ED3604 FINAL PORTFOLIO AND

DEFENSE PAPER
Nicole Perl

FEBRUARY 28, 2019

DAVID SLOMP
Section A
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Curriculum Overview and Unit Organizer

English Language Arts Grade 7

Creators: Nicole Perl, Kate Lawless, Dalyn Joy Pearce

Front Matter:
-All Language Arts are interrelated and interdependent. (All 6 Language Arts strands.)
-Language is the basis of all communication and the primary instrument of thought.
-Language learning continues throughout life.
GLO’s
1) Explore thought ideas, feelings,and experiences
1.1 Discover and Explore
1.2 Clarify and Extend
2) Comprehend and respond personally in oral, print, and other media texts
2.1 Use strategies an cues
2.2 Respond to texts
2.3 Understand forms, elements, and techniques
2.4 Create original text
3) Manage ideas and information
3.1 Process, plan and focus
3.2 Select and process
3.3 Organize, record and evaluate
3.4 Share and review
4) Enhance the clarity and artistry of communication
4.1 Enhance and improve
4.2 Attend to conventions
4.3 Present and share
5) Respect, support, and collaborate with others
5.1 Respect others and strengthen community
5.2 Work within a group

Knowledge, Skills, Attributes:

-Comprehending -Incorporating -Selecting
-Expressing -Demonstrating -Enhancing
-Organizing -Appreciating -Critical thinking
-Discussing -Planning -Representing
-Distinguishing -Predicting -Identifying
-Expanding -Experimenting -Elaborating
-Clarifying -Contributing -Evaluating
-Extending -Experiencing -Justifying
-Reflecting
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Desired Results

Established Goals – GLO(s):

1. Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and
experiences.

2. Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to comprehend and respond personally
and critically to oral, print and other media texts.

4. Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to enhance the clarity and artistry of
communication.

5. Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to respect, support and collaborate with
others.

Understandings: Essential Questions:

Students will understand that…
-The literary devices used within the text
-Basic knowledge about context, author and
facts of the plot
-Interpretive language and its uses
-How societal forces on a text can alter
perspective
-What factors influence identity formation
-Shared reading and listening to literature
Identity
-What does it mean to “grow up”?
-How do friendships change over time?
-What are the elements that build a strong friendship?
-How do others’ perspectives impact your own
understanding of identity?

Prior understandings… Students will be able to…

1.2 Clarify and Extend 1.2 Clarify and Extend

1.2.2 Combine ideas 1.2.2 Combine ideas
Use talk, writing and representing to examine, Use talk, writing and representing to examine, clarify and
clarify and assess understanding of ideas, assess understanding of ideas, information and
information and experiences experiences

2.3 Understand forms, elements, and techniques
2.3.3 Understand techniques and elements
Discuss connections among plot and subplot, main
and supporting characters, main idea and theme
in a variety of oral, print and other media texts
2.3 Understand forms, elements, and techniques
2.3.3 Understand techniques and elements
Discuss connections among plot and subplot, main and
supporting characters, main idea and theme in a variety of
oral, print and other media texts

2.4 Create original text 2.4 Create original text

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2.4.1 Generate ideas 2.4.1 Generate ideas

Choose appropriate strategies for generating ideas
and focusing topics for oral, print and other media
texts
4.3 Present and share
4.3.2 Enhance presentation
clarify and support ideas or opinions with details,
visuals or media techniques
5.1 Respect others and strengthen community
5.1.2 Appreciate diversity
Explain how differing perspectives and unique
reactions expand understanding
5.2 Work within a Group
5.2.1 Cooperate with others
Take responsibility for assuming a variety of roles
in a group, depending on changing contexts and
needs
Choose appropriate strategies for generating ideas and
focusing topics for oral, print and other media texts
4.3 Present and share
4.3.2 Enhance presentation
clarify and support ideas or opinions with details, visuals or
media techniques
5.1 Respect others and strengthen community
5.1.2 Appreciate diversity
Explain how differing perspectives and unique reactions
expand understanding
5.2 Work within a Group
5.2.1 Cooperate with others
Take responsibility for assuming a variety of roles in a
group, depending on changing contexts and needs

Where does this lead?

