Throughout the past few weeks in the education program courses, a main focus has been on curriculum, assessment and personal pedagogy. After being given various information on these subjects, we were then able to form our own opinions and start discovering our own approaches. In one of my classes, we have been instructed to create our own personal teaching philosophy and where we stand in relation to existing philosophies. For example, during my research I found that I resonated the most with humanism, progressivism, and social reconstruction theories. A main connection between these different perspectives is how the student is often the center of the learning. The course content is also focused around the learner’s own interests and allows them to think critically about subjects that are relevant to them (Cohen 1999). In developing my own teaching philosophy, I have began to reflect and think about how I can implement these values into my future classroom.
When thinking about assessment, the term causes me stress due its association with quizzes and tests. Growing up, I had really bad test anxiety which often caused me to blank during exams no matter how hard I studied. So, when we started to talk about assessment in my education courses, at first, I wanted to distance myself from the subject. However, the more I learned about both formative and summative assessment the more I realized that exams don’t have to be a large part of it. Formative assessment usually informs the teacher of the student’s ongoing learning and can be done through informal conversations or assignments (Dickson and Worrell 2016). The purpose of this form of assessment is usually to gage the student’s learning and see where they are at throughout the learning process. Summative assessment is more commonly associated with tests and finals because it aims at evaluating the learning done by the end of a subject (Dickson and Worrell 2016).
In combing this knowledge with Alfie Kohn’s article on de-grading it became apparent to me that assessment doesn’t need to mean testing. Kohn explains some of the downfalls of grading and how assigning grades doesn’t necessarily always mean learning. For example, a lot of the time the students know they will be graded or tested on the material, they will focus more on being able to regurgitate the content rather than understanding it thoroughly (Kohn 1999). In these situations, the students end up more concerned with the grade they will receive than how to deepen their own understanding. Additionally, grading has also been seen to effect student creativity and imagination because when they are focusing on getting a good grade, it is more common for students to take safe options (Kohn). A lot of the time, this has been my problem. In focusing mainly on my grades, I have compromised my learning and understanding. I don’t want this to be the case with my students, so I strive to find ways to promote learning rather than grading.
I believe that both curriculum and assessment should start with the student’s individual needs. You cannot deliver a course or lesson without knowing where your class stands with a subject, what previous learning they have done in the past, and their specific needs with the content. Additionally, I think learning happens best when it’s fun and engaging for the students. This approach means that lessons and plans might change depending on the students in the class, as well as their abilities and interests. For me, curriculum as an ongoing dialogue and process (Smith 1996, 2000). I believe that a big part of both curriculum and assessment is building relationships between students, teachers and the learning. As Rita Pierson stated, students are not going to learn best if they do not like their teacher (2013). I think the same applies to teachers learning from their students. As educators I believe that we need to be there for our students, cheer them on and teach them believe in themselves, so in turn they can be confident in themselves.
Seeing curriculum and learning as a process is so important for me because I plan on teaching elementary and communication skills will be important to teach my students. In a humanist philosophical approach to teaching, empathy, compassion and kindness are valued and taught (Cohen 1999). I believe that these skills are superpowers. Yes, I know that curriculum content is important, but I also believe that creating accountable and compassionate citizens should also be a crucial aspect of teaching.
In compiling all this information so you readers can see where I am going with all this, I believe that for learning to be long-lasting, it needs to be both fun and relevant. In doing this, I prefer a more projects-based approach to assessment rather than tests or quizzes. Every student is different and therefore will show their learning differently. This ability to choose how to show their learning is important to the student’s agency and giving them a say in their own learning (McKnight 2019). What this looks like for me as a teacher is creating a diverse learning environment. This could mean spending time outside connecting our environment to our content, creating different projects such as posters, pictures and diagrams to demonstrate your learning, and most importantly, creating context for learning. I believe that learning is best when its meaningful.
I know, I know. This perspective might seem like a dream, and maybe too abstract. This approach to education will be more work for me and put more pressure on me as a teacher to be both inclusive and flexible. However, I am dedicated to making learning fun and relevant to my students. It is a goal of mine to keep researching and learning different ways to implement these values into my classroom. To end this post, I would like to repeat the words of Rita Pierson in stating that even when teaching is hard, we do it anyway and it should bring joy (2013).
Please feel free to check out the resources listed below. They really helped me grow my own understanding and continue to be inspired.
References
Cohen, L. M. (1999). Philosophical Perspectives in Education. School of Education. https://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP4.html.
Dixson, D. D. & Worrell, F. C. (2016). Formative and Summative Assessment in the Classroom. Theory into Practice, 55(2). Pp. 153-159. DOI: 10.1080/00405841.2016.1148989.
Kohn, A. (1999, March). From Degrading to De-Grading. High School Magazine. https://www.alfiekohn.org/article/degrading-de-grading/.
TED. (2013, May 3). Every Kid Needs a Champion | Rita Pierson. [Video]. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFnMTHhKdkw&vl=zh.
TEDx Talks. (2019, June 7). Learning Should be Fun | April McKnight TEDxLangleyED. [Video]. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ0mSZuxugo.
Smith, M.K. (1996, 2000). Curriculum Theory and Practice. The Encyclopedia of Pedagogy and Informal Education. https://infed.org/mobi/curriculum-theory-and-practice/.
