TECHNOLOGY AND THE CLASSROOM
Technology is a phenomenal element for the current and future of our education systems. Technology has changed the world, and students learning are now using these different technologies at an early age from their schools and homes. People around the world are being exposed to more information that is available through a quicker medium than years priors. The next few decades to come, as current children and adolescents develop into young adults, it will be interesting to see how communities, societies, and global situations will change along with them. Technologies in schools are revolutionizing teaching methods, and given children more access to more possibilities.
One example of how technology expanding and advancing academia is by developing learners research capabilities. It is so crazy for me to think that when I was in high school doing a research paper, I had two libraries near my home, and one in my schools. Through libraries and the card catalogs we would research topics, borrow books, copy pages, and discover new things. Currently this research has been broadened to such a depth that it created endless possibilities for all students, the world wide web has given us an infinite variety of sources at the touch of some keys. From our own computers, we are able to access more sources than we would have time to research. Materials from around the globe can now be shared. We can search through international libraries. Also, this advancement and convenience allows students to apply individuality in their researching, to choose topics that lure them personally, rather than by a limited amount of sources available through a library. This can give students a sense of self, a sense of accomplishment, because they are hands on searching and finding information at a faster and more consistent rate than ever before. This is changing the education system by expanding research elements, and allowing students to use personal choices when deciding on sources to use. This also expand the techniques and devices for each individual student to develop through the course of studies, by giving options to each person, and has quickened these processes allowing the ability to access so much information so quickly through the swiping of a computer mouse. Before research was more time consuming and tedious, it has become convenient and suitable for many different types of learners in all areas of the world.
Another example of technology uses for broadening education is by expanding course offerings. Just like mentioned before, the world wide web allows an infinite amount of information to be accessed within a short period of time. Also, many students, could be in different states, but with the internet, they can access the same classrooms, with same materials, and connect with students across the country through internet and classrooms, and in addition there are increased internet social interaction potentials. Also, individual courses or accelerated curiosities can be met and satisfied through the internet, no matter what location a student may be in. This gives a rise in opportunities for rural students, or students of a certain geography, to have the same access to the same courses at the times that suites them. The internet is also available 24 hours a days and 7 days a week, so no matter what the country, no matter the time zone, all the information is available to everyone, and students and learners can all have access to broad ranges of materials, that without the internet it would be impossible.
The next example of technological advancements in education is providing services to underperforming schools. In our textbook, it makes the example, “John Bailey, director of education technology for the U.S. Department of Education comments that ‘the Internet offers….the ability to tap into literally the best instructors and the best tutors from all around the country and all around the world’(quoted in Murray, 2002).” (Armstrong, page 294). This equalizes opportunities across the country for students and across the world for citizens. Children of poor school districts can still have access to the same information as children in richer areas through the internet, they can have the same access to the same excellence, without the burdens of costs and traveling. Students in farm towns and small communities can still learn as much information, whereas in the past, they were limited to local libraries and archives. If knowledge is truly power, then with the internet no one is exempt. There is no favoritism with the internet, no more prospects for wealthy students than there are for poor students. The access to the world wide web has helped to eliminate these problems in desolate and impoverished areas, and all students are given access to equal learning opportunities.
The next example of technology uses in education is simulating real-life experiences. The first example that came to my mind to use in modern comparisons is through drivers education. Before the teacher would take us driving on the road, there was simulator of a real driving position with real traffic situations. With this, it was easier to learn how certain way mistakes in driving could prove fatal, without exposing students to the actual dangers. You could learn from your mistakes, without causing real accidents or real injuries. But you could still feel what it was like in reality to drive and experience the feelings and the motions and the movements. Currently the are expanding simulations to all types of courses in education. The textbook states, “New digital technologies have greatly expanded the range of simulations available for use by public-school learners. This range in complexity from relatively simple game-like experiences that are presented to learners on computer disks to hugely ambitious, multiple-day experiences that may require use of Web sites, CD-ROMs, DVDs, television, e-mail, and other technologies. Simulations supported by digital technology are now available for virtually all subject areas,”(Armstrong, page 294). And it is so, students can engage in activities practicing trail and errors without dire consequences and without exposing themselves to dangerous situations. It also allows us in ways to time travel virtually, to experience events and circumstances of the past time period of civilizations, and test future possibilities right from the safety of a desk. In addition to this, we are able to communicate and participate with other students or citizens from around the world without having to travel. We can quickly engage in conversations, share theories, practice simulations, all from different parts of the world, but simultaneously through the same mediums. We can travel and endeavor a variety of journeys, and also have the chance to learn from mistakes, and grow and change without devastating consequences. This is really quite phenomenal.
Finally, the new technologies can be when helping learners with special problems. Students and citizens with disabilities are advancing more and more each year with new technologies, so much that disability may become a word of the past. Through the internet, assistance and guidance is available for different types of learners, and with this assistance different learners can have the advantage and convenience of finding alternative studying methods which connects with them and helps them learn better. For example, I always had trouble focusing on lectures, some say it was ADD. But for me it was overwhelming to try to listen to a lecture and to take accurate notes at the same time. Currently, at a lecture, we can literally record from our cell phones a few hours of a lecture, and take it to the comfort of our homes and listen again, or as many times as needed to gain full understanding of all the contents crunched into one hour. Also, there is different computer software available to help different types of learners, there are videos, tutorials, walk-through audio visuals, audio recordings of texts, and it is all available through the internet free of charge to all people. People can still takes classes along with other students, but be given access to help by a variety of options available, and this really is a huge and crucial break through. People with special problems can access methods and assistances to help them break through their differences and still achieve the same as other learners, just with their own desired methods, at their own desired paces.
As technology continues to evolve as science continues to unfold before our eyes, we are entering a new way of education, that has also created more of a balance and equality for all people of all types of personalities. Technology is changing and expanding faster than ever before, and is generating advancements in our education system that twenty years ago seemed like the actives science fiction novel. People from around the world are coming together, sharing viewpoints, helping each other to learn and grow. This phenomena of the internet, the world wide web, is just beginning, and will impact all future educators in ways we never thought possible in the past.
Armstrong, D. H. (2009). Teaching today: An Introduction to Education (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River , NJ: Pearson. (Armstrong, D., Henson, K., & Savage, T., 2009).
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Technology and the Future of Education
Technology and the Future of Education
Technology is inevitably changing, updating, and advancing our education system. Educators of the future are facing the crucial curve of transitions into these technological advancements. The shift has comes for mankind, a shift unlike any recorded in history, a shift into the vast dimensions of technology; and the shift is changing the way we have shaped education and challenging the foundations and traditions of academia all across the seven continents. There is no turning back for future educators and students, the changes technology has brought are revolutionizing our daily lives, and the success of future generations depends a lot on mastering technologies that have changed our world and become part in how we function.
There are many traditions in academia that have been around for centuries, and these traditions, for years, shaped a mold for education that has been widely accepted as effective. The changes technology have brought are intimidating and also less than a few decades old, and this creates skepticisms for past generations mostly because of how young technology seems in the whole time frame of the American Education System. Nonetheless, great minds and scholars are adjusting themselves to these changes, and instead of trying to fight against the challenges, they are innovating the elements technology has lent out, and finding positive ways to recreate the education path for future generations. In a very recent article titled, Higher Education; Leading Thinkers Convene to Hack the Future of Higher Education, it explains, “The Institute for the Future (IFTF), in partnership with Autodesk and Georgia Tech's Center for 21st Century Universities, announced the Redesigning Education: An Innovation Leaders Exchange on March 24th to explore the unprecedented disruptions and opportunities facing our higher education institutions and to design new learning environments for the future,”(Technology Business Journal, 2012). The article uses terms ‘unprecedented disruptions’ and ‘opportunities’ within the same sentence, and it acknowledges both the benefits and discouragements of technology weaving its way into our current education system. The ultimate aim towards advancing academia is inevitably accompanied with growing pains, but the pangs and adjustments are vital and necessary for education systems. Through the process of progressing education to the next level with technology, the trials and tribulations are mostly in the hands of current and future educators, and our mastery of technology will be the initial bricks in the new road of academia.
In the article, the researchers address different methods of tackling and revamping learning environments, and it explains the idea of exchanging, as a collaborative workshop for innovators working towards the change, “Exchange session structures will include Lightning Talks: Flashes Of Insight, where presenters outline groundbreaking initiatives they are working on and key challenges in pursuing their work -- in 5 minutes or less. Then participants will engage in Prototyping The Future Of Higher Ed by breaking into interdisciplinary teams to design learning environments for the future,”(Technology Business Journal, 2012). In a way, these exchanges will force researchers to use to technology in discussions and debates, and workshops will utilize the elements of technology as a way to discover new notions of effective learning environments. In ways, the researcher are using themselves as the guinea pigs, and throwing themselves into the world of cyberspace, in order to unravel new and more effective methods of education enviorments for the future. Once they practices are applied, them teachers can begin to learn and grow with what they have to work with, and once the educator is comfortable with methods, then they can teach them with passion and convictions, which ultimately will influences students. Students can not be inspired without the educators being inspired. Fear of change and comfort with traditions can only block the way. Educators must discover the magic technology hands out, and come to terms with the importance of accepting change as something more positive. This is the only way that we can effectively impact students, if educators are hesitant, then they will block the path for the future generations.
