The View

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

Watched with my wife. Yes, The View.

I watched it because one of the hair stylist came over here legally, and got her citizenship. What was most unamusing was that a producer asked the panel questions from the test she passed. Only one knew what the Supreme Law of the land was. Elizabeth.

Even more unamusing was how funny the other panelist thought it was they knew few of the answers.

[ShockBand]

It is probably similar to what would happen if we had legislators take the state math and LA assessments for about 8th grade or higher.

[RoyalShock]

Things like this are always held up as failures of our educational system. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.

But ask twenty 40 year-olds a question where half learned the answer 5 years ago and the other half 25-30 years ago, and see which group does better.

This is an example of a producer/host(s) trying to present an disingenuous argument knowing an overwhelming percentage of their audience (and I suspect the percentage is higher among View/Oprah watchers) won't ever figure it out.

[ShockBand]

Oh I know RS. And my retort is a little smarmy, but the point I make is simple. Those assessments are really our only measuring stick that we pay attention to, so lets see how others measure up. I'm sure I might not do well on aspects of those assessments. They are more a measure of how well you retain short term and take tests, instead of a measure of how well you learn, solve problems, and think critically.

What if all "grading" and "assessment" looked more like project portfolios with report cards that look like Kindergarten ones - where it states with clarity the various expected skills and concepts and where the students stands. Then, no letter grade or score has to be attached unless you really feel a need or want to do so. You would be able to see what you or do or don't do well. Then perhaps teacher and student and parent (if need be) could converse about how to address the deficiencies. The downside? Doing this is far more time consuming than giving easy to score multiple choice tests. I'm trying to go the route of the former, even though I teach classes six out of the seven class hours of the day, unlike my core subject colleagues here who teach 5 of 7.

[RoyalShock]

I should clarify that it is the way these "shocking" "tests" are presented is what I find dsingenuous, not necessarily the point they are trying to make. If those same immigrants-turned-citizens are asked again in 20 years, they may have as much difficulty as the natural-born citizens. Whether that's a failure of the educational system is debatable.

I think it has more to do with people getting so wrapped up in their personal lives and how current events affect them that they have totally lost touch with how and why this country came to be and the principles that made it great. Instead it's all about them and their emotional response to societal issues. So what does a 235 year-old document have to do with anything?