Is it more beneficial to teach for a test, or to teach for the knowledge of learning? Since the standards have changed in education, teachers are now focusing less on the grade level curriculum and more on the questions being asked on standardized tests. Today, standardized tests are critically used to make decisions about a student, such as for graduation or acceptance to a school. Testing appears to override all other information and can cause damage to a student’s education. When a student is evaluated based on a set of scores, all other academic accomplishments and talents are omitted.
With many feeling standardized tests are biased, teachers from the Harlem School District have found a method which allows teachers to teach for the test while incorporating their creative sides. Many students from the Harlem Success Academy have never been exposed to a rural setting, such as a farm, farm animals and crops. This makes it difficult for students to answer questions relating to rural living. The Harlem Success Academy found a way to make teaching fun through experience and excel on standardized tests.
According to the nytimes.com, Harlem kindergarten classes were not only exposed to a new way of life but increased their test scores through a simple field trip to a farm. Teachers from this school were able to integrate a learning strategy; which made learning fun while still emphasizing the importance of topics covered on standardized tests. Even though these students seem young, exposing them at a younger age helps them relate better to questions on standardized tests. On the other side, students who live in rural areas may find it beneficial to visit a city and observe other cultures before actually being tested on the subject. For this reason, it is important to feature different learning strategies in the classroom.
When a curriculum is focused on teaching for a test instead of gaining insight and knowledge, important subjects may be dropped altogether. The curriculum needs to stop being based on teaching to the test, and focus on producing gains on independent learning measures. A curriculum shaped around standardized exams drives the student away from learning. Students are not sufficiently being educated and yet they are the ones being held accountable. Students should be evaluated by performance-based assessments. Here students are evaluated through projects, essays and activities, instead of multiple-choice exams. Performance assessments offer a way out of memorizing and into learning.
Teachers who include several different learning strategies in the classroom can significantly enhance a child’s learning experience. As a new teacher, it may be difficult to pick up on your students learning styles whether they are visual, auditory or tactile learners. If standardized testing is here to stay then our educators need to go about making lessons fun and exciting, while still preparing our students for tests. Teachers who motivate their students create a greater possibility for learning to occur.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/education/20farms.html?_r=2&ref=education
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27 responses so far ↓
vgill19 // October 22, 2009 at 2:22 am |
Great article. I truly believe that it is so important for a child to be exposed to many different types of learning experiences. It is very unfortunate that curriculum is geared towards learning how to take standardized test and the preparation for them. So much time is wasted in the classroom in this prep, limiting a teachers creative impulses and motivation to explore certain topic in more depth.
tammytav3687 // October 22, 2009 at 3:55 am |
I myself have never been a good test taker. The idea of standardized testing is one that almost makes me sick. I understand the point of why it is important in education but it takes out all the joy of teaching. Also it gives no credit to how well a student may be doing in school. It takes away from the creativity of the student. Some students are great test takers while others may be great at writing essays or putting together a class project. It does not allow for any wiggle room in the classrooms. Teachers are forced to follow the strict guidelines. I believe the worst part is that if these teachers do not produce good enough grades their job may be on the line. This goes especially for all new teachers. If this is the route education is taking I suppose I will have to suck it up and do my job but hopefully we can reform to a better way of teaching.
mmorrissey86 // October 22, 2009 at 4:29 pm |
I thought this was a great article. It is good to know that teachers are taking matters into their own hands and introducing kids to hands on learning. I understand the importance of standardized tests, however I truely believe that not all students are good test takers and this is just not fair. I recently went to one of my observations and the students were telling me how much time is spent on learning social studies and how little time is given for everything else. It’s great to see that teachers are bringing students to a farm to learn more about rural areas and give the students knowledge for the state exam as well. Great Article!
dmckillen // October 22, 2009 at 10:02 pm |
Very interesting article. I agree that teachers should teach more for the studnet’s benefit of learning, apposed to teaching them so they score well on standardized test. I agree that a great way to do this is to take field trips and use “out of classroom” experiences to help reinforce topics relevant to real life. There are not standardized tests in the real world, so we should evaluated our students based on the skills necessary to be a functioning member of society.
demitra008 // October 22, 2009 at 10:51 pm |
There are multiple intelligences as Bloom’s taxonomy suggests so there needs to be differentiation in the classroom. Though teachers feel pressure to teach to the test, there are ways of getting around this just as the article emphasizes. It’s not what your teaching but how you teach it that matters. Children will retain the information taught if the experience is enjoyable. Taking students on trips is one great way of inspiring them to be engaged learners.
aek32087 // October 24, 2009 at 7:19 pm |
I liked this article! I agree that it is important to take students out of the classroom and on educational field trips. This helps to motivate students and allows them to see with their “own eyes” what they are learning about. When I was student teaching, I taught a unit on animals. After the unit, the students went on a field trip to the zoo. The students were fascinated by seeing the animals up close with their very own eyes.