Researchers recognize in the article, the split that the current generation is facing with technology and its fast changes, "Young people today are caught in the transition between two worlds -- the world of institutional production of education and a new world of possibilities for highly personalized on-demand continuous learning," offered Marina Gorbis, Executive Director of the Institute for the Future. "It is a typical 2-curve problem with mass-produced education delivered through existing institutions on the decline; on the rise are new forms of education and learning that combine technologies with the best of social tools to enable learning that is personalized and meaningful. This week we are convening a group of thinkers representing different parts of the new education ecosystem to exchange best practices and to dream together about how to build the best learning environments given today's sets of tools and technologies,”(Technology Business Journal, 2012). Currently, we stand on the cusp of change, but the change is coming whether or not we would like it to, so the challenges will be tougher now, tougher because we are beginning the new quest. We can not be sure of the outcome, and it can be frightening, but we must push forth with the courage to change, and accept that it will be a long process of trial and error. However, if we do not take on the challenge, future generations will suffer, students need to advance with the times, and we educators mark the biggest step towards achieving the goal.
Technology is changing everything that we do on a daily basis. We have cell phones that are mini computers, we have access to all sorts of technology literally in the palm of our hands. Just like cell phones, education can become more phenomenal then we could have every predicted in such a short time frame, education can become more dynamic, more cultural, and more convenient. When we upgrade our cell phones, it is sometimes frustrating when we have become comfortable and are familiar with our phones different uses, and have to relearn and adjust the new components. It is easy to think, well I do not want to change, my cell phone is just fine, but here is how we can miss out on all the benefits. Education is so similar, it is frightening to change something that has worked for so long, but once the change is understood, they education can begin to amaze us. In our textbook a strong point is made about the effects of technology and the future for teachers. “Preparing learners to take advantage of multiple information sources places huge new demands on teachers. For example, if you wish to develop technology-intensive learning, you must commit considerable time to becoming informed about available options and going about the business of organizing learning programs that differ based on individual characteristics of your students. The work required to prepare for and deliver this kind of instruction can be daunting,”(Armstrong, p301). The future of education and technology will be challenging at first, but there has to be a starting point. There are many excuses to stay in the same place, but as a nation, it is crucial that we grow with the times. Technology will bring us together as a globe, and it opens up so many opportunities for all types of learners and scholars. We must find the positive, we must move forth with the best intentions, and brightest hopes for future generations. The fate of the future of our country is directly effected by the adjustments we currently undergoing, but this change is here and not going away.
Technology is inevitably changing, updating, and advancing our education system. Educators of the future are facing the crucial curve of transitions into these technological advancements. Future educators must brave up to this challenge, and with courage and perseverance through the changing process, we can mark a period in history that will change education permanently. As said before, our current mastery of technology will be the initial bricks in the new road of academia that lie ahead. In a hundred years, when students are reading about the history of education, they will see how the 21st century educators and innovators sparked the torch that will be handed over to the future generations to come, and the future will be bright.
References
Armstrong, D. H. (2009). Teaching today: An Introduction to Education (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River , NJ: Pearson. (Armstrong, D., Henson, K., & Savage, T., 2009).
Technology Business Journal Editors. (2012). Higher Education; Leading Thinkers Convene to Hack the Future of Higher Education. Retrieved from the Technology and Business Journal, Atlanta, April 2012, page 688. Web site:
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=2622099271&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientId=74379&RQT=309&VName=PQD
Currently in the state of Iowa, students are required to take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) yearly to determine what growth plans or adjustments are required for teachers and students so that all students are achieving near the same level on a statewide level.
Growing up in Iowa, and growing up with the ITBS yearly, I often dreaded the tests, mostly because they were timed so rigidly and absolutely no fun. Curious and quick to learn as an individual, I struggled with scores my whole childhood, when it came to timing and testing and grading. The intimidation of the timers would frighten me into a positions of intense nervousness while test taking. I could either rush to finish and get a lot wrong or take my time, but there was no option. I was one of so many different children that struggle with their individuality to meet these demands under strict or threatening conditions (like a whole school day devoted to ITBS assessments). An article from MSNBC.com titled, ‘Iowa Test on Way Out of Classroom?’ from February 7th, 2012, journalist James Eng states, “The state that was the birthplace for the set of standardized tests that public school students took for decades is considering doing away with the Iowa Test in favor of new, still-under-development tests that proponents say will more accurately measure a student’s progress.” After researching, I was shocked and humbled to find that currently different teachers and organizations have been working to adjust these test methods for the state of Iowa. In the same article James Eng develops, “Jason Glass, the Iowa Department of Education Director, is leading the push to replace the Iowa tests with assessments being developed by a consortium of 29 states called Smarter Balance.” The article continues with a statement, “I think in the future of those new assessments will give everyone more comparative leverage about how their students are doing’, Glass told the state Senate Education Committee last month.” So currently as we discuss this issue of standardized testing as a classroom, presently, my home state was at work striving to change the system of assessments. That is so empowering as a native of Iowa; growing up in a place of all seasons, growth, purity, and innocence, it is absolutely thrilling that my native state, my nest, progressive at demanding changes with standardized tests.
Standardized testing has always bothered me, particularly because the material is too dry and objective, and the tests do not require imagination or creativity. Arts and Creativity are part of humanity, and we should insist on taking into account intelligence from the areas; such as music, poetry, literature, woodworking, architecture, pottery, and many other arts. Without accounting for these skills it seems unfair and unbalance for both children and communities. Communities can not work in harmony without artisanship. We need all types of minds to make the world function. To me, this is one of the biggest failures of standardized tests, that is leaving out the arts and limiting test types.
Finally, I wonder, how do these standardized tests prepare children and teenagers for life experience that will come with adulthood? There are no lessons on tax preparing, no exams on balancing budgets, no readings on planning for mortgages and families, mostly no lessons on the vitals it requires to succeed in life as an adults. Common sense, imagination, perseverance, patience, and creativity, all need to have part in our education systems in order to help children of the future become functioning adults with various skills. It takes so much more than a test to wage the success or failure for any areas of intelligences, and we as the future of educators cannot ignore the calling.
Reference:
Armstrong, D., Henson, K, & Savage, T. (2009). Teaching today: An introduction to education. (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Des Moines Community School District
After Researching the Des Moines Community School District, I found several services available to assist students and parents on the long road from kindergarten to graduation from 12th grade in high school.
The first service I came across was called the International Baccalaureate, which in other words means high quality international education to promote a better world. This project began in Des Moines Public Schools in 2008, and is designed to educate children with intercultural comprehension to promote better understanding for alternative cultures. This program not only words on understanding but aims to teach respect for cultures all over the world. In a nation that has become multicultural, this program seems to help young children and adults to become implemented with other belief systems, and to recognize them as equal to their own. Growing up in a high school that was full of diversity, this program would have been very effective in implementing a range of acceptance for all religions, regions, and cultures. Children and young adults need this help in trying to identify with other traditions and way of living, mostly because that is the world we all live in. America was created to accept all types of ethnicities, and it only makes sense that our students have programs available to assist in these understandings. Schools should have responsibility in educating individuals on culture, but since it is not part of curriculums, programs such as these can be a guidance in helping students to accept and respect all piers, aside from upbringings or cultural differences.
The next program that I came across was called Destination Graduation. Destination Graduation is organized to help students to stay on focus and work towards and complete a goal, in this case to graduate. In a time of hormone changes and personality development, this program would be a great help to keep students directed to some sort of focused aspiration. It is very intimidating as a students growing up, with all the expectations out there, students often times can get very confused and disturbed. A program like Destination Graduation can work with students to help them understand the importance of reaching for and obtaining certain goals. Without advisors and mentors to lean on, growing up can be a tumultuous and arduous time period. As adults, it is easy to forget the challenges that come with adolescence, the expectations, the competitions, and the trials. Parents are often too busy to give children the extra bit of attention, and with a program like this one, the responsibility is passed off to a groups such as this one. This program can not only help students gain confidences, but help them to understand why the goal of graduating is important, and teach methods to help them along the way. There are so many challenges out there, and as an adolescent it can be completely overwhelming. Destination Graduation lends a hand to young adults to understand the importance of education in their lives, and the reasons for setting goals towards graduation.
The next program that I found important was the Metro Kids Care. This service is available to all elementary students, and help fill in the before and after school hours with activities and overall care. In a world where parents are required to work long days, often as early as the crack of dawn, to as late as dusk. And in the meantime, young children have those hours before and after school that often need to be occupied with activities to keep children on focus and on task. The fees for this program and designed to be flexible with different incomes. With all the bad influences on television, and dangers on the streets, a program like this can take the stress away from parents sending their children to school. To know that there is a ‘baby-sitter’ designed for children from kindergarten to 5th grade, allotted for before school hours and after, will save many parents a lot of money and anxiety. The programs are designed with activities and snacks that are healthy and productive, keeping young minds safe from distracting influences. When I was a child, I was lucky enough to have grandparents that lived a few blocks from my elementary school, but to think of all the children who do not have these types of conveniences, a program like this would be amazing and convenient.
The next program I came across was the 21st Century Community Learning Center. “Students in 21st Century Community Learning Center programs receive tailored, individualized support through coordination and communication between their daytime teachers and their after-school teachers. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math are offered, necessary for students to gain 21st century workforce skills,”(DSM Public Schools Website). A program like this would help students gain confidence in skills that are developing and to understand where these skills can assist them in the future workforce. In school, they never really explained to us the importance of classes in preparing us for adulthood. Tasks often seem mundane and boring, but if students are given the extra edge in understanding where these skills will help them in the future they are more likely to pay attention, learn productiveness, and gain the necessary and vital information that will give them a smoother transition into adulthood. With classes that are over filled, and parents over scheduled, a program like this can help seal the loose ends, and give students the upper hand in developing skills that are important for the future. In school, it is easy to get distracting, and to not know the meaning behind certain lessons, but with a program like this students can really comprehend the elements of education and take it to the next level, which is choosing career paths. They say knowledge is power, but knowing where to apply knowledge, seems more important in modern times.
