EACH SET OF 2 HAS ITS OWN INSTRUCTIONS

LABEL RESPONSES ACCORDING TO TITLE OF DISCUSSIONS

DUE IN 24 HOURS

Assessment [WLOs: 1] [CLOs: 1, 3, 4]

Guided Response: Review several of your classmates’ posts, and respond to at least two. Compare the answers of your classmates to yours. Notice any complications of assessment based on the age of the learners. You might choose to respond to one person who is writing about the adult context and one who is writing about the K-12 context. For distinguished peer responses, respond with a minimum of five sentences that add to the conversation, and refrain from evaluative posts (i.e., You did a good job.).

MELISSA’S POST:

Explain the purposes of assessment for ELLs.

            After reading the textbook and researching the purpose of assessments, I found out that the assessments are used for stages or steps. The first one is to measure “how proficient the student is in speaking, reading, and writing English to place the student into the appropriate program.” Piper, T. (2015) Then will need to determine if the student will need to be placed in a mainstream, or would another type of placement be better for the student? Once the student is placed in the classroom environment that best suite them, they are continually monitored to track and measure their progress, both in the English and in content. When the monitoring is done carefully and accurately, the information or data collected from the assessment allows the teachers to adjust their instructional plans based on their needs.

Summarize some of the challenges with assessing ELLs.

            Some of the challenges with assessing Ells are that not all the assessments appropriately measure the data of the ELL students, Thus the assessment results would not be valid or reliable.

 One of the biggest challenges facing the ELL students is that they lack English literacy, meaning that their ability to really understand how to read and write the English language. So, when they have to take a test in the English language that they do not comprehend or understand, they would have difficulty understanding the test. A few other challenges are that there are so many assessment tools that the teachers must choose from and finding the ones that work best for each child can be problematic. Additionally, the student’s language proficiency, how well they have adapted to the culture, their prior educational experiences, and how they have been tested in the past all play a role in negatively assessing the ELL child. 

Clarify what information is new to you and how your thinking might have changed based on this information.

            As an ECE teacher with many years of experience in the classroom, assessment is not a new concept. I have done them for years, however, there was much terminology that I learned in this class that I did not know. I knew that assessments come in many different shapes and forms, but I did not consider the ELLs and how that would affect the assessment used if they do not have English language proficiency. I did not understand that much about the state and federal standardized tests and how they were used to measure the student’s process in the K-12 grades. I now understand them a lot more and see why there are so many opinions about how reliable they are.

Generate one or two questions you still have about assessing ELLs.

1. When assessing an ELL student can they mix the assessment in both the native language and in English? (Example: Can you have a Spanish speaking teacher ask the child to explain the concept in Spanish and then the English-speaking teacher ask the same questions to measure the understanding in both languages?)

2. Why are some of the assessments still used on ELLs today if they know that they are not very reliable?

References

colorincolorado. (2015, June 5). 

Assessment for ELLs (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)

 [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://youtu.be/q6fG4FmibEQ (Links to an external site.)

International TEFL Academy. (2011, September 22). 

How to assess listening in your ESL classroom
  (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)

[Video file]. Retrieved from

https://youtu.be/A-Ag69w1Hjg (Links to an external site.)

International TEFL Academy. (2011, September 22). 

Teaching reading in an ESL classroom
 (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)

 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/8wfH99DeKfY

Lieshoff, S. C., Aguilar, N., McShane, S., Burt, M., Peyton, J. K., Terrill, L., & Van Duzer, C. (2008, March). 

Practitioner toolkit: Working with adult English language learners.  (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)

Retrieved from 

http://www.cal.org/caela/tools/program_development/CombinedFiles1  (Links to an external site.)

PCG. (2012, October 12). 

Teaching reading and comprehension to English learners, grades K-5.
 (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)

 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/s4A85oOjZW0

Piper, T. (2015). 

Language, learning, and culture: English language learning in today’s schools

. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu

· Chapter 4: The English Language Learner

· Chapter 9: Teaching English Language Learners

ANA’S POST:

Explain the purposes of assessment for ELLs.

The purpose of assessments for ELLs is to test their knowledge about the topic being taught to them. Assessment for ELLs is to provide diagnostic background knowledge, help decide student placement, measure student learning and achievement, and improve or inform instruction on how effective the methods are. According to the article, it is important to test the children’s learning and given the test at the end of a unit is usually to measure students’ learning of the material in the unit before moving on to the next unit 4.2 para 4. Piper, T. (2015). I believe testing the knowledge will work because it will make the students think about what they have learned and the teachers will know that they have learned the topic. 

Summarize some of the challenges with assessing ELLs.

