Chapter 5: “The Role of
Curriculum” dealt with the evolution of curricula throughout Canada and the
world as well as gave a brief critique of some curricular aspects. One topic I
found particularly relatable was large-scale assessments, especially dealing
with provincial exams. The controversies over large-scale assessments states
their pros and cons, both of which I can easily side with. I do recall as a
student in high school, I took provincial exams more seriously and felt as
though they were very influential in the outcome of my grade in the subject;
this can certainly be seen as a pro to having these exams in place (p. 142). As
a future educator I can see the benefit of these exams because they demonstrate
areas that students excel in as well as areas that need more work in across the
province, thus being able to better define which topics of a subject would
require more potential opportunities for professional developments and
implementation of teacher research and resources. On the other side, as an educator
I can also see the disadvantages of these types of exam, in that they lead to
the possibility of “teaching to the test” in which “the approach focuses on
teaching materials similar to those found on upcoming assessments – rather than
engaging in innovative pedagogical ways to deliver curriculum” (p. 144).
Another downfall of these types of assessment is the fact that some essential
skills are never assessed, such as creativity (p. 144), which I believe to be
of great importance, but as a result of these types of tests, becomes an area that
may have to take the backseat. Lastly the results of these tests may not actually
be accurate in assessing students’ or teachers’ abilities, resulting in a
potentially unnecessary expenditure of governmental funding (p. 143).
Discussion
Question: What is your take on large-scale assessments such as provincial
exams? If necessary, make a list of the pros and cons to help you decide.
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