I took from the reading of Readicide, is that the use of multiple choice testing is killing reading. Students are no longer having to think cognitively and are guessing or word recognizing through their tests. This may boost tests scores, but the students are not learning or getting anything out of teaching for testing. If one really wanted to teach for testing and let the students learn at the same time, then the teacher should ask essay questions. You can tell the students ahead of time the topics that may be covered, but let them know that only a few certain ones will be asked on the test but they dont know which ques. will be asked, so the students have to study for all ques. The book gives examples of teaching for standardized tests not working by mentioning Texa's high scores, and then delving into the omitted details such as high dropout rates, and high retention and special education rates. On a whole the book mentions that there is so much to teach and teachers teach it so fast, it is hard to get students to really read what is being covered adequetly.
My reaction to all of this is that it is our job as teachers to somehow interest students into learning more about our content. A good way to get students to understand what they are reading or the teacher is covering is to relate the content to the students lives ethier personally or everyday life events. This shows the students that they can use this knowledge and motivate them to futher learn and investigate that perticular content.
My personal experiences in school is that I dont remember much of what I learned in highschool. Probably one reason is that I was not that motivated to learn, I was however motivated to get A's and I did. I just do not remember what I learned, which is sad. Maybe if what someone had taught me how the particular lesson affected me and my life, I might have retained the knowledge more.
I plan on helping students read more effectively by taking old artists and relating them to new modern artists to whom they inspired. Also I plan on covering a variety of artists from different backgrounds and cultures, so that all my students can identify with at least one artists. I am also less inclined to use multiple choice tests, and more inspired to use a mixture of fill in the blank and essay tests.
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I definitely agree with you about giving the students more prompts to study instead of giving them the exact question that will be on the test. I think it is a great idea to take history in art or whatever subject and relate it to what is going on TODAY. It is also a great idea to relate it directly to your students!
ReplyDeleteI think you have a perfect plan to engage your students, Allison. Relating to their popular culture might very well tap into the passions for real learning. I wonder if you can go beyond paper and pencil tests, though. How might your students show you what they know and what they have learned? Could they show you in a more creative way?
ReplyDeleteI think your ideas are good Alison. I believe you are on a good path with the connection of past artists with current ones. One suggestion I have deals with the type of assessment you can give. I think that as an art teacher, you will have the greatest amount of freedom in your assessment. You could test the students knowledge through artistic creativity. Connecting with your ideas of mixing past and present, you could have your students make an artistic creation of the mixture of two artists from different generations. Like somehow artistically producing a visual mixture of Andy Warhal and Picaso, or something to that nature. Then they could have the opportunity to explain and describe their efforts. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mikey about you having the greatest amount of freedom to assess your students. I think you can do great things with that freedom and really help your students. Not giving them multiple choice questions is the first step and I think that you are right in not using them. Art is often seen as a joke class but if you give them historical background and relate it to their culture I am sure that you will find a much more serious response in your class
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