Interview with Taylor Miller

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From the course by Arizona State University

Assessing Achievement with the ELL in Mind

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Arizona State University

Assessing Achievement with the ELL in Mind

64 ratings

Course 2 of 4 in the Specialization ELL Success in the Content Classroom: Teacher Toolbox Series

In this course, you will learn how to design assessments around the needs of your ELL students and their language level. You will learn how to incorporate language and content requirements for both formative and summative assessment types. You will learn to assess your ELL students through the use of project and task-based assignments. You will learn to use and modify rubrics to align to and measure student achievement of your language and content learning objectives. The course will also briefly cover strategies for supporting ELL students during standardized testing. Upon completing this course, you will be able to: * Conceptualize theories of authentic assessment as they apply to second language learners * Design formative assessment types incorporating language and content objectives * Design summative assessment types incorporating language and content objectives * Incorporate project and task-based assignments as assessment tools for ELLs * Design rubrics that align to language and content objectives for your ELL(s) * Apply the use of rubrics, both language and content, to the work of your ELL(s). * Support your ELL(s) as they participate in standardized testing

From the lesson

Alternative Assessments with the ELL in Mind

Welcome to week 3 of the course! This module will give you an opportunity to take a look at some of the ways that you can create and modify the assessments you use in your class. By the end of this module, you will be able to: use alternative assessment formats to best assess your ELL, create modified assessments to allow for content assessment of ELLs at any language level, use visual assessments for basic-level ELLs, apply a variety of support strategies for assessment, and assign appropriate grades for modified assessment. Let's get started!

Interview with Taylor Miller4:38

Meet the Instructors

Claire McLaughlin
Senior International Educator
Arizona State University
Ellen Manos
Senior International Educator
Arizona State University

[MUSIC]

>> Hi, and welcome back to Assessing Achievement with the ELL in Mind.

This afternoon, I'm here with Taylor Miller of Discovery Elementary School

in Glendale, Arizona and Taylor is the ELL kindergarten teacher here at our school.

>> Mm-hm.

>> At the school.

And Taylor, can you tell us a little bit about your background and

your experience working with the ELLs?

>> Right out of college, I went and

worked at an alternative high school- >> Okay.

>> For about a year and a half.

And then after that I went to a Head Start and worked there for

a year and a half, as well.

>> Wow.

>> After that then I've been here now for two years.

>> This is your second year?

>> This is my second year. Mm-hm.

>> Great, great.

So we just finished a module on alternative assessment.

And I'm wondering if you could tell us what are some of the most significant

challenges and solutions when it comes to alternative assessments with ELLs?

>> So one of the biggest challenges that I found is that they

just don't have the vocabulary, especially for kindergarten.

They don't really have the vocabulary even in their primary language.

So I need to first assess what do they know about this topic first,

so kind of a what do you know.

>> Right.

>> And then after that then I really know where I can start, so.

>> Great, and what kind of a solution do you have with some of the challenges that

you've been faced?

>> A solution for that would be to use a lot of pictures.

>> Okay. >> So,

a lot of them don’t know what snow is especially in Arizona.

>> [LAUGH] [CROSSTALK] >> So showing pictures and describing

to them that it makes you cold and doing the dress shows and things like that.

>> A lot of animation, it sounds like.

>> [LAUGH] >> Yeah, great

>> How do you use alternative methods,

alternative assessment methods, in your content here?

>> I work really closely with my kindergarten team and

they're very good about helping me and

making sure that we're always using pictures with everything that we do.

I use sentence frames for almost everything so

that they know how to start a sentence.

I also use a lot of actions for

some of the definitions of vocabulary that they would want to use.

A lot of pictures.

[CROSSTALK] A lot of pictures.

>> Do you find that a lot of the students have that vocabulary in

their native language.

>> Not in kindergarten, usually I will ask, do you know what this is in Spanish

because the majority of mine are Spanish speaking and they're usually like, no.

>> No.

>> [LAUGH] So it's good for me because in a sense then I get to be

the first person to introduce that vocabulary to them.

But sometimes it's nice to know that they can relate it back to their home language.

>> Definitely.

Definitely.

What advice can you give a content teacher about

better understanding assessments for ELLs?

>> For our school, we have deconstructed both the math and reading standards.

>> Okay. >> So that really breaks

apart the standards, so you see every little piece that you need to do.

I know a lot of times before I just kind of taught a standard and

shot in the dark and- >> Sure.

[CROSSTALK] >> Yeah, and

found out that they didn't get it at all and I couldn't figure out why,

and now I really see all the little steps.

When I go to correlate that with my ELP standards,

I usually find that another part needs to be added.

>> Sure.

>> I usually find that they need much more scaffolding and

I can really integrate that into the common core standards, which is great.

I mean, it's helping them understand so much more.

Sometimes, they think that maybe they get the standard more than some of the kids in

the mainstream classrooms.

>> Probably, because there's that much more support with what's going on.

>> Right. >> Great, and

I like how you have a positive spin on the ELP standards because

it's a little extra step for us as teachers.

But in the long run it's worthwhile.

>> And I want them to be able, when they do pass out of the class,

to be in the mainstream room and really know what they're doing.

So I really like integrating it with the common core.

>> That's great to hear.

Taylor, thank you very much for your time.

We really appreciate it.

We appreciate your insight with alternative assessment, so thank you.

>> Thank you.

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