Stephanie Fehr - Blog 5

This weeks reading concerned the curriculum, and the role that it plays within the education system. 

I enjoyed reading the section about standardized testing, and the way in which many teachers have responded to it. I agree with the idea that standardized testing is not the most beneficial form of ensuring a quality education. The chapter states that "teachers feel pressured by administrators and are therefore likely to participate in what is known as teaching to the test" (144). I have seen this form of teaching take precedence in my practicum class and well as in my own experience in school. I specifically recall one point in middle school when my teacher actually told us that he was teaching us a certain lesson not because he felt it was necessary, but because he knew it would be on the upcoming standardized test. I concur with the textbook when it states that these types of tests do not inspire teachers to be creative or motivational - it just requires them to complete a task, turning teaching into a chore.

I also enjoyed reading about the hidden curriculum, and how it is often connected to White privilege. I believe that people of European descent are often quite ignorant of the circumstances of other ethnicities. The texts says that most Caucasian people beleive that they can attribute all of their privileges to hard work (152). I will admit that this is something that I believed for a long time as well. However, it is clear that we live in a country that still favors Eurocentric ideals much of the time. In my own small town upbringing I had very few encounters with people from an ethnicity that was different than my own.

I think it is a positive thing that Aboriginal practices are starting to become incorporated into some curriculum (152). It is important that students are made aware of these practices because they are an essential part of Canadian culture. The text says many teachers are not prepared to teach from an Aboriginal perspective. This is definitely an area that could be improved upon for future educators, as it will cause students to gain more perspective.

Question: Do you think that standardized testing is beneficial for students?