Testing for Intelligence week 6

This is such a hard thing for me to have a concrete answer for.  Testing children on things that we have forced them to memorize just does not seem to be the way to decide whether or not they are intelligent.  However I do think we need to observe and assess where all children are developmentally, socially physically and cognitively so we can help them realize their greatest potential. 

I do not believe in standardized anything for children.  You cannot expect a child from a small Midwest farm town to have the same knowledge base as a child from a large metropolitan city.  They certainly do not experience the same things and therefore cannot be tested on the same information.  Granted, 1+1=2 wherever you go but how you got there is different for everyone.   Multiple intelligences has become an increasingly accepted way to look at how individuals learn. (Gardner, 1993)

I have never been a good test taker.  I generally get very panicky even when I am confident of the material.  I am one of those individuals that never see the concrete true or false, there could usually be another possibility or with multiple choice questions, I read way too much into the question and then cannot decide on one best answer!  But, sit down and chat with me about the topic and I could go on for days!  So my thought would be, why can’t children be assessed in the way that is best for them.   While I was a good student and got good grades, it was not without anxiety, stomach aches, and at times rashes from being so nervous. 

I think the only way you can truly learn what a child (or anyone) knows is by observing them in their natural learning environment.  In early childhood we have developmental milestones.  We go by standards that tell us where a child should typically be at certain stages in their life.  As teachers we create an environment that is conducive to all different styles of learning. 

Once in public education all children are expected to sit in a chair, learn/memorize information that may or may not have any meaningfulness to them so they can pass some sort of standardized test.   Berger states that children are going to respond to questions asked based on their cultural experiences no matter how the question is written. (325)  China has long been giving standardized tests to their school children.  School children in China have rigorous academics; Studying one subject for hours at a time.  They consider our educational system to be too relaxed and “fun”. (2008)  Although Greenspan does mention in her article that there is a trend now in China to bring more of our western culture to their education system.  The Chinese feel they need more creativity in their curriculum. (2008) 

I took my closing paragraph directly from a website I found on teaching the whole child.  This statement sums up for me where we need to be headed with education.
These 21st century demands require a new and better way of approaching education policy and practice—a whole child approach to learning, teaching, and community engagement. We need to redefine what a successful learner is and how we measure success. It is time to put students first, align resources to students' multiple needs, and advocate for a more balanced approach. A child who enters school in good health, feels safe, and is connected to her school is ready to learn. A student who has at least one adult in school who understands his social and emotional development is more likely to stay in school. All students who have access to challenging academic programs are better prepared for further education, work, and civic life. http://www.wholechildeducation.org/about/

References:

Gardner, H. (1993) Multiple Intelligences the Theory in Practice, Basic Books

Berger, K.S. (2009) The Developing Person Through Childhood (5^th ed.).New York Worth Publishers.

http://www.wholechildeducation.org/about/
Postlethwaite, T.,(1986)The Use of Standardized Tests in Secondary Schools in Four European Countries Office of Educational Research and Improvement, Washington, DC
Greenspan, A.  (2008) China vs. America? Learning Strategies in the 21^st Century http://www.theglobalist.com/storyid.aspx?StoryId=5264