Have You Seen This Cartoon?

Have you seen this cartoon before? The teacher is asking all of these uniquely talented animals to take the same assessment.

It’s painfully obvious that the elephant, the goldfish, the crow, and the monkey all have very different strengths and areas for growth, right? It’s easy to see that climbing a tree isn’t a fair assessment for all of these incredibly diverse creatures, isn’t it?

Well, if it makes so much sense here, why do we not seem to get it when it comes to education? Why do most education programs simultaneously fail to nurture and support learners in their areas of strength and areas for growth?

It’s abundantly clear that our animals [see what I did there?] are not being assessed fairly. While it’s a major issue, tragically it’s only a piece of the puzzle. What education needs is programming that’s built around the unique skills, passions, and challenges of our students. To truly reform learning, we must go beyond assessment. We must explore and master the art of differentiation and the personalization of learning.

If you’re interested in programming that is built around the exploration and cultivation of passions, take a look here.