-Students will appreciate diverse perspectives

and experiences.

-Students will express ideas, thoughts, and

experiences through personal written
responses.

-Students will gain confidence speaking within

a group through their think, pair, share weekly
activity and through the literacy circles.

-Students will develop presentation and

organization skills through individual work as
well as group work.
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Assessments

Learning
Title Think, Exit Final Create Group
Outcomes
Journal pair, Slips Person your Literac present
share al own y ation
Respon charact Circles
se er/wor
ld
(Multip
le
Modali
ties)

Type
(Formative/Sum Formativ Formati Format Summa Summ Summa Repres
mative) e ve ive tive ative tive enting

Weighting
0% 0% 0% 25% 30% 15% 30%

1.2 Clarify and extend

1.2.2 Combine ideas
Use talk, writing and representing
to examine, clarify and assess
understanding of ideas,
information and experiences
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Assess, analyze, breakdown,
differentiate

2.3. Understand forms,

2.3.3 elements, and techniques
Understand techniques and
elements
Discuss connections among plot
and subplot, main and supporting
characters, main idea and theme
in a variety of oral, print and other ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
media texts

Describe, explain, translate,

determine
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2.4 Create original text

2.4.1 Generate ideas
Choose appropriate
strategies for generating
ideas and focusing topics
for oral, print and other ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
media texts

Design, develop, imagine, create,

plan, modify

4.3 Present and Share

4.3.2 Enhance presentation
clarify and support ideas or
opinions with details, visuals or ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
media techniques

Describe, tell paraphrase,

represent, discuss, perform, show,
demonstrate

5.1 Respect others and

strengthen community
5.1.2 Appreciate diversity
Explain how differing perspectives
and unique reactions expand
understanding ✓ ✓ ✓

Adapt, develop, relate, integrate

5.2 Work within a Group ‘

5.2.1 Cooperate with others
Take responsibility for assuming a
variety of roles in a group,
depending on changing contexts
and needs ✓
✓ ✓
Decide, prove, select, plan,
restate, summarize, tell, develop
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Assessment Tool Overview

Assessment Tool Brief Description Assessment Assessment Assessment

FOR AS Learning OF Learning
Learning

Journal -Students will keep a comprehensive

journal in which they will include both
personal reflections about the text as
well as responses to directed prompts.
-Journal’s purpose is to keep the
students accountable for their readings. ✓
-Journals will be handed in upon
request, but will be assessed for
completion and not for writing
conventions etc.
-Students will be expected to have well
thought out ideas that show that they
engaged with the text.
-Students can include creative work if
they chose to.

Think, pair, share -After reading a chapter as a class the

teacher will pose a question to the class
regarding that chapter. -The questions
will be discussed within the students ✓
desk groups (4 students per group). The
students will be given class time to
discuss and prior to the class ending
each group will have to tell the class
about something their group talked
about.
-The teacher will be able to formally
assess the students by walking around
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and listening to conversations, as well

as hearing what the different groups
say to the class about their discussion. -
Each student in the group will be
encouraged to present their groups
discussions at least once throughout
the unit.

Exit Slips -Students will be given class time to

read one chapter of the novel
individually. Prior to the class ending
the teacher will hand out exit slips to
the students.
-The slips will have one specific
question regarding the chapter, one ✓
portion where students would write
one takeaway of that chapter, and one
area to write how many pages were
read during class time. -These exit slips
will allow the teacher to formally assess
students’ ability to read and
comprehend the chapter individually.

Final Personal -Students will hand in a final personal

Response response, responding to the essential
question(s) of the unit.
-Students will think about and respond
to their own perspective and the
perspectives and experiences of others.
-Students will be able to utilize their ✓
own journals, notes, peer feedback etc.
-Students can write a letter to a
character giving advice or expressing
their perspectives on events in the text.
-Poster & Written explanation on a
social issue prevalent in the text.

