The Contradiction of Standardized Tests

In less than two weeks I am taking the Praxis II for Social Science. I have been studying for it, but am very nervous. I have always been a poor test taker, however, I have always also been a good student.

Most of my professors and many of the teachers that I talk to make it very apparent that they do not like standardized tests. I don't understand why these kinds of tests are so important when those most closely connected with education do not care for them. I definitely do not understand why teachers do not think these tests are a good measure of learning, but it is a requirement to take one in order to be certified as a teacher.

I do not know what the answer to this problem is, but I do no think that standardized tests are a good way to measure my ability to be a good teacher or a good measure of how intelligent students are. Evaluation of learning should be challenged and modified. Students learn and express that learned information in numerous ways and should be able to show that. Tests are not always the best answer.

It is a contradiction that I am being taught and told that these kinds of tests are not a good measure of learning, yet being forced to take them and will one day be a part of giving them to students.

Hands on History

Last weekend I experienced history up close. On Saturday I visited the USS Alabama. This is a ship that was used in World War II. There were three tours that were mapped out for visitors to explore the ship. Before we started the tours, my friend and I started our own exploration of the top deck. The deck included many large guns. From there my friend and I started the tours. One took us through the soldiers' quarters, one through the medical area, and one through the eating areas. We saw where clothes were washed, where food was made and served, where officers stayed, and where the recreation area was. Each area had signs and plaques that explained what it was and gave its history. After we explored the ship we went into the submarine that was next to it. It was very fun to see the ship and submarine close up. It was a lot more interesting than reading about it in a book.

On Sunday my friend, her fiance, and I had another history experience. We canoed 9 miles on the William Bartram trail to the Bottle Creek Indian Mounds. Bartram was a naturalist who could be called the Lewis and Clark of the South. He explored many areas in nature and recorded about his findings. He explored the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, where the indian mounds are and is highly known among historians of this subject.

The mounds were hard to find, but we finally got to them. They were a little disappointing, but it was cool to think that so long ago American Indians had built mounds where we were standing. We explored for a little while. The coolest part was climbing to the top of the 45 foot mound.

After hanging out for a little while, we began our canoe trip back. We underestimated the time it would take us to complete the trip and the sun went down. The three of us were left in the dark, in swampy water, with one head lamp, and two paddles. My friend sat in the front directing us, with the headlamp. I was in the middle paddling and my friend's fiance was steering in the back. At one point we took a wrong turn and realized it after a few minutes. We turned around and found the right path. When we were less than a mile from the truck I saw something glowing in the water. I thought that my eyes were playing tricks on me, but a second later my friend said that she thought she saw an alligator. She did and that is what I had seen. There was an alligator about 5 feet from our canoe. This was one of the scariest moments of my life. We all stayed fairly calm and paddled past him, but tensions were high for the last stretch of the trip. Needless to say we were very glad to be back on land!

I write about these experiences to say that students should be given more chances to experience history hands on. I think that I will always remember the things I saw and learned about last weekend. I think that students would be more likely to remember things about history if they learned about them in a way that did not involve reading a book. (This is not to say that students should take a field trip to canoe with alligators, but just that schools should consider more options to give students hands on learning experiences.)

Not Everyone Should Be a Teacher

Most people would assume that attending a major university would ensure a great education. This is not always the case. I have had many wonderful teachers at Auburn, but today I would like to write about a bad class experience.

One of my upper level classes was probably the most poorly instructed classes I have ever taken. The teacher arrived between ten and fifteen minutes late each class period, sat on a stool and read straight from a power point, and spoke only loud enough for students to know he or she was talking, but could not actually understand what was being said. The only grades were papers and attendance was not taken, meaning going to class was not at all important.

As a high school student, one would be excited about a class like this, thinking, "Woohoo, easy A." As a college student, I am disappointed. The course is one that I should know about as a future educator. In another circumstance, I think I could have enjoyed the subject, but it was not the case with the class that I had. I do not think that I learned one thing from that course. I believe it was a waste of my time and money, however it was required for my major.

To keep these kinds of classes from happening, I think the university should take a better look at who it is hiring to teach. Sometimes it seems that those in charge of new professors care more about what those instructors bring content wise and what they can do for research purposes than in the education process. I think this is a failure on Auburn's part. As a university its main goal should be to educate students and when it has professors that are failing at that task, those in leadership should evaluate why professors like that are at Auburn and what they can do to make sure every student is getting the best quality education.

The Constitution is Important!

A couple of weeks ago I was in my methods of Social Science class. The class was split into three groups. Each person was given a specific side to take in a debate. During the debate one of my classmates and I were discussing whether it was constitutional for the president to send troops in on American citizens. One of my classmates was sure that it was, in the instance we were studying. I, however, did not think it was. At that moment I wished I had a copy of the United States Constitution.

Later that day I was with a friend. I told her I needed to go to the bookstore so I could buy a pocket sized version of the constitution. She, of course laughed, and told me what a nerd I was. My friend is also majoring in Social Science education. I found the pocket sized edition and purchased it. My friend continued to tease me. I did not care, though.

I think that everyone she have a copy of the constitution. It seems that the majority of people in our country do not know what it says and because of this their rights are often violated. The more I study history, the more I learn that most United States presidents did several things that were unconstitutional. This really bothers me. It is almost like we have set up rules just to say we have them. If the document needs to be amended and changed, well let's do so, but until then I think it would be wise if the American people would learn what the constitution says and follow it. As a history teacher, it will be my job to help students learn it, so I am proud to say that I now own a copy.

Technology is a good thing, but it is not the only thing.

I love the outdoors. If I had a choice I would live in the mountains, near a river, away from as many people as possible. I love being away from technology and the need to be so connected to so many people. It is such a freeing experience and one I would like to share with everyone in my life.

This part of me has caused a great problem in my way of thinking this semester. At least two out of the four education classes that I am currently taking talk about the importance of technology in the classroom. I am not opposed to technology. I know that it can be helpful in teaching, but the more emphasis is placed on it, the more that girl that loves the outdoors wants to move to the woods, where she will not have to worry about things like these.

My problem with the way that some of the technologies have been presented to me is that I believe some of them will actually take away from learning. A few weeks ago I watched a video that presented the idea that using facebook and text messaging was a good idea to help teachers teach. This idea is completely appalling to me! If my teacher allowed me to have my phone out or facebook up, I know, without a doubt, that I would be more concerned with figuring out how to talk to my friends rather than listening to him or her. I know it is important to think about the fact that the generation of teenagers that I will be teaching does not know a way of life without technologies like these. I know I need to figure out how to use what they know to teach them, but I also think that there is a better way.

For the past two summers I have been a camp counselor at a camp in the Smoky Mountains. Of course, I am in my element there. We do have a couple of televisions, internet, and cell phone service, but when each week of camp starts we challenge the students to a technology fast. We ask them to give us or their leaders their phones and ipods. Naturally, the teenagers do not agree whole heartedly, but they agree nonetheless. By the end of the week most of them do not even want their phones back. I believe this is because maybe for the first time in their lives they understand what it is like to be where they are and to be connected to the people they are with.

I want to have a classroom like this. I will do my best to use technology in a way that helps meet students where they are, but I want students to connect with each other and with me and to be where they are. It is so easy to mentally live in a different place than our bodies, but along with teaching history, I want to teach students to appreciate where they are in their lives.