Hear David Thornburg's column in RealAudio . Clip for 28.8 modem Clip for 56.6 modem Clip for mp3 Frequent participants in this forum know that I am something of a fan of project-based learning, and feel that this model of contextual education is not only good for learners, but can be made even better through the effective incorporation of technology. There is no question that our romance with testing is enjoying a heated revival, with the stakes being raised at every turn. School funding, staffing, and just about everything else seems to hang in the balance as we cram every factoid and test-taking strategy possible into the cranial recesses of our youngsters. Afterwards, we pour over the results as if we were trying to forecast the future by looking at goat entrails.
Newspapers celebrate even the slightest gains, and decry even the slightest losses.
So, I did an experiment. All hands went up. Being on a roll, I then asked how many of them wanted these same children to lead successful lives when they finished school. Again, all hands were raised. The most common response was that, whatever the tests measured, they did not measure the skills needed to be successful in life, therefore the educational leaders were not prepared to take the test.