Week 1 Post

Michelle HornerWeek #1 Blog Entry
Regarding the Value of Testing
The three essays we read for this week offered a range of views about the value of testing. With views ranging from abolishing the grading system to a defense of grading, it forces a person to think about the issue of testing. I was especially intrigued because, as a college student, I have mixed feelings toward the grading system. There were pieces in all three writings that I agreed with and I am still on the fence about this issue.
The main idea behind Paul Goodman’s essay “A Proposal to Abolish Grading” was that the negative aspects of testing override the sense in testing at all. He remarked that grading will lead to cheating and does not encourage retention in the subject, testing is just striving for the grade. I particularly enjoyed his comment that “an employer [would] do far better to apply his own job-aptitude test rather than to rely on the vagaries of Harvard sectionmen” (Barnet 20). I really liked this idea because I could tell you many classes that I’ve “passed” but I could barely tell you specifics about what areas we were studying let alone more in depth details. There were, however, classes that I barely made a B in and I could name off cases and tell you what the facts and the holding were. Having a 4.0gpa could mean that a student is smart but it could also mean that they took easy courses. The flaw that I found in Goodman’s essay was that I don’t know what we would do without testing.
Howard Gardner had another approach to testing. His essay, “Test for Aptitude, Not for Speed,” Gardner asserts that he wants tests to test for knowledge, seriousness, and effort not the speed at which they can complete a test. At first, I was in agreement with Gardner. Then I began to think, and especially after reading the responses, I realized that his proposition was unrealistic. He doesn’t take into consideration the reason that the tests are timed. In college, as well as in a job, there will be pressures, and the time aspect of the test serves to simulate that pressure. One response actually asked if Gardner “assigns due dates for his assignments to his students” (Barnet 25). Gardner makes me realize that standardized tests are sometimes needed.
The essay we read by Diane Ravitch entitled “In Defense of Testing,” accomplished just that. Ravitch brought up some interesting points. She notes that “tests and standards are necessary fact of life” (Barnet 26). I do think that for now, tests are needed. We haven’t figured out anything that can test and provide the same amount of pressure to all students in the class yet. I do also like the point that she made that along with tests, there should be many things such as good teachers, improved education, access to high-quality education, better education for teachers, and better tests.
Overall, I believe that tests need to be improved, along with many education standards, especially in grade school. These essays all had their good points and their flaws but overall, they give us something to work towards.