Week 9, Response to Classmate's Journal -Darin Metters

In Response to Darin's Post regarding testing:

College for all students limits the opportunities for the majority of our students. Georgia is one of the few states that allows all students to take the SAT. Although I completely agree that all students who wish to go to college should be afforded that right, I do not believe that college for all students is the best path. However, the shift in education recently leans toward methods to prepare students for multiple paths instead of just college. For example, most classes in high school are taught by highly qualified teachers in their area instead of pedagogy, but schools working under Class Keys are focused on the concept of exemplary lessons that focus more on method, application and relevancy, rather than just content. This focus highlights skills verses content. Another example of this shift is happening at our school. We are focused mostly on helping the students who want to exceed, exceed. In doing so, we have found it has little to do with actual intelligence but instead, hard work. Before students attend to information, they must have a reason, instinctively or extrinsically, to focus on that activity. Although I don't have the answer for motivating all students or where the motivation comes from, motivation seems to be the answer to success for our students.