Create your own -Students will have the option to create

character/world a project in which they design their own
(Multiple Modalities) imaginary character or world much like
Jess does in the text.
-Students will be able to utilize multiple
modalities for this project to create
their representation. ✓
-Students will also be required to
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submit a written rationale about their

created character or world in which
they answer specific teacher provided
questions.

Literacy Circles -Students will have assigned literacy

circle groups where each student will
have a different role (weekly or bi-
weekly).
-Teacher will have assigned questions ✓
to direct the group each week.
-Students will be responsible for
submitting their responses to their
assigned roles as well as a peer
evaluation.

Group presentation -Students will sign up using a lottery

system for which topic they are
interested in and that will form the
groups for the presentations.
-Students will present on their topics as
a group and can create a visual ✓
representation (powerpoint, poster,
prezi, website, blog etc.) to display their
findings.
-Students will give a 8-12 min
presentation as a group to the class.
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Test Blueprinting and Item Writing

Kate Lawless, Dalyn Joy Pearce, Nicole Perl
Quiz- Bridge to Terabithia

True or False:
Determine if the question is True (T) OR False (F). Questions are 1 mark each.
1. Terabithia is created because Jess and Leslie need a secret space. _____(T)
2. Jesse is more interested in farming than he is in art. _____(F)

Extended Response:
These questions require a response written in paragraph form (4-5 sentences).
Explain your answers clearly.
3. Describe Jesse’s relationship with his father throughout the book. How does it
change when Leslie dies? (/7)
4. During the first week of school, Jesse begins to change his mind about getting to
know Leslie. Why do you think he changes his mind? Explain your answer. (/8)

Short Answer:
These questions require a written response. Answer in full sentences and explain
your reasoning.
5. Why does Jesse not invite Leslie to the museum with Miss Edmunds? (/3)
6. Why does Jesse take May Belle to Terabithia? (/3)
7. What are the differences between Jesse and Leslie’s families? (/5)
8. In the beginning of the story, why doesn’t Jesse have any friends? (/4)
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Matching:
Each answer is worth 0.5. Total Question out of 3 marks.
Match column A with the correct answer in column B. Write the corresponding letter in the blank.
*Items can only be used once and not every match will be used*
E. May Belle
A F. Miss Edmunds

_______1) Wins the race in the schoolyard (Leslie) G. Ellie

_______2) Bully who steals May Belle’s twinkies (Janice H. Jesse
Avery) I. Prince Terrien
_______3) Becomes the queen of Terabithia after Leslie
dies (May Belle)
_______4) The teacher who is disliked by most of her
students because she is different than the other teachers
due to her hippie like attitude (Miss. Edmunds)
_______5) Trains all summer to place first in the school
yard sprint (Jesse)
_______6) Leslie’s dog’s name (Prince Terrien)

B
A. Leslie
B. Janice Avery
C. Jake
D. Mrs.Meyers
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Multiple Choice Questions:

Circle the correct answer. There is only one correct answer per question. Each question is out of 1 mark.
10. Which of the following is NOT one of Jesse’s sisters? (B) Janice
a. May Belle
b. Janice
c. Ellie
d. Brenda
11. Which of the following is a theme present within Bridge to Terabithia? (d) Friendship
a. War
b. Romance
c. Betrayal
d. Friendship
12. In the novel it is revealed that Janice is a bully because…(a) her father beats her
a. Her father beats her
b. She has more money than Jesse’s family
c. She wants to go to Terabithia
d. Twinkies are her favourite snack
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Teacher Kate
Quiz/Test Names Lawless
Nicole
Blueprint Perl
Dalyn
Joy
Pearce

