Training Wheels

When you teach a young child to ride a two-wheel bike, you start with training wheels. The purpose of these is to simulate what it feels like to ride a "real" bike without the accompanying danger. As the child gains both skill and confidence, the decision to take off the training wheels is made. School should be the training wheels which prepare children for a successful transition to the real world.... it often is not! This nations obsession with administering standardized tests has resulted in a structure where the ability to memorize random, disjointed facts is applauded, yet politicians continue to wonder why American schools are outscore on international assessments which measure application skills.

This nation possesses so many talented and dedicated teachers whose pedagogy revolves around the belief that students need to be engaged in project based learning which stimulates higher order thinking skills.; the kind needed for successful participation in the real world. Their quest to create learning environments where students are challenged to take information, analyze it, apply it and make connections of their own is retarded by mandates which insist on "accountability". The number of times which we "assess" children in this country has become out of control. The purpose of assessment should be to inform future instruction, yet it seems to be used to determine where students are when compared to each other. Individual student growth is not a priority of the majority of these tests.

Many teachers know the ridiculous bureaucratic red tape that must be maneuvered through in order to make any changes to the traditional manner in which things are done in the public school system. Changes which are beneficial in preparing students for the future, such as utilizing the vast spectrum of technology which now exists, are viewed with fear and resistance rather than embraced. Politicians can continue to scream about how the U.S. does not measure up, but if we continue to ignore the need for classrooms where higher order thinking skills are the norm, nothing will change.