[Winona Online Democracy]
Randy, he may be on to something. Obviously, we are not all born with
the same temperaments, but I do believe that curiosity about one's
world (Theory Y) can be nurtured. Curiosity promotes inquiry and
exploration. Having to prepare for and to take countless multiple
choice tests, I am certain, will give children the message that
education is merely a series of facts that must be mastered and
memorized. I fear that this will encourage students to be afraid of
"wrong answers", and will therefore inhibit rather than promote true
learning.
Of course, we need to know certain facts; we must achieve a level of
cultural literacy in our society. Children must learn math facts,
grammatical and spelling facts, historical data (who, what, when,
where), scientific facts, etc. But there are intangibles that the lucky
(curious) students will pursue: why something happened, the message of
a story (or writing stories of their own), a scientific hypothesis,
etc. Not everything is black and white, true or false.
Incessant standardized testing will produce ill-educated students and
will encourage the popular notion that education is the equivalent of
job training. Good education prepares students to think and to be
active members of their communities, not necessarily to be obedient
workers.
Vicki Englich
_______________________________________________
This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy
All messages must be signed by the senders actual name.
No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list.
To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit
http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona
Any problems or suggestions can be directed to
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at
http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
- [Winona] NCLB Randy Schenkat
- Vicki Englich
