teaching because he seemed to have gotten through to the students with his animated presentations. This gave the students visuals to incorporate with the material. His students are progressing with his strategies, but the standardize test are a concern. I am not a good test taker because I tend to over analyze things. Although, Mr. Taylor does have a valid point with being concerned. This is a bad situation to be in because the students are taking away from his lessons, but they may not be successful when the end of the year testing comes around. Mr. Taylor could maybe incorporate more complex learning material that may appear on the test to see if the students are gaining an understanding of the material.
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neHaGy
neHaGy
Reps: 200
I would exactly do this
  Posted on: October 16, 2015 6:50 pm

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Solution 8
Posted February 11, 2013 4:04 pm

Olivia Giauque
Olivia Giauque
Reps: 29
If Mr. Taylor is seeing improvement and success in his students then he does not need to change his style of teaching. It is important to be teaching the information that will be included in these assessments but he does not need to "teach to the test" and change his styles of teaching. A solution to this would be to incorporate additional strategies that will prepare the students for the assessments.

His concern about the end of the year assessments is valid, many teachers feel that all the pressure is on them, but if he is teaching to the best of his ability and is covering the proper material with all students understanding then he should not be concerned. Mr. Taylor should be sure that students understand the required information before moving on. He should be confident in his students abilities to perform on these assessments.
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Comments posted for this solution

neHaGy
neHaGy
Reps: 200
I would exactly do this
  Posted on: October 16, 2015 6:51 pm

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Solution 9
Posted February 14, 2013 10:53 pm

Jaime Godwin
Jaime Godwin
Reps: 25
1. No, Mr. Taylor shouldn't change his style of teaching. The strategies he's using are effective in helping the ESL students learn. His teaching makes their learning engaging and less frustrating.

2. Mr. Taylor's concern is definitely valid. However, he should know that if he's teaching the correct material, there shouldn't be any reason why his students don't pass the tests. If he's not covering much of the material covered in the standardized tests, he should incorporate the material into his lessons, but continue the way he teaches. The way that he's teaching is the most engaging and effective for these students.

3. I think they should. Students tend to remember things that they experience much more than they remember things that they hear. Therefore, if he's engaging them in his lessons and they get to truly experience what they're learning, they should be able to remember what they've learned. If Mr. Taylor covers all of the material that's on the tests, they should all at least pass the tests.
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neHaGy
neHaGy
Reps: 200
I would exactly do this
  Posted on: October 16, 2015 6:52 pm

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Solution 10
Posted February 15, 2013 4:58 pm

Ashley Hedick
Ashley Hedick
Reps: 27
1. I think that Mr. Taylor's style of teaching has greatly benefited his students, but it doesn't seem like it has prepared the students for the end of the year tests. I think that if Mr. Taylor would incorporate questions similar to those on the tests then the questions would not come as such a shock to the ESL students. They will have an idea of what the tests questions will be like.
2. Mr. Taylor's concern about the end of the year assessments is a valid concern because it is his teaching that is reflected to by the test scores. If the students do bad on the tests, then his job could be at jeopardy. This does not mean that the students did not learn anything, it just means that they aren't used to taking these kinds of tests and could have test anxiety.
3. The tests at the end of the school year do not completely reflect Mr. Taylor's teaching ability. There could be many factors that would affect the students' score including the time of day, events that may have happened, or anything else. Mr. Taylor is teaching his students and they are learning the material, but they are doing it in a different way than taking standardized tests.
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neHaGy
neHaGy
Reps: 200
good idea
  Posted on: October 16, 2015 6:52 pm

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Solution 11
Posted February 17, 2013 8:56 pm

Rodnecia Walker
Rodnecia Walker
Reps: 22
Mr. Taylor should feel secure with his style of teaching. Although discussed is a huge portion on Mr. Taylor's ESL students, he should consider his other students during instruction. Mr. Taylor could incorporate other techniques when teaching as well as the techniques he already has. His concern is a valid concern because it not only affects him as a teacher, but the school and the students as well. Standardized test is a controversial issue, but until change is put into action the thought of Mr. Taylor is the same among many teachers today. I do not believe that the convention assessments reflect Mr. Taylor's ability to teach. Students have different strengths and weaknesses, Mr. Taylor should focus more on the strengths of his students and find a solution there with their weaknesses. This will help students succeed in all areas.
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neHaGy
neHaGy
Reps: 200
good idea
  Posted on: October 16, 2015 6:52 pm

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Solution 12
Posted February 18, 2013 1:17 am

Kimberly Sands
Kimberly Sands
Reps: 60
No. It sounds like his teaching style is wonderful and effective. Instead of changing his style, I think he should just begin incorporating material from the standardized testing, and have the students begin some small practices with answering standardized formatted questions. An example would be to have the students bubble in a worksheet as they listen to the story during read-aloud.
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neHaGy
neHaGy
Reps: 200
good idea
  Posted on: October 16, 2015 6:53 pm

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Solution 13
Posted February 18, 2013 8:36 pm

Latasha Chong
Latasha Chong
Reps: 46
Any good teacher would be concern about the assessment no matter their teaching styles. Therefore, it is okay for Mr. Taylor to be a little concern. I do not think he should change his teaching styles. However, he may want to have the students do a practice assessment to get them familiar with the question format. I do not think the assessment reflects Mr. Taylor's teaching ability. Conventional assessments ' questions are not girded towards students with divers background.
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Comments posted for this solution

neHaGy
neHaGy
Reps: 200
good idea
  Posted on: October 16, 2015 6:53 pm

Reply Add a Comment
 
     
     
 
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Please read response(s) below (if any) before posting your solution.