Testing is hot topic in education. The questions is should we do testing or should we not do testing. I believe testing needs to be done. I do not believe in standardized testing though. When I was in elementary, high school and even college I always hated standardized testing. I do not feel it leads to the correct intelligence of the person taking it. For example when I was testing for college entry exams I always did poorly. I was placed in a lower class because of the testing. One professor even moved me to a higher class because I was to advance for the class. Many students, myself included, have test anxiety, especially when it is timed.
I believe testing should be natural. In my classroom we do anecdotal note taking to "score" the children. I know this can not be done as the children get older but testing can be different in the classroom. First off, I think they should go away with timing the test. I believe if the timer is gone children will have less anxiety and do better on the test. Also teachers should look at other documentation for scoring then test. Children learn differently and teachers need to keep that in mind.
The country I picked to see how they asses their students was Germany. The reason I picked Germany is because I have a lot of German in me. I searched so many websites I could not find a lot of information on assessments in Germany. The information that I found was that they do assessments based on what are the children's needs. "In grades one and two, the focus is on direct observation of the pupils. In grade three pupils also begin to be familiarized with written class test and certain subjects"(BRIGITTE LOHMAR, 2013). In the first two years children get their reports at the end of each year. After that they get them at the end of the first half of year and then again at the end of year.
Resources
BRIGITTE LOHMAR, T. E. (2013). The Education System
in the Federal Republic of Germany 2011/2012 . Secretariat of the Standing
Conference of the Ministers of Education .
I too share your test anxiety, and I understand your point and the way you feel. I also tend to have mixed emotions on the subject of testing because of my personal experience. However, when I think about my adult life (including this Master's program), aren't pressures and deadlines part of it? If you think about it, we are all being tested in many areas of our life; it's part of functioning in an organized society. If we look at testing as another lesson in handling the pressures of life's requirements, then we have an opportunity to teach a very important social/emotional lesson. We can help the children find ways to cope with their test anxiety as we can empathize with their struggle. What is their fear? Will they not be good enough? Are they scared to be wrong? Do they fear punishment for poor performance? It's a great opportunity to talk about feelings, insecurities and emotions. My sister is an elementary school teacher, and she gives all of her students 'worry stones' (smooth rocks she picked up out of a river) to hold during testing to help relieve anxiety. She encourages them to take their shoes off and get comfy. She also openly discusses these emotions with the whole class so that if one student has more anxiety than another she can promote feelings of empathy. These are all lessons that will carry into adulthood. I often wonder if these elementary children will be taking off their shoes and rubbing a 'worry stone' during college entrance exams as well. Testing is a complex issue with many pros and cons. However, if we look past the test, there are bigger life lessons that can be achieved through the process. Great post.
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