An academic approach which involves determining outcomes that can be measured solely on standardized tests is unfair to those children that are not from the same cultural background. Language barriers can impede a child to answer properly on test questions and will receive an overall lower score. It is hard to distinguish what concepts a child has already mastered and which he has not. Assessments like these only prove one thing, who got the test questions right, not who understands the material . I think children should be measured based on their own individual outcomes. A hoslistic approach allows the curriculum to evolve based on children's individual and group abilities and interests. The assessments take into consideration children current and past knowledge individually.
In Nicaragua, school aged children are assessed individually. Nicaragua is a republic of South America. Some village schools where poverty is at a high, combine children of all ages (5-17) in one classroom. Here, the idea of a standardized test is irrelevant as it will not do well to assess the many different levels of development. The teachers work with each child when there is time, but mostly just ask pre-set questions to different children. My neighbor, who was raised there, shares that it is up to the parents and teacher to scaffold the individual child. Tests are given to the individual or to small groups of children who have been working on the same material.
Hi Frank! You stated that "some assessments only prove who gets the questions right, not who understands the material." That means that some assessments don't really measure what a child has achieved. I was surpised to learn that children in some schools in Nicaragua are group into one classroom (ages 5-17).
ReplyDeleteHi Frank.
ReplyDeleteAs an educator, could you imagine having a classroom with children ranging from ages 5 - 17? I wonder how well these students are truly educated? I would love to visit this classroom and observe the teaching styles for such a diverse classroom.
Thank you for posting this. It has really made me think!!
Hi Frank,
ReplyDeleteCould not have said it better myself. There are some schools that are not equipt to handling children that are below grade level, so the child does not get the adequate attention he/she needs to accomplish passing the exam. This then leaves the child with the only option but to christmas tree the exam.
I completely agree that standardized tests do not take into account the culture of the student. For example, I teach in Florida and we often see stories about winter situations. Well, we don't have the fairy tale winter in Florida with snow and sleds. My students often don't know what they are referencing in stories outside of their environment.
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