Standardized Testing Stated Scientifically

I know it is the common held belief with those outside the field of education that testing is the best and most effective way to determine student learning and ability.  This widely promoted premise  rooted in NCLB and largely publicized by the business community who seem to believe educating students is similar to moving product on an assembly line.  Despite the progress and developments in learning styles and child development psychology, they still hold to the William Bagley’s Essentialist view of education. Where society determines what is taught or applied to the blank canvases that they believe students are in order to have them become able to meet the needs of society later.  They seem to think education is a simple generic formula – apply core content to blank slate and voila useful citizen emerges. 

The obvious problem with this analogy is that students are not projects and do not come into the “education factory” empty and blank. Students also do not enter their academic careers with the same skill set, knowledge base, support system or appreciation of learning.  Yet, they propagate the message of assessing not only the students’ ability but also teachers’ effectiveness by the same standardized tests. That this testing, the single day or week of testing is the best and most accurate way to determine the intelligence and potential of students.  I do understand the need to have some form of measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of your learning institution. If the objective is determine how well the students have mastered the skills deemed critical for successful progression in their academic career.  But more often than not they are not simply used in that manner. In my state test are administered in May and the results are not presented until late August or September. The child, who the test was to help, has moved on to the next level or next school. The results are in no way a benefit to them at this point?  Despite that we not only use thesse scores to  classify  and place students but now upto 40% of the  new  teachers’ evaluation system is based on those student assessments.

“This does a disservice to both the teacher who worked hard to help their students grow and the student who worked extremely hard over the course of the year and improved tremendously, but failed to score proficient.” (Meador, 2012) I have known a teacher who raise the scores of her special needs students in her class an average of 42 points, yet because they still failed to meet the coveted 200 point score they were still classified as partially proficient and she was told that she is under tighter scrutiny because this was the second year the majority of her students failed to pass the test.  Clearly she was teaching in circles and the kids were learning but one score on one test is actually being considered by some as the better indicator of her ability.  “Many would argue that teacher and student performance should be evaluated on growth over the course of the year instead of one single test performance.” (Meador, 2012)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOHJrt3WzPo

Standardized Testing Discussion

 I began this blog with the phrase about beliefs. “Proponents argue that standardized tests are a fair and objective measure of student ability,  that they ensure teachers and schools are accountable to taxpayers, and that the most relevant constituents – parents and students – approve of testing. Opponents say the tests are neither fair nor objective, that their use promotes a narrow curriculum and drill-like “teaching to the test,” and that excessive testing undermines America’s ability to produce innovators and critical thinkers.” ( ProCon.org, 2012). People say and people think. What should matter is  what do we learn from  the facts because after all science relies on evidence. To that point,  the facts do not support the preconceptions surrounding testing.   Let’s begin with the test content.  Test makers repeatedly claim that the tests are geared to the curriculum.  You will see that same argument presented in the video attached to this blog.  At the same time teachers in the United States and Canada  will tell you that the tests are not in line with what is taught in the classes and add to a more already compacted curriculum. 

“In Oklahoma, high school students must pass four standardized tests inI can personally attest to the fact that  the science test  is entirely too expansive to be fully vette various areas or they do not earn a diploma, even if their GPA was a 4.00. The stress this can cause on a teenager is not healthy in any way.” (Meador, 2012) “According to education researcher Gregory J. Cizek, anecdotes abound “illustrating how testing… produces gripping anxiety in even the brightest students, and makes young children vomit or cry, or both.” [7] On Mar. 14, 2002, the Sacramento Bee reported that “test-related jitters, especially among young students, are so common that the Stanford-9 exam comes with instructions on what to do with a test booklet in case a student vomits on it.” [8] ( ProCon.org, 2012)

 Although as is mentioned in the video , there are some people who  thrive in  high stress situations   and feel it allows their adrenaline to flow  you do have other  students and teachers  who suffer with text anxiety. New Jersey has a similar policy as Oklahoma requiring a student to pass a HSPA test  in order  to receive a diploma . Those students who do not pass that single test, despite their grades, attendance or even if they have a college acceptance they are presented with a certificate of participation and are not considered graduates.  Proponents of testing point to a University of Arkansas study to say that many students do not feel test anxiety.  What they do not tell you is that study  used less than 100 college age students in an abnormal psychology class.  A completely different demographic than an  16 year old high school junior scared that they may not graduate.