Finally, an important program available is the National Counseling Designation.. “This program supports school counselors’ efforts to help students focus on academic, personal, social, and career development so they not only achieve success in school but are prepared to lead fulfilling lives as responsible members of society,”(DSM Public School Website). To me, counseling was something available through school counselor during school hours, but a program like this is designed for alternative hours, where they can give students more attention. Again, being an adolescent is full of confusing challenging and can be overwhelming and emotionally exhausting. A program like this can also help students to keep a focus on certain goal, and to understand the goals they are aiming towards and the reason it is important to obtain these goals. Counselors also offer consultations to individuals with personal and family issues. This gives students an outlet to vent frustrations away from the classroom setting, and to give trust to adults in assisting them through these tough challenges. With greater empathy and increase awareness of the importance of goals, this program would serve many young adults in their long path into adulthood.
A lot has changed in the world since I graduated high school in Des Moines in 1998, and in many ways it seems more demanding. With the increase academic competitions and time frames towards graduating, the programs that I have discussed not only help students understand their purposes and goals, but help them to make plans to continue to prosper through adulthood. Adolescence is confusing and frightening, and schools alone can only facilitate a certain amount of elements for each students, but with different program options, it opens up opportunities for all types of students and give these chances at times that are outside of basic school time hours.
The Des Moines Public Schools Website:
www.dmschools.org
Des Moines Community School District
After Researching the Des Moines Community School District, I found several services available to assist students and parents on the long road from kindergarten to graduation from 12th grade in high school.
The first service I came across was called the International Baccalaureate, which in other words means high quality international education to promote a better world. This project began in Des Moines Public Schools in 2008, and is designed to educate children with intercultural comprehension to promote better understanding for alternative cultures. This program not only words on understanding but aims to teach respect for cultures all over the world. In a nation that has become multicultural, this program seems to help young children and adults to become implemented with other belief systems, and to recognize them as equal to their own. Growing up in a high school that was full of diversity, this program would have been very effective in implementing a range of acceptance for all religions, regions, and cultures. Children and young adults need this help in trying to identify with other traditions and way of living, mostly because that is the world we all live in. America was created to accept all types of ethnicities, and it only makes sense that our students have programs available to assist in these understandings. Schools should have responsibility in educating individuals on culture, but since it is not part of curriculums, programs such as these can be a guidance in helping students to accept and respect all piers, aside from upbringings or cultural differences.
The next program that I came across was called Destination Graduation. Destination Graduation is organized to help students to stay on focus and work towards and complete a goal, in this case to graduate. In a time of hormone changes and personality development, this program would be a great help to keep students directed to some sort of focused aspiration. It is very intimidating as a students growing up, with all the expectations out there, students often times can get very confused and disturbed. A program like Destination Graduation can work with students to help them understand the importance of reaching for and obtaining certain goals. Without advisors and mentors to lean on, growing up can be a tumultuous and arduous time period. As adults, it is easy to forget the challenges that come with adolescence, the expectations, the competitions, and the trials. Parents are often too busy to give children the extra bit of attention, and with a program like this one, the responsibility is passed off to a groups such as this one. This program can not only help students gain confidences, but help them to understand why the goal of graduating is important, and teach methods to help them along the way. There are so many challenges out there, and as an adolescent it can be completely overwhelming. Destination Graduation lends a hand to young adults to understand the importance of education in their lives, and the reasons for setting goals towards graduation.
The next program that I found important was the Metro Kids Care. This service is available to all elementary students, and help fill in the before and after school hours with activities and overall care. In a world where parents are required to work long days, often as early as the crack of dawn, to as late as dusk. And in the meantime, young children have those hours before and after school that often need to be occupied with activities to keep children on focus and on task. The fees for this program and designed to be flexible with different incomes. With all the bad influences on television, and dangers on the streets, a program like this can take the stress away from parents sending their children to school. To know that there is a ‘baby-sitter’ designed for children from kindergarten to 5th grade, allotted for before school hours and after, will save many parents a lot of money and anxiety. The programs are designed with activities and snacks that are healthy and productive, keeping young minds safe from distracting influences. When I was a child, I was lucky enough to have grandparents that lived a few blocks from my elementary school, but to think of all the children who do not have these types of conveniences, a program like this would be amazing and convenient.
The next program I came across was the 21st Century Community Learning Center. “Students in 21st Century Community Learning Center programs receive tailored, individualized support through coordination and communication between their daytime teachers and their after-school teachers. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math are offered, necessary for students to gain 21st century workforce skills,”(DSM Public Schools Website). A program like this would help students gain confidence in skills that are developing and to understand where these skills can assist them in the future workforce. In school, they never really explained to us the importance of classes in preparing us for adulthood. Tasks often seem mundane and boring, but if students are given the extra edge in understanding where these skills will help them in the future they are more likely to pay attention, learn productiveness, and gain the necessary and vital information that will give them a smoother transition into adulthood. With classes that are over filled, and parents over scheduled, a program like this can help seal the loose ends, and give students the upper hand in developing skills that are important for the future. In school, it is easy to get distracting, and to not know the meaning behind certain lessons, but with a program like this students can really comprehend the elements of education and take it to the next level, which is choosing career paths. They say knowledge is power, but knowing where to apply knowledge, seems more important in modern times.
Finally, an important program available is the National Counseling Designation.. “This program supports school counselors’ efforts to help students focus on academic, personal, social, and career development so they not only achieve success in school but are prepared to lead fulfilling lives as responsible members of society,”(DSM Public School Website). To me, counseling was something available through school counselor during school hours, but a program like this is designed for alternative hours, where they can give students more attention. Again, being an adolescent is full of confusing challenging and can be overwhelming and emotionally exhausting. A program like this can also help students to keep a focus on certain goal, and to understand the goals they are aiming towards and the reason it is important to obtain these goals. Counselors also offer consultations to individuals with personal and family issues. This gives students an outlet to vent frustrations away from the classroom setting, and to give trust to adults in assisting them through these tough challenges. With greater empathy and increase awareness of the importance of goals, this program would serve many young adults in their long path into adulthood.
A lot has changed in the world since I graduated high school in Des Moines in 1998, and in many ways it seems more demanding. With the increase academic competitions and time frames towards graduating, the programs that I have discussed not only help students understand their purposes and goals, but help them to make plans to continue to prosper through adulthood. Adolescence is confusing and frightening, and schools alone can only facilitate a certain amount of elements for each students, but with different program options, it opens up opportunities for all types of students and give these chances at times that are outside of basic school time hours.
The Des Moines Public Schools Website:
www.dmschools.org
Kinds of Validity
Three Methods to estimate the Reliability of Test Scores
Music In History & Cultures : Music Interpretations
Student Name: ________________________________________ |
|
CATEGORY
|
4 - Above Standard | 3 - Meets Standard | 2 - Approaching Standard | 1 - Below Standard |
| Identifies music as being associated with a time or culture | After instruction, student can identify the time/culture associated with 5 or more pieces of music without assistance. | After instruction, student can identify the time/culture associated with 3-4 pieces of music with little or no assistance. | After instruction, student can identify the time/culture associated with 1-2 pieces of music with little or no assistance. | Cannot identify music by time/culture without significant assistance. |
| Analyzes how music fits time/culture | Accurately describes several dominant elements of music associated with a particular time period or culture and can relate them to other elements in that time or culture.. | Accurately describes a couple of dominant elements of music associated with a particular time period or culture and can relate them to other elements in that time or culture. | Accurately describes 1-2 dominant elements of music associated with a particular time period or culture. | Has difficulty describing any dominant elements of music associated with a particular time period or culture. |
| Recognizes different musical styles | When asked for an example of a piece in the style of a time or culture, the student chooses accurately on at least 4 of 5 attempts. | When asked for an example of a piece in the style of a time or culture, the student chooses accurately on 3 of 5 attempts. | When asked for an example of a piece in the style of a time or culture, the student chooses accurately on 2 of 5 attempts. | The student chooses accurately 1 time or less out of 5 attempts. |
| Facts - Time Period/Culture | When asked to speak or write about the time period or culture, the student presents several accurate facts, with no inaccurate or questionable facts. | When asked to speak or write about the time period or culture, the student presents 1-2 accurate facts, with no inaccurate or questionable facts. | When asked to speak or write about the time period or culture, the student presents 1-2 accurate facts, but also includes 1 or more inaccurate or questionable fact. | Student cannot talk or write accurately about the time period or culture. |
| Facts - Composers | When asked to name famous composers associated with a particular time, the student can name 2 composers and at least 1 work by each. | When asked to name famous composers associated with a particular time, the student can name 2 composers. | When asked to name famous composers associated with a particular time, the student can name 1 composer. | The student is unable to name composers associated with a particular time period. |
Music In History & Cultures : Music Interpretations
Student Name: ________________________________________ |
|
CATEGORY
|
4 - Above Standard | 3 - Meets Standard | 2 - Approaching Standard | 1 - Below Standard |
| Identifies music as being associated with a time or culture | After instruction, student can identify the time/culture associated with 5 or more pieces of music without assistance. | After instruction, student can identify the time/culture associated with 3-4 pieces of music with little or no assistance. | After instruction, student can identify the time/culture associated with 1-2 pieces of music with little or no assistance. | Cannot identify music by time/culture without significant assistance. |
| Analyzes how music fits time/culture | Accurately describes several dominant elements of music associated with a particular time period or culture and can relate them to other elements in that time or culture.. | Accurately describes a couple of dominant elements of music associated with a particular time period or culture and can relate them to other elements in that time or culture. | Accurately describes 1-2 dominant elements of music associated with a particular time period or culture. | Has difficulty describing any dominant elements of music associated with a particular time period or culture. |
| Recognizes different musical styles | When asked for an example of a piece in the style of a time or culture, the student chooses accurately on at least 4 of 5 attempts. | When asked for an example of a piece in the style of a time or culture, the student chooses accurately on 3 of 5 attempts. | When asked for an example of a piece in the style of a time or culture, the student chooses accurately on 2 of 5 attempts. | The student chooses accurately 1 time or less out of 5 attempts. |
| Facts - Time Period/Culture | When asked to speak or write about the time period or culture, the student presents several accurate facts, with no inaccurate or questionable facts. | When asked to speak or write about the time period or culture, the student presents 1-2 accurate facts, with no inaccurate or questionable facts. | When asked to speak or write about the time period or culture, the student presents 1-2 accurate facts, but also includes 1 or more inaccurate or questionable fact. | Student cannot talk or write accurately about the time period or culture. |
| Facts - Composers | When asked to name famous composers associated with a particular time, the student can name 2 composers and at least 1 work by each. | When asked to name famous composers associated with a particular time, the student can name 2 composers. | When asked to name famous composers associated with a particular time, the student can name 1 composer. | The student is unable to name composers associated with a particular time period. |
Music In History & Cultures: Music Interpretations
During the course, Music In History & Cultures: Music Interpretations, a college level course, group activities and creative projects are assinged to broaden and strengthen the students understandings of different types of music, different cultures of music, the historical elements of the music and its components, and students will be able to identify and interpret different genres of music from around the world in connections with the composers and time periods which they originated. The students will learn to recognize pitch and tonality of music and match different musical methods to the parts of the world they come from. From understanding musical regions, then they will be able to identify the significance of the music from the time and culture it fits into. The students will expand their knowledge of the originations of music, and gain cultural and historical foundations of the music and its many elements. In additions to all of the above, students will gain appreciation and comprehensions of the culture, the time periods, and composers they learn about, and once the mastery of recognizing different musical styles is comfortably met, the students will be able to form their own theories of music and original compositions branching from strategies of what they learned about the musical structures. From what moved them musically, and they will be able to back their music theory and composition with essays explaining where their influence came from culturally and what time period affected them and background of composers that have influenced them mostly.
