Standardized Testing Essay - 2979 Words

Standardized Testing President Bush is promoting annual standardized testing for all students in grades three through eight in order to assess their academic achievements. This bill is currently being considered in Congress, and has garnered much support from individuals in the community. As of right now, fifteen states test students in those grades, and more than twenty have high school exit exams. Exit exams look only at the test score of a student, not at his or her academic achievements throughout High School, and in many cases, people are either over- or underrepresented by their test scores. This occurs partly because America does not currently have the capabilities of fairly scoring the increasing number of tests,†¦show more content†¦Instead of wasting our time and money on further development of and dependency on standardized tests, we need to research more effective alternatives. You would think that exit exams would be a good idea since they will test what the student has learned in high school, and how well they have retained that information. Many states do require a student to pass a certain test in order to receive a diploma. But, rather than prove how much students know, this can result in many capable students, who have finished all of their requirements, being denied their diplomas. If the Valedictorian does not pass the exit exam, are you going to bar him or her from graduating? After all, it is a fact that some people are better at taking tests than other people. Intelligent students who challenge themselves throughout their high school careers and have high grade point averages can do poorly on a test, while a student who has only taken basic level classes can score significantly higher. Is that a fair representation of what was achieved in high school? With tests being so important in determining the future of a student, you expect that there would be a plethora of testing companies. On the contrary, the number of major test making companies is limited to seven. (Haney, 11) With so few companies, will the content of the tests be varied enough to paint an accurate picture of the state of education? There will be someShow MoreRelatedStandardized Testing1272 Words   |  6 PagesSynthesis Essay on Standardized Testing Standardized testing in the United States started in the mid- 1800’s (Standardized Tests - ProCon.org). This kind of testing was originally created to measure students’ performance and progress in school (Standardized Tests - ProCon.org). In recent years, the public school system has relied heavily on the information this test provides, in doing so creating controversy. Other than being a student myself, and participating in multiple standardized exams such asRead MoreStandardized Testing : Standardized Tests1186 Words   |  5 Pages Standardized Testing Impact Standardized testing is known to improve students’ education, but is it really needed in school? Standardized testing determines whether a student is prepared for the next grade based on their test scores. While some students do great on their test others struggle a lot. Not all students are good test takers; majority of the students do good in school but struggle when it comes down to testing. While many agree that standardized testing helps improve studentsRead MoreStandardized Testing And Standardized Tests1204 Words   |  5 Pagessomething we have all nearly fallen asleep to over our years of standardized tests. I myself can be included with you in that experience and I hope to give you a little more information on these all too familiar tests this afternoon. Today we are going to look at the origins of standardized testing, the purpose of standardized testing, and standardized tests around the world. But first, I want to ask you another question: what is standardized t esting? Is it A) something that has been used for some time inRead MoreStandardized Tests : Standardized Testing963 