 I do understand the argument for testing that calls for a standard tool of measure to evaluate the effectiveness  of instruction and students ability to meet the goals deemed desirable and necessary for a successful academic career. But the problem is  too much value is often placed on the scores by the government, the school administration and parents.  Scores are only a piece of the puzzle  that displays the image of education.  The child’s work all year, their discussions, their  maturity and responsibility in  working independently , working collaboratively, imagination  and all the  goals for the 21^st Century Skills. None of which can be determined by a test  nor should we ever  attempt to predict imagination  and potential visionaries  through  a series of multiple choice picks.

ProCon.org. (2012, November 5). Standardized Test. Retrieved from ProCon.org: http://standardizedtests.procon.org/

Brenchley, C. (2011, June 13). Duncan: “Fix No Child Left Behind – Now”. Retrieved June 16, 2011, from ed.gov.

Business-Higher Education Forum. (2005). A Commitment to America’s Future . Washington, DC: Business-Higher Education Forum.

Lindsay, J. (2008, May 3). The Case Against Block Scheduling. Retrieved November 11, 2010, from The Problem With Block Scheduling: http://www.jefflindsay.com/Block.shtml

McNeil, J. D. (2009). Contempory Curriculum . Los Angeles: John Wiely and Sons Inc. .

Meador, D. (2012, November 4). Standardized Testing. Retrieved from About.com: http://teaching.about.com/od/assess/a/Standardized-Testing.htm

Teachnology

Technology Infused Classroom

 This topic is of special interest to me and has been for some time.  In my district which has been identified twice by Time Magazine as the worse place to live in America there sits a technological   renaissance.  Thiscity isa  small area of 8 square miles but   is home to no less than a dozen STEM related research, educational and medical regional and national icons.   Why I have become passionate about this is our students, even in the midst of vast innovation, are largely unaware and disconnected of the opportunity in their own backyard.

 I am working to Instead of the majority Camden’s  white collar skilled  employees leaving the city 4:00pm daily , we  can now provide residents with opportunities to increase their earning potential. The current median income for the city is $24,000. (Camden New Jersey, 2010) Engineers range between $40,000.00 and $ 100,000.00 starting salary. This will have a dramatic affect on the tax base of the city and consequently the services offered to the residents.

I have taken it as part of my personal mission to bridge that great divide and equip my students to compete for the jobs that exist and are being created in their own community. In my classroom I have been helped and supported by the Technology department who have provided me a cart of laptops for my students to use. Not being limited to scheduled lab times has been so essential in development of   their computer literacy skills and digital citizenship.

 Students have immediate access to work on their research projects, virtual engineering challenges, simulated labs and anatomy demonstrations.  Having this goal in mind has meant that I have had to rework my lesson plans.   I have added to the project time lines to ensure I have the opportunity to teach students how to use the technology to accomplish the goals.

I call it teachnology because  the technology is so ingrained in the delivery of the content  that they are both interdependent of each other.  In one section of the room I have students using the laptops to work with programming their robots. While they are playing with the robots and computers they are being bombarded with scientific and mathematical concepts.  They are learning logic, planning, force and motion, mass, angles, distance and speed calculations, problem solving and collaboration.

In the front of the class I have students using digital sensors and computers that display the graph of time it takes to run the robot programs with the various design changes. They then use the excel program to convert that graph into a chart to compare the times of the different test to  decide what is the best modification.

I have other students who have come in to work on their projects some doing research on the internet and some using electronic thermometers and timers to compare reactions as they compile data. I have some students working on to prepare for our digital bridge construction challenge. I also have one other team that is working collectively on their virtual  science fair competition.

I have different things going on and each class level has a different class project. I try to offer ways for them to incorporate technology as often as possible. I am the only science teacher in the building  so it is  safe bet to assume that by the time  a student leaves me after two or three years  that have had  intense training and  instruction on word program, power point, globster,  simulations ,  software,  excel and constructing and   interpreting digital read out of sensors and  motion plots data.

I think that is the reason I have gotten so much support from the technology department. They have just given me a Mobi so I can  interact with the smart board as I move around the classroom.  Finally I am free from the little computer near the screen. 

The room is exciting and I am enjoying it as much as the students.  They are discovering a whole world beyond their normal view.  They are seeing new possibilities for the first time and you are there a part of that excitement guiding them to infinite opportunities . And people ask me why I teach!

