Month: May 2022

Once the testing window arrives, there is nothing else we can do but reassure our students that they are ready and they can do this. If students are feeling particularly nervous, try having them write a confidence statement, such as “I’m going to rock this test!” or “This test is going to be a piece of cake!” Even if it seems corny, this positive selftalk can really help your middle schoolers feel good going into the testing situation (Wolpert-Gawron 2017).

Writing skills test

Preparing for high-stakes tests is necessary, but it can also be ineffective if not done in a way that works best for your students. Our purpose this month is to provide you with the tools you need to effectively prepare your students for standardized testing.

We should be prepping our students for high-stakes testing through our daily curriculum—not by bombarding them with practice test after practice test a month before the testing date. In our minds, test prep is about organically teaching students comprehension, self-monitoring, and problem-solving strategies through engaging instructional activities. This way, they can more successfully navigate the test with stamina, engagement, and confidence. These are not things that you can develop within your students in a month—it is a year-long effort.

The aims of the teaching programme

All assessment starts (or should start) from a consideration of the aims of instruction.
For example, if the (or one) aim of a language course is to enable the learners to do well in an IELTS academic writing examination then this will be very influential in terms of the types of assessment tasks we use and the way in which we measure performance. The backwash (or washback, if you prefer) from the examination format will almost inevitably have to be reflected in the task types we set.
If, on the other hand, our aim is to enable the learners to operate successfully in a work environment then we will set different kinds of assessment tasks and measure performance against different criteria. In this case, a priority will be to measure how accurately and with how much communicative success the learners can handle the specific register and functions required by their work context.
Finally, if we are aiming at enabling our learners to function adequately in an English-speaking environment (perhaps as an immigrant or temporary resident), then this, too, will fundamentally affect the tasks we set and the benchmarks against which we measure success. Here, for example, we might be dealing with form filling, work getting and accessing services.

These three factors are to do with ensuring reliability and validity. For more on those two concepts, see the guide to testing, assessment and evaluation. The rest of this guide assumes basic familiarity with the content of that guide.
Fulfilling all three criteria adequately requires a little care.

Getting the full picture

The first step is to set out exactly what writing skills are the objects of the teaching programme. To do this, we have to answer these 4 questions (which come with a few examples of the kinds of answers we might get):

1. What sorts of texts will our learners need to be able to produce? I.e., in which genre(s) will they need to function?
   • Emails / letters (formal or informal, interactional or transactional)?
   • Blogs?
   • Notes?
   • Form filling?
   • Announcements?
   • Advertisements?
   • Narratives?
   • Academic essays? In which subject areas?
   • Descriptions?
2. What are the purposes of the learners’ writing?
   • For basic communication with colleagues?
   • For academic purposes?
   • For social purposes in an English-speaking setting?
   • For informal or formal interpersonal communication?
3. What functions do the learners need to be able to perform?
   • Expressing needs?
   • Stating opinion?
   • Apologising?
   • Providing information?
   • Eliciting information?
   • Sequencing events?
   • Commenting on opinions?
4. What topics will our learners have to be familiar with?
   • Social matters?
   • Dealing with officialdom?
   • Service providers?
   • Entertainment and leisure?
   • Travel arrangements?
   • The media?
   • Personal anecdotes?
   • Medical matters?
   • Specific study subjects?
   • Specific occupational areas?

Sources:

https://www.nsta.org/evolving-students-writing-skills
https://www.eltconcourse.com/training/inservice/skills/assessing_writing.html

Another high-paying job that doesn’t require formal education or certification is an air traffic controller. This position can quickly earn well above $100,000 without a degree, depending on your location. The field, however, is quite competitive and previous work experience is highly desirable. Generally, the top applicants have a combination of formal education in a related field and extensive experience.

Six-Month Certificate Programs That Lead To High-Paying Jobs

There are countless career options you can pursue depending on your financial needs, values, interests, skills, education and training. While some jobs require a college degree, others may call for a high school diploma and specialized certificate. Many certificate programs offer the opportunity to increase your earning potential over time as you advance in your career.

In this article, we list 10 six-month certificate programs, high-paying certificate jobs and other fast certifications to consider for a fulfilling career.

What Is a Certificate Program?

A certificate program offers special training to help you develop the skills and experiences necessary for a particular job. There are certificates for jobs in a variety of industries, including healthcare, administration, and information technology (IT).

These programs can be useful for people who are just starting their careers, as well as for people who already have years of experience and want to boost their skills, and even for those who are looking for a mid-life career change.

Why Get a Certificate?

There are many benefits to completing a certificate program. If you are starting your job search, completing a certificate program will boost your skills and abilities, and it can even help you stand out in the job market.

For example, a number of IT certificate programs help people develop skills and knowledge bases that are necessary for entry into the IT industry. There are also certificates in management, such as project management certificates.

Keep in mind, however, that certificates are not the same as professional licenses and certifications. Licenses are required for particular jobs, such as teaching and cosmetology.

Certifications show that a person has gained skills in a particular field. For example, there are accounting certifications that can help an accountant move up in their career. These certifications typically involve taking an exam. Sometimes you can take a certificate program to help you prepare for licensure or certification.

Cybersecurity Certification

Introduction: Working on a network or system can have its own vulnerabilities and weak spots. Cybersecurity ensures that the integrity of information and the data of an organization and its network infrastructures are preserved and protected at all times. It is quite apparent that there will always be a need for Cybersecurity in any organization and that skills in this domain will always be in demand making it one of the best certifications to get in 2021.

Skills or tools: Ethical Hacking, Penetration Testing, Firewalls, Antivirus Software, Managed Detection and Response Service (MDR), PKI Services, etc.

Phlebotomy Technicians

They are tasked with preparing a patient’s blood for lab testing as well as attending to patients who have adverse reactions after their blood is drawn.

Quick Certifications That Pay Well in 2022

In conclusion, there are many other quick certifications that pay well without the need for a 4-year degree program. The most important thing to consider would be your passion, interest, future career opportunities, and financial abilities. These programs can act as a springboard for advanced careers.

References:

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/6-month-certificate-programs
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/certificate-programs-that-lead-to-high-paying-jobs-4171913#:~:text=10%20High-Paying%20Jobs%20that%20Require%20(or%20Recommend)%20a,…%206%20Court%20Reporter.%20…%20More%20items…
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/certificate-programs-that-lead-to-high-paying-jobs-4171913
https://intellipaat.com/blog/best-certifications-for-high-paying-jobs/
https://exoticcareers.com/quick-certifications-that-pay-well/