Final Thoughts...

"With both heart and mind, we can build caring communities, design schools that develop children's wisdom and emotional strength along with their intellect and physical strength, and operate institutions with balance, intelligence and appreciation for people and the environment."
~Doc Childre, Freeze-Frame
I chose this quote because I am a firm believer in shaping tomorrow for our children. For me, this quote is inspirational and reminds us as educators to give our all for our students, their families, their communities, and world!

I would like to thank you all for your support on my blog over this course. I welcome you all at any time!

Best Wishes in all your Endeavors,

Jossalyn Richardson

Testing

When it comes to assessing children, I have mixed emotions. I believe that looking at the child holistically is essential because each person is different. We all think differently and reason differently, and therefore, we should be measured differently and according to various instruments. In terms of everyone being different, I find it poignant that we not have a measured level of “normalcy.” For example, I have a brother with a learning disability—not a severe disability, however it has kept him from doing some things. However, in other areas of his life (what one may consider common sense) he is a genius. He understands all spoken and unspoken rules and functions in society successfully with aid. However, if my brother were to take a standardized test, he would more than likely not score well at all. So, I find it difficult to base everything about him against an assessment.

In Japan, children are given an IQ test to determine what type of profession they should pursue. However in America, assessments are used in a different way. I feel we use assessments to give us a baseline, but also as tool to determine intelligence, not just measure it. I teach middle-aged children and oftentimes they are capable of performing a task, but they may need the final project modified or to be able to show mastery in a different way. I do feel assessments provide useful information, however I don’t know how fair it is to allow one assessment to be a “fits all sizes” model.