This I Believe Proposal

This I Believe Proposal:

Chloe Backman

Intro to Education

This I Believe

There is so much pressure put on students today to perform well on standardized tests. It is taking away from much of the time in and out of the classroom. But what about those students who are not necessarily the best test takers? Is their grades in school and extracurricular activities taken into account? According to my research these things do not matter as much as a score on a standardized test. The preparation is also starting as such a young age. Kids have started to prep for these tests that will pretty much predict their future. I believe that the focus should be drifted away from standardized tests and there should be more of an emphasis on using creativity in the classroom.

Months on end are spent studying and preparing for yet another standardized test and the scores have such an impact on a student. At a young level, children are forced to receive an education that is geared towards preparation for standardized test and they do not have many opportunities to explore outside of their text books. Many schools are also starting to cut back on things such as recess, art, music, physical education and anything creative or anything that will let a student relax. By the time a student hits high school they have to start taking tests such as the ACT or SAT. Those who score better are more likely to get into better universities and get more scholarship, despite their other activities and grades. This type of system does not accurately depict how well a student is going to do in life since some kids are simply better test takers than others. Creativity, perseverance, collaboration, and vision I feel are also just as important.

A personal example of my topic would be me. When it comes to testing I do not perform well. No matter how hard I study or how much preparation I do my score is simply never good enough to me. I took the ACT four times and my score barely moved. This has always been so frustrating to me because I do so well inside and outside of the classroom. My senior year I got consecutive 4.2’s on my report card. My extracurricular activities and leadership positions went on and on. Regardless of how well I did on anything else, it all came down to my standardized test when applying to college. That depicted how much money I would get or what schools I could get into. For my classmates that did well on the ACT they breezed through getting into any university that they wanted to. But for those who struggled had it harder. I believe that universities should look at other factors besides tests because there are so many other things that define a person. Placing so much emphasis on these tests can have such a negative impact.  

Field Post 7

I went back to Chippewa Elementary School the Tuesday before Thanksgiving break. I walked in the classroom at 9:30 to see the students preparing to recite the poem for the first graders that they were working on last time I was there: "My Turkey Shot Out of the Oven". The morning began with the class making a turkey hat to wear to their performance later in the afternoon and even I got to participate. Not only that, but I also made the same turkey hat 11 years ago and still have it! Many of the students had troubles with folding and cutting the pieces of paper, and they also used an excessive amount of glue, creating a mess. The whole process took up a big chunk of the morning, as it was tedious work for these second graders. After crafting, it was time to present their star of the week. Star of the week is when one student is chosen a week to present all about them and have the other students ask questions. The students go crazy for this because it gives them a chance to feel special and explain to the class what they are like. The boy presenting that week talked about his family, favorite color, favorite food, favorite activity, where he lived, what he wants to do when he grew up and so on. Following this nearly every kid in the class had their hand up to ask their star a question. It amazed me how curious kids are at this age and how many questions they had. It made me think that at an older age such as high school there would not have been this many questions. This is why I admire this age group--they are curious about everything. After star of the week ended, it was time to get back to work on their poem recital. Ms. Clancy gave each of the 22 students a line in the poem to read. She asked them to line up in order and they practiced the poem three times through. Once the students felt confident Ms. Clancy took them down to the office to recite the poem to the workers there. The principal took a picture of me and the class wearing our turkey hats after the rehearsal, and then we headed back to the classroom to get ready for the library. Each student was asked to pick out a book to take home and start reading it silently while they waited for the others to finish. They found every single chair and every single little nook and corner of the library to sit in and read. After everyone was finished they were asked to reconvene in the center of the library on the "reading carpet" to have a short lesson. Shortly after Ms. Clancy came to pick the class up and it was also time for me to leave. Each time that I say my goodbyes to the class more and more students come up to hug me and I have always been fascinated by this after each of my visits. These kids have really started to grow on me and I believe that I have grown on them.

Field Post 6

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  On Friday, November 18th I went back to Chippewa Elementary School for the third time. Once again they started off with their typical Friday routine of morning announcements and desk organization. Following that they started off their lesson with reading Thanksgiving-themed poetry. They read out loud as a class and all actively participated. The last poem that they did was called "My Turkey Shot out of the Oven" and it is one that I remember reciting when I was in second grade. Each year on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving break Ms. Clancy's class recites this poem to the first graders, again, an activity that I did. After poetry Mrs. Clapper came in once again for another guidance counselor lesson, only this time the lesson was focused on body language. As this was going on Ms. Clancy put me to work. She had me grading papers and putting grades in the grade book. When the guidance lesson concluded Ms. Clancy explained the instructions for a station rotation activity that they would be doing. As this lesson was occurring she had me pull aside the student who were having a hard time with the subtraction problems they worked on last time I was there. I pulled them aside one by one and went through the steps on the problems that they needed help with. I found this to be a good way to get involved with the class. Following this it was once again time for music class. On this day they were doing music activities that related to Thanksgiving. One of the activities was a game called "Turkey Trot", which I also did when I attended Chippewa. It was a hit with the students and everyone had fun with it. At 11:30 Ms. Clancy picked up the class for lunch and I said my goodbyes. Only this time even more students hugged me as a left, even a couple of boys. I have really enjoyed working with these students as they are all great kids.
  
