Once upon a time, students took multiple choice and short answer tests; kids attended classes and teachers taught. In the year 2013, students are taking Measurements of Student Learning (MSLs) and the questions are constructed response (short answer) or single answer (multiple choice). Students attend "blocks" and "mods" during the day, where classes are "facilitated" by teachers. Classrooms are flipped, chalkboards are smart, and everyone's feeling a bit confused. With all of these linguistic and technological changes there is one thing that needs to be remembered: the job of schools and teachers is to teach, while the job of the student is to learn. No matter what the powers that be want to name it next, the primary focus remains the same.
What does all of this mean to students? Actually, not very much. The language of education has evolved and the teacher toolbox has grown exponentially with the advent of the internet age, however the teachers still need to teach. The job of the educator is in the name - to educate. One can call a test an MSL and make multiple choice sound nicer by calling it single answer, but the reality is that no matter what words are used, the primary focus is on teaching and learning.
What has changed is the way students are being taught. With the implementation of the Common Core Standards across North Carolina, students are now required to become deeper thinkers, creative developers, and proficient writers and speakers. This is what was called "21st Century Learning," but has since been replaced by "Common Core." No longer are students asked to memorize, recite, and regurgitate; instead, students are expected to explain how they found an answer in math, present their hypotheses and conclusions to the class in science, and question author's purpose and efficacy in English. This is great, and all of these changes are going to make for a better-educated public, but the teaching is becoming muddled.
Teachers across Wake county have been attending Common Core workshops and online tutorials. They are being told to change the way they think about their jobs and their students, while at the same time they are constantly reminded that there are no funds in the budget to support these magnificient pedagogical changes. Unfortunately, the time requirements alone in changing entire unit plans and reworking test is overwhelming. New books and software are needed to keep up with the change, but schools cannot afford these. Students may not be able to see it as they compose analyses of non-print texts, but the teachers certainly feel the crunch. They are struggling with raising the bar and challenging students under the new Common Core Standards, not because a lack of talent or intelligence, but simply due to a lack of time and resources.
NCDPI is creating MSLs to be given at the end of course across the board for Math, some Science, CTE and English classes this spring. These tests will replace teacher-made exams and will show not only what the students have learned, but the efficacy of the teacher. What it comes down to is that teachers need to do what they do best and bend to the weight of new tests (or MSLs) and less money per pupil. Parents and policy makers need to trust that educators are professionals who can be trusted to ensure student learning and growth.
Teachers need to keep teaching, and students need to be ready to learn. This is what will never change in education, despite the size of class, the level of technology, or the jargon employed.
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