I really like what this guy has to say. He has some great insights about education and educational culture. There's a big pressure nationally to "teach to the test" and honestly, I can understand why educational institutions find their educators doing this. If students don't do well on these standardized tests, the schools are defunded and teachers and faculty are subsequently "let go". An article posted by the NEA explains some of the opinions and numbers.
It seems to me that this form of high stakes testing is rough on students. Instead of being able to explore science (I guess we should include the other subjects as well...), students are placed in a tunnel vision approach for the test with no errors allowable, no side trips! These investigations and allowing curiosity to be nurtured and encouraged doesn't seem to have a place in the modern educational arena. The focus is content coverage and preparation for evaluation, both on the part of the student and the teacher.
Sure, there needs to be a way to assess teacher and student performance, but is our current model working to the benefit of our students? Is this the best method we can devise to maximize learning and interest in academia? I'm rarely satisfied with good enough, usually focusing on ways to improve and not just be content with the status quo. I think it's about time we rethink our approach, find ways to maximize true learning and a fostering of academic curiosity. Doing this while finding a better assessment method won't be easy, but anything worth doing rarely is!
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