Continuouse Assessment for SEA

[amzz]

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/...144058626.html

So first news for me this morning is that 2013 SEA students will be tested in the areas of "Physical Education and Sports, Visual and Performing Arts, Morals, Values, Ethics, Etiquettes, Citizenry Development and Character Development and Agri-Science, Health and Family Life Education."

My anxiety radar is pretty high at this moment. Can you all help me to put the information contained in this article into perspective and identity all the positives from this new plan. Sirius???

Two immediate concerns right now:

1. Training of teachers will begin before September. Will this be a crash course?
2. Students' anxiety and stress levels will be highER come September

[amzz]

One would have thought that this continuous assessment would have made things easier for students as well as to provide alternative assessment for those who are not academically inclined but look at this:

The Internal Assessments will consists of a project, book report, a writing portfolio and practice in "can-do" skills in English, Mathematics, Science and Civics.The external assessments will comprise three tests, "containing multiple-choice items and constructed response questions in English, Mathematics and Science".

Am I reading this in too much of a hurry and therefore missing something?

[Solachica]

It have a class of morals and values?

[vaio]

Why 2013? That sounds a bit rushed. What about the kids who already in SEA mode which does start from Std. 3 most times?

[amzz]

(I now see d typo in d title)

sola, quite recently a morals and values syllabus was placed on the ministry's website.

v, the time frame is one of my major concerns. I'm hoping that early sensitization workshops will be effective.

[Sirius]

Something like this needs to be instituted so that those currently in first year would be the first to tackle the new format a few years from now. As for the subject areas, I don't have a problem with it, except...whose morals and values are being taught? To some for example, intolerance of the LGBT community is adhering to morals and values.

My problem with the school system is that it encourages cramming instead of critical thinking. While visual and performing arts would probably boost creativity, where is the encouraging of how to think?

[amzz]

and also, would the std 4 and 5 teachers need to be experts in the VAPA? I am no way near qualified to teach a VAPA subject for summative assessment.

[amzz]

Sirius, can you see this new plan as encouraging less cramming?

[Sirius]

Sirius, can you see this new plan as encouraging less cramming?

Possibly, yes. I welcome the new format but like the laptops for students it seems rushed - great idea but too little time for proper implementation. I also am not seeing anything to address the problem solving issue. Artistic creativity is a good thing, but what about creative solutions to problems?

[amzz]

how can it be less cramming if they're still talking about paper and pencil tests in language, math and science?

[Sirius]

how can it be less cramming if they're still talking about paper and pencil tests in language, math and science?

My understanding is it is spread out so the final "SEA" exam has less weighting. The students can learn real stuff instead of cramming so hard for a final core exam. Maybe I misunderstand?

I'll tell you what I want to see though, but do not see happening anytime soon: Abolishing this nonsense about an 11+ assessment to earn a place in their next school.

[Solachica]

In other parts of world tht do not have an assessment to move on to a secondary sch, how do they do it?
My cousins schools in NY and Canada had exams or final grades tht they used to place them into different high schools.

[Solachica]

Amzz, are the teachers trained in those subject areas? Of they just going drop syllabus on teachers and say teach tht

[kemist]

I don't like the 20:80 split for coursework:final exam weighting. To introduce that from sept seems a bit rushed, unless they trying to test the new system.
If they are going this way, a 40:60 split would be more appropriate, in which both components must be passed.

From the following year it will indeed be 40:60, but if someone makes say, 10/40 & 50/60, or 30/40 & 20/60, would they pass overall? If so, passing would not necessarily mean that they have developed the required competencies to 'function' in form 1.

With that aim in mind, the coursework component should be designed and mainly be used to ensure that students are consistently keeping up with their work during the term and that they are LEARNING. So imo, a student should not be allowed to write the final exam if they do not pass the coursework component.

Now before people start to bawl how i want to put the students through more pressure, consider 20% of coursework in std 4 being split amongst the 3 terms - so it'll be close to 7% per term. The students would have to work consistently of course, but such is required for developing the desired competencies. The students will have a new motivation to work with. Imo the 20% should be split into 4% in the first term and 8% + 8% in the successive terms, to give them a break at their first try and get them adjusted to the system. Those who do well in the first term would be highly motivated, those who don't do well can still get their act together from the second term.

The coursework component (if designed and implemented properly) would ensure that the student develop a strong foundation in their subjects, while training them to take the right approach to learning. So then the final exam can be used to test the higher level learning objectives (e.g. analytical and critical thinking aspects of the various subject areas), in which case no amount of cramming would help them pass the exam. Therefore we would have a good measure of the competencies of those who pass both components and can safely say that those are ready to enter form 1.

[edyle]

I think eventually the children will be attending classes and or studying online, and taking tests to pass modules; they would need to pass prerequisite modules before receiving an overall pass in a subject at a particular level.

[amzz]

Amzz, are the teachers trained in those subject areas? Of they just going drop syllabus on teachers and say teach tht

well we going to be trained now.. 2 days/subject
I will be an EXPERT when I done .. steupes

[guyguy]

Teaching Ethics is great and I applaud this but Morals & Values? Whose idea of Morals & Values are they planning to teach?

[amzz]

Teaching Ethics is great and I applaud this but Morals & Values? Whose idea of Morals & Values are they planning to teach?

i will let u know soon
gg, come teach meh class for 3 weeks nah.. I dont think Tim sending ah sub teacha and d princi eh know what to do.

[guyguy]

i will let u know soon
gg, come teach meh class for 3 weeks nah.. I dont think Tim sending ah sub teacha and d princi eh know what to do.

Sure. I'll teach your class for three weeks but how will that impact my daughter's wedding? And, I have classes starting next Monday too.

What subjects you want me to teach and what Form?

[amzz]

Sure. I'll teach your class for three weeks but how will that impact my daughter's wedding? And, I have classes starting next Monday too.

What subjects you want me to teach and what Form?

oh i forgot bout d wedding thing.

[guyguy]

oh i forgot bout d wedding thing.

I figured that. Dementia iza helluva ting eh?

[amzz]

real chaos in some schools with unsupervised std. 4 classes

[vaio]

and national test is soon