FOR DISCUSSION: Structuring the classroom
Read the following class comment and respond to at least one of the questions that follow.
Your response will go in the threaded comments section.
Following each class, you will be given multiple prompts to respond to each week.
The comment(s):
Structuring the classroom requires teachers to consider the value of competitive learning, the messages we are sending our students about responsibility, and the ever-present standardized test.
The question(s):
1. Define competitive learning and how it is valuable in the classroom, or not?
2. Define responsibility. Is there a bias embedded in responsibility? Who is involved in teaching about responsibility?
3. What kind of responsibility should you teach?
4. Is teaching responsibility part of your TEKS? Is teaching responsibility part of your school's plan?
5. Define standardized testing. How do you 'consider' the value of a standardized test?
Standardized testing is the form of testing where a whole group of students are tested on content areas in the same manner to determine whether they have learned what was required of them to learn as perceived by the administrators. The format is generally multiple choice, and true/false questions. Standardized tests are the format for high stakes testing. In high stakes testing, if students fail to achieve the standard to which they are being tested on, then the school usually loses partial or all funding until following assessments are administered and students show the academic prowess demanded of them. Personally, I don't value standardized tests with regard to high stakes testing. I do not believe standardized tests are a way to measure a person's intelligence or determine if lessons were absorbed. This could be because I was never very good at standardized tests because of the stress from the expectations, and the format. I took classes to prepare for my SATs and my scores still did not improve significantly. My scores were decent, but they weren't fantastic. The tests didn't ask me about what I learned in class, but rather it asked me general questions of math, and English that may or may not have been covered within the classroom. I prefer authentic assessments where portfolios are used and testing is more flexible and adaptive to the curriculum and progress within the classroom.
ReplyDelete3. I believe the type of responsibility that should be taught prepares the students for college. One of our goals as teachers should be preparing students for higher education. We need to show them that time management is important and reminding them to study and do their homework is a small part of this. I feel that it ultimately lies on the students and the parents if the students learn time management.
ReplyDelete5. Standardized testing is a method we use to assess all the students. Standardize testing, in my opinon, hurts the classroom. The teaching in the classrooms are based off the standardized test. It takes away from other aspects.
ReplyDeleteI feel we should teach our students to take responsibilities for their own actions. This will help prepare them for college and life after school. If we instill this value in them now, it makes the transition a lot easier. We can do this by limiting the amount of late work we take up, or the amount of points we do assign for late work. This helps the students realize that a deadline is important, and if it is not made then consequences can occur for than just the student.
ReplyDeleteHannah Thornblom
I agree with you completely, however how would you handle this in schools like John Jay where students are allowed to turn in work at any point and retest at will?
DeleteI feel like as teachers, we should be trying to develop kids into good people as well as good students. A key component of having both results is teaching responsibility. Having good time management, punctuality, and respect for others are all things that any good students and people possess. Nurturing personal responsibility for their work and behavior will benefit them throughout their lives. Teachers should not replace parents when it comes to life skills, but teachers do spend a great deal of time with students and should promote the development of good skills that will help students succeed at every aspect of life.
ReplyDeleteStandarized testing is a form of testing that assess all students equally. I don't think its a proper way of assessment considering that all students learn differently and their personal needs aren't addressed. This also takes away from teachers' opportunity to teach topics students can relate to which keeps students from accessing their prior knowledge.
ReplyDelete"A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner" We as educators need standardized tests. Many assume that these refer only to TAKS, TAAS, STARR, ect. but it goes much further than this. STs are any form of test that are given in a "standard" manner. This allows each test to be graded fairly and alleviate any biased grading. STs are not always high stakes. Where I do not think a student's entire educational career should be based only on STs I do see their intrinsic value and think they are valuable within a classroom.
ReplyDeleteI believe that responsibility towards society should be one of the many things that are taught in the classroom. If our future generations become too apathetic towards the society around them and feel no responsibility towards it, then it will eventually implode on itself. I don't think that one lesson on responsibility will solve the problem, but rather it should be a continual, subliminal lesson taught with everything a teacher does.
ReplyDeleteStandardized testing takes away from "Creativity" the students need! When they teach to the test, it negates all use of being creative, in return, puts more stress on the student! Competing against other countries does not help these students stress level at all, In my opinion, it hurts them emotionally, whether its lack of sleep,anxiety, or fear of not passing a grade level.
ReplyDeleteCompetitive learning is creates an environment where some students will succeed while others fail. Competition is fun and motivating for many students while others will likely find it stressful and defeating. I think competition can have a place within the classroom such as during review games; however, this type of learning should be minimized in favor of cooperative learning.
ReplyDeleteI think that the type of responsibility that you should teach in the classroom is that each student is reponsible for themselves. That their buddies may not be there the next year or in college. They will need to know how to figure things out on their own and realize the resourses they have at hand. Some students just dont care enough to learn how they can be responsible for themselves but it is our job as teachers to show the importance of this.
ReplyDelete#1
ReplyDeleteI define competitive learning as the opposite of cooperative learning; in which student work together and help one another with learning tasks. While there are some teachers that argue for the benefits of competitive learning, I believe that the greatest value lies in cooperative learning. In a competitive learning environment, there will be students that will be made to feel inadequate, and this is not the type of environment I want for any of my students.
#5
ReplyDeleteStandardized testing is a measurement that not only highlights how a student is absorbing the classroom curriculum, according to state or federal standards, but also ranks them against other students in other districts across the state or country. I feel that some degree of standardized testing is important to accessing student development, but our current climate of high stakes, rampant testing is detrimental to the education system of every school. Teachers are forced to focus on having their students pass high stakes test, and have less time to help further the students development in all other field, such as reading and comprehension.
Standardized Testing is a form of assessment that requires students to meet a predetermined set of standards set by administration. I feel that standardized tests, when used in the appropriate fashion, can be very beneficial . it is when standardized tests become high stakes that teachers are forced to teach to the test and lose their ability to teach to their discretion. Standardized tests can also be useful in keeping teachers accountable for the material they are teaching. It is when these tests are held as weapons against school districts and administrators that they lose their effectiveness.
ReplyDeleteFor me competitive learning was about determining how valuable you are compared to other students. When I was in high school all I cared about was being a higher rank than my friends, which proved to be impossible because they were all in the top ten of our entire class. I was above average in regards to grades, but I was a brainiac like them and because their number was higher than mine I just thought they were better than me. In competitive learning there are winners and losers. Not much in between. When I was competing with them I remember memorizing facts without caring about them; I remember doing extra credit because it could raise my grade slightly, not because I actually cared about learning. Competitive learning is great if you want to raise grades, but if you want the students to truly learn they should be learning together as a community. Group projects and group assignments promote learning through collaboration. I choose collaborative learning over competitive learning any day now
ReplyDelete