Everything academic revolves around the year-end state testing to the point that other subjects are usually neglected. Reading, math and writing are the main thrusts of schools, and are obviously important. However, critics state that children are not receiving well-rounded educations because of the emphasis on these subjects
With homeschooling, the parents are the ones teaching their children, so they know their progress, strengths and weaknesses. Bittner explains that there are numerous problems with testing and that teachers actually have a problem with it. There is such a frantic need to teach children everything that will be on a standardized test that learning is almost disregarded. If any material isn’t on the main test then it is not taught. The author point out that critical thinking is not on a test so it is overlooked by routine memorization.
Payne stated that students should learn the “hidden rules” of the middle class from their educators so that they have another set of rules to use if they choose to do so. Impoverished students, compared to students of middle or upper class, often have a lack of proper funding, thus, a lack of appropriate resources to use in their education. Due to this, they are often unprepared for school, not having the money to purchase books and other educational tools. Both authors realize this, but argue that the responsibility lies on different shoulders. Payne states that impoverished students face inequality at school, insinuating that the school should be responsible for helping to provide for these students so that they can have a better education.
For example, the author uses sarcasm to point out the lack of support for students when he quotes, “Our public high schools place too much focus on preparing kids for professional careers.” The author later criticizes the unorganized approach teachers take towards the discipline and teaching of students when he quotes, ‘"Educators do a lot to ensure that the most hopeless students slip through the cracks... Arbitrary rules, irregularly enforced discipline, and pointless paperwork are just the first things that come to mind. "’ 2. What rhetorical strategies does the writer use to achieve this satire? List them, and explain how each is used.
Many people argue that development is vital in the younger years in the child’s life, and the ability to solve problems and apply ideas help in the long-term. Hyman argues that the lower classes create a self imposed barrier to learning their values. This is because he believes that they have a low value on education, with a ‘play safe’ culture and also a low level of self belief. This would all impact on the child performance at school as they would not have the attitude needed to progress. If at any point they failed, they would see this as a big mistake and give up and have a lack of motivation.
Many teachers do not like “catching plagiarists and bringing them to academic justice.” As she states, it is not hard to just cite the author that originally had the information you are using (Bojar). Plagiarism is becoming a big problem in the school system. Many students do not understand what needs to be cited and what does not. The school system should teach students the proper way to cite, and they should teach them that copy and pasting is not writing a paper. According Bojar to students at the community college have a hard time juggling classes along with his or her family and a job.
This is monitored through observations, completed pieces of work and verbal/ oral conversations with the children. There are strong opinions of summative assessments within school, especially SAT’s. One of the main feelings is that these types of assessments are not true to the child and they only count towards the politics sides of schools. They do not achieve anything for the children as they do not provide additional information of where the child needs extra help, nor does it provide information on where the next topic of teaching is to be
They stress day and night over these overrated tests, like previously stated channeling out the imagination, curiosity and good will. Besides being an imprecise measure for students, they use them to judge a teacher’s performance as well, essentially used to either reward or punish them. Standardized test are not helping us very much right now. In conclusion, the usage of standardized tests should be discontinued or by the very least lessened. These tests are not helping people, it’s initially having a negative effect on students and teachers.
More so, it is being done internally by teachers (Falk, 616). The stakes are so high they manipulate test results by keeping certain students out of the testing environment. It has been reported that kids were purposely held back so that their performance will not bring down the test scores that the more intelligent students submit. I agree with that Lindsay Jillson argues about how standardized testing has jeopardized a student’s future because of the sanctions that are given to them for being less intelligent. I just do not understand why the main focus of our education has to be all about test.
In the essay “School Is Bad for Children,” the author John Holt argues that traditional schooling prevents children from using their curiosity and stunts their interests in learning. He believes that in the school system, children do not have a chance to learn what they like; they learn what the teachers tell them they must learn causing them to become passive learners. The children don’t have a chance to learn from mistakes or through other children because they are scolded for talking and having wrong answers. John Holt believes that because of all this children learn to hate school and he proposes ideas to reform the school system and make it a more efficient place for children to learn. Holt was persuasive and I found myself agreeing