Anti Teaching

Just as my new one size fits most Ed Hardy hat retailed at $70 at Macy’s hardly fits my head, so is standardized educational standards hardly befitting to most students. We have recently learned of the importance of personal learning environments and how in concert with student’s respective multiple intelligences amplify knowledge retention.

While each passing year brings forth new technological advances, technology alone cannot fix our severely broken educational system. Only when technology and solid teaching practices are bridged can we hope to produce lifelong students and problem solvers.

Agreed that there are a number of tried and tested levels of education that must be met. I contend that we should do away with one of the devastating portions of our education system…standardized testing.

Growing up I went to school in both Texas and Louisiana. In Texas the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) Test was priority. I became a proficient test taker. And that is about it.

In Louisiana we had longer grading periods, stiffer grading scales and fewer tests. Not saying that it was light years past Texas but I must say I learned my critical thinking skills early on.

Chiefly, I believe that access to technology is key. While all households cannot afford groceries much less a laptop and internet access, but at least access to computers at school should be sufficient. Not just computer days where you get to go to a lab and peck at antiquated MS-DOS prompts, but full emersion, paperless environments, the works.

Like computers, students must be reprogrammed. From their major concerns being an upcoming exam to real life application. On whatever scale students should realize topics and skills in the classroom are being focused on for a future goal or target and not just because the teacher said so.

I believe Wesch is correct in his theory that teachers must cease from managing the learners, and begin managing their environments.