Student | Conforming Assessment

Using Formative Assessment

One of the most useful strategies in the teaching of middle grades in the United States is the principle of formative assessment. Formative assessment is the ongoing monitoring of each student’s performance and accomplishments during the process of learning new concepts. Formative assessment is different from summative assessment in that it does not provide the test scores and other forms of evaluation that go into a student’s grade. It does, however, provide an incredibly useful tool for teachers to determine just where the students are having the most trouble in incorporating new ideas.

In order for formative assessment to be fully implemented in classes, it must be considered a participatory activity by teachers and students alike. The feedback from students is essential for teachers to accurately gauge the progress of learning in their classes. This means that children need to be taught the tools and language necessary for providing feedback to their teachers. You can try searching for other helpful tools in canada 411 to make learning easier. Having a student admit that he or she simply does not ”get” a concept is an important first step; teaching him or her to explain explain where the failing occurs is the ultimate goal and should be accomplished before the process of formative assessment can be completely productive. Children should also be taught strategies for peer and self review, as well as student record keeping. Showing students how to evaluate the process of their learning can also help to empower them as partially responsible for their education. There is little doubt that formative assessment, when used in conjunction with summative assessment, provides the best tools for teachers who are working with students in the middle to upper grades. Training for and then incorporating these techniques will help ensure the success of students in U.S. public schools.

Filed Under: General, Standards Tagged With: Education, Formative assessment, Student

Best ways to teach children

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The times have changed. Now innovation is the core of any activity. As the world progresses to greater heights of existence, and awareness, there has to be a paradigm shift in various areas that support this transition. One area that supports transition of the world to a much more efficient global society is education.

The rendering of education has always been on the same lines around the world. Somehow schools and colleges seem less inclined to innovate. Firstly, educational institutions lack the funds, and secondly they lack the leadership. Educational institutions are exactly profit-making companies.

Yet, there are some smart ways to teach children in classrooms. Here are those.

Teachers must understand that different kids have different ways of learning. Specialized schools do such customized-learning activities to students. But most schools are not specialized.

Teaching with analogies

This is the best way a student can remember information. Anything has to make sense. When teaching technical topics, explaining things with analogies is an excellent way to understand a concept. When the student wants to recall the concept back, the student can do it by recalling the analogy.

Practical work

Only theory won’t help. It has to be put into practice. Teachers can start off with practical-education first, and follow it with theory. This way the students can correlate what was put into practice to what is being taught. Practical-first, theory-later is an excellent way of drilling complex information to students.

Writing

Writing is another way of putting to paper thoughts. Students should be encouraged to write.

Filed Under: Education, Student Tagged With: Education, Learning, Student

What are Standardized Tests?

A standardized test is a test that contains many questions with multiple answers and this can be filled by many test takers all at once. These tests are graded quickly using scanning devices. This type of test is normally conducted to compare different test takers against each other. These tests are conducted to analyze progress in the schools and also to grade students according to their abilities.

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Standardized tests can be taken on computer or on paper. The test taker is normally provided with problems, questions, or statement and they are given with multiple choice answers below to choose. Most of the times, the answers are not straight-forward and the test takers are expected to use some methods or read paragraphs to solve the problem. The students are required to select the best answer and after the allocated test time period, all the answer sheets are collected for scoring.

Some of the great benefits of this testing method are quick grading, very cheap, and analysts can look at different samples of answers at one time. This way, analysts measure the progress of one school by comparing the result with another similar school. This testing procedure is followed to monitor the students’ learning curve, review or modify the existing curriculum in the school, identify different areas of need, and also provide some vital data for the educational research.

Often, teacher promotion and school accreditation rely on the result of this test. Standardized tests are very helpful for the admissions in higher education and the test takers are assessed under the same conditions.

Filed Under: Education, Graduate School Tagged With: Education, Standardized test, Student

What Makes a Great Teacher

Most adults can remember at least one teacher that made a real impression on them, whether by encouraging future study and personal growth or inspiring them toward a particular goal. Unfortunately, many adults can also remember at least one teacher who had a more negative effect on their development, attitude and self-esteem. Being a good teacher means being able to successfully communicate concepts, help students understand and incorporate them in practical applications, and motivate students to finish their assigned tasks and study for tests. A great teacher, however, is a much more rare and difficult-to-define individual.

What makes a teacher great can vary wildly, however, there are certain characteristics and habits that all great teachers exhibit. For instance, a great teacher can not only motivate students to learn a concept; they will instead instill a desire in their students to explore on their own. While good teachers can get their students to read and discuss Shakespeare, great teachers can get their students to look for deeper meanings, or autonomously investigate similar authors. Good teachers can make students care about what they are learning, while a truly great teacher makes students wonder what else they could learn about.

