Milestones 37

Summary

This script delves into the integral role of assessment in early childhood education. It emphasizes that teachers continually evaluate children's knowledge, interests, and interactions, using this insight to inform their teaching strategies. The importance of both formal and informal assessment strategies is highlighted, with a focus on creating a supportive community for educators to discuss authentic assessment practices. The goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of each child's development to make informed decisions about their educational needs.

Takeaways

• 📝 Teachers constantly make assessments in the classroom by observing children's knowledge, interests, and interactions with peers, using this information to plan their teaching strategies.
• 🔍 The assessment process involves the use of specific tests and skill profiles, which may require specialized training to implement effectively.
• ⏰ Teachers can utilize downtime, such as nap time, to document their observations and assessments, which helps in maintaining a record of each child's progress.
• 👶 Developmental assessments are crucial for understanding the child's cognitive growth and emotional and social development, which are essential for designing instructional programs.
• 📈 Assessments can be both targeted to identify specific skills or developmental milestones and ongoing to provide a comprehensive picture of a child's growth over time.
• 🌟 It's important for teachers to be part of a supportive community where they can discuss and refine their assessment practices with colleagues.
• 📚 Informal assessment strategies are integrated into daily teaching and include brief jottings, running records, and anecdotal records.
• 📊 Formal assessments are more specialized and used periodically, such as child development screenings, to ensure typical development progress.
• 🔑 The key to effective assessment is making it a regular part of the curriculum and viewing it as integral to the success of teaching and learning.
• 💡 Assessments help in identifying the best environment and challenges to support a child's growth and development, which is a collaborative effort between teachers and the community.
• 🤔 Teachers should consider how to make assessment a manageable part of their daily routine, such as setting aside specific times or using available moments like rest periods for documentation.

Q & A

What is the primary role of teachers in the assessment process?

Teachers make assessments by observing children in the classroom, judging their knowledge, interests, and interactions, and planning educational programs based on these observations.

How do teachers use their knowledge in the assessment process?

Teachers use their understanding of child development, pedagogy, and classroom environment to inform their assessments and interactions with children.

What are some specific tools or tests that might be used in assessments?

Teachers may use particular skill profiles or tests that require specific training to implement effectively.

How can teachers find time to document their assessments during a busy day?

Teachers can utilize rest or nap times, set aside 10 minutes daily, or come in early to jot down notes and documentation.

Why is it important to collect snapshots of a child's development over time?

Collecting snapshots over time provides a cohesive and complete picture of a child's development, allowing for informed decisions and evaluations of educational strategies.

How does understanding a child's individual needs impact the assessment process?

Understanding individual needs helps in tailoring the educational environment and challenges to support the child's growth and development effectively.

What is the significance of assessing a child's attitudes and preferences in addition to cognitive growth?

Assessing attitudes, dispositions, and preferences is crucial for designing instructional programs that cater to the holistic development of young children.

What is the role of a supportive community in the context of teacher assessments?

A supportive community allows teachers to discuss and refine their assessment strategies, which is essential for improving educational practices.

What is the difference between formal and informal assessment strategies?

Formal assessments involve specialized instruments used periodically, while informal assessments are daily practices interwoven within effective teaching.

How often should formal assessments be conducted for different age groups according to the script?

Formal child development screenings and assessments should be done four times a year for infants and toddlers, and twice a year for preschoolers.

Why is it essential for assessment to be integrated across the curriculum?

Integrating assessment across the curriculum ensures it is a regular part of teaching, contributing to the success and adaptability of the educational program.

Outlines

00:00

📝 The Integral Role of Assessment in Classroom Teaching

This paragraph discusses the continuous assessment process that teachers engage in while interacting with students. It highlights how teachers use their knowledge of child development and pedagogy to make judgments about children's skills, interests, and social interactions. The paragraph also touches on the use of specific tests and skill profiles in more rigorous assessments. It suggests that teachers should allocate time during the day, such as during rest periods, to document their observations and assessments. The importance of understanding individual children's development over time and the impact of the environment on their behavior is emphasized, along with the need for teachers to be part of a supportive community where they can discuss authentic assessment practices.

05:01

📚 Balancing Formal and Informal Assessment Strategies

The second paragraph delves into the distinction between formal and informal assessment strategies. It describes informal assessment as an integral part of daily teaching, which may include brief note-taking, compiling records, and anecdotal records. The paragraph stresses the importance of integrating assessment into the regular curriculum to ensure its effectiveness. In contrast, formal assessments are characterized as specialized instruments used periodically, such as child development screenings. The frequency of these assessments can vary depending on the age group of the children. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the need for assessment to be interwoven across the curriculum to support the developmental progress of children.

Keywords

💡Assessment

Assessment in the context of the video refers to the ongoing process of evaluating children's knowledge, skills, and behaviors by teachers in an educational setting. It is integral to the video's theme as it highlights the importance of understanding each child's developmental stage and preferences to tailor educational programs effectively. For example, the script mentions that teachers make judgments about a child's knowledge and enjoyment, which is part of the assessment process.

💡Child Development

Child development is a central concept in the video, encompassing the growth and changes that occur in a child's cognitive, emotional, and social capacities over time. It is vital to the video's message as it underscores the need for teachers to collect snapshots of a child's progress to form a cohesive picture of their development. The script discusses how teachers use their knowledge of child development to inform their assessment practices.

💡Pedagogy

Pedagogy, as discussed in the video, is the method and practice of teaching, including the strategies and techniques used to facilitate learning. It is related to the video's theme by emphasizing the importance of quality pedagogy in the assessment process. The script suggests that teachers use their understanding of pedagogy to plan programs and interact with children based on their observations and assessments.

💡Classroom Environment

The classroom environment is the setting in which learning takes place and is a key element in the video's discussion on assessments. It is highlighted as a factor that influences children's interactions and behaviors, which teachers must consider when making assessments. The script mentions using knowledge about the classroom environment to aid in the assessment process.

💡Anecdotal Records

Anecdotal records are a method of assessment where teachers jot down observations of children's behaviors and interactions in a narrative form. In the video, this concept is used to illustrate an informal assessment strategy that teachers can employ daily. The script suggests using rest time or nap time to record these observations, emphasizing the importance of integrating assessment into daily teaching routines.

💡Skill Profiles

Skill profiles are tools used to assess specific skills or competencies in children. The video mentions them as part of the assessment process, indicating that they may require rigorous training for teachers to implement effectively. They are used to understand if a child has the necessary skills to enter kindergarten or to gauge emotional and social development.

💡Instructional Program

An instructional program is a planned series of educational activities designed to achieve specific learning outcomes. The video connects this concept to assessment by stating that understanding a child's attitudes, dispositions, and preferences is crucial for designing effective instructional programs. The script implies that assessment informs the creation of these programs tailored to individual children's needs.

💡Vulnerabilities

In the video, vulnerabilities refer to the susceptibility of young children to environmental factors that can affect their behavior and development. The concept is used to highlight the importance of considering these factors when assessing children, as it can impact the accuracy and interpretation of assessment data. The script gives the example of a one-year-old being more likely to cry when hungry, affecting assessment outcomes.

💡Supportive Community

A supportive community, as mentioned in the video, is a network of educators and professionals who engage in discussions and share insights about authentic assessment practices. It is related to the video's theme by emphasizing the value of collaboration and peer support in improving assessment techniques. The script suggests that being part of such a community can help teachers refine their assessment strategies.

💡Formal Assessment

Formal assessment, in the context of the video, refers to the use of specialized instruments or tests administered at specific intervals to measure a child's development. It contrasts with informal assessment strategies and is part of the video's exploration of different assessment methods. The script mentions that formal assessments like child development screenings can be conducted periodically to track typical development progress.

💡Curriculum

Curriculum in the video represents the complete plan for what children should learn, including the educational goals, content, and activities. It is connected to the theme of assessment by illustrating how assessment should be interwoven throughout the curriculum to ensure its success. The script emphasizes viewing assessment as an integral part of daily teaching and curriculum planning.

Highlights

Teachers make ongoing assessments in the classroom based on observations of children's knowledge, interests, and interactions.

Assessment involves planning programs and interactions with children using knowledge of child development and pedagogy.

Specific tests and skill profiles may require rigorous training for effective implementation.

Teachers can utilize rest or nap times for documentation and assessment activities.

Recommendation to set aside 10 minutes daily for assessment, focusing on one child at a time.

The importance of documenting and assessing children's development over time for a cohesive picture.

Assessment data can be influenced by children's vulnerability to environmental factors.

The necessity of getting to know individual children for effective assessment and decision-making.

Assessing children's attitudes, dispositions, and preferences is crucial for instructional program design.

Targeted assessments may be conducted to determine readiness for kindergarten or emotional and social development.

The significance of a supportive community for teachers to discuss and refine assessment practices.

Informal assessment strategies are integral to daily teaching and involve regular jottings and records.

Formal assessments use specialized instruments and are conducted periodically for developmental screening.

The role of assessment in supporting the curriculum and its importance in educational success.

Assessment should be interwoven across the curriculum for a comprehensive understanding of child development.

The challenges of implementing assessment practices as a lone teacher and the need for administrative support.

The importance of connecting with others for discussions on authentic assessment to improve teaching practices.

Transcripts

[Music]

frankly teachers make assessments every

every time they're in a classroom and

interacting with a child they are making

judgments about what that child knows

what that child enjoys how that child

interacts with other children and are

planning the program and how they'll

interact with that child whether

individually or in a group based on what

it is they see so

teachers use their knowledge about child

development

about quality pedagogy about classroom

environment to

help them in their assessment process

to the extent that there is a specific

assessment that's ongoing there are

particular tests that may be used with

children there are particular

skill profiles that may be used with

children

those may have some very rigorous other

expectations for you to be trained in

order to how best to implement that

particular

profile that you're trying to use or

that particular assessment device that

you're trying to use

if they could take a time during the day

now many programs have a rest time or a

nap time and that's typically whenever

teachers can do their jottings

do their anecdotal records put it in the

child's folder

even if they could set aside 10 minutes

every day

and do a child every day or if they feel

like they're really overwhelmed and you

are i mean as a teacher there are so

many things that you have to do and that

documenting and that assessment is just

one more thing so even maybe doing a

child a day

um looking at what the child is doing

jotting some notes down or having a

notepad that whenever you see children

at play you make some notes about

specific children and then trying to

take 10 minutes out of the nap time or

10 minutes at the end of the day the end

of the day i think it's hard because

you're tired

if you have a rest time that is perfect

or even maybe coming in 10 minutes early

in the morning

and you made some notes the day before

and then you're going to transfer those

to the child's folder in the morning but

you almost have to plan for it because

it does get lost with everything else

you have to do

you know if we look at development on a

day-to-day basis if we look at

supporting an individual child with

young children first of all we're

looking at changes dramatic changes over

time in terms of development we're also

looking at

more vulnerabilities to the environment

you know i'm i might get hungry and i'm

not likely to dissolve into tears

whereas a one-year-old might and that's

really going to impact the assessment

data and so the idea that we're

collecting these snapshots over time to

give us a

cohesive complete picture of the child

that we can then make

decisions based on and then evaluate our

decisions appropriate does this seem to

be effective as far as this child this

individual child is concerned all of

that really comes from getting to know

the individual child

here's the beautiful ground with black

[Music]

we may think of assessment as being

something like to understand whether or

not where that child's cognitive growth

and development is but assessing a

child's attitudes a child's dispositions

a child's preferences is just as

important in designing any kind of

instructional program

or environment for for young children so

so when you do assessment um sometimes

it's targeted um there may be times

where you want to know does this child

have the basic skills necessary to enter

kindergarten ready to learn um does this

child have particular

emotional

um have they developed emotionally and

socially appropriately for their age

group so you may do that kind of

targeted assessment but really

assessment particularly in young

children because the skills are so the

skills and their developmental levels

are so intertwined that you could be

assessing for any number of a variety of

reasons

some cases for placement more often than

not more appropriately

to really figure out what's the best

environment and how to challenge that

child and help them continue to grow and

develop

probably though the thing that i believe

is the most important is that

teachers are involved with a supportive

community where they're talking all the

time about authentic assessment and they

have other colleagues they can discuss

their

assessments with

and that's hard to do if you're a lone

teacher in a class by yourself but if

you

if your administration isn't providing

that for you then

trying to figure out ways to to find

other people to connect with and have

those discussions i think is really

important

we can think of formal assessment

strategies and we can think of informal

assessment strategies and the informal

assessment strategies are what you do on

a day-to-day basis that are just

interwoven

within the context of effective teaching

it might be jotting brief notes and

compiling them over time it might be

taking running records it might be

taking anecdotal records but the key to

that is to make sure that assessment is

a part of your regular daily curriculum

that you view it as something that's

integral to the success of your

curriculum

when we think about formal assessment

those are more specialized instruments

that we would use periodically

some programs for example do regular

child development screening and

assessment four times a year for infants

and toddlers and twice a year for

preschoolers just to make sure the

development is progressing in a

what's considered a typical manner and

so

what you're anticipating or what you're

utilizing the assessment for will depend

on whether or not it's daily or periodic

but assessment needs to be interwoven

across the curriculum

[Music]

[Applause]

you