Chapter 2

Assessment

My own experience with student portfolios and authentic assessments did not include works mentioned in the chapter, such as videos or bridge building. They consisted of a variety of written works across the disciplines. This created a high degree of stress for the poor reader/writer, and resulted in lower scores than he might have using other forms of testing. Taking part in Kentucky's authentic assessments, I no longer consider this to be a true test of what a student knows. One of the more heartbreaking experiences I had as a teacher was showing a number of students their scores after they had tried so hard to do well. You could see the defeat take over after hearing the news. Yet, I know that most of them knew the subject matter sufficiently to pass multiple choice or short answer exams. Again, I believe mixtures of tests should be provided for an AUTHENTIC assessment.

The problem with many tests is that teachers are not taught how to construct questions. A reliable/valid multiple choice test excludes trick questions, has clear and precise choices, and offers a way to assess what a student knows about the subject matter. If short answer tests are also constructed appropriately, a teacher will be able to tell what a student knows. There are usually several poor questions in each test, and they should be eliminated prior to testing. If a teacher is not aware of what a poor question is, all he has to do is look at the number of wrong answers compared to the average, and then remove that question from the test.
 
 

Chapter Three

Teacher roles

Redefining the role of the teacher has many positive facets. However, the author seems to suggest that formerly, teachers were not considered professionals. I have never felt that my teachers were tradesmen, nor have I ever felt as if I were less than a professional. The ideas posed in Chapter Three are very interesting and provocative. Time constraints and administrative support seem to be the biggest obstacles in redefining roles, but with the right assistance, teaching could take on more interesting and exciting purposes.
 
 

Chapter Five

School/Home

Haynes is certainly correct in noting that the home supports the school. Parents who demonstrate the importance of education to their children tend to have successful students. In my experience, students in the advanced classes more often had involved parents who placed a high importance on education, and students in regular ed. or LD/BD classes had far less participation and involvement from parents. Perhaps the parents of students in lower classes have heard too many negative comments about their children from early conferences, or are simply intimidated by schools, teachers, and administrators. Parents in my last placement were often absent entirely from their children's lives. Any input on getting parents involved with the education of their children is worthwhile. Some of my fellow classmates are struggling with parental involvement, and others have helped bridge the gap through various means. Our forum with the many ideas shared is a wonderful source of information for each of us.
 
 

Chapter Six

Community
 
 

This was an excellent chapter, in my opinion. There are schools out there who are keeping doors open to the community and offering night courses, GED help, counseling sessions, and a variety of activities that involve neighborhoods. With this, a return to the neighborhood school seems necessary. A sense of community is lacking in our bussing system, and students/parents from outlying areas seldom get involved in their children's education when so far removed from the home base.
 
 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Byck Family Resource Center, having lived in Louisville for 12 years. The center is to be commended for its efforts in offering such support to my former city. I spent part of my practicum at Byck and was impressed with the dedication of staff.
 

Chapter Seven