April's Bulletin Board

Where is Spring?

A Note of Thanks!

I would like to congratulate all of my classmates for another successful class towards completing one of our many goals in the education field. Thank you to each and everyone of you for your responses and views on all the discussion topics presented in this class.  I have learned and discovered so much more than what I had anticipated. I would like to wish you all the best of luck throughout the remainder of this program. At times, I wanted to give up because of some difficulties during this course but because I am resilient, I have managed to pull through and complete this class. I hope that my discussion responses have helped you as well. 

Quotes

" A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on a cold iron." Horace Mann 

" Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." Benjamin Franklin

" It is not what is poured into a student that counts but what is planted." Linda Conway 

Testing for Intelligence

The apartheid in South Africa is mainly responsible for teachers being unmotivated which led to their laid back attitude resulting in no motivation or inspiration from students. Most teachers were unqualified or under qualified. Since the reform on education in 1994, they established one national system of education in 2005. This new system wanted to withdraw from the rote model of learning to student center. They changed because they wanted to produce learners who become life long learners. According to the National Curriculum assessment is suppose to be continuous process of gathering information on student achievement.

Currently, students are assessed by collecting data, observing during classroom task, standardize test and classroom test  and peer and group assessment. Educators are responsible for recording all assessment procedures and using a checklist to ensure that everything is collected and reviewed. According to Robyn Dixon of the Los Angeles Times, students in South Africa are given a choice of test in 11 subject areas.Students must past at least 6 out of the 11 test subjects. They must pass 3  subject test at 40% and the other 3 at 30% in order to receive their National Senior Certificate. Entrance into a Public University depends on your National Senior Certificate exam scores and or the National Benchmark test.