In Part 4, you will consider and discuss questions for formative assessment.
The sets of questions will be different:- (a) for self reflection
(b) for reflecting on a peer’s work
(c) to provide formative teacher feedback to help students reflect and improve
(a) Self assessment for formative learning
Film Trailers
By the end of this task, you will have:-
• considered different question frames to enable a student to (a) assess her/his own work; and (b) plan for the next piece of work.
TASK
Consider the following sets of question frames and select which ones would be most suitable for your own students in terms of helping them:-
(a) to reflect on their own work
(b) to plan and resource a new piece of work
What would you need to modify in order to tailor the questions for your own students?
Remember, this set of questions is designed for a student to SELF ASSESS.
Film Trailers Self-Assessment (for the student)
These questions will help you to:-
1 analyse your understanding of film trailers
2 improve upon your first film trailer voice-over script 3 talk to others about your film trailer voice-over script.
1 What you have learnt about film trailers
1 What do you know about film trailers and voice-overs? (Tick the true statements and correct the false ones)
Film trailers:
a) are used by film companies to encourage people to watch their film b) tell us the whole story of the film
c) are usually about 10 minutes or longer d) often show the most exciting parts of the film
e) should make the audience want to know more about the film
The voice-over in a film trailer:
a) is a name for the dialogue between two actors on-screen b) is spoken by a person off-screen who we don’t see c) gives us a summary of the film
d) is often spoken by a man with a deep and mysterious voice e) usually stresses the most important words by repeating them or having them at the end of a line
2 What limitations might there be when writing a voice-over script for a film trailer? (Choose any that you agree with)
It is usually just a few minutes long
The words must correspond to events on
screen as they happen
It should not give away the whole story
It needs to include the names of all the people
involved in the film
It should use quite simple language in short sentences to have an impact
It must ‘sell’ the film so that people want to go
and see it
2 What can you say about your own voice-over script and the language you used?
1 Language features
(a) Did your film trailer voice-over include typical features?
Look at your voice-over script and answer these questions:
i. Did you repeat any important words? Write them here.
___________________________________________
ii. Did you use rhyme or words with similar sounds at the ends of lines?
Write them here.
___________________________________________
iii. Which words do you think have the most impact? Write them here.
________________________________________________
(b) Think about the type of language you used in your voice-over. Fill in the boxes to show the vocabulary you used. Which kind of words are most useful and have the most impact when writing a film trailer voice-over?
2 Evaluation of film trailer voice-over a) Intonation, pitch, and pacing
Use the continuum to show how dramatic your voice-over was. Drama can be conveyed by extreme differences in tone, extreme fast and slow changes in speed, and use of very low or very high pitch in your voice.
Continuum for dramatic effect (mark with an ‘X’) Adjectives/Adverbs
Nouns
Verbs
Vocabulary
Everyday conversation Extremely dramatic
Why did you place your ‘X’ here? Write down any notes next to the ideas in the box below to explain your choice.
Pitch (high/low tone in your voice)
Pausing (using silence)
Pacing (saying things very fast or slow)
Stress on key words (nouns, verbs or adverbs, eg, ‘very, very’)
b) Which phrases or words in your voice-over evaluate the film as eg, positive, exciting, thrilling, scary, mysterious, romantic. Write down the key words that help the listener make an association with your film.
Word/phrase Feeling in listener
c) How suitable do you think your voice-over is for a film? (Tick a box)
Perfect Quite suitable Not ideal Totally unsuitable Could you really use it on a Hong Kong film?
It’s good enough We would need We would need We couldn’t use it
3 How you can get better next time
Make a plan to help you get better next time you create a voice-over for a trailer.
a) What did you learn from looking at and writing film trailers that will help you next time?
b) How did your English improve while creating the voice-over?
e.g. I used the minimum amount of language for the maximum effect so I chose my adverbs (‘extremely’) and adjectives (‘adventurous’) very carefully.
Structure and language features? (e.g. use of intonation and pitch):
Length and speed of language?
c) What do you need to organise in order to improve next time? Tick the ideas you think will help you and tell a partner two more ideas of your own.
• Organisation (resources and time): I need to make sure I have enough time between my first and second attempts at the voice-over making sure people listen to them and give feedback.
• Input/experience: I need to see 3 or 4 examples of the trailer I want to write before I start writing.
• Self-analysis: I need to increase my confidence to record and listen to myself more so that I can accept what I am good at, and improve what I am not so good at.
• Audience: I need to understand what appeals to my audience before I start the next trailer. I also need to identify a target audience.
• Technical aspects: I need to work on (a) word stress; (b) intonation and stress in sentences and phrases; (c) clear pronunciation.
• Technical aspects: I need to work on timing so that my language fits in with the action on the screen.
• Language work: I need to increase my knowledge of language for evaluation (positive/negative).
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Formative Assessment Activities for Self-Assessment Photo Captions
By the end of this task, you will have:-
• considered different question frames to enable a student to (a) assess her/his own work; and (b) plan for the next piece of work.
TASK
Consider the following sets of question frames and select which ones would be most suitable for your own students in terms of helping them:-
(a) to reflect on their own work
(b) to plan and resource a new piece of work
What would you need to modify in order to tailor the questions for your own students?
