Saturday, February 19, 2011

Grades: the candle snuffer of the love of learning

Here is a comment that Josie Holford left on my post Grades: Education's Snake-Oil Currency:

For some of us who care passionately about learning and opportunity for all (and who don't see education as a race to the top for a few) so much of current policy and practice IS a crime scene. 
The extremity of the metaphor matches the strength of feeling when it comes to the crimes of deskilling teachers and depriving children of their birthright as learners. 
Want a more "cheerful" metaphor about the "crime" of grading? 
Grades are the candy floss of education. Appealing to some in the short term, nutritionally worthless and ultimately destructive. 
Like a cheap tin trophy.

The cattle prod for the bully, the carrot for the desperate and a prop for the incompetent.
 
A diversion tactic, sidelining learners from what actually matters. 
The candle snuffer of the love of learning.

2 comments:

  1. The "are we there yet" on the road trip to success

    The ketchup on the french fry - masking the real taste and the essence of learning

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  2. Another great post, glad I came across you on twitter.

    ReplyDelete