  

Field Post 5

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  On Friday, November 11th I went back for day two of my field hours. Once again the class started out with their desk organizations and morning announcements at 9:30. Following their morning routine the class started off with learning long subtraction problems, which Ms. Clancy mentioned to me was like pulling teeth since every year the students have a hard time grasping the concept. On top of that, the class was rowdier on this day and had a hard time sitting still. Ms. Clancy told them that she didn't "want a repeat of yesterday". Despite the fact that they were rowdy they still participated in the lesson and asked many questions about the subtraction. Ms. Clancy did a few problems on the board with them and then had them try it on their own. Once again, we would walk around the classroom and answer any questions that they might have. It was a good way to get me involved in the classroom and work with the kids. However, the lesson had to be put to a halt because the guidance counselor, Mrs. Clapper, came in to do a lesson. That particular lesson was about being respectful to others, and she had the students up and moving during the activity and they all had fun with it--I even got to participate! A half an hour later their lesson ended and the class transitioned into reading, where Ms. Clancy once again got me involved. She took the boys into the reading circle in the classroom while I took the girls into the rocking reading lounge in the main lobby and we each read them a different story from their book. The girls had a hard time sitting still and would get upset if other girls took their seat. I had to stop multiple times throughout the story to get their attention back and get them to stop talking or giving each other attitude over silly reasons. However, we were still able to finish the book just in time for music class with Mrs. Ferguson. The kids started out the class by dancing to a song about fall with colorful scarfs and then they had talent day. Two girls played the piano for there class: one girl played a quick song that she wrote herself while the other played a song from "Beauty and the Beast" and it sounded phenomenal for a second grader. I was an awe by how good she sounded for being so young and she is going to grow up to be a very talented musician. Music class ended and the students once again got ready for lunch. As I was leaving even more girls came up to me and gave me hugs, and once again it made me feel as if I did a nice job connecting with the students.

Field Post 4

On Friday, October 28th I walked into the halls of Chippewa Elementary School for the first time in many years, for I was once a student at this school. These field hours have given me the opportunity to go back and shadow my old second grade teacher, Ms. Clancy, who is also a John Carroll alum. I chose to go back and shadow her because she had such an impact on me. She is an incredible teacher and does a great job connecting with her students, and that is something that I remember from 11 years ago when I was in her very classroom. I arrived at 9:30 which is the start of their school day. I said my hello's to Ms. Clancy and a few other staff members as the kids organized and cleaned out their desks before their morning announcements. One of the first things I noticed was that the class was predominantly white. There was one asian, two indians, and no african americans. That is very typical of the Brecksville School District as it is a predominantly white community. From the moment I walked into the classroom one of the students, Lydia, grew an immediate attachment to me. As I would walk around the room she would randomly come up and hug me, she would ask me questions about myself, compliment my outfit and so on. Ms. Clancy mentioned that she is more of a troubled student, as she has a tendency to talk out loud and not raise her hand, get out of her seat and not listen to instructions. As a teacher you will get students like this and it is very important to know how to handle them properly. Since Halloween was right around the corner the students started their lesson with a Halloween poetry activity. All of the students read along to the poems and actively participated. After that they transitioned into doing problems in their math books. Ms. Clancy did a few problems with the students on the smart board and then had them try it on their own, and if they had any questions to flag down either me or Ms. Clancy. From the very start Ms. Clancy had me working hard and helping the students but I really enjoyed it and felt as if I did a nice job answering any questions and connecting with the kids. Following math was the start of music class with Mrs. Ferguson, my old music teacher. Mrs. Ferguson is a very sweet lady who is passionate about music and is also able to connect with the kids very well. The kids all participated in Halloween music activities and listened to halloween songs and danced! It was a good way for them to let out all of their hyper energy in an appropriate way. They were all very excited and got into the activities. After music class the kids headed back to the classroom and got ready for lunch, meaning that my time was up. As I was leaving a couple of the girls came up and gave me hugs (Lydia included) and it made me feel as if they really looked up to me. I had a very good first day doing my field hours and I am glad that I chose to come back to Chippewa Elementary School. Some of the things that I noted were that all of the teachers that I have ever worked with in this school do an incredible job with connecting with the students, getting to know them, and make them feel heard and I feel as if these things are vital. I also noted that all of the students were eager to get involved with all of the activities and lessons and they cared about what they were learning.That is part of the reason why I want to go into this field at this age level--I admire the administrations passion for the students, and the students passion for learning.