Standardized tests do not prove anything. I never did well on standardized tests and I still did well in college. I think the tests cause stress and anxiety among the teachers, students, and parents. It cuts down on the creativity of what teachers can teach in the classroom.
jacklynbreit // October 25, 2009 at 2:36 am |
I thought this article was great because it is known that children do better when given a fresh way to think of things. In this case, bringing the children to a new experience such as a farm really helped them later on. As a female growing up on Long Island, I remember that I was always inspired when I visited the city, or when I visited family in the upstate ny country side. I believe these experiences helped my thinking capabilities. These children will definitely have a positive reaction in their life from taking these school trips.
jbalsan13 // October 25, 2009 at 5:43 pm |
I believe that standardized testing is not the only way to test a child’s abilities in a classroom setting. I think it is important to give a child a chance to not only take the standard test but also be able to show their abilities through other outlets. I also feel that field trips, such as the trip to the farm, allow students to experience things that they might not have experienced before. I think that in order for students to be well rounded, they must also learn about ‘real life’ since this is what they will be experiencing when they walk into the ‘real world.’ I think it is also important that students encounter other cultures such as that of farm or city living. This helps the child to see how others besides themselves live in today’s society.
lisapratt17 // October 26, 2009 at 4:30 pm |
I absolutely agree that motivating students is above and beyond the most important thing we can do as educators. Since standardized tests are mandated we have to find a way to keep children involved in the educational process; field trips like this one in Harlem provide a viable learning experience. The insight and knowledge gains for the students (and the teachers) will go a long way towards motivating students in the classroom.
This article also highlighted an important cultural problem: children who live in urban areas may be at a disadvantage when it comes to performance on standardized tests. There are questions that they may not be able to answer because they have never been exposed to life outside of the city. The more we do to expose our children to life outside of their neighborhoods the better prepared they will able to understand the world around them.
plopez317 // October 26, 2009 at 11:37 pm |
I really enjoyed this article. I have always been a visual learner and I think an important component of the classroom is to experience and to think outside of the box. Sometimes it is necessary to go on a field trip to teach about a subject that may not be as interesting in a lesson, but it can be very efficient in having the children experience the situation. As a kid, I remember going on many field trips throughout elementary school. It was a way to apply the knowledge we were learning in class and it was fun, and we all know kids need to have a good time and disconnect in order to be productive learners. A child’s attention span is much more limited than adults and we have to develop methods appropriate for each age group we may be teaching. Presently, I have noticed that field trips are seldom in elementary level and we must try to incorporate that once again for our students to enjoy learning!
kkind // October 27, 2009 at 3:07 am |
Great article. Really enjoyed it and am in agreement that many children today are learning information just to pass a state test rather than information that they could use later on in life. A truly motivational teacher can teach to the test but also deliver additional material that can complement the test curriculum.
lovestoteach87 // October 28, 2009 at 10:27 pm |
I dont believe test scores can truly measure a childs performance. From my own experience, tests bring unecessary anxiety and stress to many students. Great Article !!
hannahlee05 // October 29, 2009 at 3:49 am |
I personally have developed a morbid fear of test taking. Drilling students repeatedly for a test that will ultimately determine whether or not they will be “promoted” to the following grade is an absurd process, as students are not truly learning anything from this business–they are simply learning to take an exam. Furthermore, students in affluent schools and students in low-income underfunded schools alike are expected to take the same exam. How is this remotely reasonable? This just promotes what Jonathan Kozol called the ultimate hortatory lie…deceiving children into thinking that their successes and failures are ultimately up to them, and there are no external factors whatsoever along the scramble to the top.
