RE: Winerip's 3 suggestions and the love of learning

Just a an added thought about my colleague Michael Remaley's take on testing, high school, and developing a love of learning.  I couldn't agree more that helping kids develop a curiosity and thirst for knowledge  is the goal of any good school or teacher, and surely no one wants tests and testing to be the sole focus of  education today.

But human beings being what they are, I think it's also good to remember that most of us need a little push to learn some of the things we really need to know, and tests can provide the nudge. I am currently a student myself -- an adult studying Spanish. I want to learn the language. I enjoy my classes and my teachers. I  do my practice exercises. I try to watch the news in Spanish in order to  improve my comprehension. All in all,  I am a pretty eager, motivated student, and I really would like to learn to speak Spanish well. 

But the truth still is that I didn't really sit down and focus on some of the important grammar points until I needed to study for the test.  In all honesty, and throughout my own schooling, I believe I learned things I wouldn't have mastered otherwise because of testing.

So the dilemma of course is how to find that not-too-hot, not-too-cold mix where testing serves its positive functions -- motivating teachers and students, identifying areas for more work, insuring that youngsters don't slip through the cracks and that we have an  educational system that is accountable and meeting its goals -- without getting to the point where classwork becomes a prisoner to standardized testing, and the adventure and joy of learning is squeezed out of the schools.

Jean Johnson