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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

Debate

These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:

Date16:33:24, June 29, 2007 CET
FromNew Democratic Party
ToDebating the Student Creativity Act
MessagePlease 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.

Date17:15:11, June 29, 2007 CET
FromLodamun Distributionist Party
ToDebating the Student Creativity Act
MessageWe can certainly support this proposal. We have been trying to remove standarized testing as the primary means of assessment for some time now.

Date19:15:14, June 29, 2007 CET
FromRadical Nationalist Party
ToDebating the Student Creativity Act
MessageWe see what creative education is churning out now and its a bunch of idiots, we will vote against this.

Date20:08:26, June 29, 2007 CET
FromNew Democratic Party
ToDebating the Student Creativity Act
MessageThe 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.

Date20:18:26, June 29, 2007 CET
FromDemocrats
ToDebating the Student Creativity Act
MessageSurely creativity should be an extracurricular activity?

Date01:35:40, June 30, 2007 CET
FromNew Democratic Party
ToDebating the Student Creativity Act
MessageFootball 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?

Date00:25:53, July 02, 2007 CET
FromDemocrats
ToDebating the Student Creativity Act
MessageAye, so this would be a system that automatically favours those with greater capabilities?

Date18:12:56, July 02, 2007 CET
FromNew Democratic Party
ToDebating the Student Creativity Act
MessageAs 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.

Date18:52:25, July 02, 2007 CET
FromDemocrats
ToDebating the Student Creativity Act
MessageWe 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

Date20:37:21, July 02, 2007 CET
FromNew Democratic Party
ToDebating the Student Creativity Act
MessageWe 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.

Date20:41:10, July 02, 2007 CET
FromDemocrats
ToDebating the Student Creativity Act
MessageAye, the NDP have convinced us, we shall back.

Date23:44:28, July 02, 2007 CET
FromLodamun Distributionist Party
ToDebating the Student Creativity Act
MessageA good show, lads...and a convincing argument.

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Voting

Vote Seats
yes
      

Total Seats: 305

no
   

Total Seats: 294

abstain

    Total Seats: 0


    Random fact: The people in your nation don't like inactive parties. When you often abstain from voting for a bill, they will dislike your party and your visibility to the electorate will decrease significantly. Low visibility will means you are likely to lose seats. So keep in mind: voting Yes or No is always better than Abstaining.

    Random quote: "Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." - John Adams

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