Testing for intelligence…
I believe that assessment
guides our teaching. How else would we know our student abilities, if they have
constructed understanding, what they know and what they are ready to do next. We as educators have the obligation to make
sure that through our assessments we are not harming the child, the child is
does not feel stressed in any way. As long as the assessment is child friendly,
assessments are a tool to help teachers plan for their students to succeed.
Assessments that can be used
at a multitude of ways, drawings, videos, observations, photos can all be used
to effectively assess young learners` knowledge, skills, abilities,
understanding.
Testing in Japan
Japan's state education
system is often criticised for quashing original thought among pupils in favor
of rote learning, and for placing an emphasis on theory rather than practical
skills as well as on tests.
Japan's approach – rote
learning accompanied by regular reviewing and testing – has proved hugely
successful in establishing basic academic skills among pupils. The country's literacy
rate is frequently put at 99%.
The stress on memorising
information and passing exams, which begins in primary school and continues
through to senior high, has been blamed for stifling critical, independent
thought and placing too much pressure to succeed on children as young as five.
Japan, a world leader in international test scoring, and an education system envied in many countries, is not without its flaws. Despite attempts at reform, Japanese students are increasingly becoming disinterested in school. Japan's centralized education system has stated that they wish to reform their curriculum in order to instill a sense of love of education in their country's youth in order to provide young adults with the abilities to compete in the global market.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/opinions/view/japan-and-its-standardized-test-based-education-system
Ana,
ReplyDeleteI know that there are multiple ways to asses children and they do give a teacher some understanding of how a child is doing. If they are used correctly and doesn't stress them out. However, most kids are stressed and most assessments are not used correctly. It was also very interesting to read about Japan, and how they go about testing. Using just memorizing as a tool of assessment is hard and stressful on children.
Hi Ana,
ReplyDeleteI love your blog. It is creative and very inspiration. Great job! Yes, I stronger agree that we should use holistic approach, it will give you the knowledge of your whole child ability.
Ana,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for being such an informative and knowledgable resource throughout the past eight weeks! It has been a pleasure to read and ponder your thoughts and ideas on the topics related to child development. I think it is so amazing to have the opportunity to connect with people from around the world and learn different perspectives and experiences from one another. Thank you and best of luck to you in your future classes!
Ashley Richards