This week in my Foundations course, my proffesor mentioned that there are currently schools being built in Atlanta without playgrounds! They are aiming to allow more instruction time so that their students will score higher on high stakes testing. I think that concept is absurd and quite unfair to our students. It implies that their only duty is to sit in a classroom and prepare for high stakes testing. However, I know that going to school is about so much more! School is an imoportant part of socialization and every child should be able to interact with one another and basically have a break from the books.
We all know that our students need a break just to run around, stretch their legs, and rest their minds. Being a mother I know firsthand that if a child sits in one spot for too long...well let's just say they WON'T sit in one spot for too long! Even as adults, we need time to relax, talk to friends, etc. Why think our students don't need the same things. I think the individuals of authority making these decisions have to realize that school is not about highstakes testing. These tests are becoming the main focus; however, our children need to be.
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Boy this post really resonates with me. I share your concerns about schools being built in Atlanta without playgrounds. Here's a link to my posts about high stakes testing:
http://anne.teachesme.com/?s=high+stakes+testing
You can see we are kindred spirits! I feel just as strongly about students having physical education and time to socialize and play! Good post!
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