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Yes you are correct that past generations might have had less complex lives, but the basic principles of teaching a person to process information and think it through is even more important now than ever. This is what is missing by simply teaching to a test.

I happen to work in the computer field and agree that students are way too wrapped up in technology. I also agree that bringing computers into the classroom is a necessary evil.

There is much that can be learned using this tchnology, but to even have the computer work, meant that someone had to think through huge amounts of steps using logic to write the code to make the software work. Plus all the thought process on the part of the electrical engineers, hardware engineers, Project Mansgers etc. Without the ability to THINK thourgh a problem you are really stuck.

I am from the past generation and am thankful for the education I received in my early years. My teachers taught me to wonder, question, prod and poke for more information and answers.

My sons received much less of this and more testing, they are in their mid-twenties struggling to make decisions in their lives. We have many conversations where I have to lead them through problem solving to get to a decision (not MY decision but theirs).

My 8-year old grandchild on the other hand has no clue as to what to do on any given day. She waits to be "told" what to do, what to wear, what to listen to, and more importantly, what to think. When asked about what SHE thinks about on any given topic (even things she is interested in), she is really unable to come up with a single creative thought. She keeps asking anyone around her what they think and then copies their position. It will take a lot of work to teach her how to process information so she can be an independent individual in society.

Is this what we are really wanting out of our future generation? Teachers have no time to bring this skill back into the classroom if they are only able to MAKE each and every kid pass a test. I support allowing teachers more time to do what they went to school to do and that is TEACH and to pay them as well as we pay any other corporate worker.

posted 5 years ago
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First off, you didn't READ my posting in full. Where did I list a single statistic? Your statement, "be careful how you lie with statistics" is in itself a lie...I never used a single statistic!

I also did not mention that a previous generation "were so much better educated".

What I was and am still saying is that the teachers had the oppportunity to actually TEACH!

This current school system is not set up to teach as well as past teachers had since they are hampered by the testing requirements. What is missing from this type of "testing-only education" is the ability to teach a child how to THINK.

Please also note that by being able to process and think through an idea, thought, process or argument a person had the opportunity to NOT chose to go work in a factory or manual labor job because they had better skills to follow through with. Yes not all students in all areas had the same level of education given to them in past gernerations, but the teachers were better supported in using fully rounded teaching skills to give this needful information to their students. This is not as true in this day and age.

This generation is hampered. Watch most young adults in something as simple as retail, they can't even count change back; they rely on the computer telling them what to give you...not how to take the amount given and subtract the amount owed to find the amount remaining.

It is not their fault. It is the older generation's fault for allowing this to happen to our future generations. This is why we need to take a deeper look at how we are treating our teachers not only with pay but with true support of the service that they give.

posted 5 years ago
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Help me understand how teachers were able to give better educations to the older generations without all the "testing" that is required now?

These past two gernerations of children and more especially this next generation of children are more and more unable to "think" their way through problems in real life. They are not given the "tools" that previous generations were given that give them the ability to function in life. They are unable to make decisions since all decisions have been made for them by others (think: give the RIGHT anser to the test question) or their parent/guardians.

Past teachers had more freedom to be creative in how they taught the subject matter, they had music, art and all the basics to work within to get the "lesson" ingrained in the students mind. Now teachers are hampered by having to make sure that the tests are the primary information worked on, not the whole of the idea (math, reading, science etc,) Teachers could move through all the basics sources of information while teaching about a single subject so the children could understand how all things are related.

Such as:
Birds, science of birds, biology of birds, number of birds, colors and feather styles of different types of birds, song of birds etc...single subject multiple diciplines give the student a well-rounded education and the foundation of "thinking a process through". Yes, there can be a "test" about birds in the end to see what was learned, but a standardized test limits the testable information to something that just might not be useable in real life.

posted 5 years ago
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