lpastore2 // October 29, 2009 at 6:05 pm |
I really enjoyed reading this blog entry about a topic that is becoming increasingly important in our education system. I have done lots of research on standardized testing over the last couple of years and have examined both the positives and negatives for this kind of assessment. While it “equals the playing field” in comparing all students from across a state and/or nation, it does not account for other ways students can demonstrate their academic knowledge. This blog brings up some important issues like environmental factors, which play a significant role in a student’s comprehension of test questions. I firmly believe that teachers need to take these outside factors into consideration. It is time for teachers to think about creative ways to incorporate important test content while making sure the learning is fun for the students and they can express their new found knowledge in a multitude of ways.
debbieali // October 30, 2009 at 12:05 am |
I liked reading this article. I too believe that students should be taken out of the classroom to expand their horizons. Testing takes place now for the most part because of the state mandated tests that students have to pass in order for the school district to get federal funding. What are the students actually learning in the classroom? Only what they need to pass the state test. What about other areas of interest? The students classroom hours are filled up with regimented learning. Their learning what they need to not what they want to. What’s the fun in that? Learning becomes boring and uninteresting. The kids zone out. I’m all for field trips. The more, the better.
jgrenville // November 1, 2009 at 1:20 am |
“When a curriculum is focused on teaching for a test instead of gaining insight and knowledge, important subjects may be dropped altogether. The curriculum needs to stop being based on teaching to the test, and focus on producing gains on independent learning measures”.
I was particularly fascinated by this article; for one thing, we had this discussion in class last Thursday, when we saw the three videos, about various teaching methods by several schools. It is safe to say that, we need a shift in our school curriculum. Teachers need to find a way to make thing happen for their students.
Too bad we are limited to so much bureaucracy, when it comes to what we can teach in our public school system.
Hopefully as a novice teacher, I will be able to implement teaching strategies that will enhance my students learning, and not just prepare them to take a test.
I really enjoy reading the article.
medowit26 // November 2, 2009 at 3:59 am |
Like the rest who have commented on this article, I enjoyed reading it as well. I also enjoy reading about this topic in general, because it seems to come up often in my classes. This topic is an easy debate for students to discuss, or “argue out”. I feel, especially since I am a teacher-to-be, that I have worked so hard to get to where I am and I do not believe I have worked this hard to teach for a test. I worked hard to make a difference in students’ lives.
As long as standards are met, teachers should be able to use the sky as their limit to create interesting lessons…that is at least when teachers are tenured. It is obvious that there needs to be standards that students need to reach, but teaching for a test in which students need to pass to advance, is a horrible aspiration.
Basically, any way that a teacher can teach his or her students to understand a concept or learn something new should be encouraged. Even as a math teacher (which is what I will teach), there should not be such a limited time in learning such a difficult subject. Math is one of the hardest subjects for students to “get” and giving them two months (or whatever the time length is) to learn proofs in trigonometry is not enough time for a majority of students. If a teacher can find a creative way, that may end up taking more time, to teach a student…that is what is supposed to be more important in the end.
See, I would love to get into a debate with someone on this topic!
estern24 // November 3, 2009 at 4:51 pm |
I really enjoyed reading this article. I completely agree that is important for students to be able to take field trips, and learn through experience, as opposed to just learning information for a test. As new teachers, we should be able to take advantage of our student’s backgrounds, cultures, and interests, and tailor a curriculum for them in which they will receive the most out of their educational experience. I think that at a young age this is particularly important. Students need to learn a broad range of knowledge so that they can use it in their future school years as they grow up.
Personally, I never was a good test taker, and still struggle sometimes when it comes to tests. I know that if I was judged based only on my test scores, I may not have gotten into the college of my choice, or I might have felt frustrated throughout my school years. Thankfully, most of my teachers did not just use test scores to judge my performance, so I was able to use my talents in other areas to do the best that I possibly could. I do not think it is fair for a student’s performance to be based solely on a test score. There are many things that can effect a child’s test scores and test taking skills, and I think it is important to recognize this as teachers. Giving students a chance to succeed, without them having to worry about taking a test, is extremely beneficial for students. Allowing children to learn through own experiences, is better for students in the long run. They will remember the information because what they learn will be based on things that interest them. All students have different learning strategies which was mentioned in the article, and again as a teacher this is important to remember. We need to remember that although there are standards that must be met, we also need to teach our students information that is important to them and will help them throughout their education.
shaneflanagan // November 3, 2009 at 6:21 pm |
I believe this is an important issue that needs to be address. Every student learns differently and it is up to the teacher to adapt to these different learning styles.
