Post 5

           I think that the information presented was very practical and will come handy when implementing various assessing strategies in one's own classroom. What I found to be most interesting was how standardized education, grooming, and how we, as a society, define intelligence poses great limitations on students. First, standardized education may work for some, but for others it will just not be an adequate representation of themselves, who they see themselves as being and operating throughout society. For example, someone who has an immense talent for art, visual art/communication, design and so on may drop out of school. Secondly, students have been groomed their entire educational career to be a certain way, think a certain way, and act/present themselves in a favorable light when that is just unrealistic in our sociocultural environment. Some children will not adhere to the "standards" that have been enacted on them. The system was built around them, to house them, and keep them stagnant. Originality and freedom are limited in certain aspects of education, especially public education which only draws division lines between those students that are perceived as being more favorable than others. Lastly, intelligence is weighted above a lot of things and how we perceive intelligence within a pedagogical understanding. Intelligence is broad. Intelligence is vast, and it doesn't have to be equated to how well you can write a paper, your math skills, or your grammar. Some intelligent people are never afforded the chance of an education because of their socioeconomic upbringing. Some intelligent people are exceptionally intelligent but don't score well on standardized testing. Sometimes when you're locked in a prison, you can't see the bars but you still think you're free.
          I believe that alternative testing must be implemented to adequately measure student's likelihood for success. Whether that be college, technical school, or going straight into the job market. There is something out there for everybody, we all just have to work together to make it a reality. Students should have voices, and they should know that they have those voices and that they matter.