This-essay is a7906212.htm which is available at the web-site www.essayz.com. See more notes at the bottom. Previous-Essay <== This-Essay ==> Following-Essay By-Months By-Years By-Words Webs of Like-&-Un-Like ESSAYS <==> Like-&-UN-Like This-One ========================================================== %TEACHING TO TESTS GRADES CERTIFICATION PROFESSION+790621 %EXPERIENCES PHENOMENA AFFECTIVE QUESTIONS BEHAVIOR 790621 So long as testing is central to the educational enterprise---teachers are likely to let testing dominate the way they teach. They are unlikely to try to teach those things which can not be tested; by collusion those things which can not be tested are things which: [a] need not be taught, [b] ought not be taught, or [c] can not be taught. If teachers are evaluated in terms of how well they can objectively demonstrate how well they have taught---by students' performance on tests---then those teachers will teach to tests, not to help their students grow into mature and creative persons. The teachers' focus will be the tests, not the students as persons. Since not all kinds of learning experiences can be tested, such a teacher will not be interested in promoting all kinds of learning experiences---and will be interested only in promoting those kinds of learning experiences which can be reliably tested. Much depends upon what the teacher believes is expected of the teacher---and so upon what the teacher thinks retention, promotion, tenure, pay, and fringe benefits depend upon. There are many learning experiences which are critical to personal maturity which can not meaningfully be tested: (1) seeing science relevant experiences, (2) enjoying beauty, (3) asking questions which expose taboos and collusions, (4) cooperating with others, (5) becoming sensitive to your own feelings, (6) becoming sensitive to others' non-verbal messages, (7) challenging the teachers biases, assumptions, and collusions, (8) taking creative initiatives, (9) developing and exercising curiosity, and (10) honestly expressing one's own feelings and desires. So long as testing is central to the educational enterprise---these kinds of learning experiences are not likely to be central to education---because they can not be meaningfully tested. Tests are technical means to achieve technical ends. They are the focus of concern of technically oriented people. People who value tests more highly than they value persons will teach to tests, rather than teach to help people grow. Ways need to be found to free real people to teach students, to educe students, to educate liberally--- rather than to teach to fulfill the testing ritual. Students could be freed from the compulsion to learn and teach only that which can be tested, and be real people who can help real students to grow. (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in www.essayz.com Search for Integrity and Honesty (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy) ==========================================================
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