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I agree, the U.S. education system should understand that there isn't just one way to teach a child. I don't know if it's feasible, but I think every student should be granted access to private tutoring and mentoring. I don't think socioeconomic status, race, religion, etc. should have anything to do with a student's access to academic freedom, and I wish I were going to school in a dream education system, but, alas, even in college that's not the case.
Interesting. A kid who read John Taylor Gatto? She is just accepting a different authority rather than the particular school system's authority.
At any rate, I agree that testing is very much overemphasized in our schools. I am not sure how she hopes to address this, but I wish her luck.
Testing is over emphasized because without testing, most students wouldn't work. How much chemistry do you think my students would learn if I didn't have tests? Um, very little. If students were, internally, motivated to learn, we wouldn't need tests. They need external motivation.
More generalizing about how US education has just one way to teach children, as if it was just one giant school rather than many many thousands of little ones. "OUR schools" should be changed every time to "MY" school. Every school's emphasis is different. Even in my own district there are really substantial differences between the school even though the district is running a unified curriculum taught in the same way.... supposedly.
It just more flaming by people who simply refuse to understand that the school that wronged them is different than lots of other schools.
Why is this so hard to understand. Gee, in just PA, there are more than 5000 elementary schools.
More generalizing about how US education has just one way to teach children, as if it was just one giant school rather than many many thousands of little ones. "OUR schools" should be changed every time to "MY" school. Every school's emphasis is different. Even in my own district there are really substantial differences between the school even though the district is running a unified curriculum taught in the same way.... supposedly.
It just more flaming by people who simply refuse to understand that the school that wronged them is different than lots of other schools.
Why is this so hard to understand. Gee, in just PA, there are more than 5000 elementary schools.
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The schools are different here as well. There are three very different high schools in my city. The problem is, students don't get to choose which one they attend. That is determined by, ever changing, boundaries. It's frustrating. The school my kids go to is not the best fit for them but I can't get them in the college prep school because we live in the wrong area.
We need school of choice and, if need be, testing to get into the school of your choice. We need to make the schools what the kids need. It's impossible for one school to be everything to all students but it isn't for one school to be everything for some students.
Testing is over emphasized because without testing, most students wouldn't work. How much chemistry do you think my students would learn if I didn't have tests? Um, very little. If students were, internally, motivated to learn, we wouldn't need tests. They need external motivation.
I was not really talking about unit tests (although as the young lady in the video says, how many kids memorize material for the test and forget it soon afterward. That is NOT learning).
High stakes testing though is way overused and is really meaningless for both students, teachers and schools.
Her speech reminds me of all the worhless theory courses I took in college getting my business degree. Nothing useful. Simply a compilation of grocery lists to memorize and regurgitate on a test, only to forget as we walked out of the classroom. ALL of those classes should have somehow been incorporated into some form of hands on examples. The top 8 reasons for doing anything actually mean nothing without really seeing why they are the best.
This girl has a lot of guts and she has a lot of points for all to ponder.
Its amazing what my 18 year old mind thought ABOUT the world and circumstances in it and what I have to do and what I should do. And that's just great.
But 44 years later after experiencing the world, working in the world, being responsible for more than just myself, and helping many others like this inexperienced, outspoken young lady, I have very different views.
If we are to progress as a society, then we need to listen to our green youth, but we also need to listen to those who spent 44 years living, working, and being responsible as a balance from the innocents who have interesting questions, but no answers.
I was not really talking about unit tests (although as the young lady in the video says, how many kids memorize material for the test and forget it soon afterward. That is NOT learning).
High stakes testing though is way overused and is really meaningless for both students, teachers and schools.
That's what I got from it.
Also, that wasn't even her main point. Her main point is that school has become getting from A to B (from knowing little to getting a career) at any cost necessary. Any real learning in between, including learning the thought process, is just paved over going down that route. And, this is very true in almost every school in the US. Everyone wants to get out and make 6 figures the easiest way possible. And, yes, there are thousands of schools in the US with different teaching methods, but they all have the same A to B goal at any means necessary. Very few places encourage real education anymore.
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Um, very little. If students were, internally, motivated to learn, we wouldn't need tests. They need external motivation.