Remember, this set of questions is designed for a student to SELF ASSESS.
Questions start on the next page
Photo captions Self-Assessment (for the student)
These questions will help you to:
1 analyse your understanding of photo captions 2 improve upon your first photo caption
3 talk to others about your photo caption.
1 What you have learnt about photo captions
1 What do you know about photo captions in magazines and newspapers?
Photo captions are:
a) usually quite long TRUE/FALSE?
b) a summary of what is in the picture TRUE/FALSE?
c) usually written in the present simple tense TRUE/FALSE?
2 What does the limitation in length force you to do when you write a caption?
____________________________________________________________
3 What is the main function of photo captions in magazines and newspapers?
To give a factual
description To ask a question
To make a criticism or comment
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2 What can you say about your own caption and the language you used?
Write your caption in the boxes below (one word in each box)
e.g. Five year old Zeki is forced to pose for
photos by American journalists.
4 Language features
(c) Did your photo caption include typical features?
Looking at your words in the boxes answer these questions about your photo caption
i. Does it start with a noun or noun phrase e.g. ‘a homeless man’?
ii. Did you use present simple tense?
iii. Is it between15-30 words long?
iv. Does it include many adjectives?
v. Does it include many adverbs?
(d) Think about the type of language you used in your caption. Fill in the boxes on the next page to show the vocabulary you used.
5 Bias & Reader’s Response
d) What point of view did you convey in your photo captions? Put a cross (x) somewhere on the line to show this.
Photo caption 1
Adjectives
Nouns
Verbs
Vocabulary
Negative Attempted Positive
Criticism neutrality Sympathetic
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e) Which phrases or words in your caption show your position as writer? Write some examples below from each caption.
Photo caption 1: Photo caption 2:
f) How suitable do you think your captions are for a newspaper? (tick a box)
Photo caption 1
Perfect Quite suitable Not ideal Totally unsuitable
Photo caption 2
Perfect Quite suitable Not ideal Totally unsuitable
6 How you can get better next time
Make a plan to help you get better next time you write a photo caption.
b) What did you learn from looking at and writing photo captions that will help you next time?
Structure and language features (e.g. use of noun phrases):
Bias (Writer’s point of view) & possible reader’s response:
b) How did your English improve while writing the photo caption?
e.g. I used new vocabulary to describe the picture.
e.g. I used present simple tense in this caption because it gives the events in the picture a sense of immediacy.
c) What do you need to organise in order to improve next time? Tick the ideas you think will help you and tell a partner two more ideas of your own.
• Organisation (resources and time): I need to collect a selection of pictures to choose from, and make sure I have enough time between my first and second drafts.
• Input/experience: I need to see 3 or 4 examples of the type of caption I want to write before I start writing.
• World Knowledge: I need to understand the issues in the following areas:
e.g. Hong Kong Politics
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
• Technical aspects: I need to know what different kinds of language to use when I’m being neutral, supportive or critical.
• Language work: I need to find ways in which to limit the main points I want to express by being selective about language.
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• Language work: I need to work on noun phrases and how they can be modified (e.g. with adjectives)
• Audience response: I need to think more about my reader and audience and
a) what information I want to give them, and b) what my point of view is.
• Drafting: I need more people to read and comment on my first and second attempts before I do a final draft.
Part 4 Assessment Activities
In Part 4, you will consider and discuss questions for formative assessment.
The sets of questions will be different:
(a) for self reflection
(b) for reflecting on a peer’s work
(c) to provide formative teacher feedback to help students reflect and improve
(b) Peer assessment for formative learning
Columns
By the end of this task, you will have:
• considered different question frames to enable a student to
(a) assess a peer’s work; and (b) help a peer plan for the next piece of work.
TASK
As a teacher, consider the ways in which the following tasks help a student to assist a peer in terms of assessment of his/her work.
Some of the activities are controlled with limited, closed answers. Some of them are more open-ended.
How would you select and sequence these activities over the course?
Which activities would you choose for students who need more support?
Remember, this set of questions is designed for a student to PEER ASSESS.
The school-based assessment that you eventually run as teachers will ‘focus
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Informal Peer-Assessment of Columns
These questions will help you to:
1 give feedback on your partner’s understanding of the style and content of magazine columns.
2 give feedback on your partner’s ability to talk about technical language features.
3 help your partner talk about her/his development, structuring and production of a magazine column.
NB. Remember, you are not assessing the written work, you are assessing your partner’s oral ability to explain and describe what s/he has learnt about the text-type
What your partner has learnt
(a) Interview 1 – Guided interview for details
1. Ask your partner what s/he has learnt about Columns. Use detailed questions such as those shown below. Take about 6 minutes.
Language features of the genre
2. What features are commonly used in magazine columns?
Tick any that your partner mentions:
a) informal vocabulary b) contractions
c) shortened forms of words d) conversational language e) phrasal verbs
f) slang
Structure of problem page letters/replies
3. What are the 6 main parts of a letter asking for advice?
Circle the ones your partner can remember
a) Introduction/background to problem
b) Writer’s feelings c) Details of problem d) Conclusion
e) Request for advice/help f) False signature
A typical magazine contents page
1. What items could you see listed on the contents page of a magazine aimed at teenagers (i.e.
which items might be included in the magazine)? Say ‘True’ or
‘False’ to each one.
