Self-assessment strategies for FSL

Self-assessment strategies for FSL

 

Our goal as educators is to help our students become independent learners. When we incorporate and teach self-assessment strategies in our French classrooms, we help our students develop the tools that they will require to continue to learn and successfully master content throughout life.

 

There are 4 steps that educators need to follow to teach self-assessment strategies. In this blog post, I will outline the steps required and provide some tips on how you can incorporate these strategies in your French language classroom.

 

The 4 steps of student self-assessment:

 

Step 1- Review examples of mastery

In order for our students to understand what mastery is, they need to see examples of what they are aiming for. You can provide this to your students in several ways. 

 

First, you can show an example of a piece of completed work. For example, if you would like your students to create a poster to demonstrate learning. Show them a poster that contains all of the content you want them to provide. Then, ask your students what makes this poster exemplary? Does it have a title? How much information does it provide? Does it have accurate information? Are there photographs or drawings related to the subject? Is the grammar and spelling accurate? Is helpful to make a list of all of the things that make the assignment complete. This way, your students will be able to use the example and the list to track their own progress as they work.

 

At this stage, you can also show an example of what does not make a good assignment. Using the poster example above, you can show an example that does not contain accurate information, a title, or photographs. Ask you students what the difference is between the two examples.

 

Step 2- Learn to provide feedback

Your students also need to learn the language required to assess their own work and provide feedback to themselves and others. Does your school or district have a common language that they use to assess student work? Check your curriculum documents for a section on language and teach your students the language and how it is used.

 

Do you use a rubric to assess student work? Rubrics can offer a rich context for language used to evaluate student work. Study the rubric with your students BEFORE allowing them to begin a project or assignment.

 

 

Step 3- Assess peer work

Provide your students opportunities to ‘peer edit’ or assess their classmates’ work. Provide your students with a peer-assessment rubric or checklist to begin. Then, you can move on to using the common language learned in Step 2. Teach your students to always be respectful when providing peer feedback. One strategy I like to use is to have students say one thing they liked and one thing they would change about the work they are reviewing. 

 

 

Step 4- Self-assessment

Your students should now be prepared to begin self-assessment. You can begin with your students assessing something simple- such as their daily participation, or speaking in the target language. Then, move on to assignments and projects. 

Target language self-assessment posters from the French Nook

 

French self-assessment resource suggestions:

 

Use THESE <<Mon niveau du jour… French class assessment posters>> to help your students self-evaluate their French language participation daily.

 

Exit tickets such as THESE French growth mindset exit tickets help students to reflect and confirm understanding of daily lessons.

 

For 6 FREE general templates for student self-evaluation check out THESE TEMPLATES from La Classe de Karine Blog.

 

 

By making student self-assessment part of your classroom culture, you will help your students to become more independent learners.