After several weeks of working together as a class, with listening to musical pieces as a group, thoroughly discussing elements of the time periods, the cultures, and the composers, then the assessments that will define the grades for the course will begin. The course grade will be given from five different assessments, each worth up to 4 points each, making a total of 20 points possible. The first and second assessments will be the auditory exams, wherein, together the students will be played short samples of the musical pieces we have covered through the course, these will of course be at random and be a total of five different musical scores, the students will identify the time period, composer, and culture associated with the pieces. The next auditory exam, a sample of a musical scores will be played, and the students will be expected to recognize the style of the piece and the styles connection to culture and time period and how it was significant. These two assessments will be given auditory, and will require brief written explanations from the students for up to four pieces of music.
The next three assessments will all be included as components of the final written essays, but then each student will also give a verbal and musical presentation of their own original composition, explaining verbally the connections to the lessons and the components of the essay that back their choice for creating an original composition. First part of the essay will include research of the several dominant elements of music associated with a particular time period or culture and describe the correlation and relation of the parts of music to other elements in that time or culture. They will analyze and defend their connections with historical facts and comparisons they find through research. The next part of the essay written, will revolve about the time period or culture, and composers that impacted the student most, or moved them most, and the students must presents several accurate facts explaining why certain elements inspired them. From here, once the original composition of music is created by the students, the last part of the essay, the student explains the piece they will perform as their original composition, describing in their essays, details of the time periods, the cultures, and the composers that were found to be the most inspirational, to them, and with clarifications, and precisions to help define and explain the dimensions of their own created musical structures, and where the creations have stemmed from. After the essays are handed in, the final musically composition will be played to the class, using newly imprinted knowledge the students will follow their musical composition with a short speech regarding the elements of the essay, such as why the choose a certain style, and what time period and culture would it come from, and which ones inspired them the most to create original composition.
The essay requirements are 10-12 pages, and required three alternative sources. The essays will be due the Monday, two weeks before courses are finished, before the auditory tests and oral presentations begin. The auditory test will begin the following Wednesday and will go through Friday. Each sample played, the students will have ten minutes to complete their responses. The final week of classes, the oral presentations will be given, and there will be a list by which students may decide what order they want to perform in, and the oral presentation must be at least ten minutes long, and original composition must be at least five minutes long, making the presentation a total of at least 15 minutes. These are the only thing due throughout the course, so use your time to research wisely and practice composing pieces, so you can stay ahead of the game.
The rubric below is the breakdown of the point system, and grades range 20-18 points A, 17-16 points B, and 15-14 points C.
|
Music In History & Cultures : Music Interpretations
Student Name: ________________________________________ |
|
CATEGORY
|
| Identifies music as being associated with a time or culture or composer |
| Analyzes how music fits time/culture |
| Recognizes different musical styles |
|
Facts - Time Period/Culture/ Composers |
| Original Compositions |
References:
Kubiszyn, Tom & Borich, Gary (2010). Educational Testing & Measurement: Classroom Application and Practice (9th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ. (Kubiszyn & Borich, 2010).
Website: http://rubistar.4teachers.org
Education as Right or Privilege?
Education as Right or Privilege?
Education defines our success as individuals from a young age, and contributes to our abilities to develop various mechanisms that employ us with strength and individuality. Education, publicly and privately, hands out changes for all people to access, education is the nourishment of the very tools necessary for basic foundations of adulthood. It allows traits such as analysis, critiquing, and developing convictions, and this gives us purpose within a society. America, from the beginning of it founding, has stressed the importance of education as part of the escape from the British control. Education was part of the step in liberating individuals towards acceptance of free will, which encouraged opinions and belief systems to be accepted as part of liberating, gaining freedom from the parliament of oppressors. Since the founding fathers left their marks, there have been many alterations to the education system. There have been opposition and support for different liberal points of academia, and those debates have circled around the question of ‘how it will effect our citizens and the future of America‘.
When we ask the question, ‘Is education a right or a privilege?’, we really have to call on the traditions intended by the originators of this country and the education originated in this country. Growing up, I was always taught that I was privileged to be in America, and lucky for all the opportunities available to me, and it was always made clear to me how other countries have so much struggle due to their lack of rights overall, and mostly their lack of right to be educated. This was explain to me at an early age the importance of education, and revealed to me as I have grown.
More importantly though, through these times, changes have effected this country both positively and negatively, and privileges have changed and rights have been restricted. “In recent decades there has been much discussion regarding the rights of Individuals in the educational environment. For example, in the not too distant past, students have been suspended or expelled from schools because they commit such offenses as wearing makeup to school. A newspaper reporter interviewing a high-ranking official in a state department of education was told that when people choose to become teachers, they must give up certain rights. When asked what rights must be forfeited, the school official replied that any rights demanded by the school board,”(Armstrong, p314). Through the changes very the several centuries of education there have been many hardships and alternative agendas forced upon the American population; through famines, depressions, oppressions, and several vicious wars, the American population had adapted the education systems to the government of the times, and have discovered cooping mechanisms through these changes. Throughout all this time, our media, in alignment with the government of the United States of America, have created a huge market of entertainments and other distractions that keep peoples attention, and slowing deteriorate the value of education. However, education on its own, has retained a strong stance through centuries of disruptions. Overall, education has remained a part of the fairness and opportunity that created desire to advance as a society, and is absolutely elemental in the foundations of this countries origination, especially based on fairness, opportunity, and equal rights for all people. .
In my opinion, students should absolutely have a right to education, and it should continue like this through our times and times to come in the future. The education system has always been parts of the greater intentions of the country, and throughout its originations it has withstood several hardships and retained some innocence through decades of trials. And, yet, it is still so evident that America needs to undergo some great changes in order to adjust to these times, in the race to adjust along with the advancements of other countries. Our education system must be re-evaluated, in order to reach an equilibrium to the education opportunities of competing countries. In the text, it elaborates, “The view of schooling as a privilege rather than a right began to unravel in the last half of the 20th century. Several factors led to this fundamental change. For one thing, it became apparent during the latter part of the century that literacy and education had become critical to individuals’ economic well-being, (Armstrong, p 315). It was continually debated that all citizens should have education entitlement through these times, “increasingly, denying a person an education was seen as denying that individual the right to economic and social advancement. Thus, it was argued that education should be considered as a ‘substantial right’ to which all citizens were entitled,(Armstrong, p 315). Throughout the times, it seems there was a huge amount of effort given to sustain the rights of education within American, and with education defining one of the open ended opportunities available in the country, education has evolved. The country and education system will continue to undergo changes, if we are to grow as a civilization, and cultivate the abilities of every individual no matter gender or race. “Over the past few decades, schooling has been redefined as a right, and the full protection of the Constitution have been extended to students,”(Armstrong, p 316).
As counties, cities, districts, schools, and parents all have an impact on our current education system, the development of the systems has depended on the cooperation between all of the parties involved. In order to retain and better the state of our education systems, we must become more involved and aware of adjustments happening within our communities and states. Parents need to take responsibilities, and be aware of what is being expected of students. Districts and coordinators of lessons need to keep in mind the importance of keeping adult life lessons in curriculum, as part of teaching criteria. By aligning academia to the common sense necessary for survival of the times, we can continue to play a part in educating future Americans for the better. We need to evolve to cherish the roots of the country, and be intelligent enough to understand and avoid the corruptions that have become toxic to the development of our nation. Education has remained a powerful tool for all individuals success. And when education lends learners the ability to cherish and appreciate the success throughout their perseverance, then we can take the next step towards evolving as people and as a nation.
Armstrong, D. H. (2009). Teaching today: An Introduction to Education (8th ed.) W. Upper Saddle River , NJ: Pearson. (Armstrong, D., Henson, K., & Savage, T., 2009).
