A student expectation is directly related to the knowledge and skills statement, is more specific about how students demonstrate their learning, and always begins with a verb. Student expectations are further broken down into their component parts, often referred to as “breakouts.”
A knowledge and skills statement is a broad statement of what students must know and be able to do. It generally begins with a learning strand and ends with the phrase “The student is expected to:” Knowledge and skills statements always include related student expectations.
Demonstrated Proficiency of ELA.5.1.A
This SE lends itself to cross curricular alignment as it can be assessed in all areas of instruction. Have students observe a presentation. Instruct students to listen actively and pay attention to verbal and non-verbal messages. During the presentation, observe and note whether students ask questions and share comments that are specific to the message. After the presentation has concluded, ask students questions to determine their understanding of what they heard and observed.
Questions to ask:
What was the speaker's purpose?
What details did the speaker give?
What non-verbal messages did they see and how did those messages impact the presentation?
Did they add to or detract from the message?
Further Explanation
For this assessment, students are required to show evidence of active listening and understanding as they make comments and ask questions. Students’ comments and questions should directly link to the presentation. If they are off topic, this may indicate that students misinterpreted the concepts discussed.
Glossary Support for ELA.5.1.A
Students listen actively when they ask questions that are focused on the topic under discussion and designed to further the student's knowledge. When students ask questions about what they are listening to, they deepen their own understanding by making connections and inquiring about related concepts and ideas. Active listening requires that the listener know when and how to ask questions.
The active listener considers both verbal and nonverbal communication when listening to a speaker. It is important that students learn to consider both verbal and nonverbal messages in order to understand the meaning of what they hear. Students should understand that non-verbal messages can complement verbal messages by helping the speaker emphasize ideas (e.g., increasing volume to emphasize certain words, raising eyebrows to suggest disbelief). They can also reveal a speaker's true attitude toward a subject by contradicting what the speaker is saying (e.g., rolling eyes or grimacing).
Active listening requires students to be engaged with the speaker they are listening to and the topic being discussed. A student who is listening actively listens with a purpose, engages with the speaker by asking questions and making comments, and demonstrates attentive and appropriate nonverbal behavior such as making eye contact and nodding one's head.
In addition to asking questions, active listeners contribute to the discussion by making relevant comments directly related to the topic being discussed. Relevant comments indicate that a student is involved in the discussion and in learning. Pertinent comments are usually the result of a more in-depth reflection or careful consideration. For example, a student listening actively to a discussion about the difference between primary and secondary sources might make pertinent comments by identifying examples of primary sources with which the student is familiar.
Supporting Information for ELA.5.1.A
Research
1. Bulut, B., & Karasakaloglu, N. (2017). Benefiting from listening in vocabulary development. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 5(12), 99–109. doi:10.11114/jets.v5i12.2688
Summary: This study reveals that students gain vocabulary development and improve their ability to comprehend new words when they are active listeners. In this study, the researchers used a control group and an experimental group. Both groups completed a pre- and post-test as the benchmark and final indication in the research model.