Thinking of Child Development

"A teacher is a compass that actives the magnet of curiosity,knowledge, and wisdon in the pupils.."

Ever Garrison

Teaching a tool that help children develop all the skills that is hidden inside.  I as a teacher am helping my students understand themselves as young thinkers. Helping developing the person that the student would like to become within themselves. 

Children age three cutting and developing their fine motor skills. This skill is very hard for three year olds but because of the musle development in their hands.   Early development of such skills are important to children at the age of three and many other skills. Early development does not only involve fine motor but those skills of cognitive and social, as this children are illustrating in this picture.   

Assessment our Schools

For many year we have been going through some type of assessment.  There are many type of assessment, formal, written, oral and summarizing.  Many of the children begin getting assessed in our school system as early as kindergarten.  Why?  They have just begin school, therefore what can they know.  I think assessment can go a little to far and be a bit much.  Assessing children is only a way to see if the teachers are teaching and to see if the children are learning what the teachers are teaching.  Our school system has an assessment called the MCT2, Mississippi Curriculum Test 2. Children from grades second to eight grade are evaluated on their mathematics, language, and reading skill.  The levels of grading is advanced, profienct, basic, and minimal.  These score are record and compared to the other students in the state.  After eight grade, grades nine to twelve there are subject area testing and these test depends on if the student will graduate from high school.  How disappointing it will be that a child has mastered all their major subjects in school, and fail the subject area test and can not graduate. VERY DISAPPOINTING. Why assess when the students are assessed every day, either by some mean of  assessments.

In South Africa, the education system is similar to the MCT2 in Mississippi. They begin assessing students from R-9.  R the kindergarten. The test is a National Curriculum Test R-9.  This is a variety of assessment strategy that adequately assess learners achievement and development skills for long learning.  The South African Council have several assessment tool use to assess their students. One is the Continuous Assessment
model the integration of assessment into teaching and development of learners through ongoing feedback. The assessment of learner in R-3 grades focus on learning outcomes and the assessment standards defined in Language, Mathematics, and Life Orientation.  The assessment of learners in 4-6 are assess in learning areas; Language, Mathematics, Life Orientation, Natural Science, Technology, Social Science, Economics and Management, and Art and Culture.  Each test is graded on a point scale from 1-4.    Children are not moved on if satisfactory points are received on their assessment exam. 

I think assessment exams should not be given to pass a child on the next level or given to graduate high school.  Assessment should be given to measure the child ability to do the work taught in that grade.

Reference:
http://www.education.gov/za. National Policy on Assessment and Qualification for school in the General
Education and Training Band

Hunger Where does it begin

As a small girl, I can always remember my grandmother feeding the children in the neighborhood.  My grandmother worked at a orphanage for children.  She cooked in the kitchen there for all the children that lived in the orphanage.  Now I never to miss a meal, because she and my mother made sure that we had a nutritional meal every day.  As I remember my mom use to tell a story how my grandmother feed all the kids in the neighborhood.  When the kids see her coming home they knew they could get something to eat. No only did she feed the kids, but anyone who came by.  I also can remember this young lady was from out of town in our city selling books. Everyday she would come by to get her meal.  So that summer I know she could not say she went hungery.  If my mom didnt feed her, then one of my aunts who lived next door would.  So how did hunger in america all begin.I surely can not say if we had peole like them.

Hunger in America
As I researched, hunger in America I found that in 2010 that 17.2 million American household, 14.5 percent of household were food insecure.  Children in America food insecure at times were 9.8 percent.  Also, household with children 1percent or more experienced food insecure condition measured by USDA.  The very low security with meals were irregular and food intake was below considered below adequate.  All this means that household members reduced normal eating habits and food intake did not meet the food pattern due to some lack of income or other resources.

Reasons for hunger is believed to be because of three reasons.  One the culture of the inequality which could have come from some lack of income.  The second reason is the operation of US political system and last operation the of US economic. 

It has been found there are programs that can help end hunger in America but there are may guildelines and my rules and a whole lot of red tape to get on these program. The programs are Supplemental Nutrition Assittance program, Women Infants and Children, and National School Lunch. 

www.worldhunger.org/article/learn/us-hunger-facts. Hunger in America. 2011 United States Hunger and proverty Facts