Education defines our success as individuals from a young age, and contributes to our abilities to develop various mechanisms that employ us with strength and individuality. Education, publicly and privately, hands out changes for all people to access, education is the nourishment of the very tools necessary for basic foundations of adulthood. It allows traits such as analysis, critiquing, and developing convictions, and this gives us purpose within a society. America, from the beginning of it founding, has stressed the importance of education as part of the escape from the British control. Education was part of the step in liberating individuals towards acceptance of free will, which encouraged opinions and belief systems to be accepted as part of liberating, gaining freedom from the parliament of oppressors. Since the founding fathers left their marks, there have been many alterations to the education system. There have been opposition and support for different liberal points of academia, and those debates have circled around the question of ‘how it will effect our citizens and the future of America‘.
When we ask the question, ‘Is education a right or a privilege?’, we really have to call on the traditions intended by the originators of this country and the education originated in this country. Growing up, I was always taught that I was privileged to be in America, and lucky for all the opportunities available to me, and it was always made clear to me how other countries have so much struggle due to their lack of rights overall, and mostly their lack of right to be educated. This was explain to me at an early age the importance of education, and revealed to me as I have grown.
More importantly though, through these times, changes have effected this country both positively and negatively, and privileges have changed and rights have been restricted. “In recent decades there has been much discussion regarding the rights of Individuals in the educational environment. For example, in the not too distant past, students have been suspended or expelled from schools because they commit such offenses as wearing makeup to school. A newspaper reporter interviewing a high-ranking official in a state department of education was told that when people choose to become teachers, they must give up certain rights. When asked what rights must be forfeited, the school official replied that any rights demanded by the school board,”(Armstrong, p314). Through the changes very the several centuries of education there have been many hardships and alternative agendas forced upon the American population; through famines, depressions, oppressions, and several vicious wars, the American population had adapted the education systems to the government of the times, and have discovered cooping mechanisms through these changes. Throughout all this time, our media, in alignment with the government of the United States of America, have created a huge market of entertainments and other distractions that keep peoples attention, and slowing deteriorate the value of education. However, education on its own, has retained a strong stance through centuries of disruptions. Overall, education has remained a part of the fairness and opportunity that created desire to advance as a society, and is absolutely elemental in the foundations of this countries origination, especially based on fairness, opportunity, and equal rights for all people. .
In my opinion, students should absolutely have a right to education, and it should continue like this through our times and times to come in the future. The education system has always been parts of the greater intentions of the country, and throughout its originations it has withstood several hardships and retained some innocence through decades of trials. And, yet, it is still so evident that America needs to undergo some great changes in order to adjust to these times, in the race to adjust along with the advancements of other countries. Our education system must be re-evaluated, in order to reach an equilibrium to the education opportunities of competing countries. In the text, it elaborates, “The view of schooling as a privilege rather than a right began to unravel in the last half of the 20th century. Several factors led to this fundamental change. For one thing, it became apparent during the latter part of the century that literacy and education had become critical to individuals’ economic well-being, (Armstrong, p 315). It was continually debated that all citizens should have education entitlement through these times, “increasingly, denying a person an education was seen as denying that individual the right to economic and social advancement. Thus, it was argued that education should be considered as a ‘substantial right’ to which all citizens were entitled,(Armstrong, p 315). Throughout the times, it seems there was a huge amount of effort given to sustain the rights of education within American, and with education defining one of the open ended opportunities available in the country, education has evolved. The country and education system will continue to undergo changes, if we are to grow as a civilization, and cultivate the abilities of every individual no matter gender or race. “Over the past few decades, schooling has been redefined as a right, and the full protection of the Constitution have been extended to students,”(Armstrong, p 316).
As counties, cities, districts, schools, and parents all have an impact on our current education system, the development of the systems has depended on the cooperation between all of the parties involved. In order to retain and better the state of our education systems, we must become more involved and aware of adjustments happening within our communities and states. Parents need to take responsibilities, and be aware of what is being expected of students. Districts and coordinators of lessons need to keep in mind the importance of keeping adult life lessons in curriculum, as part of teaching criteria. By aligning academia to the common sense necessary for survival of the times, we can continue to play a part in educating future Americans for the better. We need to evolve to cherish the roots of the country, and be intelligent enough to understand and avoid the corruptions that have become toxic to the development of our nation. Education has remained a powerful tool for all individuals success. And when education lends learners the ability to cherish and appreciate the success throughout their perseverance, then we can take the next step towards evolving as people and as a nation.
Armstrong, D. H. (2009). Teaching today: An Introduction to Education (8th ed.) W. Upper Saddle River , NJ: Pearson. (Armstrong, D., Henson, K., & Savage, T., 2009).
Response to Intervention Analysis
Response to Intervention Analysis
Currently, in the United States of America, the education systems throughout the 50 states are in the process of implementing the Response-to-Intervention (RTI), a three tiered system of student evaluation and instructional assessments into classroom testing components with hopes to further the successes of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) measures, and support and reinforce the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) already in place through school systems, all in order to improve education outcomes. Overall, the hope is to achieve documented improvements for all students in the nation, no matter what learning capacities, through more frequent methods of testing and measuring standards of learning and comprehension. In our textbook, Educational Testing & Measurement: Classroom Application and Practice, it states, “In the end, the RTI system holds promise to foster better and earlier identification and more effective intervention which academic difficulties than has been possible previously. As a result, RTI may support improved achievements for all students, the major objective of both regular education and special education reform movements,”(p.56). The ultimate goals is to integrate all of the testing measures and laws into a more positive pattern for our education system, which supports all types of students, through better monitoring and more frequent assessment opportunities, and more individualized and simplified interventions.
The Response-to-Intervention is broken into a three tier system, and all is standardized by more than one annual summative assessment in categorizing students learning abilities. The RTI employs testing and evaluation measures such as the tiered, integrated, research-based intervention systems, universal screening processes, progress monitoring, and data-based decision making. In the textbook, it states, “All teachers must now learn about RTI. This is in part because RTI is required, but also because RTI has great potential educational benefit. If properly implemented, RTI has the potential to enhance the early identification and remediation of academic difficulties in the regular classroom by utilizing frequent formative assessment results to directly inform instructional decision making, to the potential benefit of students, teachers, schools, and society,”(p.57). Therefore, through different layers of measurements through different types of testing and research methods, there can be earlier detection of struggling learners, to allow time and more attention early on for different levels of students learning abilities.
The three tiered system is part of this process in determining which students require what type of attention and additional instructions. The Tier 1 involves an early on screening and testing process in a regular classroom setting, but tests are formative and more frequent and set in a traditional classroom setting. The Tier 1 is designed for students that are quick to comprehend and can succeed the standards with little intercession or further instructions. Students that fall behind this average, students that require more assessment or closer instruction, will then go into a Tier 2, where they are given additional opportunities to understand classroom material with more attention and hands on instructions, which on average includes about 15% of students, whom are continually monitored through the processes, which are followed by frequent formative assessments and curriculum based measurements. From this point, based on how these students react to the intense instructional interventions, and whether or not it has been effective, it is determined whether or not further evaluation is needed for the individuals. For students that are not able to adjust and succeed under the Tier 2 instruction, and for students that are not effected positively by the close interactions and increased intensity of instructional practices, they are then considered for Tier 3 instruction, which lends the students to the referrals of special education evaluations, where even different measures are taken for the individuals in supporting them towards their success as students, and towards their success on annual standardized tests such as the NCLB and adequate yearly progress (AYP) reports. Overall, the whole system as an working unit, supports to improve education outcomes and measurements for both regular students and special education students alike.
The textbook states, “Taken together, IDEIA, NCLB, and RTI are expected to drive even greater integration of regular and special education in the future. Regular education teachers must be prepared for this change. Sooner or later, all teachers in training must learn at least the basics of the RTI approach and should understand how it differs from and complements traditional summative assessment approaches,”(p.60-61). It continues on the following page, “At the same time, RTI approaches are not intended to replace the summative, high-stakes testing approaches that are required by the NCLB Act. Instead, RTI, required by the IDEIA, is intended to complement and reinforce the accountability requirements of the NCLB,”(p.62).
Ultimately, by the school systems putting into practice the Response-to-Intervention testing measure, we as educators, can only advance our students by identifying where specific attention is needed early on in the school year, so that all students can receive the attention necessary to achieve better scores in annual testing assessment measurements. Once problem areas for specific students can be identified early in the curriculum, then there is much more opportunity to apply different types of teaching and learning methods which will allow them to succeed. With summative assessments only done annually, and usually all within a day, problem areas can not be determined and therefore cannot be helped or assisted until after scores have gone into place. This is one of the only ways to succeed in our scores and to catch up to the speeds of other countries scores. In a sense, with early detection of education problem areas, we as educators are at a better access to different methods to help assist slower learners in their climb to the top with other students, and therefore we give equal opportunities for all students, on a fair level, as opposed to just relying on annual tests to determine, in hind-sight, areas needed for improvement. This is done with methods such as universal screening, which is done to all students, early on in the school year, and up to three times per school year. The textbook states, “By repeatedly screening for lack of responsiveness to Tier 1 instruction, the hope is that students at risk for academic failure will be identified early enough that their deficiencies can be effectively remediate by Tier 2 instruction, enabling their prompt return to Tier 1 instruction,”(p.65).
