Teaching for Human Rights, 1-4: Chapter 8

Electronic Resource Centre for Human Rights Education:
Teaching for Human Rights: Pre-school and Grades 1-4

Chapter Eight

Evaluation

Evaluating whether children-individually or as a whole-have gained in self-esteem or social tolerance as a result of what you do is not as difficult as it is sometimes made out to be. Enthusiasm and enjoyment in the short term is one indicator. Does it carry over into the feelings preferred however? Is there better understanding of values like justice, freedom, equality and well-being, and better behaviour-defined in these terms-in the long run? As there is no formula for teaching for such sentiments, there is no formula for assessing outcomes.

Many of those who took part in the Human Rights Commission's Schools Program for 1985 did report a notable increase in class and playground caring. This was not uniformly so, and it could be argued that it was, at least in part, a case of seeing what was looked for. How do you measure such a subjective phenomenon anyway?

Work of this kind does not lend itself to the traditional test and assessment processes. This can unsettle a class used to other ways, at least at first:

The observations that I made of the children at the beginning of the program are most interesting. I observed a strange curiosity about the children. They did not know what form of judgment to make regarding the program. Here they were, involved in a program where very little of the session was ever written work. They acted out situations (role-play) and said what they really thought, even if it was different to what others were saying. A state of confusion swept over the grade in the beginning. Yet, soon the children relaxed ... They came to realise what to expect, and learnt to interact during the class session and not be afraid to share their feelings with others.

A composite Grade 3/4 teacher cautions against expecting too much, however:

I did not expect transformations. Children advance through stages of understanding the world and their place in it as predictably as their teeth erupt, and there's no forcing either set of developments. But just as early exposure to poetry may lead to a love of poetry in later life, early exposure to Human Rights ideals may bear similar fruit.

Self-evaluation is the most reliable measure, and the only one wholly consistent with teaching for human rights anyway. The circle can be used to talk about what children think they have learned, and 'handles' can be devised to elicit specific responses of this sort. Simple Likert scales, or open-ended written questions, can also be used to get a sense of what has been learned, e.g.

	a lot			not	much
I liked this lesson	1	2	3	4	5
or
Today I learned how to . . .

You will have your own ways of assessing work of this kind, and your own views of what assessment can possibly mean for such work at this level. A caring classroom is one where the concept of assessment is well-nigh irrelevant, since learning itself is so highly valued, and the children learn with a minimum of fuss (though much purpose and energy). Evaluation should always return to the fundamental questions: 'Do I care enough? Do I care about the right things?' If you do, so will they.

Bibliography

AHLBERG, ALLAN. Miss Jump the jockey. Ill. A. Amstutz. Kestrel Books, London, 1980. (Also available in the Young Puffin Books series.)

AHLBERG, ALLAN. Mrs Lather's laundry. Ill. A. Amstutz. Penguin, Harcourt, 1981. (Young Puffin Books series)

ALIKI. We are best friends. Pan, London, 1984. (Piccolo Books series)

ANDERSEN, HANS CHRISTIAN. Ugly duckling. (Available in many editions.)

ANGLUND, JOAN WALSH. Love is a special way of feeling. Harcourt Brace Javanovich, London, 1958.

ANGLUND, JOAN WALSH. What colour is love? Harcourt Brace Javanovich, London, 1966.

ASHTON-WARNER, SYLVIA. Teacher. Virago, London, 1980.

BAMBLETT, P. 'Koories in the classroom'. (Oct.Nov. 1985) 13, 5 The Aboriginal child at school, 35-7.

BARRATT, S. The tinder-box assembly book: starting points, stories, poems and classroom activities. Black London,1982.

BEIM, LORRAINE & BEIM, JERROLD. Two is a team. Harcourt Brace Javanovich, London, 1945.

BERG, LEILA. Look at kids. Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1972.

BERGER, TERRY. A friend can help. Raintree, Milwaukee, 1974.

BESSEL, H. & PALOMARES, V. Methods in human development. Human Development Institute, El Cajon, 1970.

THE BEST OF ... SERIES. Personal development bulletin. P.D. Unit, Department of Education, N.S.W, May 1980.

BLABY, B. & HANCOCK, K. People interacting. S.A. C.A.E., n.d.

BLACK, IRMA SIMONTON. The little old man who could not read. World's Work, London, 1970.

BORBA, M. & BORBA, C. Self esteem: a classroom affair. Pole Communications, Melbourne, 1982.

BRANDENBERG, FRANZ. Nice new neighbours. Hippo Books, London, 1981.

BRONSALL, CROSBY. It's mine! Harper & Row, London, 1964.

BRUNA, DICK & JONES, PETER. Blue boat. Methuen Children's Books, London, 1984.

CANFIELD, J. & WELLS, H. One hundred ways to enhance self concepts in the classroom: handbook for teachers and parents. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 1976.