Subject ELA 7

Topic/Focus Bridge
to
Terabith
ia Novel
Study

Taxonomic Level Question Types

Type I Type II Type III Outcomes Total

Multiple Short Answer Extended
Remembering,Understa Applying, Evaluating,Cre True/ Matching
nding Analyzing ating Choice Response
False
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1(1) 2.3.3 elements, 1(1) 9(3) 7

11( 1) and techniques 10 (1)
2(1) 2( 1)
Understand
9(3) techniques and 11(1)
10(1) elements
Discuss
connections
among plot and
subplot, main and
supporting
characters, main
idea and theme in
a variety of oral,
print and other
media texts

7(5) 1.2 Clarify and 8

6(3) Extend 6(3)
1.2.2 Combine 7(5)
ideas
Use talk, writing
and representing
to examine, clarify
and assess
understanding of
ideas, information
and experiences

4.3.2 Enhance
5(3) presentation 5(3) 7
8(4) clarify and 8(4)
support ideas or
opinions with
details, visuals or
media techniques
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Describe, tell
paraphrase,
represent,
discuss, perform,
show,
demonstrate

4(8) 3(7 ) 5.1 Respect 12( 1) 3(7) 16

12( 1) others and 4(8)
strengthen
community
5.1.2 Appreciate
diversity
Explain how
differing
perspectives
and unique
reactions
expand
understanding

10 14 14 Total 3 2 3 15 15 38
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Nicole Perl

ED 3604-A

David Slomp

Feb. 28, 2019

Portfolio Defense Paper

Validity, Reliability, and Fairness are all essential topics to consider and aim for when designing

assessments for the classroom. Without these things, an assessment can negatively impact your students

and your practice as a teacher. Validity is concerned with if the assessment being used is actually

assessing the intended targets or outcomes and then further that the impact of the decisions we make

based on that assessment are legitimate. Reliability is concerned with the results of an assessment. This is

crucial so that a student’s performance on an assessment is an accurate representation of the student’s

learning.

Validity

Validity of assessments should take into account if the assessment is truthful, suitable, and legitimate.

Not only is this important when assessing students, it is also important to consider the appropriateness of

the decisions being made based upon the assessment itself. In the book Teacher-Made Assessments

Christopher R. Gareis and Leslie W. Grant define validity as, “…the extent to which inferences drawn

from assessment results are appropriate.” (27) This is extremely important to consider throughout

assessment design. If an assessment has limited validity, students could potentially be assessed on

outcomes that aren’t relevant to the curriculum. When considering validity, it is important to remember

the four C’s which are construct, content, concurrent, and consequential validity. Each of these types of

validity have questions that can be thought about to help you achieve a valid assessment. Construct

validity refers to appropriateness in relation to curricular goals. This essentially measures if the

assessment is measuring what it is supposed to be measuring. Content validity questions if the assessment
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measures the outcomes and the curriculum. Concurrent validity relates to having two or more assessments

aimed at the same learning outcomes at the same time. This is important because it ensures we can find

evidence of learning. Consequential validity takes the consequences of an assessment for the students into

consideration. It also focuses on the consequences of the decisions made based on the assessment in

relation to student learning. It is also important to remember that an assessment is rarely entirely valid or

invalid. Validity of an assessment should be considered as a degree of validity rather than an absolute.

Gareis and Grant state, “…validity is concerned with the confidence with which we may draw inferences

about student learning from an assessment. Second, validity is not an either/or proposition; instead it is a

matter of degree.” (28) This should be continuously reflected upon during assessment creation and

grading.