Great teachers are interested in more than just a child’s test scores and attendance; they are focused on each student’s self-esteem and personal growth. They have a passion for their particular subjects and they are able to impart that passion to those they teach. They understand that they are not simply providing information; they are the doors to a wider perspective and comprehension, without which the concept of learning becomes simple memorization.

Filed Under: Education, Requirements Tagged With: Standardized test, Student, Teacher

No Child Left Behind Program

The ”No Child Left Behind Act” of 2001 was signed into law by former U.S. President George W. Bush, and remains one of his most important accomplishments while in office. The act is designed to encourage standards-based evaluation of students and schools alike, and to force public schools to comply with and meet certain federal standards in order to receive funding. While many legislators claim that the act is necessary to ensure fair and equitable standards in education, teachers and parents complain that it encourages a number of less-than-desirable outcomes such as increased segregation in public schools, lack of attention for high-performing and gifted students, and an over-reliance on standardized testing to evaluate the progress of students.

One of the biggest concerns about the act is that it encourages teachers to focus only on the material that will be covered on the standardized tests. Spending additional time drilling certain applications means that there is little or no time to be spent on practical and theoretical implications. For instance, teachers may encourage memorization of addition and multiplication tables while completely neglecting any explanation on how those figures are arrived at. This can contribute to students who are able to add, but unable to apply mathematical concepts to word problems.

There is little doubt that the ”No Child Left Behind Act” is not completely successful in its aims, however, legislators have yet to define a better solution. While President Obama’s State of the Union address in early 2011 mentioned a renewed focus on the program and promised that attention would be given to fixing it, teachers and administrators continue to labor under a system that devalues exceptional performance in both students and educators.

Filed Under: Education, Student Tagged With: No Child Left Behind Act, Standardized test, Student

How Teachers Help Their Students Receive Good Grades

A good teacher can change a student’s life by encouraging them in their interests or by showing them how math, literature, and learning in general can be interesting and rewarding. Here are some of the ways that a teacher influences their students.

They are available to talk. A good teacher is not too busy to talk with a student about their project, to explain to them why they received their grade, or to answer questions about an assignment or a lesson. Of course, teachers will always be busy and generally get overloaded with work at some point during the year, but the best teachers will try to find the time and energy to help seeking students understand and succeed.

They change their lesson plans if they need to. If a teacher sees that the class needs another week to grasp a concept, a teacher will try her best to make sure the class comes to understand it before moving on. A teacher’s goal is always to put his or her students first, above a schedule or a deadline, even though trying to let students understand all the material for the year can seem daunting. This means constantly checking to see that all the students are understandig what is being taught.

They find a way to reach each child’s learning needs. If a teacher finds that one of his students is struggling in a subject, he may suggest to the student’s parents that they find a tutor, or may recommend after school tutoring. In the end, it means a teacher does not give up on a student, but keeps trying to encourage or help them.

They create a solid plan for the class. While teachers should be flexible with their class schedules, as listed above, they also need to be very prepared for every class. This means creating an outline for the whole semester, complete with reading materials and lesson plans. This allows teachers to spend most of their time during the school year focusing on their students, not their lesson plans. A good teacher can make all the difference.

Filed Under: Education, Graduate School, Standards Tagged With: encouraging, Student, Teacher

Outside Learning Opportunities Enhance Education

When students have the opportunity to use the knowledge from their classroom in real life, or have the opportunity to reap extra learning in extra-curricular activities, they have a higher chance of success in school. The ability to make connection across subject lines (such as using literature references in a history paper) demonstrate true student understanding and interaction. Here are some ways that you can encourage learning and interaction in your students through field trips:

Forest preserves. Teaching a biology class? State parks and forest preserves are an excellent place for students to take what they have learned and apply in regular life. Examining plants, insects, and animals can be a great way to show students the practicality of their studies. Many forest preserves would be happy to work with you to set up field trips to local eco-systems, such as a prairie, forest, or wetland, and may even be able to give your students a, interesting demonstration or another perspective on what they are learning.

Historical sites. Visiting period farms or other living history museums can be a great way to bring history to life for your students. Most of these places will allow students to not only observe but experience life in another era through helping costumed historical interpreters with the daily chores, joining in the harvest, or observing other aspects of life before electricity and cars. What is even better is that many of these places do not offer just one program but have programs throughout the year for every season and even have new programs recently created. While some of these places are owned by the state and are always free of charge, others will make an exception for a school group.

Visiting these places can give students perspective, showing them how plant classification is not just in a textbook, but can be applied to their very own back yard. It can also show them how the specific family or person living in the prairie during the 1860’s may have viewed the civil war, or later, the introduction of electricity, making the connection even more relational.

