Prior to this module, I always thought that assessment and evaluation are the same but after attending this lesson I realized I was wrong. It was an eye opening lesson for me to learn ways to assess and evaluate from my lecturer and course mates during the presentation. During the lesson, I remembered my lecturer explaining in detail what assessment & evaluation is. She asked open ended questions, cited guiding examples and headed discussions on how these two could be used in our centre. My lecturer later divided us into few groups to do assessment or evaluation and to share through verbal presentations. Through the different group presentations I learnt the different ways to evaluate a centre, types of tools that can be used and my learning journey with my group members allowed me to observe, seek and identify ways to work successfully towards our group assignment.
In my group which consisted of Angela, Rose, Hazel, Linda and I, we discussed and shared opinions of what we wanted to pick – assessment or evaluation. After the discussion, we chose to assess the center’s menu. This was appropriate because we understood the important relationship between health and the overall learning ability of a child. We based on our evaluation on the research carried out by Murphy et al (1998) which highlighted the importance of diet and the psychosocial functioning of a child. This research pointed out that most schools provided lunch that was full of junk food. This affected the general performance of the students. A change from such junk food to fresh foods and enough water results into sharp minds, good concentration, good behavior and satisfactory growth. An experiment carried out at Appleton High School showed an improvement in behavior and concentration of students after the school changed their lunch diet to fresh foods.
Considering the importance of good food to children, my group decided, after brainstorming, that the school menu had to be assessed to identify whether the children were having the appropriate diet to assist them in learning and growth. Therefore, we decided to do an assessment of the center’s menu.
Accordingly, we came up with a web which identified different tools of which we would use to assess the menu like checklists and anecdotal records on children having meals. Secondly, we identified the different tasks required for accurately assessing the menu. We later divided the tasks to the members of the group assigning each member her role. Rose and Angela were assigned the task of finding out the diet offered to the children in the center. It was also their duty to ensure they identified whether the diet was in accordance with the rules. In discussion to their assessment finding, we found out that the center offers brown rice and assorted fruits which very few centre would offer. On the other side, Linda, Hazel and I did an assessment of the overall menu using different tools as well so that it could be established whether it was appropriate. Through daily emails, we collected all the relevant information that had been assessed, brainstormed and came up with appropriate tools like checklists and observation; that would help us to assess and grade the menu of the center. Finally, we found out and concluded that healthy food is essential to the improvement of a child’s day. The module therefore gave me enlightenment on assessing and evaluating in-depth on how our center operates.
This module which I journeyed through has changed my approach to different situations. I have been transformed in such a way that I approach issues in a more mature and consistent way. I have now understood that I can use different tools to come up with a constant answer that is not bias or inclined towards any situation or problem that needed to be address or improved. I also understood that getting the most accurate data entails using different approaches and skills. This also helps in the attainment of unbiased data. The talk on Lilian Katz theory also helped me develop a more mature approach to observing and handling situations. In her theory, Lilian speaks of the challenges faced by early childhood teachers in both developing and developed countries. She also identifies the accurate framework for developmental approach to early childhood education and how this implies in actual practice. This theory gave me the appropriate knowledge in situation observation and handling (Katz, 2003).
From now on, I will engage in using the learnt skills to tackle different situations. This is essential for me as an educator or supervisor in the near future. In addition, using these tools helps me to get a clearer picture of any situation and hence handle it appropriately.
References
- Katz, L. “Current issues and trends in Early Childhood education.” Found in Saraswathi, P. (2003). Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Human: Theory, research and application. London: Sage Publishers
- Murphy, J.M., Wehler, C.A, Pagano, M.E, Little, M, Kleinman R.E, Jellinek, M.S. (1998). “Relationship between hunger and psychosocial functioning in low-income American children.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Vol. 37. pp 163-170