Students are pushed to learn a set amount of state standards for each grade level. They are driven in the class to cover every standard that is required. They may never comprehend the information, but they are taught the information. After a year of teaching the students will receive a passing grade or failing grade. They may pass with 70%, but did they learn the information? Does the letter grade mean the students understood the information? Standardized testing average grades based on all students. Does that show a student’s knowledge of the course? More and more schools and colleges are moving away from letter grades and requiring students to reach competency or mastering the content. (Western Governors University, Reed College, Brown University) Create an annotated bibliography in which you do the following: 1. Include a minimum of 20 entries, 15 of which must come from published sources, whether they are accessed online or in print (e.g., books, journal articles, white papers).
2. Include references that represent a variety of perspectives on educational theory, educational trends, and educational practices. 3. Include peer reviewed or academic sources for the majority of the entries. 4. Summarize (suggested length of 2–4 sentences), in your own words, the main ideas of each reference provided. 5. Discuss (suggested length of 1–2 sentences) the intended audience for each reference provided. 6. Explain (suggested length of 2–4 sentences) how each source is applicable to your research for the research/vision paper. 7. Explain (suggested length of 1–2 sentences) how each reference relates to one of the following: ● current issues in education ● disparate points of view ● diversity and/or range of student ability
This bibliography will be the bases of a 25 page research / vision paper that will focus on that the future of education should focus on teaching students to learn not just to pass with a letter grade. Students should not move to the next grade level because they passed the standardized test by one point. Students must show competency or mastery of a subject.
