Blog Post 10

I have learned so much from the exercises and readings that were needed to complete these blog posts.  I remember reading a quote in our Education Foundations textbook: “A great teacher can offer an escape from poverty, to the child who dreams beyond his or her circumstances.”  That quote has really stuck with me throughout my entries.  Through Ayers readings and my blog posts, it is important for me, as a future teacher, to continue to be an explorer, on a journey with my students.  As a result, another emerging theme is building bridges.   An emergent theme in my blog posts is teaching with creativity and passion, instead of just teaching to the test.  Teachers should listen, connect with their students and learn about their student’s interests.  What I believe now, is that observation inspires good teaching and it is needed to uncover a child’s point of view or understanding.  Doing so, will provide me with a new perspective and help me approach the world with openness.  Going through my posts, I understand that teachers need to see, rather than judge and dismiss.  I never realized how a classroom could set the tone for a teacher.  When I am a teacher, I would like to build a space, where students could explore and be themselves; a place where students’ differences and beliefs are celebrated.  A concern of mine throughout my blog is the banking concept of education.  I learned more about this after Freire’s readings.  Students are getting information deposited into them, with the lack of creativity, transformation and knowledge.  My blog posts discuss how knowledge emerges through invention and reinvention.  As a teacher, I want to encourage my students to think critically and be creative.  I understand that, in order to do this, I must not depend on anyone, but myself to be trained and retrained.  Greatness in teaching requires a serious encounter with autobiography.  Although standardized tests have been a main focus, I have learned that a test score does not define the teacher or the student -- Summerhill School is the perfect example of that.  As Ayers has stated, “Every student and teacher is an entire universe.  The relationship and interaction is what makes learning come to life.” 

Part 1: This I Believe Annotated Bibliography

Maria Rozum
November 10, 2015
EDU 100 – Dr. Shutkin
Part 1: This I Believe Annotated Bibliography

Gewertz, C.  (2015).  N.Y.C. school aims for ‘authentic,’ not standardized, tests.         Education Week, Volume 34, Issue 37.  Retrieved from
http://0-web.a.ebscohost.com.library.jcu.edu/ehost/detail/detail?sid=a5c14417-64c840aa8502381f3647ca26%40sessionmgr4004&vid=0&hid=4112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=108765772&db=eft

            East Side Community High School in Manhattan, New York has permission to use projects for graduation, rather than the state-mandated standardized test.  In order for students to graduate from this school, they must complete a combination of projects and oral presentations for each subject. Unlike standardized tests, the teachers that grade the projects are able to take students outside of the scope of their assignment.   Research presented in this article, shows the positive effects of having an authentic-learning environment.  This article is important because I believe in authentic learning, as opposed to test taking.  Authentic learning allows the student to explore, design, discuss and discover.  I am going to use East Side Community’s authentic testing method as an example in my essy.  I am not the only one that believes in this style of learning:  “Staunch advocates of East Side's way of learning, and testing, argue that it builds not only content knowledge, but the skills to apply it to real-life situations, to make arguments and interpretations with it, and to present and defend it orally.”    

Gunzelman, B.  (2005, Spring).  Toxic testing: It’s time to reflect upon our current testing practices.  Education Horizon, Volume 83, Issue 3, 212-220.  Retrieved from
http://0-web.a.ebscohost.com.library.jcu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=5c0fa93c-1fb8-4834-b76e-39eaf7dcc576%40sessionmgr4004&vid=1&hid=4112

I believe that standardized tests are not the answer because we all have different learning styles.  A test cannot measure the true ability of a student’s learning.  The article provides a list of problems with the tests and provides an alternative method.  I think schools should try new methods for measuring students learning, as well as new approaches for evaluating teachers.  The article provides some background information on standardized tests and provides a description of the current understanding of them.  This article gives an example of authentic assessment, through the portfolio assessment, which is becoming more popular in schools.  These portfolios contain a collection of the student’s work and achievements.  This allows students to take responsibility for their learning and feel satisfaction with their accomplishments, rather than filling in bubbles on a test.  The portfolio assessment not only shows students learning, but also shows their strengths and weaknesses.  I agree with Deborah Meier that, "the increased use of standardized tests actually undermines student achievement and increases distrust of teachers, students, and our own judgments."  I will incorporate the portfolio assessments in my essay as another method for authentic assessment.   

