The Artdog Quote of the Week
I fear we often do this to kids. Everyone needs to learn certain things, but not everyone learns in the same way, at the same pace, or from the same background of understanding.
It’s really pretty obvious, when you think about it. But you might be astounded how hard this is, for some people to understand.
When we think of students in classrooms in terms of factory production runs, who all are supposed to learn the same, standardized lessons at the same, assumed to-be-“normal” pace, we rarely get the good outcomes we seek. Some will be confused and overwhelmed. Some will be bored out of their minds. Some will learn this lesson, but stumble over that one.
That’s why I’ve advocated for a long time that we should seek to teach to mastery, not to a school year. And that we should base assessments on a portfolio and individual improvement, rather than grading “on the curve.”
Do we prefer to arbitrarily create “winners” and “losers,” or would we rather ALL children learn as much as they can, as joyously as possible? Our traditional schools are organized to do the former, but mandated to do the latter.
This should change.
IMAGE: Many thanks to LoveQuotesWiki, for an excellent idea that may or may not have been something Albert Einstein actually said. WHOEVER said it, they’re right!