O'Malley, J M & Pierce, L V (1996) ...

O'Malley, J M & Pierce, L V (1996) Authentic assessment for English Language Learners: Practical approaches for teachers. fresh York: Addison-Wesley, pp. 268.

Historically, learner assessment has been viewed from the len of pychometricians whose intention is ensuring the technical qualities of the effect or from the perspective of seminary administrators whose intent is evaluating educational programs for train or district accountability. Consequently, assessment has generally been envisioned as a summative activity, usually in the form of standardized, norm-referenced measures, externally imposed on the subject of educators. In contrast, O'Malley and Valdez Pierce tender that teachers and students themselves are the greatest in quantity critical players in the proces and the focus for assessment should be at the classroom of the same height Hence, the authors contend and guard formative, ongoing assessment which documents individual scholar progress on a continuous basis. In their freshly released book, Authentic Assessment for English Language Learners: Practical Approaches for Teachers (1996) teachers and scholars alike are invited and guided to expand their use of strategies to enhance learning within the words immediately preceding [i]or[/i] following of instruction and assessment.

This carefully crafted compendium center in succession authentic assessment, "multiple forms (of assessment) that muse student learning, achievement, motivation, and attitudes in succession instructionally-relevant classroom activities...including performance assessment, portfolios, and bookish man self-assessment" (p.4).The bilingual/English as a inferior Language education community should embrace this seminal work, as instructional and assessment considerations of linguistically and culturally diverse pupils are seldom treated in as it is a comprehensive and systematic way. All practitioners, however, can benefit from the myriad of instructional and assessment ideas at handed in the volume, as its underlying notions describe best educational practices applicable across observer populations and settings.

The organizational scheme of the main division follows a logical, deductive order of succession The first three chapters are global in nature, setting the parameters and characters of authentic assessment while exposing teachers to as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but the benefits and challenges of its use. A hardy rationale for authentic assessment succors as the backdrop to establishing the purports for assessment, identifying the design features, and selecting the various patterns of assessment processes and returnss Portfolio assessment is then currented as a management tool whose utilitarian value lies in overall data collection, analysis, and interpretation within the instructional period

The core chapters focus in succession the treatment of four domains: oral language, reading, writing, and satisfied area assessment. Each domain is introduced with a description of the nature of the form and a review of pertinent literature. Multiple classroom-embedded activities are outlined with step-by-step conducts so teachers can readily integrate assessment information into instruction. The Conclusion summarizes the chapter's main points and gives tips for teachers. The Application Activities personalize the principles and practices outlined in the chapter for teachers, emphasizing assessment as a collaborative effort and suggesting ideas for widened professional development.

Coverage of make easy area assessment emphasizes two educational reform initiatives: the demand for a thinking, higher order curriculum and the recognition of standards of performance. Within this design the integration of language and satisfy across the curriculum is promot however, each contented area (science, mathematics, and social studies) is treated independently. As a issue the readers do not become familiarized with instructional innovations as it is as interdisciplinary projects, thematic units, or inquiry based learning which can work for as additional avenues for assessment. As these approaches appear advantageous for English language learners, in particular, in strengthening the interrelationship among the students' linguistic, cognitive, and conceptual progression in a continuously ascending gradation it might have been beneficial to have illustrated these circulating trends.

The incorporation of self- and peer-assessment is threaded through every part of the volume and serves as a cornerstone in the analysis of information provided on students. O'Malley and Valdez Pierce be stirred strongly that students themselves should help shape their educational destiny and take increasing responsibility for their concede learning. To accomplish this goal, multiple ways to engage scholars in individual, paired, and small cluster work are presented. However, pupil input into curricular planning and building, which may be considered an instructional analog to self-assessment, is not emphasized, resulting in a one-sided representation of observer involvement.

Technology is acknowledged in a broad thinking principle with recognition of audio and video language assessment capabilities. Many authentic ideas are furnished to connect to the students' lives outside the classroom, including tape recording stories and reports, video taping dramatic presentations, and responding to video clips as well as television broadcasting. There is little attention paid to available computer generated options for English Language Learners, of that kind as in publishing final drafts, researching with the internet, using software, and creating digital portfolios.