Our Kids Deserve Better!
I recently went to a local Education and Technology Conference in the NY area, hoping to hear about exciting new things going on in the field. But I was disappointed to find the latest things being discussed there were smart boards, and a program to track students' grades and their interests... Really!?
I recently went to a local Education and Technology Conference in the NY area, hoping to hear about exciting new things going on in the field. But I was disappointed to find the latest things being discussed there were smart boards, and a program to track students' grades and their interests... Really!?
I am OK with them discussing the pros of using smart boards, but this is not new or very exciting to me. The presenter then went on to describe this tracking system being used throughout this large district in the city. I couldn't believe what I was watching and hearing. She pulled up on the screen a profile of a 6th grade girl. She explained how the testing can identify the child's interest and how they would encourage the child to follow a particular path based on this test. Since this girl showed an interest in drawing, they would encourage her to take art classes and that she should follow a career path that had an art focus. Perhaps work at an Art Museum was one option.
First of all she is in 6th grade. Do you know how many 6th grade girls like to draw and doodle? Second, why wouldn’t they suggest a math or science career? We sure do need creative people in those fields. It is the people who can think outside the box who will come up with the new cure for diseases or new energy sources. Sadly, they are relying on testing to determine a child’s future without giving the child the proper guidance.
First of all she is in 6th grade. Do you know how many 6th grade girls like to draw and doodle? Second, why wouldn’t they suggest a math or science career? We sure do need creative people in those fields. It is the people who can think outside the box who will come up with the new cure for diseases or new energy sources. Sadly, they are relying on testing to determine a child’s future without giving the child the proper guidance.
This really hit home for me. Many, many years ago when I started high school, I was placed in a vocation track instead of the academic track, which would enable me to go to college. It was probably based on the entrance exam without ever looking to find that I had graduated at the top of the class. I was told that the classes I needed to be a teacher were too difficult for me. I didn’t believe them, and I made sure I took those “difficult” classes. I went on to college, finished in 3 years, but I often think about other kids who did believe what they were told, and as a result never achieved their full potential.
It is so crucial to have high expectations for every child and not to set limitations--based on a test, a label, or other judgement. They are our future-- Our kids deserve better!
It is so crucial to have high expectations for every child and not to set limitations--based on a test, a label, or other judgement. They are our future-- Our kids deserve better!
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