, Assessment Genre Critical Review - IBDP Language B
The International Baccalaureate is almost universally acknowledged to be a prestigious and superior educational program. You frequently hear positive things said about the IB. But, are you familiar with the IBDP language B program? In light of this rigorous educational structure, what kinds of challenges can a language B teacher confront, and how might these challenges manifest themselves notably in the context of an immersion school?"IBDP-Today" is being presented to you by Hu Laoshi and Qian Laoshi, so let's give it a listen.
Reflection
Taking advantages of being a Podcast counselor,
I made a podcast with my colleagues. We worked together to create the materials, though I ask more questions in the podcast. It's an interesting experience to formally review IBDP with my colleagues. We occasionally discussed how frustrating the language B curriculum is. However, with the help of the guiding questions, we can now discuss the pros and cons of IB Language B in depth.
Watters(2021) pointed out in chapter one of the "Teaching Machines" reading that it is difficult for students to progress through the lesson at the same pace. Instead, they must assess students through exercises that are appropriate for their level, assessing comprehension of each concept, and providing immediate feedback and encouragement along the way. Language B teachers, I believe, worked hard to provide individual practices that matched their levels when doing IA, and feedback is immediate with a reward system because we provide individual practices for each response. Knowing their levels is beneficial for teachers.
However, it is problematic for the IB to force students to achieve a goal that is not achievable for students who have studied a language for four years because some other students are able to match the level easily. We can't change the status quo of language B right now, but we can appreciate the great parts of IB designs while we wait for the prospects.
When it comes to digital assessment, both Qian Laoshi and I are hopeful about the transition to online testing in language B, because our students completed many typing assignments throughout their remote year, and it is easier for Chinese language learners to type Chinese than it is to write it.
However, after creating a connection with "Should Robots Replace Teachers?" it reminds me that there might be numerous questions that arise when tasks are delegated to machines. When taking the digital version of the IB exam, students run the risk of encountering issues that are caused by machines. For instance, the computer may easily lose the students' typing work.
