This chapter was very interesting; I felt like I was taking a journey into the future. It is hard to imagine a time when schooling as we know it will be completely different, but in reality, this is probably not that far off. I think that moving away from standardized tests and towards a credential/performance based "test" is a great idea; it was hard to imagine, but I thought that it was interesting and a really cool idea. I think that students would be able to perform better and earn higher "grades" on credential or performance tests, and these tests would better represent the student's actual knowledge and comprehension of the material. I also think that credential/performance based certifications would allow for students to master material that is of interest to them and that is at their own pace of learning. I have always thought that standardized tests seemed to be flawed in their design, because they are administered all at once, on a specific day that the school has planned; the standardized tests of all the students are then compared and the student is deemed as competent or incompetent of the material, based on one test. I think that all students have potential, but when pressured with answering one test, students can underperform. I think that certifications allow for flexibility and are much more student-oriented.
I am not sure if I entirely agree with or understand what this chapter was talking about regarding picking out a particular curriculum and then sticking with it for many years. The chapter discussed that every child, with the help of their parents, would pick out a curriculum that interests them, such as families, ecology, sports, or dinosaurs. The students would then stick with this curriculum and develop deep understandings regarding the topic, while traditional academic skills (reading, writing, mathematics...) are interwoven within the curriculum. I guess I do not fully understand how this concept would work; wouldn't this type of program promote parental interests for their child, rather than the interests of the child (if the child's interests differ from that of the parents)? Ideally this could be very effective method of designing a curriculum, but how can a child know what they want to become; don't children usually change their minds about what they want to become? If a child has been in a curriculum designed to help them become a doctor and then the child at age 16 decides they are going to become an ecologist, what happens? Will the child have to start over with different curriculums?
I think that this chapter had some very good ideas, but I am not entirely sure if these ideas will ever fully come into fruition. One thing that I completely agree with was the following, "We do not need to start a new education system from scratch. Designing a better education system means understanding where the existing pieces can best be reshaped, brought together, or played down"(pg. 113). We do not need to completely get rid of the current education system to meet the changing demands of society and technology, rather we must add new things and adjust other things to make a better overall educational system.
As a future educator, I hope to help my students reach for the stars. I want to encourage my students to find out what they are interested in and what they want to do when they grow up. I will try to help my students become adults who will make a difference in the world, and I will try to encourage my students to use technology to assist them in their futures. I do not know what the future holds, but I will adapt as a teacher so that my instructional strategies truly help to better my student's futures.
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