Evelia,
From my experience, it is very common for students to "not transfer"
some skills to new situations. I saw it happen all the time in my own
classroom over the years, and I still see it now as a substitute. I
will take something I know the regular classroom teacher does all the
time, tweak the question a little, and the students are completely at a
loss for words.
One thing you will probably need to do is a series of minilessons....
or even a short unit.... on "test language." I don't know what state
you are in, but here in California teachers can get "released
questions" from past years' tests to look at. I used to use these
released questions to show/teach/discuss the language students would
see on the test. And I think "discuss" in an operative word here.
But here's the bigger problem, as I see it: The testing companies are
driving instruction and changing curriculum. This is completely
backward. The tests should **follow** instruction and curriculum, not
establish it. I think this is a topic for discussion in every staff
meeting in this country.
Just my two cents.
Renee
On Feb 24, 2012, at 3:58 PM, evelia cadet wrote:
As I have said before, this is the first year I am following the
Reader's Workshop model. My district does not follow/support reader's
workshop. I am lucky to have the freedom in my school to use any
teaching structure I want. Out of almost 70 teachers, only 2 teachers
in my school are doing reader's workshop. We are trying to convert
the other teachers in our campus. They are noticing how our students
are engaged in reading and are forming a reading community that is
extending outside the classroom. However, people in my school are data
driven (specifically standardized testing data), and they will not
consider any instructional method, unless there is tangible evidence
they drive results (standardized state testing). Ok, this was just
the introduction, here is my concern. My students seemed to be
enjoying reading and they are showing evidence of
understanding/applying the comprehension strategies/skills we are
working on in class. Nevertheless, when they take one of those
practice test we are required to give, everything seems to go
downhills. It is like they are unable to transfer what we are
learning with authentic literature to the context of the test. I
honestly don't know what to do. I know there are people in my school,
including some in the administration, waiting to see what impact
reader's workshop has on test results. Any ideas or advices.
HELP!!!!!! Thank you.
"Democracy doesn't come from the top. It comes from the bottom.
Democracy is not what governments do. It's what people do."
~Howard Zinn
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