For my first
concept I chose Democratic Schools and Classrooms. “Democratic schools and
classrooms are places where students and teachers together make substantive
decisions about important aspects of educational operations, from the academic
curriculum to school climate and rules.” The benefit of implementing democracy in
the education system can increase cooperation from students for they have a say
in the rules and teaching methods. As well as happy teaching staff for they
also have a say in the way they can teach their classes and go about their
days. Unfortunately there is a downside to having a democratic school and
classroom. If there are too many votes that which counter act each other the
number of unhappy students and teachers will be high.I do not have any personal experiences with this topic but I can definitely see how they can counter act each other.
Now for my second
concept I picked Online Surveys for Preassessment. “Online surveys are an
effective way to activate prior knowledge and involve students in the Preassessment
process.” “Preassessments occur before introducing a new lesson, topic, or unit
as a way for teachers to determine what the students know or can already do in
order to inform subsequent plans for teaching.” This technique can be used to
assess the student knowledge on what they are and are not familiar with the curriculum.
Teachers can use this to give themselves and idea on what the majority of the
students need to sharpen up on to keep them caught up with the curriculum. In middle school I remember having to take about two or three preassements test, because I was going into high school and they wanted to see where to place me in reading and math classes (intermediate, normal, or advance).
Finally for my
third concept I picked Preparing for High Stakes Tests. High stakes test,
similar to the FCAT are required to pass in order for the student pass there grade
level or even high school. Preparing for these test are critical for both
teachers and students because students need to pass their grade levels and it’s
the teacher’s duty for the student to pass. High stakes test usually consist certain
subjects such as language arts, math, science or history and multiple choice
question which give the students a 25% chance of getting the questions correct. I remember Back in high school having to take an entire elective class called "test prep" and it was just a class to help us get prepared for the FCAT and SAT, to me it was a complete waist of time but to others in seemed to really help. I've uploaded this three minute video that informs you on some general information about high stakes testing.
In conclusion democratic
schools and classrooms can have ups and downs either benefiting the teacher,
students, both or even neither. Surveys for Preassessment help student in the
learning process by showing teachers what is needed for the students to improve
and stay on track with the curriculum. Preparing for high stakes test help
student pass their grade and even high school. This is my conclusion to my
concepts.
Resources:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
. (2013, May 29) How to Prepare for SAT,ACT, and High-Stakes Test.
Retrieved March 31, 2015.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTsxYXuZjtE
Urich, C. (2015, March 31).DIGITAL BLOG POST #J Chapter 11. Retrieved March 20,2015. from https://tackk.com/drzknw
High stakes tests have become a regular part of education and yet, one really wonders how helpful they remain. Long ago, such tests were used as a measurement to compare one state or one country with another recognizing that they had limitations. In the last decade, the politicians decided that they should be used to judge students, teachers and schools...and, more importantly, as a sole tool. I think the pendulum is moving back to a more balanced approach - time will tell. :)
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