(Read the list on the right to your partner slowly but don’t tell them the answers yet!)
True or False?
• Political news (F)
• Horoscopes (T)
• Readers’ Letters (T)
• Weather information (F)
• International news (F)
• Shopping (T)
• Music reviews (T)
• Fashion/Beauty (T)
• Cars (F)
• Computer games (T)
• Real life stories (T)
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Considering your reader
4. When writing a problem-page reply, what kind of language does the ‘Agony Aunt’ use- for example are they formal and sounding like a parent?
Make notes on the answer your partner gives you and decide if you think his/her language choice was suitable for the reader.
Overall summary
4. Can you summarise what you know about problem page letters and how to write one?
Make notes on what your partner says so you can give him/her feedback.
(b) Interview 2 – second attempt with feedback
1. Ask your partner to explain what s/he has learnt about magazine columns for 3 minutes. Circle anything below that s/he mentions and make a few notes to share with him/her after she has finished. Give your partner some thinking time before s/he begins and remember to show you are listening with interest.
Content/Topic Grammatical features Writer’s point of view
Register (Formal/Informal language)
Vocabulary/
Phrases
Other
2. Show your partner the boxes above, and point out which words you circled and the notes you took. Discuss the following and mark a cross on the line in relation to what your partner told you about magazine columns. Take about 3 minutes for this activity.
• How many general points did your partner make? (This is her/his range).
Not a lot An impressive
amount
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• How easy was it to follow? (This is about his/her organisation).
• How often did your partner use examples and details to illustrate a point?
(This is the ways s/he shows his/her detailed knowledge).
3. Which area could your partner improve upon? Circle one and discuss.
Organisation Range Knowledge
(c) Feedback
Give your partner practical ideas for how to improve for next time using the boxes below. Some useful language you might want to use is listed below.
Organisation and sequencing of ideas and
information
Using typical magazine language, e.g.
shortened forms;
contractions
Explaining the structure and grammatical features of magazine
columns clearly
Talking about a range of ideas, not just one.
Supporting ideas with specific examples, eg, from the problem page
letters
Considering the reader and formality of
language
No examples, just general points.
A specific example after each general point.
A bit
disorganised
Organised and easy-to-follow
Language to support someone and give advice:
• Think about the way you use...
• Perhaps pay more attention to ...
• How about working on...?
• It might be better if you...
• Would you feel happier if you...?
• Have you considered (using/doing)...?
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In Part 4, you will consider and discuss questions for formative assessment.
The sets of questions will be different:- (a) for self reflection
(b) for reflecting on a peer’s work
(c) to provide formative teacher feedback to help students reflect and improve
(c) Teacher assessment for formative learning
Cartoon Captions
By the end of this task, you will have:
• considered different question frames to
(a) assess a student’s work; and (b) help the student reflect on areas of strength and areas to work on; (c) help the student prepare for the next piece of work.
TASK
As a teacher, consider the ways in which the following tasks help raise a student’s awareness of what s/he is learning, and help develop learner training skills (self-management skills).
Some of the activities are controlled with limited, closed answers. Some of them are more open-ended.
How would you select and sequence these activities over the course?
Which activities would you choose for students who need more support?
Remember, this set of questions is designed for a TEACHER to provide feedback for the purposes of learning.
Note on assessment: The school-based assessment that you eventually run as teachers will ‘focus on the ability of the candidates to reflect on, make use of, and speak about the knowledge, skills and experience gained in the Electives Module(s)... and will be based on the student’s oral performance’.
Questions start on the next page
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Special Administrative Region. Schools are allowed to use them for non-profit making educational purposes, including English
Formative Teacher Assessment of Cartoon Captions
These questions will help you to:
1 find out to what extent your students have understood the structure and features and use of images and dialogue in cartoon captions
2 find out how well your students can use language selectively to convey a narrative or humorous message in a limited number of words
3 give feedback on which areas the student has done well in and areas for students to focus their development on.
Process Writing and Drafting
Providing students with opportunities for process writing and drafting is a key feature of the Electives Modules. In general, process writing is used for the following purposes:
• to provide students with more than one chance to produce a piece of work
• to provide time and opportunity for self-reflection, peer comment and sometimes comparison, and for teacher comment
• to provide opportunities for students to consider their work and improve upon it developing further drafts before the final version
• How far is this the same or different from how you currently work?
Look at the first draft of a cartoon caption that a student might submit for formative feedback from the teacher. Note: This first draft is provided in the full comic strip format at the end of this document.
Calvin was walking outside one day. He really wanted to play on his sledge but he felt bored because he was alone. He screamed out for his friends and suddenly it started to snow. Calvin was very excited and ran to find his friends. “It’s snowing!” he said. Then it stopped snowing because the tiger called Hobbes had been playing a trick on him and it wasn’t really snowing.