Ashley Fredette: Blog 5

In reading this chapter, I learned that the development of an education system and a solid curriculum in Canada was instrumental in the formation of our national identity. Before Ryerson, Canada could be described as being constantly under the threat of American annexation, with “an often hostile native population” (I wonder why…), home to several different nationalities and religions, had poor transportation and communication, and lacked a strong sense of national identity. I was fascinated to learn that in the 1840s, Ryerson deliberately chose textbooks from Ireland so as to not let Canada fall under the influence of the United States. He knew how important it was to have a curriculum that resonated with Canadian identity at the time. Even though that identity was largely made up of British and Christian values, it somehow pulled society together and made the system (education and society at large) much more functional and purposeful.

Assessment and standardized testing is referred to a lot throughout this chapter. Since testing varies widely from province to province, I would just like to generally say that I am not a fan of standardized testing. I understand why it is done, and that the uniformity can tell us where schools rank in comparison to one another and whether or not the teachers are meeting the curriculum. But this is the kind of assessment that takes away from the joy of learning. It is such a prescribed method, seemingly black and white, that tells us how well we are doing. What about the students who don’t test well? What about external factors such as stress in the home or illness? What about language barriers, especially for ESL kids? How about the kids with learning disabilities? The textbook says that “these rankings greatly oversimplify the many factors that contribute to student achievement and pit schools against one another.” I fully agree with this statement.

Discussion Question: What ways of assessment can we use instead of standardized testing? Is there a way to assess students without diminishing their passion for learning? How can we bring out each student’s strengths within a prescribed curriculum, especially when that strength doesn’t lie under the three “R’s”?