CARLE, ERIC. Do you want to be my friend? Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1979. (Picture Puffin series)

CHASE, LARRY. The other side of the report card.- a how-to-do-it program for effective education. Scott Foresman & Co., Glenview, Ill., 1975.

'Childcare shapes the future'. (1983) 14, 7 & 8, Interracial Books for Children Bulletin, 6-17.

CHRISTIAN, MARY BLOUNT. No dogs allowed, Jonathon. Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass., 1975.

CLIFTON, LUCILLE. Good, says Jerome. Dutton, N.Y., 1973.

COHEN, MIRIAM. Will I have a friend? Collier Macmillan, Basingstoke, Hants, 1971.

COLE, BABETTE. The trouble with Mum. Armada Books, 1985. (Picture Lions series)

COLERIDGE, ANN & HARVEY, ROLAND. The friends of Emily Culpepper. Five Mile Press, Canberbury, Vic., 1983.

CULLUM, ALBERT. The geranium on the window sill just died but teacher you went right on. Harlin, N.Y., 1971.

CULLUM, ALBERT. You think just because you're big you're right. Ifarlin, N.Y., 1976.

DAVIDSON, MARGARET. Helen Keller. Scholastic Inc., N.Y., 1973.

DINKA4EYER, DON. Developing understanding of self and others. (Duso Kit D-1). American Guidance Service, Circle Pines, Minn.,.1982.

FARBER, NORMA. How does it feel to be old? Creative Arts Books, U.S., 1982.

FOREMAN, MICHAEL. Dinosaurs and all that rubbish. Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1974. (Picture Puffin series)

FOREMAN, MICHAEL. War and peas. H. Hamilton, London, 1974.

FORTE, IMOGENE. From A-Z with me: a self-concept activity book for young children. Incentive Publications, Nashville, Tenn., 1981.

Fox, MEM. Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge. Kane-Miller, N.Y, 1985.

From A-Z with me; a self-concept activity book for young children. Incentive Publications, Nashville, 1981.

GIFF, PATRICIA REILLY. Today was a terrible day. Hippo Books, London, 1981.

HARPER, RON. New friends. Hodja Educational Resources, Richmond, Vic., 1983.

HAWKINS, COLIN. The Granny book. Granada, London, 1984.

HAYES, DAVID. Human rights. Wayland, Hove, Sussex, 1980.

HAZEN, BARBARA S. Tight times. Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1983.

HEINE, HELME. Friends. Armada Books, 1984. (Picture Lions series)

HEINE, HELME. The most wonderful egg in the world. Armada Books, 1985. (Picture Lions series)

HOBAN, RUSSELL. Best friends for Frances. Harper & Row, London, 1969.

HUGHES, SHIRLEY. Alfie gets in first. Armada Books, 1982. (Picture Lions series)

HUGHES, SHIRLEY. Alfie gives a hand. Bodley Head, London, 1983.

HUGHES, SHIRLEY. An evening at Alfie's. Bodley Head, London, 1984.

HUGHES, SHIRLEY. Dogger. Armada Books, 1979. (Picture Lions series)

HUGHES, SHIRLEY. Helpers. Armada Books, 1978. (Picture Lions series)

HUGHES, SHIRLEY. Lucy and Tom go to school. Gollancz, London, 1973.

HUTCHINS, PAT. Titch. Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1974. (Picture Puffin series)

ISADORA, RACHEL. Max. Angus & Robertson (U.K.), London, 1981.

KERR, JUDITH. Mog and the baby. Armada Books, 1982. (Picture Lions series)

KERR, JUDITH. Mog the forgetful cat. Armada Books, 1974. (Picture Lions series)

KRAUS, ROBERT. Leo the late bloomer. Thomas Y. Crowell, N.Y., 1971.

LEWITT, MARIA. Grandmother's yarn. Hodia Educational Resources, Richmond, Vic., 1985.

LEXAU, JOAN M. I hate Red Rover. Dutton, N.Y., 1979.

LOBEL, ARNOLD. Frog and Toad are friends. Harper & Row, London, 1979. (Also available in paperback, Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1983.)

MCELMURRY, MARY ANNE. Appreciating. Good Apple Inc., Carthage, Ill., 1983.

MCELMURRY, MARY ANNE. Belonging. Good Apple Inc., Carthage, Ill., 1983.

MCLEAN, KEN. Living with others. Martin Educational, Cammeray, N.S.W, 1974.

MARSHALL, EDWARD. Space case. Dial Books for Young Readers, N.Y., 1980.

MARSHALL, JAMES. George and Martha. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, Mass., 1970.

Methuen resources for reading early reading sets, A, B, C and D. n.p., n.d.

MILNE, ROSEMARY. Moral development in early childhood. Ph.d. thesis, Melbourne University, 1984.

