It is hard to imagine a school year that is not packed full of the
stressful feeling of "What do I need to remember in order to pass this
next test". As a junior in college you would think the pressure of test
taking goes away since it started in 3rd grade but, if anything, it has just
gotten worse.
Chapter two is so important to us future
teachers because it discusses how we are going to assess our students someday.
Some main points we need to remember are that assessments should be based on
our students background knowledge and what they are already familiar with.
Learning comes easier when it is scaffolded on what the learner already
knows.
The less scary part of this chapter is
that not all assessments are going to be those awful, stressful standardized
test that haunt the teachers more than they haunt the students taking them.
Assessing a student or students can be through many different ways and might
sometimes feel like play. Activities such as creating a performance, a video,
or a voice recording can be used as an assessment. Other ways include
observations, whether it is the teacher observing the student, the students
observing themselves, or the parent assessing the student.
It is very important that students be
assessed in a variety of ways in order to judge their progress fairly. Every student
has their own strengths and weaknesses and things they are comfortable with and
things they are not. This should be taken into consideration. A teacher should
assess their students in a variety of ways to really get to know and understand
them as learners. Many of our future students are not going to learn in the
same ways as their classmates and we have to be prepared for that.
Being that our students are going to be taking test and
being assessed for the rest of their education, it is important that we, as
teachers, do not burn them out of testing by hiding the fact they are being
assessed in activities. However, at the same time, we have to prepare them for
the tests and teach them ways they are going to be most successful.
Early Literacy is so important because it is an essential
building block to children for the rest of their lives. It is important for us
teachers to work with them, as well as with their families, to ensure each
child is prepared the best they can be.
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ReplyDeleteHaleigh,
ReplyDeleteYour evaluation of chapter two's key points was great. You definitely were spot on about the importance of and keys to successful assessments.
This chapter did actually change my mind on the original concepts I had of "assessments". It generally holds a negative connotation in our minds, especially as teachers and the current state/national testing climate in schools. I generally think of them as a scary, difficult, make or break test determining a child's competency and intelligence. However, assessments are not always the evil beings they're made out to be. They are necessary for being an effective teacher; without knowledge of your students' abilities (through assessments), you can not properly teach what they need. Each child has different starting points, paces, and end goals. Assessments help us gage each of those to ensure success and growth.
As a future educator, I think providing assessments can be scary. It seems like a daunting task, especially when considering all the different subjects, the number of students, and the amount of time we'll have to administer them. In addition, the strict rules of standardized testing can be frightening as well. From this chapter, I learned the comforting fact that assessments can be provided through informal activities, games, and projects (like you described above). These are an excellent alternative to the classic tests we took in the past.
I like the point you made that we have to prepare our children for the tests in their future, while still maintaining a fun and destressed environment. I find this to be so important for today's youth, especially with the testing their exposed to.
All in all, you hit the nail on the head: early literacy in particular is one of the most important foundations for early learners. Without it, their learning can come to a halt. Assessments have their important place in the classroom, and we as teachers must do everything in our power to know our students and help them learn to the best of their abilities.