As I read, Rethinking Early Childhood Education from p. 113-120 the text described steps of an assessment system called "Learning Stories". The first step is assessment protocols, which ask teachers to record a child's work through observation and in narrative form. Another step of assessment asked teachers to plan from an analysis: What might they offer to encourage a child's interest, ability, or disposition? ( Rethinking, p. 120). After I read this, I thought about how we assess children in ECE. In our preschool program we assess children in the beginning of the school year of September to see what they know and what we need to help them with. For example, colors and shapes for 2 and a half-3 year olds and colors, shapes, alphabet, and numbers for 4-5 year olds. Throughout the year, we do different learning activities, and games to strengthen children's minds and bodies. I also try to teach them positional and opposite words/movements. To help children become more independent we role play and show them how to do things on their own such as, pouring milk into their cups, scooping food into their own plate, washing hands, putting their toys away after playing with them etc.
According to, Susan Bernheimer in chapter 1 of New Possibilities for Early Childhood Education mentioned her experience on teaching a class to women on welfare. She started searching for ways to start her class and break through the silence of the women who had concerns and insights to express. through my experience when I first started to teach children, I was very nervous and worried because I was thinking to myself how could I teach them so that they will understand, What do they need to know before they go on to Kindergarten? However, when I assessed them I was suprised to see how much some of them knew. As I thought about my own experience it made me think and realize that everyone has to experience and learn new teaching techniques, which will work out for them and their students. Overall, in the near future I hope children will reflect on their school experience and set new goals for future education.
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Hi Dawn,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading about the assessment technique used in New Zealand also. I feel that their islander population has similar roots to ours and that stories are such a part of the Hawaiian culture that using them to assess children is perhaps more beneficial than checklists. I think an important question that you ask is "What doe they need to know before Kindergarten?" I think that we often underestimate chidlren's cognitive devlopment and narrowly asess simple concepts such as shape and color. But can they solve problems and find more than one solution? Can they persist in completing a task without frustration? There are so many more skills that children are capable of and I find our checklists a little simple. I feel that what children really need to learn is far more social/emotioanl than cognitive. When I think about my class of children entering "Big" school next year, I hope they make friends, ask questions, take turns and care about eachother. Above all, I hope they have curiosity and confidence to learn.
hi dawn!
ReplyDeleteYes, assessment can be a very interesting topic to bring up. In your classroom is your curriculum focused with your assessment method? When working with children, I first like to collect and record information about their learning and development. After that, I like to analyze the information gathered, and look to see what milestones the child needs help reaching or has reached. Lastly, I like to share this data with the child's family. I believe it is important, for their family to be provided with this information, so they can help to make choices for their child. In your work with children how do you evaluate them?
-suzanne
Hi Dawn,
ReplyDeleteIs knowing what the children need to know to enter Kindergarten important to base our assessment on? I mean, with all this pushed-down curriculum, it's as if the kindergarten teachers look at us ECE educators as failures because they can not write their names or know their alphabets. Yes, it's a plus if the children know all this before going to kindergarten, but if their is no meaning to what they know and understand, there is no point in being happy that they know their alphabets or can write their name. But assessing children to know their developmental areas is highly important because then we can come in and provide activities for each individual child to work on their skills they need to develop.
Preschool is not a place for them to recite alphabets everyday or count to 20 but to experience and explore the world around them so they have a understanding and meaning to it. Academics is already apart of their everyday learning because through the various centers, their are skills that are developed even though they are not sitting down to 15 minutes developing it. So what is important to assess children in as they enter the classroom?
Ashley
Hi Dawn,
ReplyDeleteI wonder about the purpose of assessment. Do educators only assess to determine progress? Are there other reasons for assessment? Is assessment a necessity?
After reading the Rethinking text, what might be the purpose of standardized tests? Has the purpose evolved through use? or has the purpose become more punitive?
What might be the purpose of the New Zealand Learning Stories? Is it different from the standardized tests so popular in the United States?
Jeanne
Hi Dawn!
ReplyDeleteI like what you did, how you teach your students different learning activities and games to strengthen their minds and bodies. Helping them become more independent like role playing lessons. I feel that role playing techniques helps them do things on their own, but still following the teachers instructions. Have you heard about play therapy? The school that I work at sometimes use play therapy as a teaching technique if needed. This also can help a student learn in a different way, I guess you can say playing games could be like play therapy.
My first experience, I remember my first time teaching a class and how nervous I was. What got me through that first day? I kept asking myself why I wanted to become a teacher and my answers is what got me through that first day. Now, I can’t wait to teach a lesson, to see a student’s eyes open up once they understand. “It’s priceless!”
Here’s a question for you: “What words of encouragement would you give to a teacher who is about to teach for the first time?”
Gary
Hi Dawn,
ReplyDeleteThere are so much activities in the classroom that we early childhood educators do to assess where the children are. To some people it may seem like we are playing but they do not realize that we are actually helping the children grow and learn in their play. Getting to know your students is one of the key in unlocking those activities. The more we know our children, the more we would know how to best serve them. How do you get to know the children in your classroom to better serve their individual needs?
Hi Dawn,
ReplyDeleteHow important standardized testing? Is it truely a great way to find out what children know? What if the child doesn't do well under preassure? I liked what you do with your children. I teach 4 year olds, there is so much that they have learned without standardized testing. I do my assessments through different activities and games. I also use observations to let me in to the minds of my children. I believe children can show what they know without the testing.