While reading chapter 3 I couldn't believe how much help we need to get our youth ready for the challenges that are being brought about by globalization. This chapter made it very clear that this was not happening in our current education system. Tony Wagner let's us know by breaking down the big gaping holes that our standardized tests are missing.
I have been against standardized anything, because of the simple fact that we are not all the same. In my mind there are too many variables that will lead to different scores that are not within a student's control. Therefore, making these results, in my humble opinion inaccurate.
Tony Wagner describes how even in the best of schools we are still teaching to the test. We are not challenging our students and definitely not preparing them for the REAL WORLD. This was very scary to read about, because I thought that those schools with all that money and all those "good" teachers were definitely preparing future global citizens. I was wrong. They are doing exactly what other less fortunate schools are doing, but in their case they are focusing their attention in AP tests scores. I couldn't believe it, but then I thought about my experiences with AP classes and asked myself, "Is that what we did?" I couldn't remember how my classes were, which was proof itself how unengaging/forgetful they were. The idea was that I was challenging myself and trying to get ahead of the game, but I remember not really being interested in memorizing facts and dates that were of no value to me other than to pass this test. I guess I was not alone, from what some students said in this chapter. I hope that this changes and that I can help.
I would love to see challenging classes for the various learner's needs. This not only would make their school life more interesting, it would also prepare them for the REAL WORLD. I also hope that we move away from anything standardized (filling in the bubble) and push for testing that really integrates real world rigor and thought not just memorization.