Stevens, P.  (2013).  An examination of a teacher’s use of authentic assessment in an urban middle

school setting (Doctoral dissertation).  Retrieved from
http://0-search.proquest.com.library.jcu.edu/docview/1412729692 (3565244)

            This article describes what I believe and the change that I want to see in our schools: good instruction leads to authentic assessment.  This article will help me discuss what the problems are with standardized testing and my hopes for what authentic assessment could do for the students and teachers.  Alfie Kohn, an author and lecturer in education, believes that the educational system has taught the students and the teachers that giving the right answer is more important than thinking.  Instead of developing life-long thinking skills, learning now is more like cramming for a test.  This reminds me of Freire’s piece about teachers dumping information into a student’s head like a receptacle, rather than letting the student take part in the learning process through creativity.  As Kohn states, “In order to improve instruction, the focus must be on students‟ performance rather than on test scores; assessment then becomes meaningful and purposeful.”  The article is about promoting student learning by using alternative assessments.   It provides an overview of authentic assessment, as well as concepts and the validity of the assessments. 

Suskind, D.  (2015).  Living assessment passes the test.  Phi Delta Kappan.  Retrieved from:
http://0-web.a.ebscohost.com.library.jcu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3ae42182-45df-455b-abd2-e6dfca0543b6%40sessionmgr4001&vid=60&hid=4112    

            The definition of a living assessment is an intertwined, interactive and instructive part of every student’s learning.  Teachers can delay a student’s growth, without even knowing it, by setting up unnecessary controls in the classroom.  These unnecessary controls or roadblocks include: writing to prompts, telling children what they will read, assigning grades in isolation, not partnership, teaching at students instead of learning beside them, and using grades to drive reports, not instruction. Intertwined assessment occurs on the spot, in exploratory moments.  Suskind explains that standardized tests are not necessary to understand a student’s level of learning development.  Instead of using a test, a teacher should go based on their reading, writing and creativity when working together.  I believe this is the best kind of assessment.  It is hands-on and not seen or announced, but filled within the energy and interactions of the students throughout the school day.  “Living assessment empowers children and teachers, reflects students’ emotional needs and learning levels, and inspires all of us to live a reflective practice of observation that evolves and innovates as it kicks classroom learning into new dimensions.”  This article reminded me of the hard times I have had with standardized testing.  I have had a lifetime of experiences and a certain learning style based off standardized tests.  This article is evidence that authentic assessment is the solution to the problem. 

Koh, K., & Ng, P., & Tan, C.  (2011).  Creating thinking schools through authentic assessment: the case in Singapore.  Springer Science + Business Media, LLC.  Retrieved from:
http://0-download.springer.com.library.jcu.edu/static/pdf/209/art%253A10.1007%252Fs11092-011-9138-y.pdf?originUrl=http%3A%2F%2F0-link.springer.com.library.jcu.edu%2Farticle%2F10.1007%2Fs11092-011-9138-y&token2=exp=1447161759~acl=%2Fstatic%2Fpdf%2F209%2Fart%25253A10.1007%25252Fs11092-011-9138-y.pdf%3ForiginUrl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Flink.springer.com%252Farticle%252F10.1007%252Fs11092-011-9138-y*~hmac=206b87b3683b7cbefe914ea6f2ddc14cba97918ad8f27aa0d886c3df685e5e48

   

            This article encourages teachers to adopt authentic assessment in teaching and learning.  Doing so, will develop students’ learning.  The article uses Singapore’s schools, as an example of authentic teaching.  I will discuss Singapore’s authentic learning style and how the United States could benefit from this style, as well.  Rather than paper-and-pencil tests, the schools focus on authentic assessment, which concentrates on knowledge, critical thinking, creative thinking, innovative thinking and problem solving.  “Teachers are encouraged to expand their repertoire of teaching and learning strategies to include new and innovative pedagogies, communicate effectively, collaborate widely and solve problems reflectively.”  In Singapore, the schools that focus on authentic assessment, rather than conventional, are called Thinking Schools.  These Thinking Schools are struggling, however, with the authentic assessment, as the teachers do not feel prepared to teach in this new way.  The article also explains how to build teacher capacity by providing ongoing professional development with authentic assessments for teachers.  Throughout my paper, I will be discussing why I believe authentic assessment is best, compared to standardized tests.  Therefore, with the help of this article, I will discuss how teachers, like my future self, could prepare themselves for authentic assessment.    

     

    

Blog Post 9: Link to PowerPoint - Building a School

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12OxC8zfnB7EPu4v3JY7U9ZRLBk3j-PdPZ1nLO8bZ2IU/edit?ts=5638c13d#slide=id.p