The Monthly Newsletter
Issue 116 | July, 2015 | www.ei-india.com
MISCONCEPTION Series
? AQAD Website
ASSET
ASSET Talent Scholars - Inspiring Students Student’s Zone
COVER Story Can Assessments Hinder Teaching? Analysis of student performance data can give a preview of what students have understood, what they ought to understand and, what should be done to fulfill their academic requirements. Research has shown that incorporating assessment data in the teaching design leads to enhanced student performances. Rick Stiggins, an expert on classroom assessments, suggests that teachers should have a more balanced approach and not only do assessment of learning but also use assessments for learning purposes. When provided with appropriate analysis of data, teachers can make informed decisions that positively influence student results. In short, in education, information speaks volumes and can go a long way in improving the teaching-learning process. In recent times, in the Indian education system, there has been emphasis on conducting formative assessments. Performance based learning and assessments are finding place in the curriculum design of a lot more schools than ever before. Assessment now serves purposes bigger than that of a catalyst in school improvements. For
some educators, data serves large purposes and is a tool by using which, everyone and every effort is being judged. The key here is not in letting go of data as an instructional tool but in accepting the limits of any assessment, especially in the form of curriculum and teaching designs. This post attempts at helping one to identify the ways in which assessments can interfere with teaching and learning. 1. Bad assessments – Assessments that mostly test procedural knowledge and are low on uncovering the conceptual understanding of students, are not helpful. In fact they serve as barriers to the learning process. Furthermore, if the interpretations of the results made are incorrect, then it can be a recipe for disaster and may lead to an annoying learning experience for the student. 2. Poor timing – Students struggle with tests for any number of reasons that have nothing to do with content knowledge, from anxiety to simply having a bad day. Even the best assessment conducted at a wrong time is a bad assessment. Ideally each
student must get a completely personalized assessment pathway. Given a rigid curriculum, the teachers find it very challenging to plan instruction, conduct assessments, analyse data and revise instruction. 3. Lack of diversity in data sources – Each test gives a snapshot of what a student seems to understand. In order to get a complete view of understanding levels of students, it is necessary to have diverse ways of collecting data. The data must come from diverse sources like tests, quizzes,
projects, peer-assessments, selfassessments, standardized tests, etc. An add-on to this problem is the rigid curriculum of schools. The assessments can immediately address students learning needs only when the curriculum is conducive to absorbing and using the data. And at times, the problem can be the data itself. Merely having more data is not enough.
By Syeda Akbar – Member of ASSET Test Development team
EDUCATORS’ Zone Ms. Nivedita Sinha, Principal, Dr. D Y Patil International School, Nerul, Navi Mumbai
1
Who has most influenced you to become an educator, and how did they influence you?
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– In my childhood, I had read the famous letter by Abraham Lincoln to his son’s teacher where he beautifully outlines the role of a teacher in an individual’s life. This remained etched in my memory thereafter and suddenly resurfaced at the time when I was pondering on the right choice of career. I really did not have to struggle to find an answer. I knew I had to become an educator, a teacher …I believe this is the profession that provides you with an opportunity to don different roles of a subject teacher, who teaches the laws of motion, a counselor, psychologist and confidante who understands the agony of a child in need, a parent for a child in need of a warm hug and reassurance, a preacher when a child strays from value systems or a detective who solves the small classroom mysteries with much elan, the list could go on ceaselessly. This great responsibility that every parent, like Lincoln, entrusts a teacher with, is what influenced me to become an educator. For me this is a form of service to the society.
2
What is your approach to classroom management and student discipline? –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Classroom management and student discipline needs to be approached as one of the most dynamic skills that varies with every cohort, every teacher and every school. What I firmly believe in is that a classroom climate becomes congenial enough to yield expected performances and behaviour when the teachers knows the content to be delivered and
also knows of ways to rivet students’ attention. In the present day scenario, we need to do away with punitive disciplinary practices and usher in constructive disciplinary strategies, in partnership with parents and the society, to be able to uphold our value systems. I would like to recall a quote that I had come across somewhere‘Children learn best when they like their teacher and they think their teacher likes them’. If this happens, good classroom management and student discipline follow naturally.
3
What are your views regarding the ‘Importance of Teacher Training and Development’ in educating Students?
