Waubonsee Community College

What does it mean to be well educated? and more essays on standards, grading, and other follies, Alfie Kohn

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

index present

non fiction

What does it mean to be well educated? and more essays on standards, grading, and other follies

bibliography

53084104

Alfie Kohn

"Few writers ask us to question our fundamental assumptions about education as provocatively as Alfie Kohn. In this new collection of essays, Kohn takes on some of the most important topics in education of recent years. His central focus is on the real goals of schooling - a topic, he argues, that we systematically ignore while lavishing attention on misguided models of learning and motivation." "From the title essay's challenge to conventional definitions of a good education to essays on testing and grading that tally the severe educational costs of overemphasizing a narrow conception of achievement, Kohn boldly builds on his earlier work and writes for a wide audience. He explores topics ranging from the destructiveness of praise to the inadequacy of American high schools, shows how traditional educational practices can spoil the value of newer and better approaches, and offers a provocative reflection on what 9/11 and its aftermath can mean for schools."--Jacket

The purposes of schooling. What does it mean to be well-educated? Turning learning into a business. The costs of overemphasizing achievement -- Standards and testing. Confusing harder with better. Beware of the standards, not just the tests. Standardized testing and its victims. Sacrificing learning for higher scores. Two cheers for an end to the SAT -- Grading and evaluating. From degrading to de-grading. The dangerous myth of grade inflation. Five reasons to stop saying 'good job!' -- Moral, social, and psychological questions. Constant frustration and occasional violence. September 11. A fresh look at Abraham Maslow -- School reform and the study of education. Almost there, but not quite. Education's rotten apples. The folly of merit pay. Professors who profess