For me this is a tough topic to take a stand and write a blog on. When I was going to school in Sri Lanka United State because of the education we received from Sri Lanka Sri Lanka
My personal view is that there has to be a way to decide whether the teaching methods are effective and whether the children are grasping what is being taught. Every child has their own style of learning and the fear of tests is unavoidable. Educational field has to come up with different assessment systems and have to keep up with them to have a better understanding of what is going on. There should be a way of looking at the whole child and understanding that every child is unique and have the potential for a brighter future. It is the responsibility of educators, parents as well as policy makers to open up all the possibilities for the children.
I read about the 1970’s and 1980’s holistic education movement. John Dewey, Maria Montessori, Rudolf Steiner and many others were considered as the pioneers of the movement. Every child is more than a future employee; every person’s intelligence and abilities are far more than the score on a stranded test seems to be the base. Helping children to find their identity, meaning and purpose in life by connecting to the community, nature, and spiritual values like compassion and peace created the love of learning. When it comes to special needs; accommodating differences and refusing the labeling is the method. There are few public schools, alternative schools and many home schooling families who are inspired by this attitude towards teaching and schooling.
When I read articles, on the subject of holistic assessment for the school age children, I came upon an interesting article on
I hated the test days at school growing up. They also started around 4th grade and continued through the rest of school. I can remember sitting in the cafeteria at the long tables with boards set up between the students so we couldn't see other's papers. I agree that thre has to be a better way to test for understanding. Not all chidlren do well on tests.
ReplyDeleteI love that music, arts, sports and even chess are all a part of school in SriLanka. It is a shame the schools cut those areas first when budget cuts come around.
Venuri,
ReplyDeleteYou made an interesting comment in your blog. You stated that some system must be derived to determine the effectiveness of the teaching methods in relation to pupils learning styles. Technology is revealing to us more and more that we must make adjustments in order to impact on our pupils in the 21st century and beyond. That is the problem in our education system because we speak glowingly about Howard Gardiner's nine learning styles, yet there are teachers who do not explore many of them. There is the huge tendency to stay close to the chalk and talk now it may be the white board and the marker.
In the past, pencil and paper assessment was mostly used. Today performance assessment is a reality. In my country (Trinidad and Tobago) efforts are being made to revise the Continuous Assessment Portfolio (CAP) because it will be once again attempted from next year to assess our children at the elementary level. This would require teachers not only to assess pupils projects but this time 20% of the marks will go towards the placement test which children at grade 4 are required to take.
It is a challenge and as we evaluate what we do I am certain that every effort is being made to ensure that our children can fit into the global scheme of things.
Testing is a difficult subject area because not all children do well on standardized tests. I was one of those kids. I worked very hard in my classes for good grades but when it came time to take tests such as the SAT and ACT my scores didn't reflect my grades. This was very frustrating and disheartning to me because it played a big role when I was applying for colleges.
ReplyDeleteI remember having the same test anxieties growing up. Do you think that your teachers and school had a clear picture of the type of student you were based on your test scores? Do you think they would have a better picture of your academic abilities through a holistic view?
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post and hearing about your education experiences in another country. Providing higher education is such a wonderful incentive for young children in Sir Lanka. It gives them something to strive for and goals to try and achieve.