When looking at the big picture to some it seems a little ridiculous to be having children take standardized test, right? Children are measured and assessed in a number of ways in the school systems today. Many of these tests are being administered and children really aren't learning much. If we are to assess how a child learns why not look at how a child interacts with others, how the child is reading, and even how the child's language is. I think instead of testing things that children will more than likely end up forgetting and teachers only teach because they have to, we should be assessing things that a child will use in his/her lifetime. Socialization, emotional readiness, and other factors that goes into a child's learning, other than picking out the subject of a sentence, should be assessed to how the child is learning and developing.
Many countries tests children's abilities and intelligence in many different ways. I learned years ago in my undergrad studies how China assess their children's intelligence. During their whole life Chinese children learn and study to prepare themselves for the gaokao. The gaokao is a test given to high school graduates to determine which college they will go to (if they can even go) and what they could study. It's pretty much a life determining test. Children study for this test that lasts for nine hours over the course of two days. Subjects that would be on the test is math, science, English, Chinese, and a 800 word essay. Students have been known to hook themselves up to IV's filled with fluids to keep them going and essentially make themselves sick with stress over the test (Carlson, B., Chen, Z., 2013). The way I see it, their education system is far more intense than ours. I don't think I would be able to survive this type of test let alone want my kids to go through it.
If we want our children to be assessed by what really matters then we should be advocating for this. I believe for something to truly change enough people have to get on board and voice their opinions to the right people. While you may feel that your voice isn't being heard, advocating is the best way to get information out there to change the results of a system that is just not working.
References:
Carlson, B., & Chen, Z. (2013). You thought the SAT was bad? Meet the gaokao. Retrieved from: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/china/130607/china-gaokao-exam
Heather,
ReplyDeleteYou made a good point in that advocacy will provide a mechanism to voice concerns of how testing is being done and how to help all children to succeed.
Heather,
ReplyDeleteI also looked into the China Education System since that is the one country that is ranked high as far as their test scores. I read the article that talked about 9 hour test for students! I agree with you about test the child as a child, not as a score on a piece of paper. I'm hoping that one day soon their will be some other type of assessment that focuses more on the whole child.
Heather,
ReplyDeleteYour knowledge for early childhood is very impressive and I enjoyed reading your discussions on this topics we read for our class. I really look forward to increasing our knowledge together in the early childhood field.