Blog Post 9: This I Believe Annotated Bibliography

My “This I Believe” Proposal is that I feel that there should be less of an emphasis on standardized tests. I plan on teaching early childhood education and it saddens me to see these students starting to prepare at such a young age. I feel that all of the constant prepping takes away from the students getting to use creativity in the classroom. Recess is being shortened, art classes are being cut, and students are memorizing facts that will soon be forgotten. I believe that students, especially at such a young age, should be able to enjoy learning, and they should learn information for their own sake, not to judge their performance on how well they test. I found 5 articles that relate to my statement. I depicted each one and pulled out points that demonstrated my belief.

1. Standardized Testing

   Wylie, Jordan. "Standardized Testing". Political Theory. gameofroles.wordpress.com. Accessed 11 Nov. 2016.

https://gameofroles.wordpress.com/2011/11/17/standardized-testing/

Months on end are spent studying and preparing for standardized tests, and the scores resulting have a major impact on one’s future. Although other things such as extra curriculars and GPA come into play, the weight of influence the standardized tests provide can be unfair to those who are not strong test takers. The article also states that testing is starting to develop a larger role in the early elementary level. These young children are forced to receive an education that is geared towards preparation for standardized tests and don’t have as many opportunities to explore outside of their textbooks. I believe that standardized tests can actually be more harmful than helpful. I believe that it is taking away from using creativity in the classroom, and at a young age that could actually hurt a child.

2) Colleges are Putting Too Much Emphasis on Standardized Tests
Rory, Jennifer. "Colleges are Putting Too Much Emphasis on Standardized Tests". smeharbinger.net. Accessed 11 Nov. 2016.

https://smeharbinger.net/colleges-are-putting-too-much-emphasis-on-standardized-tests/

Intelligence nowadays seems to be based off of how well a student can perform on a standardized test. Students who receive higher scores on tests such as the ACT or SAT are considered to be smarter and have an easier time getting into more prestigious universities and getting more scholarship than those who score lower. This type of system does not accurately depict how well a student is going to do in life simply due to the fact that some students are better test takers than others. These tests are also unable to show some of the skills and character traits that are a key part to success. Traits such as creativity, perseverance, collaboration, vision and self-discipline are a few basics that are helpful in the professional world that are not measured by these tests. I believe that schools should start putting more of an emphasis on hands-on experience and draw away from using standardized test as the most “accurate” way of measuring a student’s success. I feel that creativity is just as important of a trait to acquire.

3) The Negative Effects of High-Stakes Testing
Spann, Pamela. "The Negative Effects of High-Stakes Testing". luc.edu. Accessed 11 Nov. 2016

http://www.luc.edu/media/lucedu/law/centers/childlaw/childed/pdfs/2015studentpapers/Spann.pdf

High-stake testing has become pervasive in the current educational culture and both young students and those entering college are all impacted by the pressure to do well on these tests. In the United States, No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top have both put massive emphasis on tests scores as a means for schools to receive funding, and the amount of funded that a school gets is based off of how well their students perform. In some states, “students entering kindergarten will take a minimum of 16 state tests before graduation”. Since subjects such as music, art, social studies, science, and physical education are not tested, teachers often have less time to devote to these areas. I believe that the emphasis on tested subjects decreases the educational experience that a child receives because the teachers have to spend so much time prepping for yet another standardized test. I also believe that when prepping begins at such a young age it could actually have a negative impact.

4) Standardized Testing and Its Victims
Kohn, Alfie. "Standardized Testing and Its Victims". alfiekohn.org. Accessed 11 Nov. 2016

http://www.alfiekohn.org/article/standardized-testing-victims/

In this day in age few countries use standardized tests for children below high school age, yet America is one of the few that does. These tests scores often measure superficial thinking. Elementary school students were classified as actively engaged in learning if they asked questions of themselves while they read and tried to connect what they were doing to past learning. Superficial thinking, on the other hand, involves simply copying down answers, guessing and skipping over the hard parts. Schools all over are eliminating programs such as art, recess, electives and extracurriculars to focus more time on preparing for these tests. I feel that this is taking away from the creativity aspect of school and learning. Memorizing information will only get a student so far, and starting at a young age can decrease their ability to be kids and to be creative in the classroom.