The next component of RTI, is the progress monitoring, where all students whom have gone to Tier 2 or Tier 3 levels, are tested formatively on a continual basis to monitor progress very closely within very short time frames. This assures that these students are given many possibilities to respond to different methods of learning, and measure comprehension more frequently, to assure they are keeping up, and to know where more help is necessary to achieve understanding and comprehension of scholastic materials for individual students. This allows fair and equal opportunities to all students alike, both general education and special education. The textbook states, “CBM or other progress -monitoring data are collected on a repeated, frequent basis, rather than in simple pre- or post-test fashion. Thus, instead of measuring a student’s skills acquisition at a single point in time, the child is assessed on an ongoing basis over the course of instructions to evaluate the effect of instructional interventions,”(p.66). Therefore, by identifying the effects of different course instructions, and determining what is effective for different students with difficulties early on, with progress monitoring, we as educators can help students achieve their best, by giving them the necessary time and attention to succeed in areas where they may have otherwise been overruled. The next component is the data-based decision making, where Tier divisions are decided early on, and where schools measure in ways to overcompensate students that may be struggling early on in order to avoid missing certain students that meet the borderline of assessment understandings. This allows for the time and chance for each students that is walking the line, to have opportunities to improve before it is too late for them and they have fallen behind.
There are some challenges facing the implementation approaches to Response-to-Intervention in this country. First of all there are two approaches under debate, the standard protocol method applied to Tier 2 and the problem solving method applied to Tier 2 interventions. The textbook states, “The standard protocol (SP) approach to RTI includes the delivery of one clearly specified Tier 2 research-based intervention appropriate for the identified academic difficulty. Decisions are made according to clearly specified guidelines, and the instruction is also delivered according to clearly specified guidelines and procedures,”(p.69). Therefore, the standard protocol approach is simplified and to the point, and is general and systematic in dealing with Tier 2 levels. Students are squeezed into this standard protocol based on similarities, and are intervened by a typical process that remains steadfast. On the other hand is the problem solving approach, and textbook states, “The problem-solving (PS) approach to RTI utilizes a team approach to the identification and analysis of a learning problem. The team then develops, implements, and evaluates an individualized intervention to address the learning problem. Thus, different students in the same classroom would typically have different instructional interventions,”(p.69-70). So, here, with this problem solving method, students are individualized and given a wide range of prospects suited to fit their specific situations in developing understandings and comprehensions. With this method there is major flexibility and it is open to changes and alterations with each individual student. It is hard to tell early on which approach is more effective, and it at this point in time it is mostly up to opinions, until further measures have been taken to execute the practices over time to see which one is ultimately more successful.
The other challenges facing the initiations of RTI, include the need to train all educators and staff members in order for program to successfully take off. This requires a lot of alterations for current educators even if they are not involved in special education, they must still be involved and aware of the changes that will come with different levels of testing. Then there are the controversies of technical and cultural issues with different testing measurements, as to whether they are just and concise in regards to measuring different intelligences and different cultural backgrounds. This is a slippery slope if any because of the variety of cultures and differences in backgrounds, upbringings, and intelligences. This can only be understood and combated by applying and practicing different measures of testing and protocol.
In our textbook, it states, “Similarly, Fletcher (2008) noted the importance of evaluating the reliability and validity of the RTI decision making process. Braden, Kubiszyn, and Ortiz (2007) emphasized that further study was needed to determine whether RTI meets the reliability, validity, and fairness requirements of the Standards for Educational and Psychological Tests (AERA,1999). Orosco et al. (2007) noted that the lack of emphasis on culturally responsive RTI may have significant, potentially negative, long-term impacts on decision making for culturally and linguistically diverse learners throughout our schools,”(p.72-73).
Therefore, it seems there is much skepticism as to whether or not the RTI can meet up to the standards and diversities of the growing American student population. However, if we do not begin to attempt these methods, we will never know. We must apply methods first, and then work on adjusting them as they grow along with the student population. This can only happen through practice of the integrated assessments, and only time will tell if we can adjust to all the different needs of all the different students, with all different language and cultural backgrounds. There are indeed challenges for RTI moving forwards into the future, but educators must face this bravely and open-mindedly, and only then can we see if the applications can be successful. The final issue mentioned has to do with the adequacy of training educators across the nation, and keeping the training in alignment through different oppositions that schools and educators may bring up. “Finally, since RTI implementation requires a paradigm shift for many professionals, uncertainty, frustration, and resistance to changes should all be expected as RTI implementation increases across the country (Richards et al., 2007),”(p.73). Therefore, the confrontations ahead of us are a matter of how we as a nation are able to handle the transition, into the new methods, for a more successful education system. The power is in our hands, and it is up to schools and educators to make the best out of these new and improved methods of measuring students intelligences, and it is up to us, as to whether we want to the future of our education system to prosper. At this point in time, as we fall behind in national ratings, we are crying for changes and the Response-to-Intervention, could very well revolutionize our education system for the better, and it has the potential to create new and better paved roads for generations to come when they are up against other countries and new technological advances.
As stated in the beginning, currently, in the United States of America, the education systems throughout the 50 states are in the process of implementing the Response-to-Intervention (RTI), a three tiered system of student evaluation and instructional assessments into classroom testing components with hopes to further the successes of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) measures, and support and reinforce the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) already in place through school systems, all in order to improve education outcomes. The future is our grasp, and we must have the bravery and spirit to go forth with these changes, we must put more energy and compassion towards students, in order to secure a better future for Americans and our education system.
References
Kubiszyn, Tom & Borich, Gary (2010). Educational Testing & Measurement: Classroom Application and Practice (9th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ. (Kubiszyn & Borich, 2010).
Currently, in the United States of America, the education systems throughout the 50 states are in the process of implementing the Response-to-Intervention (RTI), a three tiered system of student evaluation and instructional assessments into classroom testing components with hopes to further the successes of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) measures, and support and reinforce the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) already in place through school systems, all in order to improve education outcomes. Overall, the hope is to achieve documented improvements for all students in the nation, no matter what learning capacities, through more frequent methods of testing and measuring standards of learning and comprehension. In our textbook, Educational Testing & Measurement: Classroom Application and Practice, it states, “In the end, the RTI system holds promise to foster better and earlier identification and more effective intervention which academic difficulties than has been possible previously. As a result, RTI may support improved achievements for all students, the major objective of both regular education and special education reform movements,”(p.56). The ultimate goals is to integrate all of the testing measures and laws into a more positive pattern for our education system, which supports all types of students, through better monitoring and more frequent assessment opportunities, and more individualized and simplified interventions.
The Response-to-Intervention is broken into a three tier system, and all is standardized by more than one annual summative assessment in categorizing students learning abilities. The RTI employs testing and evaluation measures such as the tiered, integrated, research-based intervention systems, universal screening processes, progress monitoring, and data-based decision making. In the textbook, it states, “All teachers must now learn about RTI. This is in part because RTI is required, but also because RTI has great potential educational benefit. If properly implemented, RTI has the potential to enhance the early identification and remediation of academic difficulties in the regular classroom by utilizing frequent formative assessment results to directly inform instructional decision making, to the potential benefit of students, teachers, schools, and society,”(p.57). Therefore, through different layers of measurements through different types of testing and research methods, there can be earlier detection of struggling learners, to allow time and more attention early on for different levels of students learning abilities.
The three tiered system is part of this process in determining which students require what type of attention and additional instructions. The Tier 1 involves an early on screening and testing process in a regular classroom setting, but tests are formative and more frequent and set in a traditional classroom setting. The Tier 1 is designed for students that are quick to comprehend and can succeed the standards with little intercession or further instructions. Students that fall behind this average, students that require more assessment or closer instruction, will then go into a Tier 2, where they are given additional opportunities to understand classroom material with more attention and hands on instructions, which on average includes about 15% of students, whom are continually monitored through the processes, which are followed by frequent formative assessments and curriculum based measurements. From this point, based on how these students react to the intense instructional interventions, and whether or not it has been effective, it is determined whether or not further evaluation is needed for the individuals. For students that are not able to adjust and succeed under the Tier 2 instruction, and for students that are not effected positively by the close interactions and increased intensity of instructional practices, they are then considered for Tier 3 instruction, which lends the students to the referrals of special education evaluations, where even different measures are taken for the individuals in supporting them towards their success as students, and towards their success on annual standardized tests such as the NCLB and adequate yearly progress (AYP) reports. Overall, the whole system as an working unit, supports to improve education outcomes and measurements for both regular students and special education students alike.
The textbook states, “Taken together, IDEIA, NCLB, and RTI are expected to drive even greater integration of regular and special education in the future. Regular education teachers must be prepared for this change. Sooner or later, all teachers in training must learn at least the basics of the RTI approach and should understand how it differs from and complements traditional summative assessment approaches,”(p.60-61). It continues on the following page, “At the same time, RTI approaches are not intended to replace the summative, high-stakes testing approaches that are required by the NCLB Act. Instead, RTI, required by the IDEIA, is intended to complement and reinforce the accountability requirements of the NCLB,”(p.62).
Ultimately, by the school systems putting into practice the Response-to-Intervention testing measure, we as educators, can only advance our students by identifying where specific attention is needed early on in the school year, so that all students can receive the attention necessary to achieve better scores in annual testing assessment measurements. Once problem areas for specific students can be identified early in the curriculum, then there is much more opportunity to apply different types of teaching and learning methods which will allow them to succeed. With summative assessments only done annually, and usually all within a day, problem areas can not be determined and therefore cannot be helped or assisted until after scores have gone into place. This is one of the only ways to succeed in our scores and to catch up to the speeds of other countries scores. In a sense, with early detection of education problem areas, we as educators are at a better access to different methods to help assist slower learners in their climb to the top with other students, and therefore we give equal opportunities for all students, on a fair level, as opposed to just relying on annual tests to determine, in hind-sight, areas needed for improvement. This is done with methods such as universal screening, which is done to all students, early on in the school year, and up to three times per school year. The textbook states, “By repeatedly screening for lack of responsiveness to Tier 1 instruction, the hope is that students at risk for academic failure will be identified early enough that their deficiencies can be effectively remediate by Tier 2 instruction, enabling their prompt return to Tier 1 instruction,”(p.65).
