Too much content?

This has all gotten me to thinking, that’s for sure. David Jakes responded to Wes Fryer’s response to Helen’s post on assessment. Lost yet? Okay, it doesn’t matter the round about way to get to here. Basically, Helen said we might be spending too much time with assessments and David Jakes said we don’t spend enough time. Only, as David Jakes points out, they were talking about different types. David Jakes says we’re doing too much of the wrong kind – the kind Helen was talking about. So… they agree really. NOW are you lost?
So anyway, I thought this was interesting:

we spend too much time teaching the wrong way, the way that hasn’t worked for so long now, and that includes teaching too much content!

The Strength of Weak Ties: Aerial Photographs, Coverage and Assessment

I think this goes back to Helen’s original concern about engaged learning experiences. And David and Helen are both right. We’ve got all these state standards and state assessments and “cover the content” or in our case “cover the TEKS,” that we’re failing our students. We’re doing a fly-by on everything they’re supposed to “cover” and they’re not learning, not truly learning. Even if they can pass the test, I’m not so sure they’re all critical thinkers because of it.

And again, I have no answers. And I didn’t see answers on David Jakes post either. More of the right kind of assessments, less of the wrong and less “covering the content.” But I’m still not sure how to pursuade the teachers, and the administrators. And I’m still not sure how to judge whether or not it’s “working” without those wrong kind of assessments. It’s a matter of knowing what’s right and what should be done, but not knowing how to get the decision makers to see that…

Technorati Tags: schoolreform, nclb, assessments, davejakes, wesfryer, education

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