I feel that the majority of elementary students learn better by doing rather than being told what to do. As a result of this I think that taking students out of the classroom and letting them learn by experience an only have a positive effect on their development.
melissapfeffer // November 4, 2009 at 4:12 pm |
I remeber when in high school around april teacher were done actually teaching new material. And from then on all it was regents prep work that began and nothing else. That is the problem with today’s education system is that everything is geared towards test prep and doing well on these state issued exams. During observations alone i heard a teacher say if her students do not do well on a test it reflects on her and puts her in a bad light.
This is the problem student are not really able to learn a curriculm because eveyrthing is geared towards them doing well on tests and just memorizing certain things, or strategies to doing well on these tests.
merp08 // November 4, 2009 at 5:37 pm |
This seems to be a hot topic in todays classrooms. I think this article really makes a good piont that I agree with. I think that to have a rounded education and learning experience as a child you need to experience all diffrent things. To only stay in a classrrom and learn about the material on a test will not be functional in the real word, but to learn about this maerial and then having hands on learning to back it up a lesson plan and help the child learn with mulitpule sense is ideal.
tamn327 // November 7, 2009 at 7:47 pm |
Children should be exposed to many different types of learning. Not only will different types of teaching reach many different students, it wll help to reinforce what is being learned on different levels. Though I am glad I am out of school and do not have to take all these standardzed tests, I beleieve that as an educator we must make learning fun and interesting for our students so that they can succeed. Standardized tests may make more work for us as educators but I believe the efforts will be worthwhile!
jml526 // November 9, 2009 at 3:58 pm |
I agree! Just sitting inside the 4 walls of a classroom does nothing to help our students. They need to not only see pictures of Old MacDonald on his farm they need to go to the farm! Children really come “out of their shells” when they are experiencing things first hand. As a former nature center educator I have seen this first hand. It is always amazing to see their little faces light up when they see an animal close up, to see that its not just some weird creature in a book, these things really do exsist. Expereince also creates a better memory, and therefore the students will walk away with more information that they will keep with them.
It’s important for the test makers to also realize that not all children have riden in a taxi or on a tractor. Expereince makes the standaridzed tests more relevant. But we can’t assume that all children have had the same range of expereiences.
hbloom4 // November 9, 2009 at 5:33 pm |
I love this article! Children learn so much better when taken outside of the classroom because just like most adults we need a break. An environment that doesn’t feel like they are in fact learning makes learning interesting and FUN!
lagerakaris // November 10, 2009 at 8:29 pm |
Learning outside of the classroom is so beneficial for children to gain their own independent experiences. It is a shame that the curriculum of schools has come to basing their questions to students just regarding the standardized tests. Children are not going to gain valuable information out of this. It will go in one ear and out the other in a short time, they will not carry this information with them throughout their lives, like they would from outside of the classroom experiences.
jkildale // November 11, 2009 at 5:49 am |
I truly think this is a great article because it focuses on one of the most debated issues in today’s society. I agree with the fact that children need to learn outside of the classroom and get hand’s on experiences to help relate to more concrete topics. I firmly believe that children need an outlet from being drilled information all day and a perfect solution to this would be a field trip like mentioned in the article. It provides outside experience for the children as well as socialization and interaction with peers outside of a school setting.
As a teacher, by creating lesson plans that incorporate both learning through experience and standardized testing content, you have a good chance creating a fair curriculum for your students.
nicolem1126 // November 15, 2009 at 6:14 pm |
I definitely think that the pressure we put on the outcome of standardized test scores takes away from the idea of learning for the sake of learning. Now it is learning so you can pass an exam. The enjoyment of gaining knowledge has been lost due to the expectations of what students can produce with their knowledge i.e.. high test scores. I like the idea of using fun and creative ways to teach students, they just have to be effective. No matter how a teacher decides to get the information across to students the important thing is that the information is getting there. What is learned from experience lasts longer than what goes in one ear and out the other after a test has been completed. It is more valuable for a student to have hands-on participation in his/her education than it is for them to just sit back and get “talked at” all day.
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