The next component of RTI, is the progress monitoring, where all students whom have gone to Tier 2 or Tier 3 levels, are tested formatively on a continual basis to monitor progress very closely within very short time frames. This assures that these students are given many possibilities to respond to different methods of learning, and measure comprehension more frequently, to assure they are keeping up, and to know where more help is necessary to achieve understanding and comprehension of scholastic materials for individual students. This allows fair and equal opportunities to all students alike, both general education and special education. The textbook states, “CBM or other progress -monitoring data are collected on a repeated, frequent basis, rather than in simple pre- or post-test fashion. Thus, instead of measuring a student’s skills acquisition at a single point in time, the child is assessed on an ongoing basis over the course of instructions to evaluate the effect of instructional interventions,”(p.66). Therefore, by identifying the effects of different course instructions, and determining what is effective for different students with difficulties early on, with progress monitoring, we as educators can help students achieve their best, by giving them the necessary time and attention to succeed in areas where they may have otherwise been overruled. The next component is the data-based decision making, where Tier divisions are decided early on, and where schools measure in ways to overcompensate students that may be struggling early on in order to avoid missing certain students that meet the borderline of assessment understandings. This allows for the time and chance for each students that is walking the line, to have opportunities to improve before it is too late for them and they have fallen behind.
There are some challenges facing the implementation approaches to Response-to-Intervention in this country. First of all there are two approaches under debate, the standard protocol method applied to Tier 2 and the problem solving method applied to Tier 2 interventions. The textbook states, “The standard protocol (SP) approach to RTI includes the delivery of one clearly specified Tier 2 research-based intervention appropriate for the identified academic difficulty. Decisions are made according to clearly specified guidelines, and the instruction is also delivered according to clearly specified guidelines and procedures,”(p.69). Therefore, the standard protocol approach is simplified and to the point, and is general and systematic in dealing with Tier 2 levels. Students are squeezed into this standard protocol based on similarities, and are intervened by a typical process that remains steadfast. On the other hand is the problem solving approach, and textbook states, “The problem-solving (PS) approach to RTI utilizes a team approach to the identification and analysis of a learning problem. The team then develops, implements, and evaluates an individualized intervention to address the learning problem. Thus, different students in the same classroom would typically have different instructional interventions,”(p.69-70). So, here, with this problem solving method, students are individualized and given a wide range of prospects suited to fit their specific situations in developing understandings and comprehensions. With this method there is major flexibility and it is open to changes and alterations with each individual student. It is hard to tell early on which approach is more effective, and it at this point in time it is mostly up to opinions, until further measures have been taken to execute the practices over time to see which one is ultimately more successful.
The other challenges facing the initiations of RTI, include the need to train all educators and staff members in order for program to successfully take off. This requires a lot of alterations for current educators even if they are not involved in special education, they must still be involved and aware of the changes that will come with different levels of testing. Then there are the controversies of technical and cultural issues with different testing measurements, as to whether they are just and concise in regards to measuring different intelligences and different cultural backgrounds. This is a slippery slope if any because of the variety of cultures and differences in backgrounds, upbringings, and intelligences. This can only be understood and combated by applying and practicing different measures of testing and protocol.
In our textbook, it states, “Similarly, Fletcher (2008) noted the importance of evaluating the reliability and validity of the RTI decision making process. Braden, Kubiszyn, and Ortiz (2007) emphasized that further study was needed to determine whether RTI meets the reliability, validity, and fairness requirements of the Standards for Educational and Psychological Tests (AERA,1999). Orosco et al. (2007) noted that the lack of emphasis on culturally responsive RTI may have significant, potentially negative, long-term impacts on decision making for culturally and linguistically diverse learners throughout our schools,”(p.72-73).
Therefore, it seems there is much skepticism as to whether or not the RTI can meet up to the standards and diversities of the growing American student population. However, if we do not begin to attempt these methods, we will never know. We must apply methods first, and then work on adjusting them as they grow along with the student population. This can only happen through practice of the integrated assessments, and only time will tell if we can adjust to all the different needs of all the different students, with all different language and cultural backgrounds. There are indeed challenges for RTI moving forwards into the future, but educators must face this bravely and open-mindedly, and only then can we see if the applications can be successful. The final issue mentioned has to do with the adequacy of training educators across the nation, and keeping the training in alignment through different oppositions that schools and educators may bring up. “Finally, since RTI implementation requires a paradigm shift for many professionals, uncertainty, frustration, and resistance to changes should all be expected as RTI implementation increases across the country (Richards et al., 2007),”(p.73). Therefore, the confrontations ahead of us are a matter of how we as a nation are able to handle the transition, into the new methods, for a more successful education system. The power is in our hands, and it is up to schools and educators to make the best out of these new and improved methods of measuring students intelligences, and it is up to us, as to whether we want to the future of our education system to prosper. At this point in time, as we fall behind in national ratings, we are crying for changes and the Response-to-Intervention, could very well revolutionize our education system for the better, and it has the potential to create new and better paved roads for generations to come when they are up against other countries and new technological advances.
As stated in the beginning, currently, in the United States of America, the education systems throughout the 50 states are in the process of implementing the Response-to-Intervention (RTI), a three tiered system of student evaluation and instructional assessments into classroom testing components with hopes to further the successes of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) measures, and support and reinforce the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) already in place through school systems, all in order to improve education outcomes. The future is our grasp, and we must have the bravery and spirit to go forth with these changes, we must put more energy and compassion towards students, in order to secure a better future for Americans and our education system.
References
Kubiszyn, Tom & Borich, Gary (2010). Educational Testing & Measurement: Classroom Application and Practice (9th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ. (Kubiszyn & Borich, 2010).
Reflections on Education
Reflections on Education
Megan Smith
EDU623: Introduction to Teaching & Learning
Professor Evans
March 5, 2012
Research and writing the fundamentals for academia, and effects both learners and professors through youth all the way through careers. Research and writing are what compile the information of what we study and teach, and without the initiation of this documentations through history. then we would never be were we are as a civilization of people, knowledge help divided us into different cultures and religions. Research can be a tool to trigger curiosities and passions for all people, not just in academia, but with all people of every age and culture, but it takes a good teacher to hand the best tools.
When this course began, I had been out of school for ten years, and this was my first step back into academia. There are so many intimidations involved, but I had been missing learning so much, and I knew that education was where my heart was. I graduated from The University of Iowa in 2002, with a Bachelor of Arts with a focus on English and Writing. Loving the courses and savoring the experience, I had been so blessed with this education and it had impacted me with endless curiosities. I was given the research tools, I was given the key to inquisitiveness. This was my strength, the passion for the materials and research. The passion to understand, to comprehend, and it is a burning feeling deep within, and it has been with me since early childhood. And when I really examined this fire within, this endless anticipation, this need to feed my mind more complicated analysis, I see my old teachers. When I really thought about where my hunger for learning evolved from, I realized that a lot of the impact had been from my different teachers of the courses of my years in school. These teachers had impacted me and left permanent impressions on my childhood development. Not only childhood, but I had been impressions for most of my growing years, from adolescence to young adulthood, to where I am currently in my life.
In our textbook they say, “Teachers must learn from their students and the communities where they teach. You need to make connections with the students and the communities where you teach. Culturally appropriate practice requires that your knowledge grow and change as students and their socially context change. There is no simple list of cultural differences that can be learned. What is required is an attitude of inquiry and openness to different cultural perspectives.”(Armstrong, Henson, and Savage). This is why teachers impacted and shaped me so much growing up through school. Teachers are the interpreters and the more I research the more I realize how vital and vulnerable teaching can be. Teaching takes a commitment to understand, to expand, to grow, to adjust, and to adapt to social and political changes. My strength is that I know that I love researching and learning, and that as I teacher I can continue to grow in that way, and to be in a position of influence, to help mold and encourage younger children to also love learning and knowledge, and help them to reach for the endless burning curiosity which is inside all of us.
Besides my passions and curiosities there are many things that may put blockages in my way. For instance, having to adapt to the new technologies of research, having to learn everything from a computer screen, this will be my biggest challenge when it comes to researching and future education methods. I have always been comfortable with the traditional methods of teaching that I was raised with, and I have often resented changes that may alter what I am already comfortable with. One example are conversations, the changes in ways that people communicate with one another. As academics there have to be forms of discussion, and this is essentials in constructs and growth plans through the process of the lessons. Realizing that the future of education I am heading towards will involve many technological elements, and that in order for me to be the person I want to be, it will take a lot for me to adjust to new techniques. Even the very idea of having an online text book throws me apprehension, and this is because I know that I need to adjust with technology, but I am just not sure that I really want to. Libraries and textbooks are going online, and the old way of paper text is changing due to many factors, and educators must adjust to this in order to meet the needs of future students.
In order for me to take my love of knowledge and teaching, along with my fear of technological advancements, and allow them to adjust with time and circumstances I had to go back to school to finish my masters. Now I am learning ways to facilitate education and learner through the internet. Luckily with these courses I am taking with Ashford University, they provide several tools online for resources, writing assistance, research guides, everything you could need as a students. I will learn to adjust to these new methods and embrace all they have to offer, by taking time to learn about the ups and downs. Technology may be intimidating, but it broadens our horizons for education, and it allows teachers and learners to have access to information that may not have been available otherwise. But at the same time we must remain more skeptical and less naïve to stuff that we read, because not everything is as it appears and we will be up against much more fraudulence when it comes to researching.
The trick for me to master will be the ability to separate truth from fabrications, and to take everything that I read and consider the legitimacy of the sources. I can not assume that everything that I research online is accurate or true, and I must use the tools Ashford University has provided; the Ashford Writing Center, the Turnintin, and the Writing Reviser, all available as resources. These are all tools to help me with new intimidations. The more I work with technology and practice with it, the more comfortable it will get. And again, luckily Ashford University has those tools at our fingertips through our student portal webpage. So although it may seem difficult, there are tools, and there is help that can guide me into the future of new types of research methods. In order to continue to love learning and teaching I must adapt.
