Education and Change (grade, exam, teaching, average)

[pbullock201]

This is for my English Class, and so please commit on what you think about it. Thank you very much!

Hello, my name is Phillip and I am 19 years old. So I haven’t been on this earth long, and I have been lucky enough to be born in America. To add to that I have never had to worry about food once in my life. So I was born into the top 1% of the world. I say that so you know where I am coming from when I when I tell you something. That America isn’t a great country, and most people my age also agree with that statement. But while many people my age are waiting for America to fall to its own demise, I can see America growing into something great. Be an example of what education should be. Prove to the world we are above them academically. Now that is a great dream, but how do we achieve something so massive. For starts we end no child left behind and either change standardized tests or stop requiring them. We need students to be able to think, not just memorizing the answers for the test. If students only learn to memorize the answers for a test, they will have a hard time being able to critically think about problems. So while getting rid of no child left behind is a start, we need a something else to help students soar.

Next we need to stop having a system of lowering the standards so students will pass. As in, if enough people fail a test, then the next test will be a less difficult not because of a change the intelligence of the students. The change will occur on the test making the test less difficult. Thus lowering the bar. No more lowering the bar, but raising the bar. As students grow, and start to learn the material, don’t be satisfied with just the average. Never stop testing the students, but not with standardized test. Constantly raise the difficulty of the class as soon as the class starts getting all B’s and A’s. We must constantly be raising the bar, so the students can grow as much as possible while under public education.

To add to this idea of constantly raising the bar we need one more thing to finish it off. And for that I say we should add twenty or so minuets to every class. Now during that twenty minutes the teacher will not be teaching. We get the students who know the material, and have them teach those who don’t have as good a grasp on the topic. Now to make sure those students are learning something. All tests will be graded slightly differently. Your grade will depend on the lowest grade in the class. Crazy, I know. However it is something we need because if those who understand the material are able to teach others and get them to the point of understanding, then we are not only helping those who know the material learn more effectively, but also helping those who don’t understand the material.

I know this won’t fix our problems, and I can see where some people might not like this method. However we need this type of change if we ever want to move forward. Because we need to move forward. Students will feel bad that they have to be taught. That will happen, but they will learn the material and succeed. Imagine if all students supported each other? Just imagine what would happen if that were the case. Well this is the first step towards that. If we put in this hard work, the results will come. Don’t make students memorize that answers for an A, get them to think about everything. Push the students to the limits, and out will come many wonderful, smart students who will be able to critically think and push not just America, but humanity forward.

Thanks again for reading, and please commit and tell me what you think of it.

[maf763]

Your comments range from vague to contradictory. You want to get rid of standardized testing but raise standards through testing. You talk about grading slightly differently and the grade depending on the lowest grade in the class, but even with 30 years experience in education, I have no idea what that means. Then you say all you need to do is to push students harder and have them support each other for an outcome that pushes humanity forward without any appreciation for the legitimate reasons why this does not happen.

In short, I think you are well intentioned but under-informed.

[tnff]

I think if you are as interested in "fixing" education and America as you say, then you should start by doing your own homework instead of asking us to fix it for you.

[toobusytoday]

Sorry, but we don't help with homework in this forum.