Chapter 3: Testing
Wagner argues that our current accountability system tests memorization and recall. He says that none of our state tests meet the standards for work, college or citizenship in the twenty-first century.
In general, I agree that we need to rethink what high school graduates should be able to do to be successful and then rethink education to meet those needs. I love the idea of shifting away from typical standardized test toward performance assessments. Students should be challenged to demonstrate their reasoning, problem solving, and writing skills with “real-world” problems. Some schools are starting to embrace this transition. The state testing at the middle school where I am currently teaching will have 2 components, an adaptive computer test and then an in class performance assessment (designed to test real-world, collaborative, critical thinking skills).
Cookie cutter AP courses that teach only to the test, aren’t teaching our students the skills they need to be successful in life. That said, getting into to a top college has become more competitive over the last decade and having a high school transcript with AP courses is something college admission departments look for when weighing applicants. I think colleges and high schools need to collaborate with one another to address this disconnect. If colleges make the shift toward valuing assessments such as the Collegiate Learning Assessment over AP courses and SAT scores, then teachers can use the CLA as a model for developing performance assessment of their own.
Chapter 4: Teacher Education
In chapter 4, Wagner addresses teacher education programs and the need for transformation. He argues that what teachers and administrators need to do to get certification is similar to what high-schoolers need to do to get a GED: take a series of disjointed courses and then pass tests that rarely measure the skills that matter most. He believes that viewing and discussing videos of teaching is essential to improvement but hardly ever done. For the most part, educators work alone, all day everyday. Teachers rarely have the opportunity to get together and discuss teaching strategies. We need opportunities to watch one another teach and then meet to debrief and brainstorm creative ideas. I think there are many teachers who are on board with wanting to put innovative ideas into practice; the problem is they lack sufficient guidance and support on how to do it. In our current program, we seem to spend most of our time focusing on how to teach and differentiate to special populations. I definitely value and see the importance of this, however, if I were to design the program I would incorporate a lot more time to developing teaching strategies and observation experiences designed for the whole class. I would cut back on the numerous and extensive coursework assignments and write-ups on theoretical ideals in exchange for observing other teachers in the field, meeting to discuss and collaborate afterwards, and the refine/redesign the lesson based off our experiences.
Wagner argues that our current accountability system tests memorization and recall. He says that none of our state tests meet the standards for work, college or citizenship in the twenty-first century.
In general, I agree that we need to rethink what high school graduates should be able to do to be successful and then rethink education to meet those needs. I love the idea of shifting away from typical standardized test toward performance assessments. Students should be challenged to demonstrate their reasoning, problem solving, and writing skills with “real-world” problems. Some schools are starting to embrace this transition. The state testing at the middle school where I am currently teaching will have 2 components, an adaptive computer test and then an in class performance assessment (designed to test real-world, collaborative, critical thinking skills).
Cookie cutter AP courses that teach only to the test, aren’t teaching our students the skills they need to be successful in life. That said, getting into to a top college has become more competitive over the last decade and having a high school transcript with AP courses is something college admission departments look for when weighing applicants. I think colleges and high schools need to collaborate with one another to address this disconnect. If colleges make the shift toward valuing assessments such as the Collegiate Learning Assessment over AP courses and SAT scores, then teachers can use the CLA as a model for developing performance assessment of their own.
Chapter 4: Teacher Education
In chapter 4, Wagner addresses teacher education programs and the need for transformation. He argues that what teachers and administrators need to do to get certification is similar to what high-schoolers need to do to get a GED: take a series of disjointed courses and then pass tests that rarely measure the skills that matter most. He believes that viewing and discussing videos of teaching is essential to improvement but hardly ever done. For the most part, educators work alone, all day everyday. Teachers rarely have the opportunity to get together and discuss teaching strategies. We need opportunities to watch one another teach and then meet to debrief and brainstorm creative ideas. I think there are many teachers who are on board with wanting to put innovative ideas into practice; the problem is they lack sufficient guidance and support on how to do it. In our current program, we seem to spend most of our time focusing on how to teach and differentiate to special populations. I definitely value and see the importance of this, however, if I were to design the program I would incorporate a lot more time to developing teaching strategies and observation experiences designed for the whole class. I would cut back on the numerous and extensive coursework assignments and write-ups on theoretical ideals in exchange for observing other teachers in the field, meeting to discuss and collaborate afterwards, and the refine/redesign the lesson based off our experiences.