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Beatriz Lista Meagan Keaton English 112 2 May 2013 Argumentative Essay Creativity is the ability to see something in a new way, to see and solve problems no one else may know exists, and to engage in mental and physical experiences that are new, unique, or different (Marriner 1). Adding to this creativity includes being able to produce something new through imaginative skills, it may be a new solution to a problem, a new work/piece of art, or a new method or device. In most cases creativity refers to a richness of ideas and the use of original thinking. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees that it is a critical aspect of a persons life from toddler to adult. These thoughts have led to the decline of creativity and the rise of standardized testing. This has affected students and staff in nothing but negative forms. With the support of writers Cosima Marriner, Debora Byfonski, and Diana Senechal in this paper I will explain how the lack of creativity in schools promotes the dependence of the internet, causes cheating, and prevents students from receiving a complete education. Adding to this, the arguments of Daniel Wood and Nancy Doorey will counter attack my argument in hopes of convincing the public that standardized testing provides and unbiased, fair form of assessment. As the pressure to do well on standardized testing rises, students are becoming more dependent on the internet. Today, many subjects require students to engage in online research in order to broaden their learning. A student is able to use the internet not only as an online encyclopedia, but they may also use it as a fast way of communication with their teachers. As

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vibrant as the role of internet use may seem in the life of a student, the problem sets in when students abuse their internet privileges, causing them to look up every bit of information possible without first trying to figure out answers on their own. Google has become a game changer in education, says Marriner. One of the many problems educators are facing is that Google is taking the place of our instructors, professors, and the brains of students. Students are becoming un-aware of their own talents, intelligence and doubting their own abilities. According to Marriner, as standardized tests continue to play a vital role in education, creativity in schools will continue to diminish causing students to become even more dependent of the internet. Students look to computer not only for answers, but also in hopes of a good time browsing through the internet to play games, something far from what they did or learned in school. The constant use of the internet results in lower academic achievement. For a student to achieve high academic levels creativity must exist. Having it otherwise may result in other things that provide an escape from reality, such as the use of pills, or as stated in Mariners article, the dependence on a computer. Music classes, Art classes, games, and other electives are all very important in a students educational career. These classes provide the student with an outlet from classes that they may not do well in such as Math, Science, or English. Standardized testing not only brings pressure to the students taking the assessment, but also to those who administer it. These pressures results in teachers, and principals having to cheat to keep their employment. No exceptions. No excuses. If principals did not meet targets within three years, she declared, they will be replaced and 'I will find someone who will meet targets.' Dr. Hall replaced 90% of the principals during her tenure (Byfonski 1). With this kind of pressure at hand teachers and staff were forced to do whatever it takes to meet the targets of their school. Dedria Byfonski was put in this very predicament. In her article titled The pressure

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to keep targets has caused teachers to cheat, she tells a story of a school that she visited in Georgia. At the school she found out that teachers as well as principals would all work to together to raise a students grade once the test was already taken. The students who did not pass were placed at a medium level and those who passed were placed at a high level. In theory this was the best solution. The staff was able to keep their jobs and the students would pass the test some, saved from being retained. The problem really set in after years of lying. Due to the fact that each year targets were raised, it continued to get harder to attain the required results this caused a snowball effect. Each year required more cheating in order to go beyond the level of cheating of the year before. It is impossible for targets to be met every year on a campus filled with diversity, explains Byfonski. The problem with standardized tests is that they serve as a very biased form of assessment far from what Daniel Wood believes. Teachers know that each year's students have their own strengths and weaknesses and have different levels of motivation. This target program makes no accommodations for those differences; instead the expectation is that each year there is a certain percent increase in student progress no matter what each group's strengths or weaknesses might be (Byfonski 1). Through Byfonskis work we are able to see that standardized tests not only negatively affect students but also staff. Adding to this, standardized testing is also preventing students from receiving a complete education. Diana Senechal explains that a good education involves learning History, Geography, Civics, the Arts, Science, literature and foreign language. Senechal points out that Standardized testing is causing teachers to limit their curriculum, put low-level income and minority students at a disadvantage, cause school districts to focus too heavily on raising test scores, and extract the passion for learning from students. In most cases teachers are told to teach only material that will be seen on standardized tests. For this reason, teachers are forced to