       Sometimes the children when they take a test they might know what the topic is about but they might not be sure what it really means since its in another language that’s when the lack of English literacy takes place. Some students are better at listening than reading and some assignments might be more difficult for them to work at than others. According to the article “The major problem is that achievement tests and most other measures used for accountability purposes are designed to measure learning, but they are less successful in helping to improve learning Piper, T. (2015)”. I believe that actually testing the knowledge for the children will work as a refresh of their learning. 

Clarify what information is new to you and how your thinking might have changed based on this information. 

The new information for me is the assessments how there has to be a step by step as teaching ELL students. As being an Ell student I used to struggle readying on a test because I wouldn’t understand what was being asked and I still get confused a little with it but what has helped me a lot is that I get to read what is being asked of me to do over and over until I understand. I would also translate the wording in my head from one language to another language to get a better understanding of the subject. 

Generate one or two questions you still have about assessing ELLs.

Are all schools required to follow an assessment for ELLs?

What are the best assessment tools for children with special needs that are ELL learners?

References

Piper, T. (2015). 

Language, learning, and culture: English language learning in today’s schools

. Retrieved from 

https://content.ashford.edu (Links to an external site.)

Discussion

Social Security System Challenges 

Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings

TAMMY’S POST:

Week 2 – Discussion Forum: Social Security System Challenges  

Some say that the Social Security system is troubled by a variety of challenges. One of the biggest challenges posed is the depletion of funding. Funding is not simple in terms of the SSA. In fact, since 1935, when the SSA formed and the implementation of benefits began, it has not only become permanent but grown into deeply rooted aid beyond the original population intended.

More and more actions are being taken to save SSI, despite fewer contributions being made. How can you, as an old saying goes, get blood from a turnip? We know that there are more elderly and they are living longer – this can not be changed. We know that the younger population has decreased, as has their desire to parent – again, this cannot be changed. These are rights people have, but rights affect others’ well-being. As Karger & Stoesz state (2018), “A majority of Americans have come to view Social Security as a right and to count on its benefits.” We have surpassed the time to count on the benefits, however.

The implications challenges pose to budget development

“Social Security in the United States is paid-as-you-go. However, with birthrate and longevity determining its solvency, this has important implications for Social Security’s future. The lens of budgeting looks different for all people due to career, life earning, savings, and investments. It also differs from culture and family present to render aid to offset costs. However, no matter how strong a safety net, the impact of unforeseen illness can impact any sound retirement and aging plan. This plan will differ depending on the cost of living and overall demographics. Budgets should take a realistic look at current and projected increases in living. COLAS certainly does not cover the increase seen annually.

Sparing money when a person is aware of their income to debt ratio helps. This perspective stems from financial education. The more a person earns, the more they may receive SSI, but they are deemed ineligible for other services due to income amounts or the taxation faced. We would not tax out children on a set of Legos, so why so to one of the most vulnerable populations? At a minimum, there should be a tax break for families caring for their families and reduced costs in care. If higher incomes were taxed more and lower incomes given a slight tax break, a wiggle room would better the quality of life many elderly faces.

The role fundraising plays in filling gaps

Finalized rates for 2022 are set at 2.25 percent of premiums through FFEs and 1.75 percent of premiums through SBE or state-based exchanges (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2021). Still, this is an out-of-pocket expense for those receiving SSI as an elder. Fundraising, which we commonly see as GoFundMe or asking communities to pitch in, can help. Likely, fundraising is best in social events of retirement, or crises seem to compel people more toward generosity. If these donations were invested, a gap could be filled. Sure, it means no cruise to Tahiti or rendezvous to Bora Bora, but wise investments could genuinely make or break the bank later when SSI is needed most.

An ideal should be high yield savings and investments without penalty so long as the money is generated from earned income and fewer taxations on gifts and inheritances. For those without such celebrations and gratuity, and organizational means to fundraising could be prosperous. The issue with SSI, or any means for the matter, is a sense of “counting on it.”

References
 

Karger, H. J. & Stoesz, D. (2018). American social welfare policy: A pluralist approach (8th ed).

Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2021). Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2022 Final Rule Fact Sheet, 

https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/notice-benefit-and-payment-parameters-2022-final-rule-fact-sheet

JUSTINA’S POST:

Provide a brief description of one of these major challenges and suggest some potential solutions based on your reading and your own research.

       One of the major challenge is, the competition between public (compulsory) and private (voluntary) pension plans. Public and private pension plans are different in a few ways. Private pensions encourage loyal employees, they do not depend on the government, and take care of employees who retire. Public pensions do depend on the government, benefits are portable and indexed for inflation, and benefits are not contingent on the financial condition of the employer (Karger, & Stoesz, 2018). Some potential solutions are, offering and allowing opportunities for funding. According to Karger & Stoesz (2018), he discusses some solutions as, raising the full retirement age, recalculate COLA by using an alternative price index, and increase the payroll cap (p. 218).  

Discuss the implications these challenges have on your ability to develop budgets for an organization.

