It is easy to see black and white here. Literally—we often see the white paper and the
black bubbles of the multiple choice tests.
It is also easy to pick one side,
and zealous stay on that side and see nothing but the good, or the bad to this very
complex issue of standardized testing and national curriculum—but you can’t. Or rather, you shouldn’t.
These issues will never be as simple as black or white,
rather there is a gray area—and I mean a huge gray area—that needs to be
considered.
I know I picked one side originally when I first thought
about these issues, but we can’t try to classify the issue as entirely good,
nor entirely bad. I need to see the
merit of both sides, even though that may be creating a great big hazy
gray fog.
The point is rather to appreciate this gray area as a
balance. I do believe having a national
curriculum could create more accountability as well as diversity to our current
curriculum. I know Common Core asks ELA teachers to explore several types of
writing—like narrative and informative writing, vs. what too many teachers are
focusing on—which is ACT inspired persuasive writing. So in that respects, I see the value in
CCSS. I also believe that standardized tests
give us quick and convenient feedback.
But there has to be a balance where these tests and standards don’t go too
far one way or another. We need to
embrace the gray area, and find a creative way to mix the black and white together.
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