Chapter 14

A paper-pencil assessment for my English class would likely include giving a test similar to those I usually experienced in high school. This might include giving a multiple choice section on the plot summary of a story, short answer for some characteristics of a genre, and perhaps an essay question for the meaning behind a major symbol in a novel. It would probably be harder to demonstrate a performance assessment in an English classroom, but perhaps reciting lines from a play or monologue could be an example of this. I believe an informal assessment could be useful in an English class because I’ve found that English discussions often spark the most learning. When students participate in a discussion rather a lecture, it allows students to speak up and ask questions and point the class in the direction they will take that day. However, the teacher must then be prepared to talk about a variety of things rather than just a planned idea. Incorporating a formal assessment in the classroom too though could include a time set aside for a power point by the teacher, or identification of elements of the text, before launching into a informal discussion.