Words   |  4 PagesOct 2015 Standardized Testing in Florida In recent years Florida’s standardized testing program has taken a turn for the worst. After doing away with the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) the debate has only grown due to flood of new tests being created such as the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) or End of Course Exam (EOC). These tests are administered to test students’ abilities at the end of the school year. In spring of 2015, with only two months of testing between the EOC’sRead MoreStandardized Testing Should Be Standardized Tests1329 Words   |  6 PagesPretty much everybody in this generation has taken a standardized test in some level of schooling. A standardized test is defined as a â€Å"test that requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions from a common bank of questions, in the same way, and that is scored in a standard or consistent manner, which makes it possible to compare the relative performance of individual students or groups o f students† (â€Å"Standardized Test Definition†). There is lots of debate aroundRead More Standardized Testing Essay836 Words   |  4 PagesStandardized Testing Scholar Bill Ayers believes standardized testing in schools does not accurately measure what is necessary to be successful in life. Ayers insists that Standardized tests such as the American College Test (ACT) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) measure specific facts and function which are among the least interesting and slightest important information that children should know. In an article titled â€Å"Testing the Right Way for Talent†, written by Hugh Price, arguesRead MoreThe Use of Standardized Testing1088 Words   |  4 Pagesthe use of standardized testing has spanned centuries, some of the earlier studies include data from the early 1900’s. According to Frazier (2009), â€Å"there is a significant difference in scores on standardized tests when students have completed a technology education program†. This study shows a correlation between the use of technology within the school system and achievement on standardized tests. Students that are ex posed to technology education are more likely to do well on standardized tests. Read MoreThe Limitations Of Standardized Testing Essay705 Words   |  3 PagesThe limitations of â€Å"standardized testing† as a rigid and narrow criterion for gauging the educational capabilities of students in public education. The criterion for standardized testing relies on narrow areas of knowledge that define a hierarchical imposition of â€Å"intelligence† testing that forces the student to perform ion a constrained academic environment. This type of testing has become a mechanized tool to reject the individual needs of the student in a linear testing methodology. The importanceRead MoreEssay on Standardized Testing1458 Words   |  6 PagesThe No Child Left Behind Act and Standardized Testing: State, National, and International American Education has been a work in progress for the past century and a half. To measure its progress, successes, and failings, there are standardized tests. These tests have been used to compare schools, states, and nations. The key subjects being tested as a universal measure are mathematics, reading, and science. To help improve the scores on these tests, the United States put into law the No ChildRead MoreThe Shortcomings of Standardized Testing1636 Words   |  7 PagesSince the U.S. Congress passed the No Child Left Behind program, standardized testing has become the norm for American schools. Under this system, each child attending a school is required to take a standardized test at specific grade points to assess their level of comprehension. Parents, scholars and all stakeholders involved take part in constant discussions over its effectiveness in evaluating students’ comprehension, teachers’ competency and the effects of the test on the education system. T hough

