By Arwyn Bukovsky
The Centennialight
Standardized testing only determines somebody’s ability to take a test, but not how much they actually know. Teaching is now more about memorizing rather than educating. The scores students receive on their tests also affects their teachers. In school students are told that the possibilities for their future can be limited based on the score they get on their standardized test.
Students now spend the majority of their time in class memorizing facts, but not actually learning. Albert Einstein once said, “Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think.” People are born inquisitive and with the desire to learn but standardized tests diminishes students' natural curiosity.
The standardized tests students take also affect teachers. Teachers' salaries and even their job security rely heavily on how well their students perform on the test. This means teachers also want their students to memorize facts to score better on their tests. Overall this can create a lack of motivation for teachers to inspire their students and create a fun learning environment.
Students are continuously told that their options for their future could be based on the scores that they get on standardized tests. Being told that your success in the future could be determined by a number is stressful for a lot of students. By limiting the subjects students are tested on to only math, science and reading, a student who is a really skilled musician won't get to display their abilities in that area.
Standardized testing provides no feedback for students to improve in areas they didn’t do as well on. Giving students facts to memorize doesn’t make them want to ask questions or learn more about the subject. Everything about standardized testing needs to be reconsidered to make school more beneficial for students and teachers.
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