I believe classroom observation, or just observation in general is very important. Depending on what you are testing, it is more important to give a child a natural environment in which he/she feels comfortable. This will allow the child to show their full potential. Often, people are not very good test takers. They get nervous or feel pressured and may not be able to concentrate. A more natural environment in which they can show their skill level will most likely show better results. I also think that other factor’s need to be taken into consideration when assessing a child such as their social-emotional health. The social-emotional area of development has such a great impact on other areas of a person that it is very difficult to ignore. Tests and assessments are only a piece of the puzzle.
I chose to look at China and how the children are assessed there. I chose China because it is no secret that the U.S. and other nations often find themselves competing with this country as far as academics and later in the business world. Children are under a lot of stress at a young age to be the best and the brightest in class. Children spend about 9 hours per day in school. In addition, after coming home at night find themselves buried in mountains of homework assignments. The pressure on young children is immense. One particular article I found stated a young girl and how the pressure got the best of her “ Last June, a 16 year-old girl from Chengdu, Sichuan Province, committed suicide after failing to pass the entrance exam for a respected senior high school” http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-05/13/content_871182.htm. China depends highly on standardized testing as a way to show intelligence. Testing is rigorous and regular. “Today, national tests determine which elementary, high school and university a student will attend. They are still the single most important factor in deciding one’s general career path,” http://www.theglobalist.com/storyid.aspx?StoryId=5264. However, China is beginning to realize that because of this history, many children are lacking in creativity. There is a recent trend in China to change their education system to look more “American.” I find this interesting when America has seemed so interested in the Chinese education system.
I believe that our country is definitely on a track for more standardized testing rather than looking at a child holistically. At least this is the feeling I get from school districts in my area. The No Child Left Behind Act has moved our country in that direction. To be honest, I do not know what is in store for American education. We are in a transition phase. The nation realized that the idea of NCLB was good, but its implementation was unsuccessful. I look forward to changes in the future in which, hopefully, a more holistic approach is used. A child’s future cannot be determined by tests alone; it is unfair.
It seems to be the culture there on all levels to be an over achiever. I remember watching a documentary years ago about the long hours men and women work in the business world. The documentary stated that heart attacks were on the rise among men due to being overworked. Seems a child learning this way would lose their childhood. As you stated the children are losing their creativity. Very sad!
ReplyDeleteHi Melanie and thanks for another interesting post about intelligence testing among young children. I agree with your insight about how consideration of kids' social-emotional situation needs to be relavent to this topic. Observation and narrative would be good ways of assessing situations and would allow children and show logical situations in which they excel. These cannot be justified with a bubble sheet and #2 pencil!
ReplyDeleteYikes! When I begin to feel frustrated and discouraged with standardized testing and the fallout from No Child Left Behind, I will remember this information about school-agers in China! Such a huge amount of pressure beginning at such a young age. What about childhood??
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
~Shawn