testing
The White's
It's that time of year again...testing.
I live in VA, which requires that I show proof of progress each year either
by portfolio, evaluation or standardized test. The minimum requirement for
testing is the 23rd percentile, which is not so difficult. My ds is "in
2nd" grade so last year was the first year we were required to show proof of
progress. The test seems the least obtrusive way to show progress to the
school board, especially since there are no qualified evaluators in my rural
area who would be sympathetic to unschoolers.
My question, as an unschooler, can I possibly keep using standardized test
scores as my child gets older? We've just received our CAT and he'll have
no problem with it this year. However, I've looked at the CAT tests for
older kids and the math continues in a very textbook fashion. There are
many things that I can't see coming up naturally on the 3rd/4th-grade (and
on) tests.
My ds has a very good understanding of math principles but since we don't
"do math" I don't know how I can keep using the tests unless I become a ps
teacher and simply teach to the test 2-3 weeks before administering it.
We are committed unschoolers and it works perfectly for my ds. I don't want
to unschool everything but math. I can't see how we can put together a
portfolio either, since we don't do "schoolwork". Any suggestions from
veteran unschoolers would be greatly appreciated!
Cindy
I live in VA, which requires that I show proof of progress each year either
by portfolio, evaluation or standardized test. The minimum requirement for
testing is the 23rd percentile, which is not so difficult. My ds is "in
2nd" grade so last year was the first year we were required to show proof of
progress. The test seems the least obtrusive way to show progress to the
school board, especially since there are no qualified evaluators in my rural
area who would be sympathetic to unschoolers.
My question, as an unschooler, can I possibly keep using standardized test
scores as my child gets older? We've just received our CAT and he'll have
no problem with it this year. However, I've looked at the CAT tests for
older kids and the math continues in a very textbook fashion. There are
many things that I can't see coming up naturally on the 3rd/4th-grade (and
on) tests.
My ds has a very good understanding of math principles but since we don't
"do math" I don't know how I can keep using the tests unless I become a ps
teacher and simply teach to the test 2-3 weeks before administering it.
We are committed unschoolers and it works perfectly for my ds. I don't want
to unschool everything but math. I can't see how we can put together a
portfolio either, since we don't do "schoolwork". Any suggestions from
veteran unschoolers would be greatly appreciated!
Cindy
[email protected]
In a message dated 3/27/01 6:35:51 AM, jwwjr@... writes:
<< I can't see how we can put together a
portfolio either, since we don't do "schoolwork". Any suggestions from
veteran unschoolers would be greatly appreciated! >>
Instead of "portfolio" think "scrapbook."
There are lots of cool clear-plastic envelopes and photo pages for regular
old three-ring binders like schoolkids use. Put in a photos of your child
doing interesting things and being in interesting places (not necessarily
exotic and out of town). Put in museum brochures and handouts. Tickets
from concerts, or a movie ticket next to some tie-in things, and if the
evaluator asks you can say "Watching that movie led to an interest in
[whatever] and we pursued that." Letters in and out, magazine articles you
read. Lists of books read, or books-on-tape listened to.
There are PBS websites for the kids' shows like "Between the Lions" and maybe
some printouts from that with notes that your kids watch whatever
occasionally, which covers [and then the list of academic skills targetted
from the show].
Those are things your kids don't even have to know happened. They're
learning without the scrapbook, and you-the-mom could be making something
neat for them to look back at after the theatre's closed adn those TV shows
are defunct and the places they visited have been all remodelled.
FOR INSTANCE: Holly and I went to the Jorvik Viking center in York. I just
got this from my friend who lives there:
<<I've been offered a job at the New Jorvik Viking Centre. The paying
sort. Weekends only, but it'll look good on my cv. It starts next
week and I am very excited about it. They got rid of the time cars on
the ground and are building a whole new panorama below and the cars
will be above like the people mover from Disneyland. I am not sure of
everything I'll be expected to do, but they know I am an
archaeologist, historian, and recreationist--I'm sure they'll find
something.>>
So Holly and I went on those little cars the last year they were used! NOW
our museum flyers are even more special.