Opportunities for Students to Practice Speaking in Class Free Essays

This class is composed of 30 students in Grade 6 aged from 13 to 14, whose English level is quite deferent. About 20% of them are good at English, and they are active and participant in class, while 40% of them are poor at English, so they often remain quiet In class and sometimes can’t follow the teacher. And the rest of them are of average level. We will write a custom essay sample on Opportunities for Students to Practice Speaking in Class or any similar topic only for you Order Now They want to learn English well and are trying as hard as possible, but sometimes they are shy in class and like to be audiences rather than getting involved n class activities themselves. In this lesson, I want to focus on helping students compare and describe life in different places by using different sentence patterns to express past and present events. In addition, during the whole lesson hope to crate more opportunities for students to practice speaking in class as well as encourage the weak and average students to speak out their Ideas bravely. Sample 1. Context: At the beginning of the class, I showed students two maps of Kitty’s old and new flat and asked them, â€Å"Did she live near or far away from school? However, one of the students answered, â€Å"Yes, she lived far away from school. Comment: Since this was the second period of a new lesson, I intended to check how much the students had learned about the text in the previous period, so I started it with an alternative question. However, the student didn’t answer it right, which was beyond my expectation. To grade 6 students, the lead-in sentence seemed to be too complicated with alternati ve question for them to grasp though they were simple. They weren’t able to respond correctly both In content and grammar. Appropriately In engage grading plays a vital role In a language teacher. Therefore, Instead of Glenn a confusing lead-in instruction, I could have simply elicited a question, † Did Kitty live near school? Which would be easy for them to answer without feeling nervous after answering it wrong. And I can lead in the new lesson in an more effective way. Sample 2 Context: in the final part of the lesson, I asked students to work in pairs and talk about their deferent school life by using the given sentence patterns and key words. While one pair was doing the practice in front of the whole class, another pair of dents was still talking to each other about the class activity. In order to keep the class under control, I neglected the two students who were doing the practice and simply said In a loud voice, † Let’s listen to them carefully and no chatting! † However, embarrassed. Comment: Although classroom management is a must for an effective lesson, my tone of instruction to keep the class under control was not very friendly. I shouldn’t have interrupted the students because it broke their chain of thought suddenly and they didn’t know what to do in that situation. Instead, I could have monitored the class in an more effective way by walking to them and asking them to stop talking with my body language. Sample 3 Context: In order to have a smooth transit from Kitty’s life in different places to students’ real life in different schools, I created a situation by saying, † Tom is a photographer( stress on the first syllable) for our school newspaper, and he has taken many photos about our school life. Please look at his pictures on the PPTP and think about the life in your primary school. Let’s work in pairs and finish the speaking activity together. Comment: Accuracy in word pronunciation when giving a clear instruction is a basic requirement for a language teacher. Here, I gave an inaccurate stress on the word : photographer. The correct stress should be on the second syllable instead of the first one. Enough attention should be paid next time I speak out the word. Sample 4 Context: In a drill related to the key sentence patterns of the lesson, I showed students two pictures of a swimming pool and the sea and elicit a dialogue for them to practice as follows: T: What did Kitty and Ben do when they lived in the city enter? S: When they lived in the city center, they swim in the swimming pool. T: They swim? S: Oh, they swam in the swimming pool. T: Now they live in the suburbs. Where do they swim? In the sea. S: Now they swim Comment: In order to make the student aware of his mistake in grammar, I repeat the mistake with rising intonation and stress on the mistaken word so that he can pay attention to it and correct themselves immediately. Here I tried to get students to self-correct with echo correct clearly and effectively and I got instant expected feedback. Sample 5 Context: Two pictures were shown on the PPTP about Kitty and Ben getting up when they lived in the city center and when they live in the suburbs. There was a clock elicit the following questions: T: Look at the picture. What time did Kitty and Ben get up in the past? S: They got up at seven o’clock in the past. T: Did they get up late? S: Yes, they did. T: Now look at this picture. What time do they get up now? S: Now they get up at half past six. T: Do they get up late now? S: No, they don’t. They get up early. T: Can you finish the sentence now? When they lived in the city center, they Now they live in the suburbs, and they After answering these questions, students can finish the sentence easily and correctly. Comment: In order to check whether students have understood the target sentence structure â€Å"When they lived †¦. , they got up I elicited several concept checking questions to make sure that they have grasped the meaning of a new sentence structure. I broke down the meaning or concept of the target structure into a number of simple questions for students to have a clear idea of it. Besides, I also showed the employed sentence on the PPTP to make the pattern of the grammar clear so that the students can memorize it better. Sample 6 Context: Two pictures were shown on the PPTP. One was a TV set and the other was the sky full of bright stars. T: Now let’s look at the two pictures. (Teacher points to the pictures). They are about Ben and Kitty’s life at night. This time let’s do a pair work in two minutes. (Show students the pattern of pair work) Let’s go! SSL: What did Kitty and Ben do at night when they lived in the city center? SO: When they †¦ , they SSL : Now they live in the suburbs. What do they do at night? SO: Now they K, time is up. Let’s come back. Any volunteers? (Students raised their hands). K, good. Stand up please. Comment: Although it is not always necessary to use Instruction Concept Questions, they can often make sure that the learners know exactly what they are asked to do in class step by step. Here I broke down my instructions into a series of simple chunked statements so that students could understand and respond to them quickly. As a result, they could be more involved and participant in the class activities and contribute more to the class. Candidate Name: Lion Gonzalez How to cite Opportunities for Students to Practice Speaking in Class, Essays

