tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post5395637244851127649..comments2024-03-15T02:09:23.712-06:00Comments on for the love of learning: Alberta teacher excuses their child from PATAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15047405950514440042noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post-57232428826635965152011-06-09T14:29:20.810-06:002011-06-09T14:29:20.810-06:00I'm a teacher in Ontario, and my eldest daught...I'm a teacher in Ontario, and my eldest daughter is in grade three next year. I've already made the decision that I'm going to opt her out of the grade three testing at the end of the year. I already know how well she's doing, as does her teacher. I already know what she reads and how well, what interests her, what she struggles with. Her teachers know this too. So the test isn't benefitting her or us directly. If it's only being used to pit schools and teachers against each other, to stress them out over a measure they cannot truly control, and to take away valuable exploratory learning in favour of lessons about how to take a multiple-choice test and how to at least try to answer every question, why would I subject my daughter to it?<br /><br />I'm going to ask her teacher next year if it would be possible for her to spend test-prep periods in the library reading, since she won't be taking the test. Hopefully she'll get the opportunity to explore more books that way and actually learn something of value.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post-43546441182195241832011-05-18T15:14:02.694-06:002011-05-18T15:14:02.694-06:00RE: "I have been working so hard to get my st...RE: "I have been working so hard to get my students ready to write two exams in June that I have forgotten all about the fun of school."<br /><br />Us parents go through it too. My two sons are bored to tears in school waiting for the other children to catch up and when they are tuned out they miss anything important. Maybe the teaching model needs to be revisited? Maybe it's the students' attention spans? <br /><br />Probably both. Whatever the case the 19K per student per year we pay in Canada for education could be better used.<br /><br />"I would love for the public to show me a standardized exam that they have to write for their job that begins with a picture prompt or a multiple choice question in order to test their knowledge."<br /><br />Nicely put. It does seem to play a tad to the ridiculous end of the spectrum.FastTadpolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02900340856876896232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post-77351727388422221442011-05-18T10:36:26.642-06:002011-05-18T10:36:26.642-06:00Great post Joe - excellent food for thought.Great post Joe - excellent food for thought.Ted Hutchingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13187429903125124851noreply@blogger.com