Our Author's Blog

I searched through our author, Will Richardson’s, blog to find arguments I agreed or disagreed with. The scope of his blog is quite large so I focused on blogs involving classroom practice, politics, schools…

One blog I found interesting was this one: http://weblogg-ed.com/2008/as-parents-how-should-we-assess-schools/. This one caught my eye because we have more options for schools than just the one in your area. We can send our children to schools based on religion, Waldorf or Montessori theory, public, Multiple Intelligence or project based; the list goes on. Parents can help decide which school would be the best for their children education. As for our high schools in the area, we only have a few to choose from which disheartens me. As pointed out in some of the comments on the blog, parents become less involved with their children’s education as they grow older. I digress…back to the blog…The author’s questions following questions made me think: how are we advocating for our kids? How are we assessing schools? What should we demanding of schools in the 21st century?

Firstly, I have realized that I am not advocating for my high school student at all and I don’t even know where to begin. It is partly my child’s attitude that worries me but also the school. Seems she is mostly concerned with the social aspect of school and not learning at all. She doesn’t see how or why what she is being taught is pertinent to her life. While she needs to be motivated in her learning, I would really appreciate if the teachers or school could find a way to help her see meaning in what they are doing. As an educator myself, I am always trying to think of how to make things interesting and meaningful for the students and I guess I am expecting this from fellow educators as well. Still, I do not how to go about this.

Secondly, how are we assessing our schools? Are we looking for the A+ sign on the front of the building? Do we base it on test scores or awards won through sports? I used to base it on the A+. Then, as I visited and observed more schools, I saw that this didn’t show what goes on in the classroom and the environment. It wasn’t an actual representation of the school. Now, I look at the interaction between students and teachers. I look at the type of learning and activity that goes on in a classroom. I don’t want my children taught to the test. I want their experience in school to be like life and not separate. It should be authentic. This leads to the last question.

Finally, what should we demand of schools in the 21st century? I agree with the author: “I wish I would have heard more of those types of responses about the high school. I wish I would have heard stories of kids changing the world, of pushing through personal barriers, of creative expressions, of challenges met, of real work for real purposes. I wish it had been more than PSATs and AP tests.” I want to schools to address the whole child and to spark their minds and to help them find their place in the world. All I hear about are how the schools are cutting things out to teach to the tests because this is what the schools/teachers are being judged on. I was talking to one teacher about including the kinds of things I am learning about in EDU 255 into her class and she responded, “I do not have time to include things that aren’t going to be on The Tests.”