Chapter 2: The Broken Model & The Short History of American
Author: Salman Khan
Argument: This author Khan argues that shifting the focus of education from tests to a more creative thinking environment can be beneficial to the careers in our society. Khan understands that it would be impossible to change the whole system, but he wants his audience to understand why certain policies are the way they are. For example, we took inspiration from Prussia’s system and in that moment they needed more strict rules and structure. He makes the point that there are a lot of factors that could affect a test score and the grade from it only assesses how much you know in a short time. He makes the point that our society calls for creative thinkers in the workforce, where test scores are unworthy of assessing.
Reflection: With my parents always putting pressure about me in school I have always been introspective of the system put in place in school. A common thing I thought, similar to a point Khan made, “was how fair I got no credit when I made a mistake in the moment when I knew the concept”. Another thing I noticed with my peers was the ones that were not performing well in the class were treated differently by the teacher. Last semester I wrote an essay about how teacher expectations can inhibit or enhance students' potential. This reminded me of what Khan was saying about how structured tests and how students being discouraged by grades can make them fall short of their potential and limit their creativity. School makes it feel like these grades are everything to the point where they are not even learning for the love of learning anymore. Instead, they are struggling to make sure they perform well on tests. In eleventh grade, my math teacher changed my idea of learning. He told me he noticed his students' motivations all rely on grades and getting the right answer. However, what I learned is, it is not just about the right answer. It is about the struggle, the journey, and the connections you build with people along the way.
Hi Talia! I completely understand what you said about how teachers would treat students differently based on their performance in class. We all have vastly different approaches to learning and understanding, which is something that the modern-day school system needs to understand.
ReplyDeleteHi Talia - I love the graphic you chose to use and think it reinforces the points you made in your blog, such as the fact that not every student learns the same and that the current system could potentially punish student who may learn differently.
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