Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Could School be Both Too Easy AND Too Hard? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Could School be Both Too Easy AND Too Hard? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:


Could School be Both Too Easy AND Too Hard?

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This morning's USA Today featured two seemingly contradictory stories. On page one, the headline is "School is too easy, students report." On page seven, an op-ed is entitled "Why our kids hate math." The first article, authored by their excellent reporter Greg Toppo, shares a report that included results of surveys where students were asked how hard or easy they found their classwork. Among the findings:
  • 37% of fourth-graders say their math work is "often" or "always" too easy;
  • 57% of eighth-graders say their history work is "often" or "always" too easy;
  • 39% of 12th-graders say they rarely write about what they read in class.

We can all perhaps agree that schoolwork should not be "too easy." Every student should be challenged, in a