Holly mentioned that museum just yesterday, and I got the e-mail this morning.
With that method of recordkeeping, you could do very minimal things, trying
to touch on various subjects. You could photograph your child playing with a
geoboard or dice or counting money. You could photograph him reading,
painting (photograph him with the artwork), dressed up in historical costume,
looking at plants and butterflies in the yard...
You could print out or photocopy some checklist like Worldbook's (there are
some things on line, some "expected competencies" kinds of lists and just
notate that page--maybe line through things he knew before "the year"
started, date those he comes across (he never needs to see it)... it would be
official looking, "real" and non-intrusive.
Sandra (glad I don't have to do that, but knowing I'd take that over testing)
<< I can't see how we can put together a
portfolio either, since we don't do "schoolwork". Any suggestions from
veteran unschoolers would be greatly appreciated! >>
Instead of "portfolio" think "scrapbook."
There are lots of cool clear-plastic envelopes and photo pages for regular
old three-ring binders like schoolkids use. Put in a photos of your child
doing interesting things and being in interesting places (not necessarily
exotic and out of town). Put in museum brochures and handouts. Tickets
from concerts, or a movie ticket next to some tie-in things, and if the
evaluator asks you can say "Watching that movie led to an interest in
[whatever] and we pursued that." Letters in and out, magazine articles you
read. Lists of books read, or books-on-tape listened to.
There are PBS websites for the kids' shows like "Between the Lions" and maybe
some printouts from that with notes that your kids watch whatever
occasionally, which covers [and then the list of academic skills targetted
from the show].
Those are things your kids don't even have to know happened. They're
learning without the scrapbook, and you-the-mom could be making something
neat for them to look back at after the theatre's closed adn those TV shows
are defunct and the places they visited have been all remodelled.
FOR INSTANCE: Holly and I went to the Jorvik Viking center in York. I just
got this from my friend who lives there:
<<I've been offered a job at the New Jorvik Viking Centre. The paying
sort. Weekends only, but it'll look good on my cv. It starts next
week and I am very excited about it. They got rid of the time cars on
the ground and are building a whole new panorama below and the cars
will be above like the people mover from Disneyland. I am not sure of
everything I'll be expected to do, but they know I am an
archaeologist, historian, and recreationist--I'm sure they'll find
something.>>
So Holly and I went on those little cars the last year they were used! NOW
our museum flyers are even more special.
Holly mentioned that museum just yesterday, and I got the e-mail this morning.
With that method of recordkeeping, you could do very minimal things, trying
to touch on various subjects. You could photograph your child playing with a
geoboard or dice or counting money. You could photograph him reading,
painting (photograph him with the artwork), dressed up in historical costume,
looking at plants and butterflies in the yard...
You could print out or photocopy some checklist like Worldbook's (there are
some things on line, some "expected competencies" kinds of lists and just
notate that page--maybe line through things he knew before "the year"
started, date those he comes across (he never needs to see it)... it would be
official looking, "real" and non-intrusive.
Sandra (glad I don't have to do that, but knowing I'd take that over testing)
dawn
>I missed the beginning of this thread (so typical of me to delete
> << I can't see how we can put together a
> portfolio either, since we don't do "schoolwork". Any suggestions from
> veteran unschoolers would be greatly appreciated! >>
>
> Instead of "portfolio" think "scrapbook."
>
everything until I have a few minutes to sit down and read), but I do
portfolio assessments for unschoolers in our area, and many of them have
WAY more to show me than the more school-at-home type have. Lots of
brochures, pictures, scraps of paper, lists of software worked
on/mastered, library slips, lists of videos, pictures of projects, etc.