References

Berg, K. (2008). Speak up for Science. Irvine: Project Tomorrow.

Camden New Jersey. (2010, March). Retrieved from City Data: http://www.city-data.com/city/Camden-New-Jersey.html

Edutopia Staff. (2008, March 16). Why Integrate Technology into the Classroom. Retrieved from Edutopia : http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction

Finn, J. (1998, April). Research on the Academic Effects. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from Ed.Gov: http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/ClassSize/academic.html

Thinking Visually

Don’t you want to know what he is seeing?   Aren’t you just a little curious as to what could possible create that kind of reaction?  Just the image of him seeing what he is seeing is creating a reaction in you. That is the goal of visual literacy – to stimulate a reaction, build interest and draw you in.

 You could spend days trying to convince your students about the importance of washing hands  and explain how it prevents germs from being transferred and stops diseases or you could offer an image of  the germs on a hand  that makes the point  with a caption. For example…

I’m about to shake your hand, share your chips then put my fingers all over your sandwich. 

 

Do you want me to wash my hands first ?

 

 

 

 Visuals have the instant impact to convey messages that would normally take a paragraph to explain.  Using them in the classroom environment  can  immediately increase comprehension and improve communication.   The internet  enables teachers to pull images from all over the world into their lessons.  Teachers can use the internet to not only tell about the world but show the world. Visuals  are not restricted to simple  flat images.   Teachers can add media clips to a lesson interjecting a combat scene into a history lesson can really make students understand the real cost of war. It becomes real  and relevant when the faces you see  crouching in pain and danger resemble you and your friends.   You can build an awareness and appreciation that may be missed if students are not internalizing the words on a page.  I had one students tell me that they thought that civil rights  struggle was made up until they saw  the kids beaten , bruised and bit by the dogs.  I saw a connection spark and she transformed simply because the image was presented to her.

I use simulations, videos, charts in  lessons to show processes , experiments  and relationships.  I encourage students to also use the smart art when creating concept maps that show connections between concepts and  terminology.  It is through  making their “thinking visible”  that  we are able to determine the misconceptions  and make the corrections and revisions.
 As a result of working in  one of the poorer districts  I have come to depend on the internet  as a way of demonstrating lessons I simply do not  have the resources  to do in class successfully .  I also use the simulations because block scheduling demands have limited my class time and there are a lot of restrictions on what our middle school students can actually do.  However, it is still important for them to know, see and understand the experiment.   Then I use the lab simulations and media clips, not only does the visual imaging demonstrate processes and increase comprehension but I don’t have to rush to  clean up the lab before the next class which is always so much fun.

Lindsay, J. (2008, May 3). The Case Against Block Scheduling. Retrieved November 11, 2010, from The Problem With Block Scheduling: http://www.jefflindsay.com/Block.shtml

Sarah Michaels, A. S. (2008). Ready, Set , Science! Washington: Natinal Academies Press .

Sharon Smaldino, D. L. (2008). Instructional Technology and Media for Learning . Upper Saddle River : Pearson.

 Photo Credit  :http://cuddlebugs.onslow.org/cuddlebugs/2010/07/just-say-no-to-germs/

Teaching Techno Style

Curriculum that is issue based is desirable because it allows students to make ever deepening inquiries into to central concepts and principles. (Hunter, 2007)  All partners in education agree that hands on, problem solving and discovery is the ideal learning situation.  That goal is evidenced by every performance standard created for each content area. However, school districts fall short in reaching the ideal as a result of narrowing programs and block schedules in response to state demands resulting from standardized testing and AYP mandatory goals.   A teacher who is reminded daily about pacing schedules and benchmarks will not feel free or supported to deviate from the scripted curriculum.  State mandates contradict innovation and leave little time for developing creative educational experiences.   Integration of technology can remedy that situation by providing students with stimulating learning experiences in a time and cost effective manner.  We have moved passed the days where a student can graduate from high school and make a decent living working in a factory. Technology has replaced many of those jobs. In fact technology has permeated in our lives that it has become more than a job requirement, it has transformed the way we function  Students should be taught in a manner reflective of that reality.

Infusing technology into any curriculum is not only a cost effective but also increases student proficiency in  addressing many of the career and 21^st Century skills and standards. Maday, 2008   explains Akey’s (2006) analysis concluding that students learn more and retain more information when they actively participate in their learning process.