My community teacher's manual. McGraw Hill, Sydney, 1983.

ORAM, HIAWYN. Angry Arthur. Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1984. (Picture Pufrin series)

PAOLA, TOMIE DE. Nana upstairs and Nana downstairs. Methuen Children's Books, London, 1983.

PAOLA, TOMIE DE. Oliver Button is a sissy. Methuen Children's Books, London, 1981.

PERRINE, MARINE. Nannabah's friend. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, Mass., 1970.

Personal development 'a unit approach'. North West Region, N.S.W, n.d.

PETERSON, JEANNE WHITEHOUSE. I have a sister, my sister's deaf. Harper & Row, London, 1978.

PETTMAN, RALPH. Teaching for human rights: activities for schools. Hodja Educational Resources for the Human Rights Commission, Richmond, Vic., 1984.

Poetry plus: people are strange. Schofield & Sims, Huddersfield, 1984.

PRATER, JOHN. On Friday something funny happened. Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1984. (Picture Puffin series)

RICHARDS, NORMA. Springboards: ideas for social studies. Thomas Nelson Australia, Melbourne. 1979.

RIDYARD, DAVID E. Eat your carrots. Childerset, Kent Town, S.A., 1983.

The rights of children: a collection of illustrated stories for children. UNICEF, 1978

ROUGHSEY, DICK. The giant devil-dingo. Thomas Nelson Australia, Melbourne, 1984.

ROUGHSEY, DICK. The rainbow serpent. William Collins, Sydney, 1975.

RUCK-PAUQUET, GINA. Honey bear. Methuen, London, 1983.

SCHRANK, JEFFREY. Teaching human beings: one hundred and one subversive activities for the classroom. Beacon Press, Boston, Mass., 1972.

SENDAK, MAURICE. Where the wild things are. Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1970. (Puffin Picture Books series)

SEVERANCE, JANE. Lots of Mommies. Lollipop Power, Chapel Hill, N.C., 1983.

SIMON, NORMA. All kinds of families. Albert Whitman & Co., Niles, Ill., 1975.

SIMON, NORMA. I'm busy, too. Albert Whitman & Co., Niles, Ill., 1980.

SIMON, NORMA. We remember Philip. Albert Whitman & Co., Niles, Ill., 1978.

SNAPE, JULIET & SNAPE, CHARLES. Daniel likes dancing. J. MacRae Books, London, 1984.

SOUTHGATE, VERA. The little red hen. Ladybird Books, Loughborough, Leics., 1966. (Easy Reading Books series)

SOWTER, NITA. Maisie Middleton. Armada Books, 1982. (Picture Lions series)

STEIG, WILLIAM. Amos and Boris. Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1983. (Picture Puffin series)

STEVENS, MARGARET. When Grandpa died. Children's Press, Chicago, n.d.

STRONG, J. J. I was only trying to help. Bell & HyTnan, London, 1984.

THIELE, COLIN. Storm Boy. Harper & Row Junior Books, N.Y, 1978.

TREZISE, PERCY & ROUGHSEY, DICK. The Quinkins. William Collins, Sydney, 1978.

TREZISE, PERCY & ROUGHSEY, DICK. The magic firesticks. William Collins, Sydney, 1983.

UDRY, JANICE M. What Mary Jo shared. Albert Whitman & Co., Niles, Ill., 1966.

VAN LOON, JOHN & VAN LOON, JOAN. I remember Georgie. Century Hutchinson Australia, Hawthorn, Vic., Australia, 1983.

VIORST, JUDITH. Rosie and Michael. Atheneum, N.Y., 1974.

WAGNER, JENNY & BROOKS, RON. John Brown, Rose and the midnight cat. Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1985.(Picture Puffin series)

WALKER, KATE. Marty moves to the country. n.p., 1980.

WELLS, ROSEMARY. Noisy Nora. Armada Books, 1981. (Picture Lions series)

WENSEL, ULISES. Granny and Grandad Parker. Evans Bros, London, 1978.

WILLIAMS, VERA B. A chair for my mother. Greenwillow, N.Y., 1982.

WILLMOTT, FRANK. My Dad at home. Hodja Educational Resources, Richmond, Vic., 1984.

WILSON, VERA B. Something special for me. J. MacRae Books, I-London, 1984.

YEOMAN, JOHN. The wild washerwomen. H. Hamilton, London, 1979.

ZELONKY, JOY. I can't always hear you. Raintree Milwaukee, 1980.

ZOLOTOW, CHARLOTTE. My friend John. Harper & Row, London, 1968.

Audio Visual Material

Developing understanding of self and others (DUSO Kit D-1)
Hopscotch. (Film)
Let the balloon go. (Film)
Manganini. (Film)
2001: a space odyssey. (Film)

Electronic Resource Centre for Human Rights Education:
Teaching for Human Rights: Pre-school and Grades 1-4