The Power of a Female Relationship in the Color Purple Essay Example

The Power of a Female Relationship in the Color Purple Paper The Power of a Female Relationship In the book The Color Purple, Alice Walker shows us different themes in the book. The one theme that stood out the most was the relationship between the sisters and friends that met along the way. Reading this book I have seen different types of relationships such as, motherly, sisterly, and also womanly. Walker refers to the relationship between Cecile and Nettie as a motherly relationship because when Cecile’s mother dies she feels that she has to step in and take care of what her mother did. Therefore; when Celie was pregnant Nettie was always there for her even when her father took Celie’s kids away. In the article The Parent Trap they used the fatherly role so it still fits the same way if it was a mother. This article says â€Å"regardless of age or gender the oldest child is responsible for playing the role of a mother/farther†. For example the child in the article was an 8 year old boy who had to take the role of his father, because the father had left them. So in his mind he was the Man of the house and had to look over his siblings and also help his mom out. We will write a custom essay sample on The Power of a Female Relationship in the Color Purple specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Power of a Female Relationship in the Color Purple specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Power of a Female Relationship in the Color Purple specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer However, Walker shows us a similar instance with Celie; she was only 15 when her mother passed away, therefore; she had to take upon the role of the mother now which was to cook, clean, and take care of her siblings/ children. â€Å"Especially important for the formulation of Walker’s political themes are the novel’s portrayals of the dyadic female bonds that Celie forms with Nettie, Shug, and Sofia. They lead not only to Celies personal growth but also to the formation of a female solidarity network. It is this network of female friends that wages a strong challenge to racist patriarchal domination. It offers the sexually and racially oppressed woman an alternative to basing her identity solely on her familial relationships and provides the support she needs to take action against abuse and discrimination. † ( Hollinger, 1998, Pg 179) As for the relationship between Cecile and Nettie there is also a sisterly relationship. Cecile is the big sister to Nettie; she is more of the protector. When their father was trying to get to Nettie, Celie was always there for her sister to protect her from harm and that nasty man of a ather. Because Nettie was the more attractive one Celie knew that many older men wanted to marry her or have her so she was always there for her sister. While Nettie was the one who helped Cecile read and write. Nettie was the one that went to school and learned while Celie was at home taking care of the house and the children because their mother past away. Both were more like children then adults when together because they were running around, playing, acti ng like children that they are. Even when Mister separated Cecile and Nettie they still had that sisterly bond when separated. Cecile knew that Nettie would never let her down; she was the main reason for keeping Cecile sane, and alive. From Essortment, their definition of a sisterly relationship would always have a feeling that Nettie wrote letters. This is relationship is â€Å"to flourish throughout adulthood, but like any other relationship it needs care and attention. It is easy to let other priorities get in the way, but maintaining your friendship with your sister is just as important. As Essortment states about the friendship between sisters and how it is just as important as a sisterly relationship; there are friendship relationships between Celie, Shug Avery and, Sofia. Friendship is as MWOLK blog defines it a â€Å"True friendship, perhaps is the only relation which survives the tribulations and trials of time as well as remains unconditional. For different people definition of friendship may vary, ho wever it can be most often described as a unique amalgamation of much fun, trust, respect, love and loyalty. Some of the usual traits of friendship can be strong attachments mutual respect and similar interests are what, most of the friends share with one another. There is a famous definition of friendship by Aristotle â€Å"A single soul dwelling in two bodies†, which states a sense of emotional safety and comfort among the two individuals. † My interpretation of friendship is someone who is always there and understands you. Someone that is there for you through thick and thin and someone that does not go behind your back an disown you. Even thou Women are exploited very seriously, especially Celie, who is married off to Albert to look after his children and is expected to work on the farm and submit without objection to all of Alberts demands and those of the children. She is also meant to accept Alberts affair with Shug Avery, which extends even to him sleeping with her under the same roof. Therefore; Shug Avery gave Celie the most trust, respect and loyalty. She gave her confidence and realized how much Celie is a major part of everything that goes on. Surprisingly, Celie and Shug develop an intimate relationship. More than anyone, Shugs influential presence and acceptance give Celie the strength she needs to redefine herself, take charge of her life, and leave Albert. Shug is a necessary angel who sings her way into the hearts and lives of The Color Purples downtrodden women, the impact of her arrival subtle but immense in the complexities of each characters development. The women in The Color Purple are bound despite their differences, in a form of fractellite sorority and from the moment Shug touches Celies life, each woman in turn grows and gains strength from the experiences of the former. I believe the catalystic moment in the series of change is when Shug sings the song that Miss Celie scratched out of her head when she was sick (Walker, 1995, p. 65). Celie feels loved for the first time since her sister Nettie was taken away from her. It is beautiful and maternal, the relationship that Celie shares with Shug. She nurtures the broken Celie until she heals of her past hurts and finds strength instead of weakness in her identity as a woman. However, the relationship between Celie and Sofia was that Sofia showed her how to be a confident woman and be able to think for herself rather then what others think of her. However, while Sofia was in jail working in the laundry room she understood how Celie had survived all the beating, by just doin what she was told and never talked back. From that Sofia was able to survive while she was in jail, so from then on Sofia kind of looked up to Celie. However; when Sofia became a white woman’s maid and was unable to gather things like she use to. Celie was there to help her out showing Sofia that there is someone out there that cares and is willing to help. In conclusion friendship is of a connection between two people that have things in common, and are helpful and caring to one another. As for Celie, Nettie, Shug Avery, and Sofia there are different types of friendship between these ladies and as they live there lives that bond that they have still lives on. They still have each others back and are still communicating.

