“Summers states, “Teachers who recognize the goal of teaching thinking rather than just imparting knowledge help students make connections beyond the content of the coursework” (2005, pp. 2).”
The overall goal of every teacher should be to give students knowledge that will stay with them and impact them for the rest of their lives. A common problem with many teachers is the way they help their students prepare for the WestTest. Some teachers will incorporate the WestTest preparation in their curriculum all year and some teachers will devote the three to four weeks prior to the test. I believe WestTest preparation is essential, but I believe that teachers are missing an important element that will help students prepare for all subjects on the WestTest—incorporating critical thinking skills. Incorporating critical thinking skills can easily be achieved by incorporating media literacy into the curriculum. The students will be able to relate and connect with the content, which in turn will have a lasting impact on them.
I found a recent article in the Charleston Gazette titled, “Kanawha students to start the 2012 school year Aug. 17.” This article mentioned the creation of the WestTest 2, which would emphasize critical thinking skills and high-order skills. State officials created this test to help narrow the achievement gap between white and black students during the first WESTEST.
Learn critical thinking through media literacy education. (2010, October 25). Retrieved from http://medialiteracycolloquium.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/learn-critical-thinking-through-media-literacy-education/
White, D. (2011, September 06). Kanawha students to start the 2012 school year aug. 17 . The Charleston Gazette. Retrieved from http://wvgazette.com/News/201109061233?page=2
It's very hard now-a-days to teach any way besides "teaching to the test". Everything revolves around those WESTTEST scores. The school and its teachers are judged based on those scores. It's wrong, but that's what we're dealing with right now, until it changes.
ReplyDeleteYou have a great post, and I also believe that teaching critical thinking while "teaching to the test" could be accomplished.
ReplyDeleteMany educators underestimate the level of questions on the test which do tend to emphasize higher order thinking. When they "teach to the test" they focus on lower level questions and the result is woefully ill-prepared students.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best examples from my teaching experience had to do with sixth graders and graphs. I taught them how to read graphs and answer questions. However the questions about graphs on the state exam asked students to examine data and determined which graph was the most appropriate to display the data. Oooops! They bombed.
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