Reliability

A reliable assessment should be dependable, consistent, and error free. Dependability relates to the

results of an assessment. In any given assessment relative absence of error should be the goal. Gareis and

Grant explain that reliability, “…is the consistency or dependability of the results of an assessment.” (37)

Similarly, to validity, reliability is concerned primarily with the results of an assessment and how that

impacts students. In relation to reliability there are two distinct types of error that can be present in

assessment. It is extremely important to be aware of these types of error and how they can arise in order

to create a reliable assessment. Systematic error is error that is unintentionally present but can be

controlled if detected. Random error however is error that influences assessment results but is not easily

controlled or predicted. As educators we must account for random error as it is out of our control and

bound to happen. When it does, it will affect the results of the assessment at that time. In regard to

systematic error, we should strive to reduce systematic error when possible so that students are able to

complete tasks without factors influencing or interrupting them that are out of their control. If systematic

or random errors occur, then the assessment would have low reliability and the students could be judged

on results that are outside of their own learning.

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Fairness

Fairness in assessment ties into transparency, students’ opportunities, and equitable treatment. It is

extremely important to establish fair assessment practices in the classroom. Assessment is fairer when it is

appropriate for the individual learner, but this also needs to be balanced with equal treatment and

consistency in assessment. If a teacher engages in equitable practices this results in fairer assessment

which enables better support of student learning. Much like validity and reliability fairness is threatened

when stereotypes and personal values influence assessment decisions.

Designing a Valid, Reliable, and Fair Classroom Assessment Program

Creating a curriculum overview for your course before planning a unit will assist in providing an

outline of the program of studies so that you are able to review the outcomes during the duration of your

unit. Including this item when planning assists with validity of your assessment practice. The curriculum

overview I created for grade seven is clear and concise. Not only does it lay out the outcomes in an

accessible manor, it also includes words related to knowledge, skills, and attributes which ground the

outcomes and inform the reader in order to ensure validity is in mind when designing assessment tasks.

The unit assessment plan we created was designed to contribute to the reliability, fairness, and

validity in unit planning alongside the curriculum overview. By first including the desired results and

established general learning outcomes, the unit assessment plan ties into the validity of the plan. By

ensuring that the desired results are clearly defined from the beginning, it will aid in making sure that they

align with the following tasks and lessons. By including the intended understandings and essential

questions that guide the unit, it ensures that all students are being assessed fairly. The first chart in the

unit assessment plant includes classification of the assessments, how much they are worth, the type of

assessment it is, and checks off which specific learning outcomes are being met. By creating this

document, the outcomes and intentions for assessment are reviewed and revised. This also ensures that all

of the outcomes that were intended are being met and evaluated with the assessments, which ensures high
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reliability and validity. By checking off the specific learning outcomes gaps in planning can be easily

identified and addressed to ensure that what was intended is being accomplished and assessed. It also

makes it easy to look back when planning future units and see which outcomes still need to be worked on

for the duration of the course. The assessment tool and description chart aids with fairness because it

ensures that students are being assessed with the same assignments and that the description of them is fair.

It also documents if the assessment is for, as, or of learning. This is important to balance throughout each

unit and having this chart makes sure that the assessment practice is fair for the students. I included clear

and in-depth descriptions of each assessment and in creating this chart I was able to review and

reorganize assessments as I was writing the descriptions and ensuring that I had a balance of assessments

across my chart.

The test blueprint and quiz I created with two of my peers demonstrates a quiz that has been worked

on and improved continuously by using a peer review checklist. By having colleagues review the item we

created, it assists with reliability and validity. More than one perspective on the item ensures that

systematic error is more easily eliminated before the test is given in the classroom. Our test was reviewed

for grammatical inconsistencies, clarity, and consistency. The blueprint for the quiz again aids with

validity because it ensures the specific learning outcomes are being adequately represented. In creating

this artifact, we were able to make sure our questions required higher order thinking but were still fair and

reliable. Outlining the number of marks for each question also caused us to consider what exactly we

were asking of the students and what kind of expectations we had. This adds to higher fairness so that the

students are aware of their expectations in advance, and it allowed us to be able to consider what types of

adaptations could be made. Because of the artifacts I have outlined in this essay, I am confident that the

planning I have done has increased validity, reliability, and fairness for my assessment practice.

Works Cited

Gareis, C. R., & Grant, L. W. (2015). Teacher-Made Assessments (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.