Filed Under: Assessment, Education Tagged With: Education, Nature reserve, Student

Summer Learning Increases Student Success

Students who spend time reading or learning over the summer are much more likely excel during the following fall. This is because they have continued to grow on what they have already learned, instead of forgetting a significant portion of it over the summer months. For many students, the trouble area is going to be math. Most students, even if they enjoy reading, will not continue to refresh what they have learned in a math class. For other students, reading will be the trouble area. Here is what you can do to help your child reach their learning potential:

Assign homework. While it may not sound very fun for you or your child, assigning homework during the summer is one of the best things you can do for them. This does not mean that you have to assign enough work that they are as busy as they are during the school year, but giving them at least a few hours of math and reading review will help them stay current in what they have learned.

Read together. Another excellent option for helping your child get into reading in the summer is to read with them. Every evening, or once a week, read an exciting book together, taking turns reading out loud. This will give you quality time with your child, as well as get them more excited about reading. For a list of good books to read, ask your child’s teacher or contact your local library. Both should have a list of excellent options that will cater to your child’s age and interests.

Have a class day. If you find that you are having trouble getting your child to do the work you assign during the summer, don’t despair! Many parents have the same trouble. To give a little more structure and accountability for both you and your child, consider putting your child in a once-a-week class, or hiring a tutor to meet with your child for an afternoon each week. This will not greatly hamper you or your child’s summer plans, but will help him or her keep up.

Filed Under: Assessment, Standards Tagged With: Learning, Student, Teacher

Creative Teaching Methods Improves Teaching Atmosphere

Teachers have found that allowing for creative teaching methods creates a better atmosphere for learning. Creative teaching methods can mean a wide variety of things, including the following: reenacting scenes from a play, parodying a type of writing, memorizing tables and phrases to a tune, and using visual blocks for math and science. While these methods vary, they are proven to create a better learning environment.

One literature teacher assigned her junior high students to not only read Edgar Allen Poe’s famous poem, “The Raven,” but to write a parody of the poem—meaning they would keep the meter and stanza length and structure of the poem. This had students more closely examine the poem, demonstrated to them how to mark its meter, as well as allowed them to come up with their own creation. This aspect of learning brought together history, literature analysis, as well as writing and creativity.

Using visual aids for science has long been practiced in the classroom, but using visual aids for math is much less common, particularly with older elementary children. However, the program Math-U-See works under the impression that students learn better when terms are no longer in the abstract but have a concrete aspect to them. This method uses small squares representing hundreds, tens, fives, and ones. This allows students who become confused when dealing with numbers the ability to catch up to their other classmates, as well as have a fuller understanding of the basic building blocks of mathematics instead of simply memorizing methods without comprehending how they work.

Other methods also use additional parts of a child’s brain, creating a fuller learning experience. This is what memorizing phrases to the tune of a song does. The words are easier to remember when sung, so many teachers choose tunes for their students for not only the alphabet, but for times tables and the periodic table of elements. These methods are so effective for children because they engage a child’s mind more fully than other methods, and are also a change of pace during the day that makes it more exciting and interesting.

Filed Under: Assessment, Education Tagged With: Education, Student, Teaching method

Benefiting from Tutoring Services

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Tutors work with students to help them to help themselves. This is achieved by guiding and assisting them academically until the point where they are learning independently and successfully. For example, if you are taking gmat prep courses, you can bring a tutor into your home, or a tutor can help the student online or in a tutoring center.

Why a child may need a tutor can vary significantly from one student to the next, and so there are specific signs that you should be watching out for. For example, if a teacher or a counselor recommends a tutor, then something may be at play here that you need to consider. Signs that you may notice in your child include dropping grades, the student having trouble with homework, anxiety prior to tests, dropping self esteem, a loss of interest in the learning process, giving up, resistance to homework or school work or a resistance to going to school in general.

Many students can benefit from tutoring services. Tutors provide your child with a personalized level of attention, improving grades and increasing knowledge of the subject. Tutoring can reduce competition and improve self-esteem as well as confidence while encouraging a higher level of learning and encouraging what is known as self-directed learning. Tutoring provides the student with encouragement, praise and feedback and provides the student with a review of skills that are not being actively taught but that still require mastering.

Tutoring can increase the child’s motivation to succeed by giving him or her new ways to solve problems and look at subjects that previously were not understood. Tutoring can also provide the student with better focus, better use of studying time and intensive practice so that the student can master the subject and improve his or her standing in school. This is the best way to turn those dropping grades around.

Filed Under: Cause & Effect, Graduate School Tagged With: Child, Student, Tutor