Assessment 2.0

The article on Ed.gov was interesting and hopefully a better wave of testing will be developed.  Assessments are not only in test form but are constantly ongoing.  Assessments should be tied to the four domains and not be just a bubble test.  Students are assessed daily on the information they comprehend, the teacher for the delivery of the information, the lesson for its ability to promote learning and the atmosphere in which the material is presented.  Assessment 2.0 is a more hands on approach to learning with students doing physical tasks not just looking at a flat image on a piece of paper and trying to figure out what is being done.  Students learn using all their senses - the more senses used the better.  This is very true when it comes to special needs students and students with disabilities as well. 

Creating a Common Core set of Standards across all states would make it easier to compare the assessments.  I would think it would be harder to assess the different states if the guidelines were different for each state.  But let's think about the teaching standards in all states.  None of the requirements for teachers are the same in each state.  Therefore the education the teachers are delivering will be different and the out comes different as well.  The young people we are teaching are not cookie cutter students, they are individuals with individual learning styles and individuals learning abilities.  How realible can a test be for students being taught in Nebraska and students being taught in Hawaii?  What about Alaska?  Are the teaching standards and abilities of the teachers the same?  What about the ability of the students?  I do believe if we take a more physical, interesting type assessment approach for students the results may be more accurate than a bubble test. 

The Business Education field contributes to all the other subjects in the school.  Business education actually helps all core subjects in the school by helping students with Business Law (history, english, and science), Computers (typing, math, science and history), Accounting (english and math), Business Math (math and english), etc.  Business Education is a center anchor aiding all other subjects in the school and has become a vital part of education especially with technology.  Business Education is needed now more than ever in all schools. 

First Days of School

Ah, the first days of school.  Since we start our journey of student teaching in the Spring semester, students are already in the routine of school unlike in the fall when they are coming back from 3 months off.  There is however, the beginning of a new marking period (semester) for the students.  Some classes are continuing from last semester and some are new classes, new students and new teachers.  For the classes that are continuing from last semester, the only change is us.  We are the ones that will carry on the classroom rules set in place by the co-op teacher, who are starting in the middle of the learning materials and who need to learn the rules and what is expected.  It is the students that will watch us and make sure we are on the right page.  I looked up various sites to see what other student teachers had to say about their experiences and found quite a few with good advice.

Talk to students, grade papers for the co-operating teacher, talk to the office staff, to other teachers, to other student-teachers in the school working in different departments, and find out what the school offers.  The first days of school in-tale getting yourself acclaimated to the school routine.  The students are use to it, for someone like me who has been out of high school for more than a couple of years, I am the new person. 

For the first days of school, there are the seating charts, school rules, learning the classroom equipment, teaching materials, computer log-ins, parking decals and student teacher ids.  Getting the students into a routine with me at the teacher is something I really look forward to.  I overheard a student say to the co-op that it was nice to have a student-teacher because it gave him a new fresh start with the teacher again when I am done.  I didn't take that negative at all and neither did the co-op.  It actually made us both smile.