Pass a Test or Build a House?

Pass a Test or Build a House?

Two years ago, our high school was visited by a team from Apple™ who shared with us tips and tricks by which we could best utilize Apple™ technology to improve our students' education. One of the videos that they showed which predicated their assistance was: Which Do You Want Your Students To Do: Pass a Test or Build a House? The purpose of the video was meant to reframe our assessments – students of the 21st century were not meant to fit into a mold, but rather were to flow out into society as: builders, creators, designers, dreamers and achievers. 

However, having been an educator for several decades, I began worrying that a shift toward project-based assessments and away from testing would be detrimental to the very students we purported to be preparing. Students preparing to exit high school are subject to a variety of traditional assessments (tests), which allow colleges, universities, and businesses to best initially place each individual within the system that they are joining. ACTs, SATs, ICAMs, COMPASSs greet those going on to further their education; while A+, PMSB, DPSelectrician, and HVAC are just a few of the many certification exams needed for those entering a trade. Add to this the desire of governmental agencies to certify that fundings they provide are having the desired positive effects, and it seems that 21st century students will need to be able to deal with tests if they hope to flow out into society as: builders, creators, designers, dreamers and achievers.

 http://www.ted.com/playlists/24/re_imagining_school.html

So whereas there are many a TED talk about how new teaching methodologies are needed to replace the "old ways", the question posed (in either or terms), "to pass a test or build a house," is poorly phrased.  Though building a house is the higher level endeavor, society is less than pleased to have you doing so if you can't show that you know the basics of building houses safely (i.e. pass certification tests). Doctors, Lawyers, Nurses, Draftsmen, Electricians, Plumbers, Heating and Cooling Repair Technicians, Geek Squad Personnel for Best Buy, all are expected to pass certification tests, and we as educators are expected to prepare our students for them. BOTH passing tests and completing significant tasks should be expected of students in a modern educational system.