Idea Under Construction's First Meeting - 25 November 2010

Elif Avcıbası talked about the dilemma she had faced and she explained that in English exams there is always a writing part. The students are expected to write guided compositions since theyare young leraners and their time is limited. In the exams they are asked to answer the given questions and they are expected to write accordingly. Although there are set questions, some students write irrelevantly. What should we do with these compositions? Should we evaluate them according to the scala provided or should not we give any points?

After she listened to the suggestions her colleagues made , she took her notes. These are what they suggested doing.

1. Before the exams , the students can be given quizzes and they can practice the writing part by using the guiding questions. If there are students that write unrelatedly then the teacher can conference the students.

2. In the exams , there can be a checklistfor the students to see if there are any missing points they missed.

3. Just to get the students on the right track, the beginning and the end can be given and then they can go on writing.

4. The guiding questions can still be given to help the students with ideas but they may not have to be answered by the students. If the student has a different idea, then he should be allowed to use it freely. He should not miss any points for not using the ideas the teacher wants him to use.

5. The scala can be prepared according to the aim of the lesson. If writing is important , there shouldn’t be compulsory questions to answer. If answering the questions is important, then they should be tested in another part of the exam.