Delacruz
Sophomore English—7
17 April 2014
Successful Education
Filmmaker Vicki Abeles is a mother of three with a strong opinion on standardized testing such as SATs: "They [students] are led to believe high test scores, a slew of Advanced Placement classes and a packed résumé are their ticket to college and success. This has lead to an epidemic of anxious, unhealthy, sleep-deprived, burned-out, disengaged, unprepared children" (Abeles 1). Although standardized tests are undoubtedly stressful, if the education system in which a student is relying on is successful, he/she will never feel intense pressure. In news texts, lectures, and documentaries such as Waiting for Superman, directed by Davis Guggenheim, it is clear that there is a problem with America's current education systems.Education in itself is very easily defined; however, "good" education is ultimately delineated by success when it comes to one's own interests and proper examination of the teachers' impact--standardized tests.
While there are many factors that determine education, one of the most dominant factors is personal success. Of course, depending on the person, definition of this success will vary, but that is what America needs. America needs varying people with varying interests and varying goals in order for American society to function fluidly. As a result of these many varying factors, there are also many different ideas circulating among the people. In Ken Robinson's "School Kills Creativity" TED Talk, he stated exactly as the title is named; "School kills creativity" (Robinson n.pag.) Robinson wants everyone around him—students, peers, parents, educators—to realize that what little creativity still lingers in the air at American public schools is being suffocated and thrown away. Not surprisingly, many people agree with him and are currently fighting to pull administrators’' attention toward the arts, including music and dance. In fact, there are many schools that focus more on fine arts than major academics such as mathematics, English, and science; unfortunately, there are very little of such schools. In contrast, Vern Williams’ article, "Let Teachers Teach" exemplifies his contradictory view. Believing that education should be strictly serious, he states that public schools should be "allowed to use the current school day to structure for purposes solely related to the education of students" (Williams 9). Williams is only one of the many educators that postulate that education should only revolve around major academics. Education in his point of view means to lean and conceive subjects that most people think of first when school is mentioned, for example, mathematics. Williams might consider success in mathematics a success in education; however, understanding how to solve equations will not necessarily help all students in his/her life or future. Schools must promote and encourage students to work towards accomplishing their own personal goals, which of course vary from student to student. A satisfactory education system will be one that will push students as well as help students become prosperous in their own ambitions.
Furthermore, some people in American society may argue that there is no ideal model of education; however, it is clear that standardized testing is another crucial aspect of student-centered education. The director of Advantage of Testing, Paul Siemen is extremely experienced and has tutored hundreds of students. Siemen states that, "Thoughtfully constructed tests represent powerful opportunities for learning... Both the SAT and ACT assess knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and math, while exercising the student's reading and problem-solving abilities" (Siemen 4). Not only does test taking shows how much a particular student knows, but it reinforces the knowledge that they have taken in within that year. Many come to realize that they remember everything they have learned that year, and it provides students with more practice in mastering said academics and information. Standardized testing has the ability to better the education system. While some may argue that such tests only put more stress on students, the stress, if there is any, will only push the students to stimulate their minds, enabling them to retain more information. Writer Collette Kemmerling states, "Standardized testing motivates teachers to work harder and more effectively. They can better identify areas of strength and weakness in their teaching plans and then can restructure them" (Kemmerling 2). Not only can teachers better their own schedules and methods of teaching, they can encourage students to help teach one another. For example, if a student is lacking in his/her English skills, he/she has the ability to help another student in another subject in exchange for help with English. Because teachers are able to recognize each student’s individual statistics, he/she can make school more interesting and easier for every student. Standardized testing can definitely make a good educational foundation possible for all students.
Undoubtedly, while some people in American society may argue that there is no deal model of education, it is clear that personal success is absolutely necessary for a fluid education. In addition, proper execution of standardized testing is yet another factor in creating a good education.A modern America must be ready to compete with other school systems, so people must work towards better education programs. While numerous educators continue to argue that proper education is defined by outstanding letter grades stamped on report cards, they must keep in mind the courses these children are taking and subjects that they are personally interested in.These same educators may even argue that standardized testing is unnecessary because they are doing what the state is telling them, they are teaching their students. However, they must remember that they need to keep their students’ interests before their own.