C4T #4

For my final C4T assignment, I chose to read two posts from Tyler Rice's blog Wisdom Begins With Wonder. In the two posts that I read and commented on, Mr. Rice made some points that I completely agree with. Furthermore, I am very glad that we were able to choose our own C4T this time around. I was able to choose a blog that I was really interested in, and Mr. Rice is the first teacher that has acknowledged my thoughts and responded to my comments.

The first post I read was The Curse of the Standardized Test. In this post, Mr. Rice talks a lot about how the growing focus on standardized testing has changed him. He expresses that he still tries to allow his students to collaborate and engage in real-world learning; on the other hand, he expresses that testing has changed him, and not for the better. In my comment, I told Mr. Rice that I know how testing can change teachers, because I experienced it first-hand when I was in high school. Before the school began to focus so much on testing, I had some very passionate teachers who loved what they did. Once testing came around, however, their spirits were silenced. I told Mr. Rice that I agree that testing limits students and that I do not think that students should be defined solely by their test scores. I also said that I think it is great that he still tries to allow his students to gain real-world experience and that I hope I can do the same for my future students.

The second post I read was You Can't Depend on Your Eyes When Your Imagination is Out of Focus. This post focuses on the fact that the school systems are so concerned with standardized testing and "teaching" that we have forgotten how valuable the knowledge gained from real-life experiences really is. He believes that is time that we stray from standardizing. In my comment, I told him that I completely agree that we are only being taught rather than being allowed to experience at this point. I also agreed that it is time to move away from standardization.