Articolo: measuring performance

Today, performance is measured through standardized tests. Students that struggle due to cultural differences, learning disabilities, anxiety, or other factors, receive accommodation—but only if the child’s “problem” is “bad enough”—and this is based on an IQ test that does not fairly measure a child’s ability to learn.

Reuven Feuerstein (photo courtesy of theFeuerstein Institute)

Feuerstein believed in another way. He knew that learning is culled not only from the moment of birth or from the time an IQ test is administered, but that learning is impacted, for better or for worse by the past, present, and future. All of these factors, taken into consideration, are relevant for our academic success, which is never “over.” We, all of us, should be constantly in a state of learning and growing and in large measure, this is linked to our experiences in the past, present, and in the future.

A glance at our society, however, shows it has been taken hostage by automaticity. TEACHING today should be about embracing technology without allowing it to become a substitute for executive functioning. Google is at our fingertips. That should be a wonderful thing, but for many people, Google means that the working memory is compromised. The lack of cognitive and motor connections, such as the ability to tie a shoe, tell time, and do mental math are glaring, and seem to be lost artifacts of an earlier, even ancient time.

Our next generation’s brains, on the other hand, are wired to learn in a new and innovative way that depends on incorporating cultural as well as “social emotional intelligence.” Teachers are looking for a new manner of curriculum capable of bringing the adventure of learning into their classrooms in an enjoyable and productive manner. Google classroom is an example while international competitions like the “Brain Bee” encourage high school students to learn more about neuroscience. When schools become involved in such competitions, students are motivated to learn about their brains and how they learn. This knowledge empowers students to understand how social/emotional and cultural intelligence play a role in learning and life. It teaches them how they think and how to utilize their strengths and apply appropriate, workable strategies.