Singing “Not on the Test”

By Wesley Fryer On January 23, 2007 · · 2 Comments

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This is a sad but accurate commentary on our current state of affairs in K-12 education in the United States: NPR’s January 1st show: A Song for Students: ‘Not on the Test.’

If you’re looking for a short (like 2 minute) attention-getter for teachers to start a professional development session or conference presentation, this song could be ideal. The song contends students don’t need to worry about learning to think, because that is “not on the test.”

Obviously this message should dramatize what we need to CHANGE in the ways many teachers are teaching and administrators are administrating in schools. Critical thinking should be a centerpiece of what the educational process is all about.

Thanks to Bob Sprankle for this link.

Remember to follow Wesley Fryer on Twitter (@wfryer), Facebook and Google+. Also "like" Wesley's Facebook pages for "Speed of Creativity Learning" and his eBook, "Playing with Media." Don't miss Wesley's latest technology integration project, "Mapping Media to the Common Core / Curriculum."

On this day..

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Rob Sipes

I agree with this problem. Being in higher education and a large proponent of critical thinking, I have struggled trying to teach this skill to today’s students. This piece brings about the thought that one possible cause of the lack of thinking among higher ed students comes from below. If a student is brought up without having to think, it becomes harder and harder for them to change their ways, the older they get.

So how do we fix this. I understand the dilemma that teachers and curriculum planners in public education face with the standardized tests, which means that we must most likely change policy before we can get a broad change in the way in which students are taught. This is however an important concern because student’s who are incapable of their own thought process, will not be as successful once out into the real world.
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