There are so many wonderful quotes about children and children's development that it was difficult to pick just one. The first quote I chose states 'Only a child can appreciate the value of a raindrop or find beauty in a puddle" - Unknown. I chose this quote because it is so true. Children, especially young children see beauty and wonder in things that most of us adults have forgotten about long ago, which is why I love my job as a teacher because I get to experience that wonder again through their eyes. The other quote I chose goes along the lines of "The primary purpose of being four is to be four. Of secondary importance is to get ready to be five" - Jim Traverse. I agree with this quote wholeheartedly. As teachers, parents, families, we sometimes worry too much about children being ready for the next stage that we forget that they are enjoying and being challenged by the stage they are in now.
To all of my classmates, colleagues, and of course our professor I would like to say thank you for this semester. Studying child development has been a challenging yet rewarding experience this semester. I know that I would not have benefited as much from it without your feedback. I would also like to thank Dr. Kathleen Bergen for her wonderful, easy-to-understand yet rich in information text that I am sure I will use as a reference for years to come.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
Children and assessment
Children and Assessment
In our educational climate today, I feel that too much emphasis is put on assessment. Although, I certainly feel that knowing what children can do is important I feel that standardized testing may not be the best measure of their knowledge or ability. For instance, children can have a bad test due to lack of sleep, illness, family stress, or other issues going on in their personal lives. Under these circumstances, children may not perform well on the test. I also feel that most standardized tests do not take into account cultural differences although in some states this is improving. I feel that America needs to place more focus on formative assessment and look at assessment before, during, and after instruction.
China is growing as a major world economy and the children of China are being educated as such. However, from the research that I have done recently in China the ministry of education is moving more toward formative assessment and placing less emphasis on standardized testing.
References
(2009) “Assessment and curriculum reform in China: EFL education at the tertiary level”
http://www.aare.edu.au/08pap/che08574.pdf
In our educational climate today, I feel that too much emphasis is put on assessment. Although, I certainly feel that knowing what children can do is important I feel that standardized testing may not be the best measure of their knowledge or ability. For instance, children can have a bad test due to lack of sleep, illness, family stress, or other issues going on in their personal lives. Under these circumstances, children may not perform well on the test. I also feel that most standardized tests do not take into account cultural differences although in some states this is improving. I feel that America needs to place more focus on formative assessment and look at assessment before, during, and after instruction.
China is growing as a major world economy and the children of China are being educated as such. However, from the research that I have done recently in China the ministry of education is moving more toward formative assessment and placing less emphasis on standardized testing.
References
(2009) “Assessment and curriculum reform in China: EFL education at the tertiary level”
http://www.aare.edu.au/08pap/che08574.pdf
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