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– We as educators are lifelong learners and hence teacher training and development is of utmost importance in the process of educating students. The entire process of teaching – learning is very evolutionary in nature and hence has to be upgraded regularly both by introspection and retrospection and by means of professional training and interactions with educators across the fraternity. The more effective a teacher and the teaching methodology is, the more positive is the learning environment.
4
What is your view regarding the ASSET Test? –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
The ASSET test is an excellent combination of diagnosis, analysis and solution. This test gives a cutting edge to learning by tapping the analytical and application skills. It is a unique test that emphasizes on conceptual learning rather than theoretical learning. The detailed diagnostic subject reports are extremely helpful to teachers in understanding and working on the lacuna observed.
ASSET Question-A-Day website The ASSET questions have been widely recognized for their ability to trigger the thinking process in children and to expose them to a fresh and unique way to check their own understanding of key concepts covered in the school curriculum. The ASSET Question-A-Day (AQAD) is a set of thought provoking questions that aim to make students more accustomed to skill-based questions on a regular basis. Students and teachers can register for AQAD by visiting the site. Registration is absolutely free. Questions are available for classes 3 to 9.
For more information visit www.aqad.in
MISCONCEPTION Series Properties of Matter
Q
Class 5: Science
Deepti was looking at the wire used to light a bulb. She saw that inside the plastic covering, there were thin metallic wires. A. 18.3% How do the metal and plastic help?
P D. 41.2% No. of students 23418
A
The metal and the plastic together produce electricity.
B
The metal does not bend and helps to keep the plastic stiff.
C
The metal and the plastic allow electricity to flow through the wire easily.
D The metal allows electricity to travel easily and the plastic prevents shocks. P
2
What did students answer? Almost 40% of students answered correctly. The number of students answering wrongly largely chose Options A and C, though quite a few also chose B. Possible reason for choosing A: Students probably believe that the metal and the plastic together produce electricity. Possible reason for choosing B: Few students have chosen this and are probably making a random guess. They probably feel that in a wire, metal is used to give support to the plastic covering, as they know that metals are 'strong' from experience. Possible reason for choosing C: Students probably think that the combination of metal and plastic somehow makes it easier for the electric current to flow. They might think that the plastic actually aids the flow of electric current.
3
C. 24.7% Only 41.2% answered correctly
This indicates that many students are learning little science through practical experiences and observations in daily life. Children should be aware of household mains, batteries, the role of insulators etc., just from daily life experiences.
1 Why was the question asked in ASSET test? Students use various electrical appliances and are aware that electricity is used in their daily life. This question was asked to check whether students know the role of the insulation (plastic or rubber) of an electric wire.
B. 13.7%
4
How do we handle this? • First make sure that students have a rough idea about the sources of electricity. They should not assume that a wire produces electricity. Ask them whether they have faced power-cuts, and why they think this happens? • Ask them to name a few materials through which current can pass through, and some materials through which current cannot. Students, at this level, are not expected to know why a material is a conducting or non-conducting, however, they are expected to identify common materials as being either of the two. • Ask them what can happen if one touches a wire carrying current? Tell them this is very dangerous and that they should never try it. Explain what an electrical shock is. • Ask whether one could get a shock by touching some common items e.g. the handle of a tester, the connecting wire of an electric iron, the body of a switch, etc. Ask them why we don't get a shock. • Also ask them to make simple circuits using a battery, bulb, conducting wires, and non-conducting materials like plastic etc.
Learnings About 60% of the students don't seem know that in a wire, only metal conducts electricity whereas the function of the plastic covering is to prevent shocks. Also, they have not realized the fact that the plastic covering is not meant to help the current flow or to produce electricity. We can see that the following points are not clear to these students: 1. The connecting wire has no role in the production of electricity. 2. Plastic does not conduct electricity. 3. The conducting wire must be covered in order to prevent shock. 4. Metal is conducting and plastic is non-conducting.
• Construct two circuits. In one the battery and bulb are connected by a conducting wire and in the other one, they are connected by a non-conducting plastic string. • One circuit can have a hybrid-wire – (conducting wire + plastic string). In this way, students will understand that this sort of a wire cannot conduct electricity even though half the wire is made of a conductor. Conduct the activities given in the 'useful resources' section after appropriate variations. • Help them to understand that to prevent shocks we must cover conducting wire, with some non-conducting material. • Also, discuss preventive measures to avoid electric shocks.
