The Broken Model by: Khan
Chapter 2, "Questioning Customs" of The Broken Model by Khan was a very interesting read. Although I knew that the schooling systems have been around for a very long time, I did not realize how much of these systems are still utilized in today's world. In a society that is evolving every single day, you would think that the education system would also be evolving with it. The world that we live in today is completely different than the world was in the 1800s when schools were invented. It is crazy to me that we are still using a lot of the same tactics in schools today. 
Back then, school was a way to set up young children for the workforce and to teach them about strict regiments that they would be using in their lifetime. There were very strict rules and routines used each day to provide structure and discipline for the students. A lot of these rules and routines are still being utilized in schools today, such as "periods", "subjects" and "testing". While sometimes, these things can be beneficial to students and provide them with a good structure and routine, they can also cause harm to the students because they are not experiencing new ideas or evolution.
I myself as a substitute teacher, do enjoy having the structured schedules each day to follow so that I know how the day is going to go. I understand why these schedules are important for teachers and students. I have learned that students rely heavily on these schedules/routines because they will call me out if I have changed something from their normal routine and it often causes issues. This structure can be harmful to the students because they are a lot less accustomed to change.
I really related to the part of the chapter about testing and how it can sometimes be difficult to read students' potential just from a test score. I myself was always a very poor test taker in school growing up. I would not consider myself a "bad" student, but some of my test scores would say so. I always had a lot of anxiety around test taking because I knew that it would not come easy to me and I had to study a lot harder than other students in my classes. I would always compare myself to the "smarter" students in my classes that always did so well on tests and often feel bad about myself because I tested lower than them. In high school, there was the advanced math class that everyone referred to as the "smart" class, and I of course was never in those classes. Even with the different levels like CP and Honors classes were a way of "ranking" students and comparing their skills to one another. The students in the CP classes were always thought of as "dumber" than those in the Honors classes. When in reality, they just learned differently and needed some more encouragement.
I found an article titled, "How Does Standardized Testing Negatively Affect Students?". They list a lot of the same things that were stated in the reading such as, "teachers teaching to test" which means that teachers are more focused on their students getting good test scores than actually learning the lesson because it directly impacts their jobs. This is not going to show teachers that their students understand the "full" subject, rather just the brief topics discussed for test preparation. It also talks about how standardized tests can cause a negative self-perception and reduced motivation, which is something we have been discussing in our CEP 552 class. Although, testing can sometimes be beneficial if they are "well-designed tests" (p. 94). Tests are not always showing teaching the students' understanding of a full subject or topic. Personally, as a future teacher, I would rather ensure that my students fully grasp the subjects and lessons through fun and engaging activities and assignments rather than always testing them. There is no need to cause extra stress and anxiety when students are already dealing with that outside of school and other external factors. I hope to be able to "evolve" The Broken Model when I become a teacher and leave a larger impact on my students.
Hi Lizzie. I really enjoyed reading your blog post. I agree that the "Broken Model" was created initially to prepare students or a workforce that relied on strict routines and discipline. I also agree with what you said about the fact that teachers can only see a student's potential through a test score. It reminds me of my eighth grade math teacher (who was horrible, by the way) when she wrote on my third term progress report that my test scores don't reflect my true potential, even though I claimed to have a grasp on the material. It's appalling how the philosophy of most schools, now, rely on "okay, we teach the material, then we test these students." Test scores are a really poor indicator of potential. Test scores often fail to accurately read a student's true potential or understanding of a topic. And if you fail a test, teachers or even your peers would say "well, you should've studied!" Never mind the social labeling behind the rankings. At my all girls' private, Catholic high school, we had a reputation of being less of any other student in a public school setting. We, too, had the CP versus honors and advanced placement system. Comparisons were often made, which often spiked anger or even arguments and lowered self esteem among my peers. Just because one learns at a different pace, that doesn't make them any less of a student or smart!
ReplyDeleteHi Lizzie,
ReplyDeleteAs an anxious test taker myself, I related heavily to your experiences in high school with taking tests. I've never thought it was fair to judge students' intelligence based on how well they can memorize a large amount of information. Especially considering in the workforce, use of resources is not only acceptable, but encouraged when working on a project. When working on music, I've found myself using the internet to remind me of how certain things are meant to work because I shouldn't be expected to just remember EVERYTHING. No matter how much one studies, if there's too much information to remember, it can lead to burnout and high levels of stress.
On the other hand, while structured scheduling was mainly meant for preparing students for the industrial workforce, I do believe it can be important for the early stages of education. Having a set schedule can allow for more efficient lessons and can ensure that each student receives the same education. However, for some topics in certain subjects, such time allotted may not be enough for some students, and that's where a set schedule can sort of fall apart for some people.
I agree that an amount of structure is needed to get through teaching material or staying on task. However, I also believe that when we are too structured we are not reaching students in multiple ways to help there learning styles. It’s very hard to be creative with such time restraints as well. I would love to see how students would learn in a project learning style rather than testing. I think the project model can really foster growth and you can access their knowledge through what they created. I also was a bad test taker and feel like this approach would have helped.
ReplyDeleteHi Lizzie!
ReplyDeleteI can relate to your topic of test taking and class divisions during my high school days. I am glad that I am in Art Education because luckily, we don't have to really test our kids formally! It is important for us to learn of course, but I can agree with you that may students learn in a variety of ways. It must be hard to try to develop a seamless schedule for all students to have a chance to learn equally, but I also feel like some teachers don't care (unfortunately).
I would always fall behind in chemistry and I felt like I was the only one not understanding anything. My teacher would go through everything so fast, if you missed a step, you'd be lost for the rest of the section!
I would be interested in learning more about others' perspectives on how different types of learners can be taught in a unified and easily understood way, without creating an environment that causes students to think they aren't as smart!