        I believe these challenges cause major issues for the employees, and company or organization. These pension plans were put into place years ago so it needs to be modernized. Living today is very expensive, which tends to make people live paycheck to paycheck. It does not leave much room for a lot of necessities. In order to develop budgets for an organization, you have to take into account a lot of things such as, employers, their age, home life, etc.

Evaluate the role fundraising plays in filling gaps in service.

       Fundraising plays a big role in filling gaps in service. With the pension plans (private and public), an organization needs to figure out a plan of where the money will be divided and allocated. Fundraising is very beneficial to ensuring the services are continued.

                                                               References

Karger, H. J., & Stoesz, D. (2018). American social welfare policy: A pluralist approach (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson. ISBN: 9780134628127; elSBN: 9780134543468

Discussion – Reader Response

comment on the posts of two classmates

BRIDGET’S POST

This week I have learned about journaling.  I now realize how important journaling can be for a person.  It can help you stay on task, which I need help doing quite a bit, and help you visualize and accomplish your goals.  It also allows you a way to process your feelings. I didn’t understand how to structure journal entries just by watching the video.  I admit that I find the video a bit confusion.  However, I am excited to learn more about journaling, maybe from other resources, and I can’t wait to try it myself.  

ALYVIA’S POST

After reading and watching the lessons for this week, I have taken away the step by step ways in creating a journal. Not only that, I got to understand the benefit of journaling as well. When creating a journal, it’s important to make a future log, monthly log, and daily log. At the end of each monthly log, X out the completed task you have achieved. Strike out if the task is not worth your time. Draw a right arrow if it is worth your time. If certain tasks are due months from now, put a left arrow and add it to the corresponding future log. Making a collection page with a topic and page numbers is a good way to keep track of school materials and also shopping lists. Creating drawings, questions, and certain notes are great to include as well. Journaling helps reduce stress and anxiety. It’s great to write down your struggles and worries before taking a test to ease the worry of overthinking and failing during your test taking. I can say personally journaling has helped me out a lot. I am a big overthinker and always stuck in my head. So journaling has helped me out in ways of expressing myself. Also manifesting as well! I better understand things when its drawn out, so I will try my best with drawing as much as I can. I may struggle with that because I am no artist. I believe this will be an easy task because this is simply about your own self! 

Discussion – Creating Connections

comment on the posts of two classmates
BRIDGET’S POST

The two rhetorical modes that are useful in my life is narrative and comparison.  I chose narrative because I feel like my life is a story.  I have been on a journey of heartbreak and discovery that I never saw coming and I am a stronger person because of it.  Therefore, I can relate to the story aspect of a narrative.  I also chose comparison because I evaluate my life constantly.  I’m able to compare the choices I’ve made to the ones I wish I had made.  I look at what I’ve done right and what I’ve done wrong and I try to use that information to make positive changes and better my life.  

ALYVIA’S POST

 I believe the main two rhetorical modes that might be useful in my life would be a narrative and descriptive. I choose those two modes because everyday in my life is a story. Something new always pops up no matter if it is good or bad. I always have a story to tell when it comes down to what goes on in my life. Having the skill for photography and film is a great example in my life compared to a narrative and descriptive story! A picture and film always describes a setting and what goes. Another lesson that is a good comparison to my life and career goals would be the process analysis. Being able to explain my skills in film and photography to an audience who is interested, would be easy! I have been in the field for 6 years now and know a good enough information to give it to others. After reviewing all modes in this course, I believe they all tie in my life in some type of way!

Discussion – Keeping Current

comment on the posts of two classmates

KYLEIGH’S POST:

The essays we have learned in this module definitely hold similarities with the headlines of today. For starters, argumentation is a major factor in today’s headlines. Whether it is politics or Covid 19, everyone has a side, and everyone thinks their side is right. Furthermore, in headlines, people try to persuade others to join their side. Persuasion and argumentation are just two of the many factors in today’s society. Another example is narration. The headlines of the news are about personal stories along with personal experiences, this also correlates with the essays we have been studying. Overall, the headlines and the essays from this class hold several similarities, and aspects of both can be found in either one.

BRIDGET’S POST:

There are several connections that can be made between the essays we learned about and current headlines in the news.  Many of the rhetorical modes we learned in the past lessons can be applied to the headlines today.  Obviously, one of the most glaring comparisons is argumentation.  There is constant arguing among different news outlets about the current political situation.  Liberal sites hated President Trump and conservative sites hated Joe Biden.  Now that Biden is President, the liberals love the new President and the conservatives take the opposite view.  Another current event that can be aligned to our past essays is the positions on the Coronavirus.  There is constant arguments as to what works and doesn’t work, whether masks should be mandatory and if the vaccine is helping.  However, we can also use other essay formats when talking about COVID-19.  We can try to persuade someone of a position to take, do research-based analysis of masks for example, or even to a process essay on the proper way to sanitize.  

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