I feel that the developmental milestones of each area of development that the child demonstrates should be measured or assessed. If the child meets most of the developmental milestones, then move them to the next level. If not, see if they have a delay. If they have an IEP, the school work is tailored to the child. Why don't we do that for all children. Meet the children where they are at developmentally.
I was curious about what assessments children in Germany have to go through. I found that they had to conduct research and do presentations on concepts that they had to learn through the year. They had to do a reflection of what they had learned. The children are asked to not only evaluate themselves but also their peers. The teachers evaluate each child individually. The teachers also have parent teacher conferences 2 times a year. The teachers go over the academic level of the child, and the results of the assessments.
All the test that we put children through to pass a standardized test to be able to go to the next grade level, does not prove anything but the fact that they may not be a good test taker. It also puts a huge amount of stress on the children. The same thing is true of education with the praxis test. It does not prove that the person will be a good teacher or not. Just that they can or can not pass a test. Sometimes adults and children are not good test takers especially when being timed. In my case, I was labeled ADD in college and was allowed to tape record classes and get extra time on test. I tried to get help with the praxis test but they turned me down because I did not have a "history" of ADD. How can someone prove a history when they have just recently been diagnosed. Labeling should be done based on the whole child.
References: International School of Bochum. Retrieved from http://www.internationalschoolgermany.de/bochum/en/parents/assessments
Crystal emotional intelligence is a wide range of skills that children of all ages can develop and improve. These skills are critical for emotional wellbeing and life success. All teachers/caregivers strive to create the optimal learning environment for all children entrusted to them. An essential part of doing this is to use assessments to gain insight into children’s interests, knowledge, skills, and attitudes. I think it is important that, teachers/caregivers individually assess all domains of development to ensure that each child attains appropriate milestones and that the curriculum is serving the child’s learning needs. It is also critical to examine children’s developing early language and literacy skills. Research has consistently demonstrated that deficits in language and literacy skills are associated with learning difficulties in the elementary years. By assessing language and literacy in the preschool years, issues and challenges can be addressed to ensure children have all the foundational skills necessary for school success. Assessment has tremendous value for both the teacher/caregiver and the family. Using assessment affords teachers/caregivers a greater understanding of individual learning needs and how to best differentiate instruction. Second, assessments inform teachers/caregivers of children’s progress toward meeting the language and literacy goals that are critical for school success. Third, assessment enables early detection of learning differences and/or disabilities. Instruction must be differentiated so all children benefit.
ReplyDeleteCrystal I love the idea of the children being able to present and expound of what they have taken from their lessons, especially if they are allowed to do it in a manner of their choice. I also like that it is not solely up to the teacher to assess each child. We all would all like to believe that all teachers are fair and practice integrity but we have all had at least one teacher that was suspect. Its important to allow the children to show in more than one manner, to more than one source their capabilities.
ReplyDeleteHi Crystal
ReplyDeleteThe educational field lose a lot of good teachers because they can not pass the Praxis test. Just like a lot of children who assessments are not good however they do well in classwork everyday.