Wow! Actual Self-Assessment in Japanese ES and JHS

This presentation was a bit of an eye-opener, as I had prepared remarks and discussion items for teachers well-experienced in learner logs and curriculum goals, but for the most part I believe my audience was more familiar with stamp cards and star stickers. I'm happy with what I said, but I definitely need to package this better the next time around so things are sinking in from the first moment as opposed to near-incredulity.

Major elements from this presentation included

• The need for educators to decide long-term goals, in order that progress may be assessed over time
• The need to break up the skills or strategies relevant to achieving those goals
• The foresight to then identify what activities and processes in a lesson might be assessed by the students in order to understand how a student (and a class) is progressing toward said goals
• The materials which best suit this approach (for example, a capture device that allows for students to express themselves via sentences as opposed to a simple check-box)
• The best strategies for promoting individual self-assessment in a way that links the material back to the students' interests, experience, current tasks, or future

Of note: A last-minute opportunity arose when I bumped into a Saitama co-teacher just after lunch, and I offered them a chance to effectively team-teach the presentation - so for accuracy's sake, I'd like Florence Ito-Valderama to receive credit for her work in giving this presentation.

​Abstract
This workshop will inform and prepare attendees for the teacher training, curricula, and expectations necessary to realize student self-assessment in municipal elementary and junior high school ESL contexts. With assessment criteria based on present and future MEXT goals and recently developed “can-do” lists, this workshop is relevant for all public and secondary educators in Japan.