Field Blog Post 8/ West Geauga

Question I will be exploring:  To what extent does standardized testing prompt teachers to use the banking concept of education?

     Standardized testing presents a particular problem for educators. Educators understand that known, specific material will be used on the standardized tests. They are responsible for teaching their students this information. Often, it seems that the easiest and fastest way to teach children this information is through the banking concept. Many teachers believe that they can simply "deposit"  information to their  students who  then receive it, memorize it, and regurgitate it. Admittedly, many tested concepts, such as vocabulary, seem to lend themselves to this method. The teacher gives the students the definition and the students unthinkingly memorize it. This method, however, stifles critical thinking. I believe that many teachers fall into this trap. They use the banking concept to teach children the huge amount of material that will be tested upon.

     My observation today, however, demonstrated that other methods can be used even when preparing for standardized tests. As mentioned earlier, vocabulary is usually taught through the banking method.  Mrs. Klampe, however, used a method that opposed the banking concept to teach her students their OGT vocabulary. Instead of having students memorize definitions, she pushed them to truly understand the word  by having them actively apply it in context. The students made vocabulary webs. The vocab word was in the center. They then had to list the definition, synonyms, and antonyms and create a sentence and picture that correctly represented the word. The sentence and the picture, specifically, help the students to think critically and apply the word in context. After creating a sentence and picture, the students have a fuller understanding of the word. This method can even cause the children to do better on the OGT., because by truly understanding the word, they will be better able to remember its meaning. So even though standardized testing leads many teachers to use the banking concept, it does not force them to do so.