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? 

Blogpost 6

In class on Thursday we worked in groups and discussed important parts of our reading in “Educational Foundations”. We discussed different questions, things that made us wonder and even made some outside connections. We marked off what we felt to be important parts of the reading with PostIt notes. There was a spot in particular that that caught my eye that my group marked. It quotes, “education thus becomes an act of depositing, in which the students are the depositories and the teacher is the depositor. Instead of communicating, the teacher issues communiques and makes deposits which the students patiently receive, memorize, and repeat. This is the “banking” concept of education, in which the scope of action allowed to the students extends only as far as receiving, filing, and storing the deposits.”  I believe that a large part of my time as a student was spent memorizing facts and information, taking a test, and forgetting all about it. This was not an effective way of learning, and it is also known as the “banking” method. There is a lack of creativity in the classroom, and there is such an emphasis on simply knowing the facts to pass a test. In the book, it states that knowledge comes from invention and re-invention, and that “...through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other.” I agree with this statement, while I feel that outside connections are important when learning. It is important to work with others and relate to what is being done. Although I feel that memorization can be important depending on the concept, being able to apply what is being learned will truly help a student retain the information. I feel that schools need to take a step away from the harsh focus on standardized tests and give the students a real chance to truly obtain their knowledge.

Blog Post 5

Homophobia has been a rising problem at school districts across the country, and it is something that even I noticed back at my old high school. During my junior year, there was a senior, George, that wanted to start a Gay-Straight Alliance Club. The principal declined this proposal, stating that it was "too controversial", despite the fact that our school already had a club dedicated to the study of catholic religion. After fighting for the organization for months on end, George was finally able to get the approval from our principal to start the club. George and his friends starting getting the word out by hanging up posters. When the other kids came to school and saw this, they would laugh, make fun of it, and tear down all of the posters. However, that did not make George give up hope on starting this organization and started to hold the meetings. Overall there was a fairly good attendance, but it was only through that year. After George graduated the organization was passed on to 4 students, who were straight, to lead the club. These students lacked the motivation to carry on their responsibilities as officers, and only held one meeting. The Gay-Straight Alliance simply went downhill from there. There is such an emphasize on being straight that many people are not accepting to the homosexual population, and I feel that something needs to be done about that. 

Rofes discusses childhood in his writing, along with the liberal and radical distinctions of addressing homophobia and heterosexism. Rofes depicted his own childhood experience as he was coming to terms with himself that he was gay. He stated that he did not believe that he was born gay, rather he was born sexual and capable of erotically responding to a range of stimuli. He also claimed that nothing in his genetic makeup predetermined that he would focus his erotic interests on one sex, and nothing biological determined that he would like men. A person starts to develop more into their own personality as a child and they discover who they truly are. Rofes states, “As a culture, we tell ourselves how much we love children and how committed we are to protecting them from savage forces and menacing threats. At the same time, by seeing children and youth as innocent and vulnerable, we participate in the creation of structures and social forces that keep children from information, resources, social organizations, and self-concepts that might allow them to produce themselves as strong, savvy people.” By saying this, it expresses the importance of letting a child become who they want to become, and society needs to be more open to that. In the next 4 years, I hope to be teaching at a school that is open to everyone. I want to teach in a school where nobody is discriminated against due to their sexual interests. I cannot stress enough my feelings on the importance of letting kids feel comfortable with themselves, and I hope that the rest of society will come to terms with that as well.

Field Post 2

On Thursday our class took a visit to Shaker Heights Middle School. I observed what seemed to be a 7th grade math class along with an 8th grade science class. The math class was first on the agenda. I noticed that there was a lot of group work being done. The kids sat in table groups of four students and they were working on a group activity. They had to figure out how much sugar there is in different types of drinks. Although the students were loud and tended to get off topic, they were still able to get their work done and work together easily. The teacher would walk around to each group to answer questions and make sure that they were doing what they were supposed to. I felt that the kids in the class all had a strong connection to one another, despite what seemed to be different types of personalities. I believe that that has something to do with the school's enforcement of community circles, which I was able to experience in the next class. Each week, each of the classes have an assigned community circle session, in which they are able to bond with their other classmates. They have a talking stick so the other students won't interrupt the speaker, since middle schoolers have a tendency to talk when they are not supposed to. This particular 8th grade science class had talkative students, but they all seemed to get along and listened to what others had to say. The teacher told my partner and I that it takes a very special person to teach this grade level, as it requires a lot of patience. 

Bridge building was a central topic in chapter 4 of "To Teach the Journey, in Comics".  It states, "teaching is also bridge-building. Beginning on one shore with the knowledge, experience, know-how, and interests of the student, the teacher moves toward broader horizons and deeper ways of knowing." Ayers lists many different examples of bridge-building. One of which described the setting of Avi Lessing's high school classroom, in which they discussed issues in today's society. He also explains how Zayd, Ayer's oldest son, wanted to have a ceremony that celebrated his entrance into adulthood. Zayd was able to build a bridge from childhood to adulthood. There are bridges connecting childhood to adulthood and also bridges connecting students to the teacher. 

Just as there were bridges in the story, there also were at Shaker Heights Middle School. Shaker has adopted an IB program, in which students learn by thinking and reflecting and making connections to the outside world. This connects the student's way of thinking to the outside world. As stated above, the students did much of their work in groups and participated in community circles. This builds a bridge between student to student while developing stronger relationships. 

Blog Post #4

Dear Senator Larry Obhof,

It has come to my attention that there has been a continuous conflict in regards to the conditions of school buildings throughout Ohio. In 2003, the Ohio Supreme Court even deemed, “that the system of school finance must undergo a complete systematic overhaul in order to remedy the unconstitutional educational system.” Even today in 2016 this still holds to be true in certain areas. The economic and political power in the locations of schools can lead to detrimental policies and practices. I think I speak for the majority of the population in Ohio when I say that these problems need to be addressed.

I am an alumni of the Brecksville-Broadview Heights School District, which is a predominantly wealthier area with good schooling. Even so, during my senior year of high school there were two incidences in which the school flooded due to problems with the plumbing, and there was even an occasion of the power going out for over an hour during lunch periods. That was only throughout the course of one year, and there have been many other incidences throughout my entire time as a student in the district. If these types of things are happening in a wealthier school district, it makes it hard to imagine some of the conditions that those must face in a more inner-city school type setting. Inner-city schools have lower economic and political power, and I think that special attention should be drawn to this. The students and staff both deserve to come to a safe and efficient working environment everyday and they should not have to worry about the conditions of the buildings. I feel that if extra money went in to fix these conditions, it would make for a better, safer education system.

I hope that you see my point and that this problem will be addressed, since it has gone on long enough.

Thank you for your time,

Chloe Backman