Transcendentalists essays

Transcendentalists essays Transcendentalism For the transcendentalist, the "I" transcends the corporeal and yet nature is the embodiment of the transcendence and, or, the means to achieving transcendence, which gives way to a belief that the physical "I" is at the root of all transcendence. In practical terms, the transcendentalist is occupied with the natural over the synthetic (though it is doubtful that either Kant or Emerson would have couched it in those terms) and determines value as it relates to the individual. Among the most noted of the Transcendentalist philosophers have been Emmanual Kant, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. The connection between transcendentalism and utopian thinking is not always clear; inasmuch as the individual holds the highest measure of transcendence; however, the importance that is placed on nature and natural living within nature has spawned communal beliefs based on transcendental thought. As Catherine Keller sees it, "Our civilization," she writes, "is centered on the assumption that an individual is a discrete being: I am cleanly divided from the surrounding world of persons and places.... For our culture it is separation which prepares the way for selfhood. Realizing that "real" selfhood has thus been reserved for men (whose masculinity is culturally defined by such separation), ... To be "on one's own" does not necessarily mean to be out of relation. Is there even such a thing as a separate self at all-or only a posture?" (quoted in Zimmerman 646). The current debate is centered on the discussion of the future and whether the 'utopia' that evolves will be valid and, or, founded on transcendentalist philosophies. Brook Farm, the New England Transcendentalists' experiment in communal living is perhaps the most famous of America's intentional communities. Fruitlands, a smaller contemporary of Brook Farm, was also based on the transcendental thought of early Am...

Human Sacrifice Rituals and the Ancient Maya

Human Sacrifice Rituals and the Ancient Maya We forbid and place strict sanctions on cannibalism, incest, and human sacrifice, considering they epitomize savage or barbarian behavior. Not everyone or every civilized group has shared our sensibilities. Many groups of people have performed human sacrifices as a way of pleasing or appeasing their gods. The Maya were no different in this regard. Inscribed stones bear witness to the Maya practice of human sacrifice. Precious feathers appear where blood would be expected coming from the wounds in some depictions of Maya human sacrifice ritual. Perhaps this symbolizes how valuable the life-giving fluid is to the gods. In the accompanying illustration [see larger image], instead of spurting blood, there are serpents. The common method for human sacrifice seems to have been for the ah nacom (a functionary) to extract the heart quickly, while 4 people associated with Chac, the rain/lightning god, held the struggling victims limbs. Human sacrifices seem to have been made, as well, with arrows, by flaying, decapitation, hurling from a precipice, and throwing the victim into a limestone sinkhole. Warfare was one source of human sacrificial victims. It is thought that losers in the ballgames may also have sometimes been victims, and sacrifice appears to have been connected mainly with ballgames, festivals, and the assumption of power by a new king. Besides humans, the following objects were offered as sacrifices: manatees, jaguars, opposums, parrots, quail, owls, turtles, pumas, crocodiles, squirrels, insects, feathers, dogs, deer, iguanas, turkeys, rubber, cacao, maize, squash seeds, flowers, bark, pine boughs and needles, honey, wax, jade, obsidian, virgin water from caves, shells, and iron pyrite mirrors. Why did the Maya Practice Human Sacrifice? Sign up for the Maya Newsletter Sources: Archaeology and Religion: A Comparison of the Zapotec and Maya, by Joyce Marcus. World Archaeology, Vol. 10, No. 2, Archaeology and Religion (Oct., 1978), pp. 172-191. Procedures in Human Heart Extraction and Ritual Meaning: A Taphonomic Assessment of Anthropogenic Marks in Classic Maya Skeletons Procedures in Human Heart Extraction and Ritual Meaning: A Taphonomic Assessment of Anthropogenic Marks in Classic Maya Skeletons, by Vera Tiesler, Andrea Cucina. Latin American Antiquity, Vol. 17, No. 4 (Dec., 2006), pp. 493-510. Human Sacrifice at Tenochtitlan, by John M. Ingham. Comparative Studies in Society and History, Vol. 26, No. 3 (Jul., 1984), pp. 379-400. Gordon R. Willey and American Archaeology, by Jeremy A. Sabloff, William Leonard Fash