Researching and Education are changes and broadening and advancing. As a student I am learning to open my mind to new ways to research and hope that it helps me in developing my writing skills. I remember when I was about 15 years old, I asked my mom, “how do I become a better writer?”, and she said, “you learn to read more”. Now with the wide range of resources available for research I have more access to more information, and endless supply of reading material. The cost of the resources and technologies is that we must always verify sources of information and consider different types of information and different types of research. The tools online can help to yield endless possibilities for researchers, but it up to us to pursue, analyze, and criticize the new resources available as students and future professors. Everything is at our fingertips.
References
Teaching Today: An Introduction to Education; Eighth Edition. David G. Armstrong. Kenneth T. Henson. Tom V. Savage.
Megan Smith
EDU623: Introduction to Teaching & Learning
Professor Evans
March 5, 2012
Research and writing the fundamentals for academia, and effects both learners and professors through youth all the way through careers. Research and writing are what compile the information of what we study and teach, and without the initiation of this documentations through history. then we would never be were we are as a civilization of people, knowledge help divided us into different cultures and religions. Research can be a tool to trigger curiosities and passions for all people, not just in academia, but with all people of every age and culture, but it takes a good teacher to hand the best tools.
When this course began, I had been out of school for ten years, and this was my first step back into academia. There are so many intimidations involved, but I had been missing learning so much, and I knew that education was where my heart was. I graduated from The University of Iowa in 2002, with a Bachelor of Arts with a focus on English and Writing. Loving the courses and savoring the experience, I had been so blessed with this education and it had impacted me with endless curiosities. I was given the research tools, I was given the key to inquisitiveness. This was my strength, the passion for the materials and research. The passion to understand, to comprehend, and it is a burning feeling deep within, and it has been with me since early childhood. And when I really examined this fire within, this endless anticipation, this need to feed my mind more complicated analysis, I see my old teachers. When I really thought about where my hunger for learning evolved from, I realized that a lot of the impact had been from my different teachers of the courses of my years in school. These teachers had impacted me and left permanent impressions on my childhood development. Not only childhood, but I had been impressions for most of my growing years, from adolescence to young adulthood, to where I am currently in my life.
In our textbook they say, “Teachers must learn from their students and the communities where they teach. You need to make connections with the students and the communities where you teach. Culturally appropriate practice requires that your knowledge grow and change as students and their socially context change. There is no simple list of cultural differences that can be learned. What is required is an attitude of inquiry and openness to different cultural perspectives.”(Armstrong, Henson, and Savage). This is why teachers impacted and shaped me so much growing up through school. Teachers are the interpreters and the more I research the more I realize how vital and vulnerable teaching can be. Teaching takes a commitment to understand, to expand, to grow, to adjust, and to adapt to social and political changes. My strength is that I know that I love researching and learning, and that as I teacher I can continue to grow in that way, and to be in a position of influence, to help mold and encourage younger children to also love learning and knowledge, and help them to reach for the endless burning curiosity which is inside all of us.
Besides my passions and curiosities there are many things that may put blockages in my way. For instance, having to adapt to the new technologies of research, having to learn everything from a computer screen, this will be my biggest challenge when it comes to researching and future education methods. I have always been comfortable with the traditional methods of teaching that I was raised with, and I have often resented changes that may alter what I am already comfortable with. One example are conversations, the changes in ways that people communicate with one another. As academics there have to be forms of discussion, and this is essentials in constructs and growth plans through the process of the lessons. Realizing that the future of education I am heading towards will involve many technological elements, and that in order for me to be the person I want to be, it will take a lot for me to adjust to new techniques. Even the very idea of having an online text book throws me apprehension, and this is because I know that I need to adjust with technology, but I am just not sure that I really want to. Libraries and textbooks are going online, and the old way of paper text is changing due to many factors, and educators must adjust to this in order to meet the needs of future students.
In order for me to take my love of knowledge and teaching, along with my fear of technological advancements, and allow them to adjust with time and circumstances I had to go back to school to finish my masters. Now I am learning ways to facilitate education and learner through the internet. Luckily with these courses I am taking with Ashford University, they provide several tools online for resources, writing assistance, research guides, everything you could need as a students. I will learn to adjust to these new methods and embrace all they have to offer, by taking time to learn about the ups and downs. Technology may be intimidating, but it broadens our horizons for education, and it allows teachers and learners to have access to information that may not have been available otherwise. But at the same time we must remain more skeptical and less naïve to stuff that we read, because not everything is as it appears and we will be up against much more fraudulence when it comes to researching.
The trick for me to master will be the ability to separate truth from fabrications, and to take everything that I read and consider the legitimacy of the sources. I can not assume that everything that I research online is accurate or true, and I must use the tools Ashford University has provided; the Ashford Writing Center, the Turnintin, and the Writing Reviser, all available as resources. These are all tools to help me with new intimidations. The more I work with technology and practice with it, the more comfortable it will get. And again, luckily Ashford University has those tools at our fingertips through our student portal webpage. So although it may seem difficult, there are tools, and there is help that can guide me into the future of new types of research methods. In order to continue to love learning and teaching I must adapt.
Researching and Education are changes and broadening and advancing. As a student I am learning to open my mind to new ways to research and hope that it helps me in developing my writing skills. I remember when I was about 15 years old, I asked my mom, “how do I become a better writer?”, and she said, “you learn to read more”. Now with the wide range of resources available for research I have more access to more information, and endless supply of reading material. The cost of the resources and technologies is that we must always verify sources of information and consider different types of information and different types of research. The tools online can help to yield endless possibilities for researchers, but it up to us to pursue, analyze, and criticize the new resources available as students and future professors. Everything is at our fingertips.
References
Teaching Today: An Introduction to Education; Eighth Edition. David G. Armstrong. Kenneth T. Henson. Tom V. Savage.
GLOBAL RANKING FOR AMERICAN EDUCATION
The United States of America, has been a strong influence across the world, and we have remained a role model for many developing countries, particularly through their admiration of American innovations. However, after some research, it seems that our education structure ratings barely mediocre and actually below average on an international level. In fact, on an international level we are lagging more and more behind other developed nations. In research done on the international learning assessment ranking, Linda Darling-Hammond makes a point in her video, “On the PISA rankings, the United States ranked 35th out of the top 40 developed countries in math. We ranked 29th out of the top 40 countries in science. We typically do a little bit better in reading, however, we have gone down on the international assessments with reading each year it has been given. We have gone down on math and science ratings as well. So we are losing ground,” explains Darling-Hammond. She develops further to explain how the rankings are determined internationally by several alternative testing measure. Ranks are determined internationally by addressing areas such as analysis skills, high order thinking, deduction abilities, innovative ingenuities, and evaluated performance skills. With all of these abilities taken into account, the United States of America, and its current education structure and standardizations is completely failing in the assessments of international ranking. Methods of memorizations and multiple choice tests have been shoved quickly to students in a crunch. Rankings have proved these current standards as ineffective in the overall ranking. In addition, we continue to fall more and more behind each year.
Linda Darling-Hammond the high thinking researched other teaching and learning standards created in high achieving countries and found there methods were much different then standardized methods we have used in the United States. Standards internationally included different types of exercises and activity where students are able to activate their interactions in things such as project based learning, hand on investigations, and other group cooperative interactive types of assessment. In the United States we are still using testing assessments that are primarily based on multiple choice scoring, and this is where we are robbing the opportunities for growing students. In the United States we have one of the most diverse populations, and so it we are to advance along with other nations we need to adopt different methods they are using that are putting them in the lead. United States needs to consider more funds appropriately applied towards the education system, and we need to work on recreating standards across the fifty states. We need teachers to reach a point of professionalism, and also receive professionalism from students involved in academia. There is no reason that our education system can not adapt to these different testing methods, especially when research proves that through other nations it has been highly effective. We need to look to other countries for inspiration with scholastic structures, and open our education system up to the futures and its competitors. It takes educators and parents and faculties to demands these changes to avoid further fall in international ranks. America needs to take hold of the future of the students and recreate the failures in the systems.
Big Thinkers: Linda Darling-Hammond on Becoming Internationally Competitive, Edutopia Home Web Page: Article/Video 01/27/2010. Web site:
http://www.edutopia.org/international-teaching-learning-assessment-video
Linda Darling-Hammond the high thinking researched other teaching and learning standards created in high achieving countries and found there methods were much different then standardized methods we have used in the United States. Standards internationally included different types of exercises and activity where students are able to activate their interactions in things such as project based learning, hand on investigations, and other group cooperative interactive types of assessment. In the United States we are still using testing assessments that are primarily based on multiple choice scoring, and this is where we are robbing the opportunities for growing students. In the United States we have one of the most diverse populations, and so it we are to advance along with other nations we need to adopt different methods they are using that are putting them in the lead. United States needs to consider more funds appropriately applied towards the education system, and we need to work on recreating standards across the fifty states. We need teachers to reach a point of professionalism, and also receive professionalism from students involved in academia. There is no reason that our education system can not adapt to these different testing methods, especially when research proves that through other nations it has been highly effective. We need to look to other countries for inspiration with scholastic structures, and open our education system up to the futures and its competitors. It takes educators and parents and faculties to demands these changes to avoid further fall in international ranks. America needs to take hold of the future of the students and recreate the failures in the systems.
Big Thinkers: Linda Darling-Hammond on Becoming Internationally Competitive, Edutopia Home Web Page: Article/Video 01/27/2010. Web site:
http://www.edutopia.org/international-teaching-learning-assessment-video
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