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eliminate all material that will now be on the test, from the course. Leaving out subjects like music, art, foreign language, history, sciences, and many others. Instead, teachers are focusing only on specific items that will be presented on the test. This means that our students are only learning Math and English, if that. Math that is taught in the classroom is more than likely the kind of math problem that will be on the test. The same idea goes for English. So in reality what are our students getting out of education now days? Perhaps the importance of going to school is so that students can strengthen their memorization skills given the fact that students are encouraged to memorize isolated facts and regurgitate short responses. Senechal brings up a good point when in her article she mentions "If teachers must ceaselessly change their curriculum to match what is happening in society (or, more narrowly, the workplace), neither they nor their students will have the opportunity to step back and reflect (Senechal 1)." The point of learning is to actually learn. If nothing is learned than nothing can be reflected on. I fear that are students are not being taught anything. This work allows me to form my own opinion on education reform and education reformers. Through Senechals work I came to the conclusion that a good education encompasses far more than just basic skills. A good education requires good teachers. To get good teachers, states should insist, and the federal government should demand that all new teachers have a strong educational background in two subjects, such as mathematics and music or history and literature. Having a strong educational background with two subjects like math and music will provided a structured yet creative teaching style which is exactly what is needed. Moreover, school and the process of learning is not just a self-enriching process but also one that will one day provide one with a job. The problem with the rise in standardized testing is that we are doing away with the skills needed by employers. Employers need people who can create, solve problems, work together, use technology, and think critically.

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We must make our students critics, innovators, and team players; we should teach them to communicate in the broad sense of the word by infusing their coursework with blogging, recording, filming, texting, collaborating, and tweeting (Senechal 1). Education should prepare students for the world, not for a test. Writers Daniel Wood and Nancy Doorey both agree that students must be assessed in order to determine if they have advanced academically. They both share the opinion that nothing negative comes from this process and that it is unbiased at that. The problem is that most of the negativity in schools is generating through testing students in a standardized form. With the help of Marriner, Byfonski, and Senechals I have a clear understanding as to why standardized testing does more bad then good; if any. This entire paper is proof that what Wood and Doorey are arguing should not be accounted for, for their argument contributes to cheating, diminishing creativity, and being cut short from a full worthy education. It is time to do away with Standardized Testing. It is time to begin reforming education in a way that will help us all. The first step in the reform that we should take is to eliminate standardized testing throughout the United States. Following this, all curriculums should be made to where students are given a balance between creativity and academics. This way they are able to take advantage of a complete education. School staff members should also be assessed in order to prove capability of teaching materials, which is a change because teachers are used to teaching the test. These first couple of steps should provide a solid start to the long reform ahead.

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Works cited "The Pressure to Meet Targets Has Caused Teachers to Cheat." Standardized Testing. Ed. Debria Bryfonski. Detroit: Green haven Press, 2012. At Issue. Rpt. from "GBI Reveals Why Cheating Occurred in Atlanta Public Schools." Teacher World 10 July 2011. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.

"Children go back to play." Sun-Herald [Sydney, Australia] 10 Mar.2013: 9. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.

Doorey, Nancy A. "Coming Soon: A New Generation Of Assessments." Educational Leadership 70.4 (2012): 28-34. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.

Senechal, Diana. "The most daring education reform of all." American Educator 34.1 (2010): Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 3 Apr. 2013

Wood, Daniel B. "Standardized tests: Not so bad after all?." Christian Science Monitor 10 Oct. 2000: 3. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Apr. 2013.

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