U2 Case Project Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

U2 Case Project - Coursework Example d http://www.icann.org/epp#clientUpdateProhibited, serverDeleteProhibited http://www.icann.org/epp#serverDeleteProhibited, serverTransferProhibited http://www.icann.org/epp#serverTransferProhibited, serverUpdateProhibited http://www.icann.org/epp#serverUpdateProhibited. clientDeleteProhibited -- http://www.icann.org/epp#clientDeleteProhibited, clientRenewProhibited -- http://www.icann.org/epp#clientRenewProhibited, clientTransferProhibited -- http://www.icann.org/epp#clientTransferProhibited, clientUpdateProhibited -- http://www.icann.org/epp#clientUpdateProhibited, serverDeleteProhibited -- http://www.icann.org/epp#serverDeleteProhibited, serverRenewProhibited -- http://www.icann.org/epp#serverRenewProhibited, serverTransferProhibited -- http://www.icann.org/epp#serverTransferProhibited, serverUpdateProhibited -- http://www.icann.org/epp#serverUpdateProhibited In this section we shall resolve the server issues being experienced by a company that has upgraded its network from Windows Server 2000 server to Windows Server 2008. A server acts as an electronic filing cabinet. This happens to be one of its fundamental roles. Client’s connection to a server is purposefully to gain access to a shared file or stored data. Bender (2009) to us the newly improved technologies from Windows Server 2008 that will help in solving the server issue. These are improved distributed file services and improved file sharing wizard. A centralized point is provided by the distributed file sharing service (DFS), it is at this point that information is loaded to enable easy access. This point will enable the business to access network data from the database. The other technology is file sharing wizard. The sharing wizard on the system must first be enabled in other to share files with other network users. In order to establish connection you first start by c licking network and sharing center. You then turn on public folder sharing; this applies on systems with established

Summary and Critical Analysis Marketing and Business Development Essay

Summary and Critical Analysis Marketing and Business Development - Essay Example Process: The author described the process as a two way communication between the buyer and seller, which if remain successful and satisfying to the buyer leads to agreement between the parties for rendering services. The author also described Negotiation and provide suggestion for reaching to a win-win solution. The author further subdivided this process in the following divisions: The Buyer Decision making Process: After presentation and other presales activities grant the buyer necessary time for decision making as they have to think about the alternatives and make price benefit analysis. Do not stress the buyers by making numerous and do never let them think that you are begging for the sale of your services. Buyer Demographic: The author also provided guidance about the buyers by categorizing them in Four generations, the mature, the baby boomers, generation X and generation Y describing their characteristics for their understanding. Features and Benefits: As sample of services cannot be provided to the clients for inspection. The tool that is available to interior designers is to describe the features of their services and the benefits that can be obtained from rendering of their services tactfully for obtaining successful sale agreements. Critical Analysis of the Chapter: The author provided suggestions and explanations but limited them to interior design service only. Some suggestions provided are not cost effective and targeted (cold calling) and some could be considered illegal (e-mails). The suggestions provided are somehow for ideal conditions. The ideas given in the chapter lack sequencing. There basis for buyer demographic is vague. In previous chapter total sales process were discussed and suggestion were provided on each item in the process. The most important part in that process was presentation to the potential client which itself is another process and a decisive factor for the both the buyer and seller of services. Therefore the author