We are working on a brand new version of the game! If you want to stay informed, read our blog and register for our mailing list.
Bill: Student Creativity Act
Details
Submitted by[?]: New Democratic Party
Status[?]: passed
Votes: This is an ordinary bill. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: January 2424
Description[?]:
| The New Democratic Party offers this compromise, since discouraging standardized testing for practical experience clearly doesn't have the popular support needed to pass. This bill allows standardized testing to continue, but puts an emphasis on student creativity. The problem with standardized testing is that it attempts to be objective, but continues to be as subjective as any other form of testing. More importantly, multiple choice questions (the bread and butter of the standardized test) can only assess low-level thinking; students are only required to regurgitate memorized facts. An effective educational system will require students to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate: higher forms of thinking that involve creativity. For more information, visit the following sites regarding Bloom's Taxonomy (a popular educational model.) The fist site explains low and high level thinking skills, and the second gives sample questions. Note: only knowledge and perhaps understanding can be tested by standardized testing. http://www.officeport.com/edu/blooms.htm http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/dalton.htm |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change National Curriculum
Old value:: invalid choice
Current: There is a National Curriculum which all schools are obliged to follow.
Proposed: invalid choice
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 16:33:24, June 29, 2007 CET | From | New Democratic Party | To | Debating the Student Creativity Act |
| Message | Please notice that, under this law, standardized testing will still take place as a common assessment. This bill simply gives our educational system the freedom to pursue more effective types of assessment and instruction. |
| Date | 17:15:11, June 29, 2007 CET | From | Lodamun Distributionist Party | To | Debating the Student Creativity Act |
| Message | We can certainly support this proposal. We have been trying to remove standarized testing as the primary means of assessment for some time now. |
| Date | 19:15:14, June 29, 2007 CET | From | Radical Nationalist Party | To | Debating the Student Creativity Act |
| Message | We see what creative education is churning out now and its a bunch of idiots, we will vote against this. |
| Date | 20:08:26, June 29, 2007 CET | From | New Democratic Party | To | Debating the Student Creativity Act |
| Message | The NP argues in favor of our cause. Currently, STANDARDIZED education is churning out idiots. We're trying to change that. Students who are challenged to think critically (which standardized testing discourages) will inherently be more thoughtful and intelligent. |
| Date | 20:18:26, June 29, 2007 CET | From | Democrats | To | Debating the Student Creativity Act |
| Message | Surely creativity should be an extracurricular activity? |
| Date | 01:35:40, June 30, 2007 CET | From | New Democratic Party | To | Debating the Student Creativity Act |
| Message | Football should be an extracurricular, as should band or theatre. Creativity, however, is fundamental to the classroom. Creativity is the basis of higher-level thinking and problem-solving: whether in math, science, English, or political science. What great thinker of our time hasn't been renowned for his or her creativity? |
| Date | 00:25:53, July 02, 2007 CET | From | Democrats | To | Debating the Student Creativity Act |
| Message | Aye, so this would be a system that automatically favours those with greater capabilities? |
| Date | 18:12:56, July 02, 2007 CET | From | New Democratic Party | To | Debating the Student Creativity Act |
| Message | As opposed to a system that favors students who regurgitate facts without fully understanding their significance: yes. When a school places importance on a certain ideal (such as rote memorization or creative, critical thinking) it encourages all students to excel in that area. In order for a student to achieve in that particular curriculum, he or she must adapt and learn that skill. Currently, our school system places importance on recalling information; we believe that critical thinking and creativity is a loftier goal. This will not cost anymore than the current model. It will simply charge teachers to challenge their students to think rather than memorize. |
| Date | 18:52:25, July 02, 2007 CET | From | Democrats | To | Debating the Student Creativity Act |
| Message | We still feel that there is some confusion here. For example the NDP state that creativity is vital to problem solving, and then raises maths and the sciences as an area that would benefit from this. But surely the current testing and teaching must teach students problem soling in these two subjects. If all that students are currently doing is "regurgitating facts" then surely all they would be learning in maths, for example, would be the times tables. We do not believe that this is a correct interpretation of current teaching methods, as problem solving is essential to maths and the sciences. We still view creativity as an emphasis on non-mechanical subjects, such as art, drama etc etc |
| Date | 20:37:21, July 02, 2007 CET | From | New Democratic Party | To | Debating the Student Creativity Act |
| Message | We agree that there is still confusion surrounding this issue. The NDP thanks the NMP, in particular, for the lively debate. We are confident that all parties have the best interests of Lodamun's youth in mind. The problem with standardized testing is that it only has the potential for assessing knowledge (as opposed to comprehension, application, understanding, etc.) While teachers may attempt to cover other skills, an emphasis on standardized testing causes teachers to stress the material that will appear on those tests. When those tests aren't the primary means of assessing student achievement, however, the focus is on asking students to appraise, compare, predict, support, evaluate, etc. With that being said, we feel that the time to vote is at hand. The NDP challenges the NMP and other parties to review the collected research material in the bill's description before voting. We hope that all see that, while standardized testing shouldn't be abolished, it's clearly not what's best for Lodamun's students. |
| Date | 20:41:10, July 02, 2007 CET | From | Democrats | To | Debating the Student Creativity Act |
| Message | Aye, the NDP have convinced us, we shall back. |
| Date | 23:44:28, July 02, 2007 CET | From | Lodamun Distributionist Party | To | Debating the Student Creativity Act |
| Message | A good show, lads...and a convincing argument. |
subscribe to this discussion - unsubscribe
Voting
| Vote | Seats | ||||||
| yes |
Total Seats: 305 | ||||||
| no | Total Seats: 294 | ||||||
| abstain | Total Seats: 0 |
| Random fact: Players are expected to behave in a courteous, co-operative manner and make a reasonable effort to act with the consent of all players involved, even where the rules do not make consent strictly necessary. In particular, players have a responsibility to take reasonable care that other players are not misinformed either about the role-play or the Game Rules. |
| Random quote: "The radical right is so homophobic that they're blaming global warming on the AIDS quilt." - Dennis Miller |