Why reinvent the wheel? I'm all about changing and progressing with our students, but who decided that a focus on literacy wasn't working? Why did we move to such an automaton-esque focus on bubbling in answers on a scantron?
Gallagher explains that while Finland is quite homogenous in culture and language, their differences from the United States shouldn't dismiss their successes for a comparison. The Finns nurture creativity, encourage reading and deep thought, and do not include standardized testing in their education system. After being in our region's schools, I am discouraged by our students' difficulty with analytical thinking. I find, however, that when I engage with them and ask enriching questions like "why do you think that's the way this is?" or "how does that factor affect the other factors and the environment in which that factor exists?", they light up and delight in wanting to think critically. Other students may be reluctant at first, but when students engage in the conversations of the day, they take part ownership in their own learning process instead of just responding to a test or task stimulus.
Anyone want to move to Finland? :-)