I also get musical performances, art exhibits, tours of gardens, etc.
some bring in actual science projects. Others page after page of
programming code they hwave written, lists of url's to sites they have
built, etc.
dawn h-s
[email protected]
I sent a whole bunch of stuff earlier that hasn't shown up. Is anyone
else having problems posting from the website? This one came from my
e-mail account.
Bridget
S�och�in ar domhan,
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------
At 18, our convictions are hills from which we look; at 45, they are
caves in which we hide.
-- F. Scott Fitzgerald
else having problems posting from the website? This one came from my
e-mail account.
Bridget
S�och�in ar domhan,
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------
At 18, our convictions are hills from which we look; at 45, they are
caves in which we hide.
-- F. Scott Fitzgerald
[email protected]
I am finally listening to the tapes from the conference. I heard most of Ned &
Luz's today.
They mentioned the "t" word. But in this context: they said that Cassidy
wanted to move to New York to "test" himself---to see whether he could do it.
That's the test that's important. We "test"ourselves every day in our
attempts at better parenting, in our trying to say "yes", in MY hosting a
conference, or in whatever we're doing that's new or hard for us. We're
rewarded with happiness and joyfulness.
It's Real Life Testing. School feels it has to simulate that too!
Kelly
"To The World You Might Be One Person; But To One Person You Might Be the
World."
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Luz's today.
They mentioned the "t" word. But in this context: they said that Cassidy
wanted to move to New York to "test" himself---to see whether he could do it.
That's the test that's important. We "test"ourselves every day in our
attempts at better parenting, in our trying to say "yes", in MY hosting a
conference, or in whatever we're doing that's new or hard for us. We're
rewarded with happiness and joyfulness.
It's Real Life Testing. School feels it has to simulate that too!
Kelly
"To The World You Might Be One Person; But To One Person You Might Be the
World."
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Stephanie Elms
Kelly...when will tapes be available to order? I have heard rav reviews about Anne O's
talk and would love to get one...
Stephanie E.
talk and would love to get one...
Stephanie E.
mabeitzel
Me too! Me too!
Michelle B.
--- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., "Stephanie Elms"
<stephanie.elms@d...> wrote:
Michelle B.
--- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., "Stephanie Elms"
<stephanie.elms@d...> wrote:
> Kelly...when will tapes be available to order? I have heard ravreviews about Anne O's
> talk and would love to get one...
>
> Stephanie E.
Mary Bianco
Can't really be much help with the whole thing but I do know some kids just
don't test well. My Tara is one of them. She'll do great on the work and
understands it all, then testing time comes and her mind just freezes up.
She's always been like this. She doesn't bomb the test, but doesn't do as
well as she should with the previous work she has done. It's something we
try to work through by making sure she feels confident about the work before
the test. She has gotten a bit better. I think it's a matter of her getting
use to it all.
It's just a block about knowing the test itself is more important than the
work. I mean after all, that's what her teachers are always looking at.
She just recently took her SAT's and did pretty well on them. Score wise
above average which for a test for her is great. I think that helped her
confidence some and she wants to take it over and see how she does. We've
gotten to the point where we don't worry about it and now neither does she.
She excels in so many more ways and just understands it's one thing that
doesn't work well for her.
Mary B
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don't test well. My Tara is one of them. She'll do great on the work and
understands it all, then testing time comes and her mind just freezes up.
She's always been like this. She doesn't bomb the test, but doesn't do as
well as she should with the previous work she has done. It's something we
try to work through by making sure she feels confident about the work before
the test. She has gotten a bit better. I think it's a matter of her getting
use to it all.
It's just a block about knowing the test itself is more important than the
work. I mean after all, that's what her teachers are always looking at.
She just recently took her SAT's and did pretty well on them. Score wise
above average which for a test for her is great. I think that helped her
confidence some and she wants to take it over and see how she does. We've
gotten to the point where we don't worry about it and now neither does she.
She excels in so many more ways and just understands it's one thing that
doesn't work well for her.
Mary B
_________________________________________________________________
STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE*
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail