inclusive school 2

Creating

Inclusive Schools

an education for children with disabilities that, as one principal puts it, offers ‘nothing separate, no special spaces, no special teachers’

ISSUES ASSESMENT METHOD:1

                        Method

Approach

               This project has taken an action

research approach, integrating research

and practice in alternative assessment by working together with

selected

teachers, schools, districts,

and state departments of education to help them

develop alternative assessments and then observing issues of

implementation

and impact.

Our involvement over the past two years

has consisted primarily of

providing practitioners with the following training and assistance:

⏩the rationale for alternative assessment;

⏪theories of learning and instruction that underlie new

assessment and

instructional approaches;

⏫alternative assessment models and materials developed

at CRESST

and elsewhere (see Baker,

Aschbacher, Niemi, Yamaguchi, & Ni,

1991); and

⏬a process for developing

performance assessments (Herman,

Aschbacher, & Winters, 1992).

To study implementation of new assessments we

relied on observation,

interviews,

and surveys of participants. We also collected and reviewed some

assessment-related materials developed by participants in this study.

Study Sites

Several

sites were involved in the

study this year and last. Half were

interested in math assessment, and half in social studies assessment.

The

sites included:

⏯a large,

urban, racially and socioeconomically diverse unified school

district where the district office sought our assistance in

working with

a small group of

teachers to pilot alternative assessment strategies for

classroom use;

⬅a group

of teachers from a special secondary program focusing on

interdisciplinary humanities serving a

culturally diverse, large urban

school district. These teachers

attended a series of portfolio

assessment workshops as part of a

project to use portfolios for

classroom assessment and program evaluation purposes;

🔂two

middle-sized, suburban unified school districts (one serving a

relatively high socioeconomic status

(SES) community; one serving

relatively low SES students, many

of whom have limited proficiency in

English) where the county

office sought our assistance in helping

teachers and administrators to develop alternative

assessment

strategies for both classroom and district use;

🔁a culturally diverse

elementary school not bound by state education

policies, whose mandate

includes participation in educational

research projects. The administration and faculty of this

school jointly

decided to develop with us an assessment model as

a precursor to an

eventual schoolwide alternative assessment program; and

🔂an innovative elementary classroom

serving disadvantaged children

from diverse

cultural and language backgrounds. The teacher of this

classroom has been developing and implementing

alternative

assessments for the past several years.

Alternative Assessment in Social Studies

The first two sites listed above were

interested in developing social studies

assessments. The district we worked with

was interested in developing

classroom assessments that eventually could

inform districtwide assessment

practices. The

special interdisciplinary humanities program was interested

YOGA AND AASANM :1

Different Types of Yoga and Their Benefits

        If you are looking for a yoga practice to help you ease stress, detoxify, and become more centered, one of the following three styles should suit you well:

• Restorative

As its name implies, Restorative Yoga is designed to help repair and restore the mind as well as the body by centering your breath and your body.  It involves doing five slow poses which are held for an extended period, sometimes using props.

• Viniyoga

Vini means adaptive and it explains this yoga style well.  Able to be customized to the individual’s needs and goals, it is ideal for people with physical limitations and those who are rehabilitating from an injury.

• Ananda

Ananda yoga is based around gentle poses that move energy and prepare the mind and body for a calm state and meditation.
If you’re looking for a challenging style of yoga that builds strength as it improves your fitness, the following three styles fit the bill:

• Ashtanga (or Astanga)
  Save

This quick-paced yoga will help you build strength as it improve your flexibility and endurance.  The poses are done in the same order without a break in between.  Each pose is held for five breaths and includes a half sun salutation.  This fast pace makes it more physically demanding than some other yoga styles.

• Power Yoga or Power Vinyasa 

Power yoga is one of the most physically challenging yoga styles.  When practiced as hot yoga you will be working in a studio heated to around 105 degrees Fahrenheit with 40% humidity.  Designed to improve strength and flexibility, it is useful for detoxing and it devotees say it can aid weight loss.

• Bikram

Bikram Yoga is a comprehensive workout that also falls in the hot yoga category.  It involves doing 26 postures including two breathing exercises  that improve endurance, strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular health.

ASSESSMENT IN THE SCIENCE CLASS ROOM:1

The Case for Strengthening Assessment in the Science Classroom

       This chapter provides a rationale for this report: It presents a research base for the importance of understanding and improving the assessments that occur daily in classrooms that can directly influence learning. Teachers, teacher educators, administrators, and policy makers may find this chapter particularly relevant.

       The goals for school science projected in the Standards represent a significant shift from traditional school practice. The document presents science as something that students actively do, rather than something that is done to or for them by teachers and texts. Science covers not only important facts but requires that objects and events be described carefully, that questions be asked about what is seen, that explanations of natural phenomena be constructed and tested, and that the resulting ideas be communicated to other people. It emphasizes the role of evidence in drawing conclusions. It involves making connections between students' current understandings of natural phenomena and the knowledge accepted and valued in the scientific community. Science also entails problem solving and decision making in the process of applying such knowledge to new situations and asking new questions. It is a way of knowing and thinking. If teachers can determine how well their students are meeting these new goals and students can learn how to gauge their progress, both can use this information to inform teaching and learning. By doing so, a vision for school science becomes a reality:

      The Standards present a vision of a scientifically literate populace. They outline what students need to know, understand, and be able to do to be scientifically literate at different grade levels. They describe an educational.

Suggested Citation:"2 The Case for Strengthening Assessment in the Science Classroom." National Research Council. 2001. Classroom Assessment and the National Science Education Standards. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9847.

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ASSEAMENT FOR LEARNING :2

FEATURES OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Definitions

               🔺  Formative assessment refers to assessments that provide information to students and teachers that is used to improve teaching and learning. These are often informal and ongoing, though they need not be. Data from summative assessments can be used in a formative way.

               🔺Summative assessment refers to the cumulative assessments, usually occurring at the end of a unit or topic coverage, that intend to capture what a student has learned, or the quality of the learning, and judge performance against some standards. Although we often think of summative assessments as traditional objective tests, this need not be the case. For example, summative assessments could follow from an accumulation of evidence collected over time, as in a collection of student work.

              ⏭The centrality of inquiry in the vision of science education advanced in the Standards provides a particularly compelling reason to take a closer look at classroom assessment, and formative assessment, in particular. If students are to do science, not solely verbalize major facts and principles, they should engage in activity that extends over several days or weeks. Their work should be less episodic and fractured than lesson-based science teaching. A different kind of assessment is necessary, one that is designed to help students get better at inquiring into the world of science (NRC, 2000). 
            ⏭The best way to support inquiry is to obtain information about students while they are actually engaged in science investigations with a view toward helping them develop their understandings of both subject matter and procedure. The information collected by teachers and students while the students are at work can be used to guide their progress.

highlight how intimately they are connected to teaching.

Suggested Citation:"3 Assessment in the Classroom." National Research Council. 2001. Classroom Assessment and the National Science Education Standards. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9847.

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EXPLORINJG MATHS CREAVITY

10 points for exploring Maths creatively!

August 25th, 2015 by Elaine

Image: Shutterstock/Sergey_Nivens

                    Teaching primary maths should not be bound to any textbook, physical classroom, nor to any single specific learning outcome as set in our curricula. Maths is a term that opens the gate to a richness of opportunities to investigate skills and concepts in a much wider context, i.e. real life.

           Today’s society requires individuals who are able to problem-solve efficiently and this is why abstract paper and pen exercises are of little value when it comes to applying mathematical concepts in everyday life. Providing maths tests which are solely based on recall of facts does not provide any practice and opportunity towards developing effective mathematicians and problem-solvers. This is why, our schools should focus more on providing relevant and real situations to encourage the students to see the validity and significance of maths in all aspects of life. Through such practise, students are also able to develop their critical thinking and to transfer learnt skills to different scenarios. Through mathematics, students are able to become more critical, confident and creative decision-makers and risk-takers. Students learn to investigate situations, to pose questions and also design their own mathematical investigations around their own experiences.

Exploring maths creatively:

⏬Empowers pupils to take ownership of their learning as active learners

        It is no longer about the teaching but rather about the learning. The distinction reflects the important notion that pupils should be actively engaged in the learning process. Pupils are given the opportunity to enquire, investigate and choose from a variety of resources. They can direct the focus of their learning according to their interests and prior knowledge. Pupils’ motivation and expectations increase and so does their confidence in engaging with maths skills and concepts.

 

⏭Promotes investigative and problem-solving skills

       Creative mathematics is all about developing problem-solving skills which enables pupils to solve unfamiliar mathematical problems creatively. Pupils realise that there might be more than one possible solution to solving a given situation and learn how to adopt diverse strategies towards problem-solving which best suit their learning styles, capabilities and situation. Pupils are also given the time, space and resources to explore mathematical skills and concepts and can devise their own path to a solution.

 

⏩Establishes connections to real life making learning more relevant

          The notion of a classroom has been subject to strong competition with the real world beyond its walls, as well as the instantly accessible virtual world. In today’s information-based and highly globalised society, it is simply absurd to teach without acknowledging real data that is surrounding and bombarding us every second. Teaching and learning should be ever more connected and contextualised in real life circumstances. We cannot have pupils ask; “Why are we learning this?”. The more we establish links between learning and real life, the better can pupils apply their knowledge and skills, and regard the learning as valuable and relevant. Learning tasks should be more based on real life situations, enabling learners to tap into their prior knowledge whilst becoming more engaged with the task at hand. Such examples of realia include; menus, TV schedules, informative websites, transport information, published newsletters, promotional leaflets, sports websites, etc.

 

⏪Presents opportunities for collaborative learning and communication

          Creative learning tasks entail the exploration of diverse learning modes which include collaborative group work. Pupils learn to work with other learners who have different learning abilities and together attempt to find a strategy on how to produce something or solve a given task. Throughout this process, the pupils are actively engaged in dialogue. They learn to verbalise their mathematical thinking and to consolidate their use of mathematical vocabulary. Pupils learn to enage in self-assessment and they evaluate their best capabilities, and assign different tasks of the project to specific members of the group in order to reach their final goal. Such tasks allow pupils to develop their social and communication skills, which prepares them for the future. It is the teacher’s responsibility to form functional group clusters by having diverse learners grouped together. Groups should be kept small, so that every student remains engaged and feels important to the rest of the team. One important tip is to assign specific roles within the student’s abilities, and whose duty is necessary in order for the group to reach their final objective or produce their desired outcome.

 

      🔂Much focus is being placed upon the terms initiative and creativity, as part of the list of transversal skills required in the 21^st century. Society needs citizens who are able to take initiative, who are good decision-makers, problem-solvers and who are able to be creative and think outside the box. Exploring mathematics creatively involves providing open-ended opportunities for our pupils to work collaboratively and to design innovative strategies and solutions to a given situation. This practise allows pupils to foster such important skills which allow them to thrive and to be better equipped for tomorrow’s world.

        🔁Our children are constantly surrounded by technology especially mobile touchscreen devices. From a very young age they seem to hold an instinctive disposition to interact with screens and to respond to visual cues. This exposure is enforced both in households as well as in other locations outside the home, such as shops, restaurants, shopping centers, etc. Technology has revolutionized the concept of education and has shifted the learning process to one which is more self-directed, creative and also game-based. Exploring maths creatively acknowledges and values the potential and vast resources which technology can provide us. Through technology, pupils learn various skills such as language, creativity, social skills, mathematical thinking, and problem-solving. Technology also provides models and opportunities for pupils to explore their learning through an appealing and relevant medium. One great example of creative maths through technology is the soaring use of coding, which can be carried out either using apps (such as online, mobile or tablet apps) or else through floor robots such as the Pro-Bot. Pupils have the possibility to learn how to programme, design, engage in content creation and problem-solve whilst exploring different skills related to maths such as shape, measure, fractions, angles and position. Coding skills are considered as a language in itself and it forms the basis of logical reasoning. Pupils can be given the opportunity to create their own problem-solving tasks which they can then share with their peers or other pupils from other schools.

Coding Maths Investigations with the Pro-Bot

 

       🔼Adopting this approach towards exploring maths in real life, also serves to cater for the different students who are diverse in terms of learning abilities and preferences. Such an approach can be considered inclusive and through the continuous representations of mathematical situations as drawn from real life, pupils will have the chance to explore maths from different perspectives while the learning becomes more appealing. The variety of learning modes, enables most students to participate and to remain engaged on the task.

 

     🔽Fundamental to mathematical learning is the ability to think and reason mathematically. It is important to present opportunities whereby the students are able to explore the process of problem-solving through mathematical thinking and reasoning. These situations also enable the learner to become better at communicating their thinking and in finding the appropriate vocabulary to explain their reasoning. Students are also able to observe that there might be more than one possible and reasonable solution to a given problem. Mathematical reasoning can be exemplied verbally, visually or through models.

 

    🔼One very positive aspect about exploring maths creatively is that it does not only establish a more dynamic relationship among the teacher and the students, but it also establishes links with other learning areas, creating a multi-disciplinary approach to learning. Teachers can collaborate into providing project-based learning scenarios whereby students work in groups and explore a given situation or location and require a myriad number of skills in order to reach their goal or final product. Students learn to establish connections between maths and language, art, history, science, technology, physical education and other aspects of the curricula.

 

   🔄Hands-on experiences allow students to apply their learnt skills and concepts in practice. Such opportunities provide pupils with a repertoire of experiences which they can recall and allows them to become more confident at applying their knowledge in the future. Through hands-on practice, learners are able to self-assess where they require further support. These activities provide a meaningful context to learning and promotes retention of learnt maths skills and concepts.

DEFINTION OF HEALTH EDUCATION

Definition of Health Education

       Health Education comprises consciously constructed opportunities for learning involving some form of communication designed to improve health literacy, including improving knowledge, and developing life skills which are conducive to individual and community health.

      Health education is not only concerned with the communication of information, but also with fostering the motivation, skills and confidence (self-efficacy) necessary to take action to improve health.

      Health education includes the communication of information concerning the underlying social, economic and environmental conditions impacting on health, as well as individual risk factors and risk behaviors, and use of the health care system. Thus, health education may involve the communication of information, and development of skills which demonstrates the political feasibility and organizational possibilities of various forms of action to address social, economic and environmental determinants of health.

        In the past, health education was used as a term to encompass a wider range of actions including social mobilization and advocacy. These methods are now encompassed in the term health promotion, and a more narrow definition of health education is proposed here to emphasize the distinction.

SOCIAL BASES:2

       SOCIAL BASES OF EDUCATION

                          Equip yourself to interpret these issues, both critically and constructively, by studying the various dimensions of our field, including:

• History of education.  Trace the origins of current educational beliefs and practices.

• Philosophy of education.  Question your assumptions the nature of knowledge and the purposes of education.  Think critically about what it means to be “educated,” to “learn,” and to “teach.”

• Sociology and Anthropology of education.  Recognize that schools are products of society, and that American schools, as products of a democratic society, represent the degree to which our social, political, economic and cultural traditions are successful or just.

• Comparative education.  Explore similarities and differences among educational systems and practices across societies and regions because of distinct cultural, political, historical, economic and religious traditions.

These branches of Schools, Society, & Culture overlap in multiple ways.  Taken together, they remind us that cultural contexts and societal priorities shape schools and vice versa. Our graduate programs offer students a thorough grounding in these areas to equip them for rapidly changing conditions in their educational careers – as teachers, scholars, school leaders & policymakers, and ultimately, as citizens.

KNOWLEDGE AND CUURICULM:1

         INFLUANCE OF SOCITY

Abstract

                       🔼   In this research, authors tried to compare statistical data with the results of the sociological research which has been carried out by means of qualitative methods, and then to carry out the longitude research concerning installations on education among students of the late 90s - early 2000s and to compare to views of modern students. 

                🔼  The purpose and problems of research: detection of installations of modern youth in relation to formation as to one of major factors of social mobility in the Kazakhstan society. Define the demands of modern youth to possession professional the knowledge and skills, influencing social positions in society.If one hand changes in form of ownership, differentiation of steps of education are observed, on the other hand there is a reconsideration of value of education and understanding of significance and education role in an everyday life of the person. 

               🔼In the 90s after break-up of the USSR decrease of number of pupils in system of the higher education is observed, and at the end of 90s – the beginning of the 2000s increases the quantity of higher educational institutions and growth of student's youth. By the present moment the authors carried out the focus group research identification of installations of modern youth on education and its roles in life of the young Kazakhstan citizens.

STATISTICAL:2

PEDAGOGY OF MATHS

 What is the definition of statistical data?

Statistics may be defined as the science of collection, presentation analysis and interpretation of numerical data from the logical analysis. It is clear that the definition of statistics by Croxton and Cowden is the most scientific and realistic one. According to this definition there are four stages:

1. Collection of Data:

It is the first step and this is the foundation upon which the entire data set. Careful planning is essential before collecting the data. There are different methods of collection of data such as census, sampling, primary, secondary, etc., and the investigator should make use of correct method.

2. Presentation of data:

The mass data collected should be presented in a suitable, concise form for further analysis. The collected data may be presented in the form of tabular or diagrammatic or graphic form.

3. Analysis of data:

The data presented should be carefully analysed for making inference from the presented data such as measures of central tendencies, dispersion, correlation, regression etc.,

4. Interpretation of data:

The final step is drawing conclusion from the data collected. A valid conclusion must be drawn on the basis of analysis. A high degree of skill and experience is necessary for the interpretation.

Definition by Horace Secrist:

Statistics may be defined as the aggregate of facts affected to a marked extent by multiplicity of causes, numerically expressed, enumerated or estimated according to a reasonable standard of accuracy, collected in a systematic manner, for a predetermined purpose and placed in relation to each other. The above definition seems to be the most comprehensive and exhaustive.

Functions of Statistics:

There are many functions of statistics. Let us consider the following five important functions.

WORKING FORT POLIYO:1

    PEDAGOGY OF MATHEMATICS

Algebra

                      Algebra uses letters (like x or y) or other symbols in place of values, and plays with them using special rules.


       Example: x + 3 = 7
"x" is unknown (often called the "variable").

             In this case the value of "x" can be found by subtracting 3 from both sides of the equal sign like this:

        Start with: x + 3 = 7
Subtract 3 from both sides: x + 3 − 3 = 7 − 3
Calculate: x + 0 = 4
Answer: x = 4