Quote:
Originally Posted by Solidus
Layla Z;
"We've become to focused on test scores and are no longer teaching the children what they need to know to be successful in society. We're teaching the test."
This requires more explanation from the teaching professionals here. What is so awful about "teaching the test"? Is the test not an accurate assessment of what children should be learning? For example, for courses that have a cumulative final exam is not the entire course "teaching the test"?
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When you teach to the test, you aren't teaching anything... you are telling.
You are telling them what they need to know in order to pass something,
so they are missing out on the skills needed to understand what they are learning.
Here is the "teaching":
The test will ask you to what the three major Axis Powers were in WWII.
They were Germany, Italy and Japan.
Here is the "test":
1. Which of these was not a major Axis Power during WWII?
a. Japan
b. Russia
c. Germany
d. none of the above
All you did was remember something, you did NOT understand anything about hows or whys.
There are other aspects, like research, interpretation skills, critical analysis, reading, writing, speaking aspects, etc that the student doesn't get since they were told how to pass a test. How do you measure who is doing well and who needs to be taught? Some idiots have pretty good memories... some of the smartest idiots that I have ever met did well in classes with crappy teachers.