Testing madness!
One of the most memorable Shoe cartoons for me by the late Jeff MacNelly was a “Shoe” that featured the Professor staring out the window. He was asked, "I thought you were a writer? Why aren't you pounding on the keys?" His response was, "Typists pound on keys. Writers stare out windows."
Many of my students at the time, the early Nineties, didn't get it. I suspect many readers were similarly confused, and it occurs to me that those readers must have become politicians or businessmen. It seems all too many people today confuse education with animal training.
One such would be a certain University of Florida Professor, who has been quoted by various writers comparing schools to dry cleaning establishments. I suspect this is not a professor of English, because he apparently wouldn't get the cartoon either. Writing, good writing, is like most scholarly pursuits in that the task itself is less important than the thought that goes into it. Yes, there is certainly a place in our world for deadline-driven writing, and perhaps one can teach the most basic competencies by focusing solely on the ability to spew out on-demand, task-specific, readable prose, but one need only look around to see the results of de-emphasizing the contemplative aspects of education.
Why are mindless talk-shows like Jerry Springer's popular? Why are stage companies fighting for survival while sophomoric movies pack theaters? Why is society in general so much more approving of rude and inconsiderate behaviors? Why is it becoming the norm for a city's residents to trash the city after a sports championship? The questions are endless, but they all have the same answer: we don't think much of thinking today, or think much at all if we can avoid it. The person admired is the decisive, get-the-job-done, “Just Do It!” individual who throws the consequences to the wind, unless, of course, the consequences might affect the profit margin.
I saw the effects of this in my college-level classrooms on a daily basis. Far too many students resist deep thought, look for shortcuts, and want to spend as little time in class as possible while being given (and I do mean given, not earning) the highest possible grade. Those rare students, cherished by myself and other educators, trying to get the most of their education are often drowned out by the whining of others worried more about missing the next ripoff of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire"(without actually working for it) than in learning. They seek knowledge spoon-fed directly into their craniums, formulaic learning that will get them past the test without engaging any higher-level thought processes.
The "improvement" in schools sought by the proponents of standardized-testing-driven education is the same "improvement" sought by lion trainers: "Will they be able to jump through our hoops?" If we are seeking to raise our children to be good animals, spending their lives jumping through hoops without asking why, then standardized testing and mind-numbing "competitiveness" is unquestionably an effective approach.
Just remember though, if we raise our children like animals, we shouldn't be surprised when they act like animals as adults.