5) Standardized Tests Do Not Effectively Measure Student Achievement

Harris, Phillip. "Standardized Tests Do Not Effectively Measure Student Achievement. Standardized Testing. 2012. Opposing Viewpoints In Context, www.go.galegroup.com

In this article, Phillip Harris, the executive director for the Association for Educational Communications & Technology, depicts the difference between standardized tests and student achievement. He states, "...scores of standardized tests are not the same as student achievement." Standardized tests do a poor job of measuring student achievement because they do not measure attributes such as creativity, critical thinking, resilience, motivation, persistence, curiosity and so on. Another negative behind standardized tests is that they create incentives for students to become superficial thinkers and seek the quick and obvious answer. I believe that Harris does a nice job pointing out the negatives behind standardized test. I do not believe that these types of tests measure a person's true intelligence.

BAGNATO, SJ; et al. Authentic Assessment as “Best Practice” for Early Childhood Intervention: National Consumer Social Validity Research. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education. 34, 2, 116-127, Aug. 2014. ISSN: 02711214. 

The early childhood professionals recognize the limitations of conventional testing with young children. This recognition has given rise to Authentic Assessment, now recognized officially as best practice by the major professional organizations. However, no national studies have been conducted to document the comparative qualities of either authentic or conventional approaches—according to meaningful external standards. Based on a national Internet survey of professionals, we report details of a social validity study of common measurement methods on eight operationally defined standards for developmentally appropriate assessment linked to professionally sanctioned practice standards and indicators. Approximately 1,500 professional responses reveal higher quality appraisals for authentic assessment over conventional testing methods for early childhood intervention purposes. Based on these results, we offer recommendations to advance valid, sensible, and contextually appropriate assessmentfor early childhood intervention. 

HOWLIN, P. Authentic Assessment for Early Childhood Intervention: Best Practices. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities. 26, 2, 181, Mar. 2013. ISSN: 13602322.

GRISHAM-BROWN, J; HALLAM, R; BROOKSHIRE, R. Using Authentic Assessment to Evidence Children’s Progress Toward Early Learning Standards. Early Childhood Education Journal. 34, 1, 45-51, Aug. 2006. ISSN: 10823301.

BlogPost 7

What is the greatness in teaching? Well, I feel as if there are many different aspects that come into play when describing its greatness. From a personal standpoint the most important aspect to me would be building relationships between the students and the teachers. During my senior year of high school I took an AP Literature course with Mr. Thomas Mulhall. Despite how challenging that class was, I was so glad that I took it because of how much I liked the teacher. He was able to relate to his students on a personal level and that made it easier for the students to communicate with him. Everyday he would stand outside of his classroom and greet everyone that walked by and that was something that I really appreciated. I felt very comfortable going to him for advice even if it had nothing to do with english, he was always just very easy to talk to. Everyone else felt comfortable talking in class, asking questions, and getting involved. I believe that it also helped the students gain closer relationships with one another. On top of that, by the end of the year my skills in english improved drastically and I easily passed the AP Lit Exam. Mr. Mulhall was such a special teacher. It is teachers like him that make for a better learning environment. It is easy to tell when a teacher doesn't care about what they are teaching and when they don't necessarily care about getting to know the students. I've experienced teachers like this as well and there was a noticeable and negative impact on my grades. We need more Mr. Mulhalls in this field because I feel that building relationships is a major key to success. 

Field Post 3

Last Thursday our class took a trip out to Cleveland Heights High School. I knew from the very start that I did not want to be a high school teacher, but even so I was very interested by what I saw. Cleveland Heights High School is a much different setting than Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School, where I attended. Cleveland Heights was a predominantly black school district, while Brecksville is the opposite. During my observations I sat in on a 2nd period senior english class. Going off of the school being predominantly black, I noted that there was only one white student in the entire class. I also noted that including myself, there were 6 different adults in the room which I found to be quite excessive. The students in this particular english class were working on a project for an annual competition in Downtown Cleveland that they attend. Each year, this class writes and performs a rap. The rap depicts issues of gender and race. Many of the kids were involved in their class discussion, but whenever the teacher would go to work with a student individually the rest of the class would become distracted and talk about things unrelated to what they were supposed to be working on. Overall I thought that writing this rap would be a great experience for the students and it is a different way of expressing themselves and it is a different way of learning. I also noted that there were 4 students that walked into class very late, and not a word was said about it. As I stated earlier this school has a very different environment compared to where I attended. Entering a rap contest at my old high school would be considered taboo and unacceptable, and if students were to walk in that late there would be questions asked. It was interesting to see how different schools handle different events. Based off of my observation I imposed a question about teaching in a high school setting. This english class spends a majority of their time creating this rap, and it makes me wonder when they have the time to focus on their curriculum when it comes to other classroom activities such as reading, vocabulary, tests and so on. Although writing a rap is a neat way to get a class to be involved and doing something different, when do they actually learn vital material?