Personal Thanks

Personal Thanks:

Thank you to all my classmates in 6160 Early Childhood Development. I have been stretched and continue to grow through your comments and your insight. The discussion you put forth make the text more tangible and I feel like I have learned more than I ever expected in this class. Thank you.

When I think of child development…

When I think of child development…

All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual.

~Albert Einstein

If education is always to be conceived along the same antiquated lines of a mere transmission of knowledge, there is little to be hoped from it in the bettering of man's future. For what is the use of transmitting knowledge if the individual's total development lags behind?

~Maria Montessori

Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world.

~Maria Montessori

Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.

~Maria Montessori

The greatest sign of success for a teacher... is to be able to say, "The children are now working as if I did not exist."

~Maria Montessori

We cannot create observers by saying 'observe,' but by giving them the power and the means for this observation and these means are procured through education of the senses.

~Maria Montessori

We discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being.

~Maria Montessori

It is with children that we have the best chance of studying the development of logical knowledge, mathematical knowledge, physical knowledge, and so forth.

~Jean Piaget 

Testing for Intelligence?

I believe assessments should come from the teacher. For example if a teacher needs to teach gravity (science), the Roman Empire (history), and the three basics then a child should be assessed on that material taught and in a manner that obtains the most honest feedback. If a teacher can document that a child has met each of the lessons learning objective by either a test method, observation, report or other method then I feel like that should suffice. I think the teacher needs to have the responsibility on them for their children learning the material. I think this would cause teachers to get creative and teach material in many different manners.

Looking at how children are assessed in other countries was interesting. I really wanted to look more deeply into Italy’s method of assessment. As the birth country of the Reggio Emilia schools, I was interested in seeing the countries approach, as a whole, to testing.

I found a very interesting article that outlined the information I was looking for. The article stated that, “Most primary schools use a system of assessment based on teacher observation throughout the school year. Assessments are recorded on each child’s report card, which is designed to provide a detailed profile of the pupil’s academic ability and personality. The record card is passed to a pupil’s next school when he leaves. In the fifth year of primary school, pupils must usually obtain a primary school leaving certificate to progress to lower secondary school; those who are unsuccessful may need to repeat their final year” (primary school in Italy, 2011).

I personally feel like Italy has the right idea when it comes to assessments. On the education side as a whole, were young children are concerned, Italy has a model that I feel the US should look closely at.

Refereces:

Primary School in Italy. (2011) Just landed. Retrieved April 4, 2012 from http://www.justlanded.com/english/Italy/Italy-Guide/Education/Primary-school-in-Italy

Italy – Secondary education. (2012) Stateuniversity.com. Retrieved April 4, 2012 from http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/718/Italy-SECONDARY-EDUCATION.html