Most educators and future educators agree that standardized
testing is ineffective and is part of the reason that authentic learning
experiences are lacking from most schools in America. One thing that stuck out
to me was how inaccurate some standardized test results can be. I know of how
much anxiety and the biases of these tests but I always assumed they were
providing pertinent and accurate information. On page 46 of the text book it
says, “ One child might pass all portions of a standardized test, and still
isn’t ready to read. Another child might not pass any portion of the test, but
is already reading.”(Morrow, 2005) This makes me really wonder why so much is
based on standardized testing. The high stakes of these tests can cause anxiety
in students and teachers alike. Yet even if the students are prepared their
relative scores may not give an accurate depiction of their skills. With so
much relying on standardized testing and with the potential of such inaccurate results
gives me a better understanding of teachers that teach to the test instead of
trying to provide authentic learning opportunities.
This
chapter presented many different types of assessments that are at the disposal
of teachers. One that really caught my attention and one that I would like to
implement in my future classroom is the student evaluation method. I think that
giving students time to reflect on what they have learned that day and having
them write out in their own words what they discovered will give great insight
on the depth of their understanding. As well as helps solidify what they have
learned that day in to long-term memory. I think that student interest should
be included when literacy is being taught. A teacher could use the survey or
interview method to determine a student’s interest in certain topics or books.
Using this information the teacher could make better selections that the
students will want to read. This text does a very good job on highlighting the
importance of using multiple methods to get an accurate understanding of each
student’s strengths and weakness to be able to fully utilize instructional
strategies. I have witnessed a kindergarten teacher playing a recording of one
students reading and taking a running record of it without the students present
because she knew this student got nervous reading to the teacher. Knowing our
future students this well will better help us assess their strengths and
weaknesses and plan to improve each student’s literacy skills. Has anyone else
observed one of these assessment methods utilized in a classroom setting?
Your post was very interesting and brought up many good points! I really liked when you talked about what the book said about standardized testing. I agree, I was horrible at tests. I still today hate taking tests I would get horrible grades on the SAT or ACT and I even failed my istep in third grade but would have all A's. I think there are many different forms of learning and testing our students and big tests like that are just one way, but isn't effective for everyone. I like how you brought up your favorite type of evaluation of students. I think that students should evaluate themselves but also as a teacher we need to evaluate them as well. We need to see their positive points and what they still need to work on! I really liked what you said and really got me thinking!
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said about standardized testing! I think that almost everyone posted something that agreed with your stance on testing. It is something that really needs to be revised and hopefully, while we are teachers it will be!
ReplyDeleteUsing different methods of assessment is definitely what we need to do and it was helpful that this chapter gave us so many different options. Just like we need to mix and match the different theorists from the last chapter to fit our students and classroom, we need to mix and match assessments to fit our students and our own needs.
I also found it was crazy that people could do well on a standardized test and not be able to read. I think it is crazy how much of a stress we put on tests if they aren't even going to be accurate or show us any real information. I remember they would have the counselors come in when I was in elementary to teach us coping mechanisms for stress because of Istep. I always have found it crazy that they put so much stress on us about those tests that they had to teach us how to take deep breaths and relax while taking the exam.
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoyed the students evaluating themselves. I feel like not only do you get an idea of where they are, but they can see themselves what they need to work on. I can see students being hard on themselves though and rating themselves lower, or higher, so it would be important to keep an eye on them as well.
I too, didn't realize how inaccurate the scores of a standardized test could be! I know that they cause a lot of stress and anxiety, but I kind of thought that they were still relatively effective in assessing the students learning. Do you think that we should cut out standardized testing altogether or is it still effective enough that it should be used in correlation with various other student assessment methods? If they should be taken out, how will we be able to compare the students in our classroom/school with students in other communities and/or nationwide? And if standardized testing should be kept in place, what can we do as educators to help make the process more effective and less stressful for both students and for teachers?
ReplyDeleteHi Adam! Thanks for your post. I really like the idea of evaluating students with regard to their own interests, strengths, and weaknesses. This is why it is so important to know your students well! As long as you know their strengths and interests, you know what they will excel in and be excited about learning. When the students are excited about what they are learning, they are so much more likely to succeed in school. I think this is important in literacy as well. If students are not interested in what they are reading, they won't retain the information. I also think that instead of assigning reading to students, teachers should give the students a list of readings to choose from. This way, students don't feel like they are forced to read something that they don't want to.
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