For more information about ASSET, write to us at info@ei-india.com
STUDENT’s Zone ASSET Talent Scholar – Interview The students who perform in the top 5%, in the Duke Tip ASSET talent search in any one of the subjects like English, Maths or Science overall is awarded the title of ‘ASSET Talent Scholar’. These students receive certificate and medal from ASSET. To know more about Duke Tip ASSET talent Search write to us at talentsearch@ei-india.com
Interview of an ASSET Talent Scholar
Kaustabh Sharma The Shri Ram School, Aravali
Q.1 Apart from having a thirst for knowledge, what else excites your mind? Another thing that excites my mind other than learning new things is that I love creativity, art and architecture. I love to paint, draw and scribble cartoons. Architecture excites me and I would love to learn how to build buildings and design machines. I also love to write stories and narrative essays. I read a lot of books so I have lots of good plots and ideas in my head which I like to express through short stories. Besides these, I also love the sport of Soccer. I feel attracted to the game and love to learn new skills and improve myself in it. Soccer is also another way, besides creativity and writing, to express my emotions and it is, overall, the sport I love.
I love watching movies, but my favourite TV show is 'Who's Line Is It Anyway?' It's different from other shows because it shows more intellectual humour. In it, the participants have to use their brain and make use of whatever they have been given to perform a role, which I find quite interesting.
Q.2 If you were a time machine, what period in history would you go back to? And why?
Q.7 If you could be someone else for a day, who would that be?
If I were a Time Machine, I would go back farther than modern history, to prehistory. I would travel back 66 million years ago in the Cretaceous period. I would do this because, according to modern theories, this was when the asteroid hit Earth in southern Mexico and dinosaurs went extinct. I would like to see whether this theory is true or not because according to other theories, the dinosaurs died due to diseases, or that most could not adapt to the change in climate.
Q.6 What other talents do you possess? I am considered not only a natural sketcher/painter, but I'm also a talented writer. Besides this, I am a talented footballer as well. I never saw it but my sports teacher told me to try it out and now I love it and am considered one of the best in my grade.
If I had the choice to be someone else for a day, I'd like to be Angelina Jolie. Besides being an actress , she also is a major humanitarian worker. She donates millions of dollars to refugees in war torn countries and has visited them herself. She was a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, and still continues to help people in poverty around the world. If I could be her for just one day, I would like to see how I could use the power she has to help the people in need.
Q.3 Do you idolize anyone? If yes, then who and why?
Q.8 If you got a chance to travel the world, which places would you like to see?
I do not idolize anyone. An idol is someone from the past who you aspire to be like, or as great as. To me, these standards seem irrelevant and quite low. I want to aspire to be the greatest that I can be, and not be a second Obama, or a second Newton. I want to be the first me and be the best as possible, because our limitations lie only where we see them to be.
If I got a chance to travel the world, I would choose to go to South America. So that I could see and experience the diversity of people, cultures and foods there and also learn about their history. I would also explore and like to see all of the natural wonders in South America like the Angel Falls, the Amazon river and the Amazon rain forest, etc.
Q.4 What is your favourite book? Give reasons why?
Q.9 If you could make one rule in the world for everyone to follow, what would that be?
I love all the books of Rick Riordan's series. Especially the 'Heroes of Olympus" series. I love these series' because I am very fond of history and mythology. I love reading about gods and their mortal children. What makes the 'Heroes of Olympus' series more interesting is that it has a modern twist, of modern teenage demigods and their day to day life. It also looks at the Gods from a different angle. As much as it focuses on the good things, it also focuses on the bad things about the Gods, which I find very unique. Q.5 What is your favourite TV show?
If I could make one rule for the world, I would make a rule that there should be no borders. That is, there should be no countries, no divisions, nothing at all. This is because we are all the children of the Earth and the ultimate achievement would be for us to unite as one. Q.10 What do you aspire to be, when you grow up? I want to be a writer, poet and an architect when I grow up, so that I can influence people with my words and reinvent the way people look at architecture.
Bookpost
Educational Initiatives Pvt. Ltd. A-201, Baleshwar Square, Opp. ISKCON Temple, S.G. Highway, Ahmedabad-380015 Phone : 91-079-66211600 Fax : 91-079 66211700 Email : info@ei-india.com Website : www.ei-india.com
We would like to receive your feedback on the contents of ASSETScope and the activities of EI. Please send your comments / opinions / suggestions to bindu@ei-india.com, assetscope@ei-india.com or to the postal address mentioned on the left. This is a platform meant for you and it would be great to exchange ideas with you.