Saturday, February 25, 2017
Who does the American education system truly serve???
The past few days in class, we have been talking about all of the flaws in the American education system. The issue that most caught my attention was students not having equal opportunities. This cartoon, for example, highlights and explains this flaw in further detail.
Not all students have the same abilities, but can all excel in their own ways. The elephant can not climb the tree as easily as the monkey would and, as Thomas Edison said in the quote at the bottom, the fish can not be fairly judged by its ability to climb the tree. However, the American education system uses unfair standardized testing, or in the carton exams, to rank these students. This method is very unequal because a student could be not as confident when it comes to testing or not have the money to afford to retake tests (AP tests, SAT, ACT, etc.). So, how are these students supposed to be compared fairly when it comes to this type of testing. This students are put at a disadvantage and have no way to get out. In addition, the future of these students depends on these unfair tests. Colleges base most of the application process on SAT/ACT scores. These effects of such testing continue on and on to follow a long list of consequences and effects, however, they all revolve around the students. Being a student makes this topic seem even more apparent and even more serious, so why aren't we doing anything about it to fix it? The future of the world is in the hands of the current students so what is next? How will we change the system? It is up to us.
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I agree with your claims on the flawed American education systems and unfair tests in order to rank students. Like said in one of the YouTube videos we watched, we should focus on collaboration rather than competition. Ranking students through standardized tests is the perfect way to express this unnecessary competition. A student's ability to perform well and be successful shouldn't be determined by a number or score on a paper. Individuals are designed to think and act their own way, so why are they or we being forced to think the same in terms of right and wrong?
ReplyDeleteI like how you brought a real life source to your blog post! I also agree with the claims on the education systems. We can change the system in multiple ways, but the fact that every person is different leaves the student population's opinion at a potential impasse. I hope to meet at a common ground eventually.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the simile and picture you used as an example. I agree that the education system is too generalized and tailoring education to be more individual-student based and exploratory would be beneficial. I hope future generations can alter and change the system to better prioritize students over profits also.
ReplyDeleteI love this for many reasons. First, you brought an image to clarify your point of view, which is very nice to have and makes things easier to understand. Second, you bring up really good points on how everyone has a different way of learning, which i agree 100% with.
ReplyDeleteI loved this!! I completely agree with these points. The system basing most of a students knowledge on standardized testing that doesn't highlight their strengths and individuality is unfair and frankly not accurate. These tests lead to our future and I loved the challenge to the world at the end, what are we going to do next?
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