Am I Negative About Education?
Education Rethink 2013-06-19
I teach a course for masters in educational leadership at alocal university. What isinteresting about some of these courses is that you could have current teacherswho teach kindergarten as well as those who teach high school in the sameroom. Anyhow during thisparticular class we had the age-old debate on assessment and is there toomuch. During the course of theargument umm I mean debate a student in the class said that I seemed negativetowards education. We discussedlonger and I made sure that no one still believed I was negative abouteducation. I love the profession Ichoose, however upon leaving the class I began to question am I negative abouteducation?
My background is education, my mother was a specialeducation teacher and my stepfather was a principal. My sister is an educator and so am I. I believe in education and its role ina productive meaningful society, but am I negative about education?
So I began to break it down into the following categories,why education is great and what stinks about education.
Why Education is Great!
1. Itperpetuates the sense of wonder and amazement we have as a child.
2. Knowledgeis power.
3. Itprepares us to tackle any challenge.
4. ItFulfills the Moral Imperative we have as a society.
5. Assessingfor Knowledge
What Stinks about Education!
1. Itcan kill the sense of wonder and amazement we have as a child.
a. Ex.No more kitchens in kindergarten
2. Rotememory is not knowledge, which leads to lack of power.
3. Itfails to give us the tools to tackle any challenge
4. Itfails to successfully achieve the Moral Imperative.
5. Assessmentfor Labels/Grades
So after some serious thought I have decided that ratherthan negative about education I am passionate about education. I know that in my current district astudent who attends my school from Kinder to 8th grade faces almosta full year of assessment during their time in the district. I have decided that I realize the valueof assessment to inform instruction and to support intervention, but assessmentserves a big role in the challenges facing education. We over assess our students for the wrong objectiveoften. So am I negative abouteducation? The answer is no, I canhowever be negative in reference to the current state of assessment and itsapplication but I love education. It may sound cliché but I want students to be lifelong learners. The best most successful businessmen,leaders, professionals I know are those whom are interested in continuing tolearn and grow.