Standardized Testing

Standardized Testing

     

     Mrs O. obviously takes the time and effort to make sure that her teaching helps students meet the standards set. Last time I was there, they were working on reading two different versions of the same fable - "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"- which happens to be a Literacy standard I read about during this lesson. The standard asks students to compare and contrast different versions of the same story. Math standards are clearly addressed as well each time I have visited.

     I have always visited the classroom on Fridays, due to my work schedule. This has been somewhat of a hindrance in that I cannot observe what goes on during other days of the week. Science is not addressed on Fridays, but I do know it is taught on other days. The same can be said for the other subjects excluding Math and various literacy skills. The class works really hard on M-Th, then uses Friday for catching up, rewards, and some new skills in Literacy and Math.

    The cooperating teacher did not have a lot to say about standardized testing. My impression is, she is not a big fan, but didn't want to potentially offend someone by being brutally honest. She did say, that NCLB was first coming into effect in her first year of teaching, so its hard for her to say what the differences are between before, and now. She mentioned that each President has "their program" that you must learn to work within. She seemed frustrated with some aspects of standardized testing- namely that sometimes teachers feel like they are teaching to the test, and also that the testing - in her opinion- does not give an accurate representation of student skills. She feels that many, if not most, children perform far better in real life than they do on the tests. This can be due to various factors - boredom, lack of understanding why it matters, stress at home, tired, cranky.. etc etc..

                                                   

     

            

Diversity and Differentiation

     Mrs O's classroom is a fun place full of students with unique attributes. There are at least two bilingual students, as well as  a student with autism. Another student struggles with fine motor skills. Some students seem unable to remain seated, while others appear to have an unlimited attention span and the ability to sit as long as needed. Still another student struggles greatly with reading and writing, to the point of being probably 2 years behind where he should be.

     No accommodations appear to be needed for the bilingual students. Their grasp of English is excellent and effortless. The student who has autism receives extra services at certain points during the week.  For some assignments, the teacher has helpers who can sit next to him to help point him in the right direction and keep him on task. He is given extra consideration for time limits on assignments, and extra help explaining tasks. The student who struggles with his motor skills has different standards that he is working on during handwriting practice. He is given extra praise and high fives for his successes and hard work. He works extra hard to develop his handwriting and is really a dedicated student with a great attitude! The student struggling with reading receives outside services. He also gets help choosing books that are right for his current level. Reading with a reading buddy is an option he also really enjoys. 

Let them all learn!

In my service learning placement, I have not observed any children who are not English speaking. However, I am employed by Headstart. This is a Federal preschool program. In our classroom, we have several students who are learning English as as second language. One way that we support them is to have dual labels on everything in the class. The restroom is labelled "bathroom" as well as "Bano". We have books in both Spanish and English, employees who are bilingual, and the classroom environment is inclusive and friendly to all cultures. This is supported by Lau vs. Nicholls.

The halls of the school I am observing, the school in which I work, and the schools my children attend are filled with students of all races and abilities. This is directly due to Brown vs. The Board of Education. I worked for 5 years for the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind. I have seen first hand, and been able to participate in students thriving in the Least Restrictive Environment. Its great to attend an IEP meeting and be able to observe a team come together to decide which will be the very best placement and plan for an individual child. As a mother, I have had the opportunity to help my child through a 504 plan. I'm very grateful for  Section 504, and for IDEA.

Engaging Learners

Mrs. O is fantastic at engaging the students in her class! Here are three great examples I have seen so far.

1. Instead of sitting at desks doing worksheets, the students got to spend Math time doing fun and  interesting rotations. The first rotation was "Bee Bots". These are robotic math toys that teach the children coding skills. They got to chase each other around a map and have a great time learning as they went. They loved it! The second rotation was a math race. Each child had a timer and a math "racecourse". They had the opportunity to practice their math facts while also having fun and beating their personal best.  The last rotation was working on an online math program.  The children of course enjoyed this, and it was another way to solidify their math facts. I was impressed at how smoothly the classroom ran while this happened. In just a short time, they were able to work on math without ever touching a worksheet, while having fun, and while getting the information through more than one sensory means.

2. On Friday afternoons, the students get to have reading buddies come in from an upper grade. They can spend their reading time working with an older student whom they admire. They concentrated remarkably well and were visibly excited to be working with these older  students. I think it benefited the older children as well. The kids look forward to this reading time, and its certainly more interesting than the silent reading time I remember as a kid.

3. During transitions, the teacher sometimes uses Brain Breaks or Go Noodle. These online resources make it fun for the kids to get some gross motor movement to get some wiggles outs, and prepare themselves for the next activity. She also uses this to "reset" the class, when they seem to be getting a little out of hand. I have seen it work beautifully. The kids are very motivated and engaged.