"However, economic realities caused a shift in these values: Starting in the 1980s, cultivating creativity didn’t seem like the path to a stable job, and schools shifted to focus on improving standardized test scores in order to get funding, Kim writes."
What wasn't mentioned here is that this was very much a deliberate effort, and a core part of the neoconservative agenda. It corresponds perfectly with their concerted efforts in the 1980s to take over school boards nationwide, and the plan to remove "dangerous" things like thinking skills and inquiry-based learning from curriculum. I was teaching during this time, and teachers using creative, innovative methods were attacked professionally and personally. The cons sought a return to "traditional methods", such as rote memorization and eschewed independent thinking skills, which they claimed taught kids to "question the values they were brought up with."
From those efforts came the nationwide political move to base school funding on test scores, and the preferred curriculum was seen as that offered from large publishing corporations, and a key benefit from the conservative point of view was that it was "teacher-proof".
Teachers were given scripted lesson plans - literal scripts - that must be adhered to no matter what. If it was October 12, you better be on p.23 of Unit 4, or else. Being able to successfully regurgitate the material the tests covered long enough to pass the tests and keep the districts funding became key.
As any true educator knows, learning - real learning - is messy, unscripted, and often occurs in fits and starts. It involves a myriad of factors, a number of which reside outside the control of any district or classroom. Deep learning is not measured by standardized tests.
I think most readers here realize that standardized tests measure successful regurgitators, and to a large extent, conformity, the primary objectives of public education. On these tests, there is only one "right answer". This mentality is the very antithesis of creative thinking and doing, as the Kim states.
The goal is to produce people just smart enough to work the equipment and perform the tasks the corporate elite deems important, but not independent or creative enough to truly think for oneself. Hence the current emphasis in secondary and higher ed on "job skills". And while having job skills is not a bad thing, seeing the mentality behind the current system is important if we ever hope to have something more creative for our children and grandchildren.
Kim's work, and the ideas presented here, are of critical importance. The problems we are facing will require creative and innovative thinking and problem-solving like never before!
On Feb 21, 2017 Anna Van Z wrote:
"However, economic realities caused a shift in these values: Starting in the 1980s, cultivating creativity didn’t seem like the path to a stable job, and schools shifted to focus on improving standardized test scores in order to get funding, Kim writes."
What wasn't mentioned here is that this was very much a deliberate effort, and a core part of the neoconservative agenda. It corresponds perfectly with their concerted efforts in the 1980s to take over school boards nationwide, and the plan to remove "dangerous" things like thinking skills and inquiry-based learning from curriculum. I was teaching during this time, and teachers using creative, innovative methods were attacked professionally and personally. The cons sought a return to "traditional methods", such as rote memorization and eschewed independent thinking skills, which they claimed taught kids to "question the values they were brought up with."
From those efforts came the nationwide political move to base school funding on test scores, and the preferred curriculum was seen as that offered from large publishing corporations, and a key benefit from the conservative point of view was that it was "teacher-proof".
Teachers were given scripted lesson plans - literal scripts - that must be adhered to no matter what. If it was October 12, you better be on p.23 of Unit 4, or else. Being able to successfully regurgitate the material the tests covered long enough to pass the tests and keep the districts funding became key.
As any true educator knows, learning - real learning - is messy, unscripted, and often occurs in fits and starts. It involves a myriad of factors, a number of which reside outside the control of any district or classroom. Deep learning is not measured by standardized tests.
I think most readers here realize that standardized tests measure successful regurgitators, and to a large extent, conformity, the primary objectives of public education. On these tests, there is only one "right answer". This mentality is the very antithesis of creative thinking and doing, as the Kim states.
The goal is to produce people just smart enough to work the equipment and perform the tasks the corporate elite deems important, but not independent or creative enough to truly think for oneself. Hence the current emphasis in secondary and higher ed on "job skills". And while having job skills is not a bad thing, seeing the mentality behind the current system is important if we ever hope to have something more creative for our children and grandchildren.
Kim's work, and the ideas presented here, are of critical importance. The problems we are facing will require creative and innovative thinking and problem-solving like never before!