The Finish Line

I have taken 5 classes through Wilkes University to finish my Master +30 for my school district. Four of the five classes were technology-based. The final project for my final class - EDIM 516 - asked me to choose a controversial topic in education on which to conduct an investigation. One of the hot button topics, in my opinion, is standardized testing. Is it right? Fair? Current? With so much about technology on the brain, and really, in many conversations I have having through Wilkes, in my district, and even outside of work, I decided to explore standardized tests in conjunction with technology. How does technology affect test administration, learning, etc? I thought the research would be abundant...I was wrong.

I found it is incredibly difficult to compare schools with technology initiatives with schools without them. The research just isn't there! The reason being that the two schools would have to have similar demographics, tests scores, etc. The research I was able to find was extremely interesting. Here are the results:

Not included in the video above is much of my perspective. I think there is a need for technology in the classroom and there is a need for standardized testing. As you can tell from the research, tests are just not up to par with learning in classrooms with technology initiatives. It is important to test math, English, and writing, but I think the leap has to be made to test SKILLS, not just knowledge. What can students do, analyze, predict, create, and develop? This is what should be measured and compared, because realistically, this is what colleges, employers, and everyday citizens want to see. Perhaps one day, testing can catch up with technology. It just isn't today.