Conclusions April 15, 2007
Posted by hpiette in Classroom Reflections.trackback
Well, as we all know the semester is coming to an end. It is crazy to think about how much time has passed and how much was learned about the classroom environment. I think in all of my education classes this one has been the most beneficial to me and my understandings of how to better equip my students for their educations which hopefully continue into their college careers.
Exploring these blogs was very useful for me. It gave me an opportunity to look more closely on an educational topic which a feel very strongly about. As a result, many articles I was able to find reinforced much of my own thinking about No Child Left Behind and how high-stakes testing is affecting our educational system. In other words, this legislature was created with “decent” intentions but overall, has not been successful in practice. Students’ futures are being placed on the results of one test, just one. This determines so many possibilities of consequence. I still ask myself how punishing schools helps students be more proficient? Is No Child Left Behind really just to alleviate some embarrassing appearance because if anything I feel this act is reinforcing this. The truth is many students are capable of so much, learning more maturely so they can process and develop skills which will benefit them their whole lives, not just if they go to college.
What is preventing this from happening is the rigid format that teachers have had to revert back to in order to concentrate on yearly testing. This rigid format does not help students process because a dislike for English is being instilled on their psyches. Rather, help students love to learn reading. Then yearly tests will not be a necessary tool of measurement determining “proficiency.”
This class has sincerely been beneficial because it helped motivate as well as innovate my thinking about what is important in getting students not only educated in English but instilling a love for literature and writing. Regardless of having to wake up early for Saturday’s conference I felt that this too was beneficial because it gave me opportunities to hear other perspectives of instructors who are only reinforcing everything we have discussed in class. For me, everything has been joy!
Hillary,
Was it yesterday that we started this class? It sure seems like it. First I would like to thank you and everyone else in our class. I have learned as much from everyones blogs and comments in class as I have by the great things we get read and hear in our class.
You like others have used your blog to write about NCLB and high stakes testing. I am not sure how I feel about the whole subject to tell you the truth. I feel as though teachers should be held accountable for the education their students are recieving and whether the student is reaching the full potential they have as far as a teacher can effect it. What that accountability leads to and how we determine that is where it gets a little fuzzy for me.
I agree with many of your points but still need to come to a position myself on my own reading and research. Your article like other has a least given me a perspective to start with. The ability to read is so important to all parts of the educational process and I am not sure the way we assess the ability to do that systematicly is correct.
Thank you again for writing so intelligently on a great topic.
Wade