Day 6

Day 6 - 31st August 2011

Assessment

Assessment is to aid the teacher in identifying the areas that the child needs to improve on and most importantly, use it to help the child improve!

There are many different form of assessment and they can be formal or informal. On top of that, assessment can also be in variation. Instead of getting children to work out the word problem, teachers can get children to come up with word problem. Assessment can also be a form of oral test or interview. I totally agree that teachers have to identify and be clear of what they are going to assess so that they can choose the right instrument.

"An instrument that does not measure what it supposed to measure is an invalid assessment."

Dr Yeap Ban Har

An invalid example that was shared in the class would be:

[Drawing of hr/min hand to tell time]

When we want to assess whether the child is able to tell time, simply just ask the child to tell it verbally / read the clock!! Why bother to ask them to draw the clock and the hr/ min hand. Children who are able to tell the time might not be able to draw the face of a clock. Thus, it is an invalid assessment.

SO TRUE!!!

Next, I totally agree with the point - when we are teaching time, get children to relate it to everyday event! I had experienced this before with my class of K2 and they soon began to develop the habit of looking at the clock before lesson, after lesson, tea break etc. Incidental learning is the most beautiful form of learning :)

Lastly,

Never under estimate the capacity of a small container.

(PS: This activity can be another form of assessment!)