I think the emphasis on testing has been horrible. All the things we did to make students develop in to people- all the art, and music, and creativity, has been shelved in order to teach to tests. I was literally given booklets about the cal exit exam test, for sophomores, and told to teach to the test. I got as creative as I could with the assignment- but it's annoying to be told to use a test booklet as a major part of your curriculum.
I think the most important thing I ever did in my classes was talk to my students- so they could have a dialog with someone who helped them think more clearly, as they spoke, in real time, and gave them feedback, immediately, for their thoughts. But how do you put that kind of growth on a test? I loved the big projects we did- I remember with Lord of the Flies I found this excellent project on the internet called "Flimibuff Island"- where we attempted to create and island culture that would not replicate LOTF. The projects were amazing- and at least a portion of it was required to be in PowerPoint- so I taught the students that for the project. But who has time for that sort of thing- which requires computer lab time, and group planning, when there are tests to be taught to?
I understand why some people think the military approach is important- and where there are really bad teachers, that approach is probably to keep the teachers in line as much as to keep the students in line, but as Kozol's book notes- don't screw with teachers like who have fantastic results with strange quirky methods, or who use common sense to fix rigid methods that don't work. |