 I have found I also enjoy the class more when I prepare for project based learning and collaborative   grouping. Admittedly it requires a great deal more planning, organizing and supervision than the traditional setting  but the rewards are well worth it.     Fortunately there are many software has been designed that address all those issues.  There are programs that help teachers plan, develop activities and identify related materials so the teacher is not spending hours constantly reinventing the wheel. There are other computer programs that will help organize and monitor student’s activities and chart progress.  Once again freeing the teacher to use their time more effectively 

I have made a deliberate effort to incorporate technology in most of my class instruction. The majority of my lessons are presented with power point. I include downloaded films and clips to add visual excitement to the lessons.

                When my students work on labs and projects they are often required to create computer generated tables and charts to display their data. Some of the projects require them to submit a power point presentation or create a short film in the form of a journal that documents their efforts.  Students are allowed and encouraged to set up team discussion boards to support collaborative efforts.   Periodically I allow a discussion board for students to ask homework help questions and work through solutions cooperatively I also have my students complete cyber Quests and virtual project challenges. Even the task producing a research paper can provides students the opportunity to learn how to effectively  manipulate technology to  gather information  as they navigate the internet  , critique sources, edit , revise and collaborate in the formation.

Science class is not the only setting where technology can be successfully introduced and integrated.  In Literacy and Social studies just think   how much more could you spark the imaginations and interest by including media clips that connected to a reading assignment    Instead of a traditional test to measuring their understanding of Shakespeare, students could be asked to make a digital word wall identifying the gamut of emotions or conflicts   of each play.  In Social Studies students won’t simply write an essay about an event, they could instead prepare a slide show or a digital concept map that chronicles the contributing factors of the conflicts or the resolution.     Math students can benefit from the graphic visual demonstrations of a Smartboard™ or document projector increasing clarity.   Computer programs like Architect Pro ™, which take numbers and lines from a chart, simulate construction and transform them into images of buildings and bridges demonstrate the value and connection of math to society.  The teacher can use technology to meet the needs of the struggling student that with games that reinforce concepts and skill or can be used to challenge the advanced students with activities that can be customized to meet their educational level. 

Technology allows teachers to include international current events into their class discussion.   It allows you to connect the classroom lessons to the world in an immediate and direct way.  Technology  is a tool that  can effectively   assist the teachers in designing learning  experiences that are not only  educational but  life altering.

References

Dawson, K., & Dana, N. F. (July 2007). When curriculum-based, technology-enhanced field experiences and teacher inquiry coalesce: An opportunity for conceptual change? British Journal of Educationnal Technology , Vol.38,Issue 4,p 656-667.

Eggbert, J. (2009). Supporting Learning with Technology: Essentials of Classroom Practice. Columbus : Pearson.

Gary R. Morrison and Deborah L. Lowther. (2010). Integrating Computer Technology into the Classroom: Skills for the 21st Century,. New York: Allyn and Bacon. Pearson.

Jerald, D. (2006). The Hidden Cost of Narrowing the Curriculum. Washington DC: The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement.

List, S. G. (2002). An Evaluation of Open Source E-Learning Platforms Stressing. Retrieved July 8, 2012, from Campus Source: http://www.campussource.de/aktuelles/docs/icalt2005.pdf

Partnership for21st Century Skills . (2011). A Framework for 21st Centrury Learning . Retrieved June 26, 2012, from Partnership for21st Century Skills : http://www.p21.org/overview/skills-framework

Rockland, H. K. (2002). Incorporation of Pre-Engineering Lessons Into Secondary Science Classrooms. ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (pp. T1C1-5). Boston : IEEE.

Rocky Mountian Institute. (2010, August). Factor Ten Engineering Design Principles. Retrieved July 13, 2012, from Autodesk Education: http://students.autodesk.com/ama/orig/10xEprinciples_RMI.pdf

Rodgers, S. R. ( Fall 2005). Technology Education Benefits from the Inclusion of Pre-Engineering Education . Journal of Industrial Teacher Education , 88-95.

Science Buddies. (n.d.). The Engineering Design Process. Retrieved July 13, 2012, from Science Buddies: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/engineering-design-process/engineering-design-process-steps.shtml

Hello world!

Welcome ! This is my very first post. Here I hope to have many  discussions about   learning  and  living with  technology . We will share ideas on  how to combine them to enhance and excite  educational experiences.  ENJOY!