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With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Law, each state is required to set their own performance benchmarks and through a series of tests assess the academic improvement of all students to ensure accountability for the billions of dollars being invested within the American public education system. One of the most repeated arguments is that this law or any accountability law mandates teachers to teach to the test and that teaching to the test is wrong.From a performance improvement perspective, teaching to the test is 100% absolutely correct. One of the best examples is the thousands of citizens in every state study who study to pass the state's driving test to earn a driver's license. The state driver's examination is to determine the applicant's knowledge of the laws pertaining to operating a motorized vehicle. Each question on the test can be found within the appropriate state driver's manual. High schools to commercial driving schools instruct their students based upon the information within the manual. If these instructors did not teach to the information within their state manuals, their students would not pass the state's exam. These teachers must teach to the test.The real problem arises when students who have not mastered previously taught concepts are forced to play "catch up" within a very short time frame. This is where, I believe, this fallacy of teaching to the test originated. This type of testing is really a symptom of a greater problem, lack of mastery.During the last 5 years, I have surveyed over 500 teachers and 98% agreed that this is how learning works in the classroom:
Read It
Learn It
Test It
Forget It
Proceed to Next Lesson
Repeat Process
This process is all about the acquisition of knowledge and not truly about performance - the application of knowledge.Performance comes in various stages from limited to mastery. Within the American public education, mastery, in all honesty, is not the desired end result for many teachers and students. If mastery was the desired end result, we would not have teachers who are not highly qualified, social promotion along with the many other programs that sacrifice mastery for issues of self-esteem, etc. nor would we continue to have an agrian school structure. Did you know that today's students spend less time in the classroom than students of 50 years ago even though information is doubling every year?If we truly want to improve public education, which is one of the best explanations why America rose to be a super power, then we must revamp the structure of public education to reflect a 21st Century performance driven society. In the meanwhile, public education must begin to develop the desire for young people especially to become self-directed learners who demonstrate leadership skills by mastering key concepts necessary for their success. This solution would seem much more logical; align to the desired end results; avoid the blame game; eliminate wasted tax dollars and get to the performance results in real time.
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Studies have proven the fact that children deprived of preschool exposure are likely to face trouble in settling themselves at the kindergarten level. They will fall behind in necessary skills like reading, writing and other academic achievements. Preschool for your child is, therefore, undeniably important.Other benefits include fewer behavioral and social problems, plus a better IQ and confidence level. Studies show that opportunities for interactivity at preschool or pre-kindergarten level can help children grow mentally, physically, emotionally and socially much stronger than those who do not attend pre-k. Such children have been seen pursuing higher education in later years, and earning comparatively greater amounts. There are also fewer chances of their turning criminals.When making up your mind for sending your kid to preschool, you should see first whether he is fully ready to face a newer situation in which he is required to stay away from you for a few hours. Can your child use the bathroom independently and take care of other basic needs as well? Can your child go on non-stop with a new schedule?Next comes what program you prefer for your child, as there are varied programs offered by different schools. Though each of these programs encourages independence and practical skills at the core, yet priorities and details do vary from school to school. Some emphasize art and music more, others are focused on academics, yet some other school may have 'playing' as top priority. No matter what you prefer the most, but your decision in connection with your child's pre kindergarten education does hold paramount importance.Whatever the priority, there still are a few general features which need to be double-checked before the admission, like whether the school has a sound collection of crafts and resources to reinforce early learning skills for the preschoolers. What ideas does the school have to enrich class-room experience for the toddlers? Do they have trained faculty to ensure the conduct of all activities the school boasts of?The child in your neighbors who attended the same school for pre-k is the product you can check out with. Can that child use a pencil to trace the curves or cut them out with a scissors? Can he write letters and numbers fluently? What game can he play, and how many games? How many poems can he read smoothly? What manners does he know and display routinely?If the child has gone through various fun learning activities, his knowledge and confidence in playing a number of games must be impressive. Hence, age appropriate activities, if conducted with good care, can do wonders.
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If the field of teaching is intriguing to you, then elementary education training is an appropriate place to start. Students who plan to teach in elementary or secondary schools should become familiar with individual state requirements to determine which elementary education program will be the best fit.While all states require a Bachelor Degree (BA) to teach in the public sector, some vocational schools offer transfer programs whereby an Associate Degree (AA) may be attained prior to earning additional credit hours at a college or university.Common curriculums provided in elementary education training may include various levels of English Composition, Education, Communication, Introduction to Education for Children with Special Needs, Classroom Instruction, Educational Psychology, and Child Growth and Development. Other courses in an elementary education training program may include Mathematics, History, Science, Physical Education, and more.Public school teachers are required to be licensed in all 50 states, and licensure is most often granted by individual State Boards of Education upon completion of an approved education training program. Those who wish to teach in the private sector may not always be required to have a Bachelor's Degree. In this case, students may attain elementary education training via a vocational school and present an Associate's Degree to gain a private school teaching position.If you are serious about a career in teaching, requirements can go well beyond the education obtained in a traditional or vocational school; many educational boards encourage and/or require professional certification. In particular, there is currently a National Certification program (sponsored by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards) that allows teachers to transfer licenses from one state to another.Typically, students who have successfully completed elementary education training at a trade school, and have gone on to obtain a Bachelor's Degree, may acquire gainful employment as teachers in preschool, kindergarten, elementary or middle schools.If you are interested in learning more about Elementary Education Training [http://www.schoolsgalore.com/categories/3/elementary_education_schools.html] and Elementary Education Schools, search our site for more in-depth information and resources.DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.Copyright 2007 - All rights reserved by SchoolsGalore.com, in association with Media Positive Communications, Inc.Notice: Publishers are free to use this article on an ezine or website, provided the article is reprinted in its entirety, including copyright and disclaimer, and ALL links remain intact and active.
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A bachelor's degree in secondary education enables a person to teach in a school in grades 5 through 12. In the modern scenario, the need for an expert teacher is on the increase due to various reasons such as reduced class sizes and an increase in the number of students. A teacher has to plan, motivate, guide and monitor the activities of a child. It requires special skills that have to be nurtured through intensive training.A bachelor's degree in secondary education is designed to inculcate the right attitude in the participants of the program. These degrees use courseware for the development of the intellectual capability of a child. In addition to the curricular activities, the teacher should encourage the child in extracurricular activities. The teacher must be able to identify the physical and mental weaknesses of a child. Only an intensive training can mold a teacher with all these abilities.The bachelor's degree in secondary education usually offers twin degrees. One is the 'general degree' and the other is a major of your choice. The general degree can be a B.A or B.S., according to the subject of the major. Some schools offer the secondary educational degree alone for candidates who have completed their 'major' bachelor degree. The major subjects include English, foreign languages, mathematics, natural science, physics, chemistry, social studies, family studies, business education, western traditions, literature, drama, music, or fine arts.The education degree focuses on the methods of instruction, educational psychology, technological innovations in the field of education, social and cultural issues related to school, etc. Seminars are an essential part of any curriculum, as they develop skills in interaction. Teaching practice at public schools is compulsory to acquire licensure for teaching in a secondary school.Admission requirements for the bachelor's degree in secondary education courses vary from institution to institution. Along with a high school diploma, completion of some preliminary courses in education is essential for the candidate to satisfy the eligibility criteria for admission in many institutions. Some institutions insist on a qualifying written test. A candidate with a minimum GPA of 2.5 can apply for the degree.
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