Standardized testing promotes finding answers rather than developing the question which in turn, makes learning a chore. I think this can also be found in other areas of life, but is not as prevalent as we might see in school. For example, when you coach a sport, repetition drills are used for developing skills just as we see in math class. We don’t have the same problem in sports because I’d like to believe that the question has been fully developed by the coach prior to the drill or is simply so obvious that players understand why they are trying to get to the result. It also helps that (most) athletes play sports because they want to, not because they have to.

I have taught in an environment of “The (standardized test) is our business, and our students’ scores are our product”and it was horrid. When I went off-script to do real-life math labs, like measuring, sectioning, and spec-ing out a new playground, the class was engaged and happy. When I was forced to go back on script by administration, they became restless and disruptive.

Duh.

Excited to see the differences between missing the mark and getting it right. Regardless of how visual or real you make a problem, the development of the question can easily make or break the learning experience. Although aware and continually working on this, I still see some of my questions crash and burn.

Looking forward to it!

but mostly,
3) I don’t get them all right.

This is definitely a work in progress and I don’t hit the mark each time. I’ll feel good about ending the project when each major course/topic has 90 or so good questions and/or arguments.