[Applause] I’d like to start off with this quote I
I’d like to start off with this quote I
I’d like to start off with this quote I enjoy maybe you’ve heard of it
enjoy maybe you’ve heard of it
enjoy maybe you’ve heard of it judge me by my size do you
judge me by my size do you
judge me by my size do you now if you saw this on an SAT test which
now if you saw this on an SAT test which
now if you saw this on an SAT test which multiple choice answer would make this
multiple choice answer would make this
multiple choice answer would make this sentence most grammatically correct okay
sentence most grammatically correct okay
sentence most grammatically correct okay I’ll admit this is silly Yoda didn’t
I’ll admit this is silly Yoda didn’t
I’ll admit this is silly Yoda didn’t need a standardized test to prove he
need a standardized test to prove he
need a standardized test to prove he understood the complexities of life and
understood the complexities of life and
understood the complexities of life and neither do I yet I spent my childhood
neither do I yet I spent my childhood
neither do I yet I spent my childhood learning to do well on the star test so
learning to do well on the star test so
learning to do well on the star test so my teacher could earn a decent salary
my teacher could earn a decent salary
my teacher could earn a decent salary and my school could receive funding now
and my school could receive funding now
and my school could receive funding now every teenager in the country will grown
every teenager in the country will grown
every teenager in the country will grown a dimension of the SAT or the AZT and
a dimension of the SAT or the AZT and
a dimension of the SAT or the AZT and close to none will have any other
close to none will have any other
close to none will have any other encounter with them and most their kids
encounter with them and most their kids
encounter with them and most their kids take it too now I didn’t choose to
take it too now I didn’t choose to
take it too now I didn’t choose to master identifying identifying the main
master identifying identifying the main
master identifying identifying the main point of a passage or the quadratic
point of a passage or the quadratic
point of a passage or the quadratic formula and while I understand these are
formula and while I understand these are
formula and while I understand these are important skills they seem rudimentary
important skills they seem rudimentary
important skills they seem rudimentary compared to the kind of understanding I
compared to the kind of understanding I
compared to the kind of understanding I want to have of the world I like many of
want to have of the world I like many of
want to have of the world I like many of my colleagues feel lost but maybe we
my colleagues feel lost but maybe we
my colleagues feel lost but maybe we wouldn’t be so lost if we were given a
wouldn’t be so lost if we were given a
wouldn’t be so lost if we were given a time and a place to explore our
time and a place to explore our
time and a place to explore our interests I’ve known to communities that
interests I’ve known to communities that
interests I’ve known to communities that have dramatically shaped my own and many
have dramatically shaped my own and many
have dramatically shaped my own and many more people’s lives and have given
more people’s lives and have given
more people’s lives and have given students that opportunity to find their
students that opportunity to find their
students that opportunity to find their true passion one is the educational
true passion one is the educational
true passion one is the educational system in the country of Finland and the
system in the country of Finland and the
system in the country of Finland and the other is an experience for high school
other is an experience for high school
other is an experience for high school sophomores juniors and seniors called a
sophomores juniors and seniors called a
sophomores juniors and seniors called a semester school established here in the
semester school established here in the
semester school established here in the US as for Finland the fundamental
US as for Finland the fundamental
US as for Finland the fundamental difference is that there is one
difference is that there is one
difference is that there is one standardized test called the
standardized test called the
standardized test called the matriculation exam taken at the end of
matriculation exam taken at the end of
matriculation exam taken at the end of high school where as students here take
high school where as students here take
high school where as students here take an average of 113 standardized tests
an average of 113 standardized tests
an average of 113 standardized tests from elementary to high school it makes
from elementary to high school it makes
from elementary to high school it makes you feel cheated right how come I had to
you feel cheated right how come I had to
you feel cheated right how come I had to take that star test in fifth grade while
take that star test in fifth grade while
take that star test in fifth grade while the finished students were off playing
the finished students were off playing
the finished students were off playing Durden during their 75 minute recess
Durden during their 75 minute recess
Durden during their 75 minute recess with no homework I know I made you
with no homework I know I made you
with no homework I know I made you little jealous there here’s the logic
little jealous there here’s the logic
little jealous there here’s the logic behind their method the young students
behind their method the young students
behind their method the young students in primary and lower secondary education
in primary and lower secondary education
in primary and lower secondary education spend just above six thousand hours in
spend just above six thousand hours in
spend just above six thousand hours in compulsory instruction allowing them
compulsory instruction allowing them
compulsory instruction allowing them ample time to learn from authentic
ample time to learn from authentic
ample time to learn from authentic experiences while US students spent
experiences while US students spent
experiences while US students spent around nine thousand hours in school
around nine thousand hours in school
around nine thousand hours in school while the students are out of school the
while the students are out of school the
while the students are out of school the teachers are busy planning lessons
teachers are busy planning lessons
teachers are busy planning lessons making every minute of class time when a
making every minute of class time when a
making every minute of class time when a preparation and productivity and
preparation and productivity and
preparation and productivity and allowing their curriculum to include
allowing their curriculum to include
allowing their curriculum to include subjects such as philosophy
subjects such as philosophy
subjects such as philosophy environmental science home economics and
environmental science home economics and
environmental science home economics and ethics along with two required foreign
ethics along with two required foreign
ethics along with two required foreign languages and all the basics covered
languages and all the basics covered
languages and all the basics covered here in the US almost none of the
here in the US almost none of the
here in the US almost none of the curriculum is developed for strict use
curriculum is developed for strict use
curriculum is developed for strict use on the national level nor is it
on the national level nor is it
on the national level nor is it influenced by any private corporations
influenced by any private corporations
influenced by any private corporations standardized tests are subsequently
standardized tests are subsequently
standardized tests are subsequently replaced by individual qualitative
replaced by individual qualitative
replaced by individual qualitative feedback and real work real examples of
feedback and real work real examples of
feedback and real work real examples of students work and capabilities if that’s
students work and capabilities if that’s
students work and capabilities if that’s not convincing enough to show how well
not convincing enough to show how well
not convincing enough to show how well their system works take a look at the
their system works take a look at the
their system works take a look at the OECD rankings these are the results from
OECD rankings these are the results from
OECD rankings these are the results from the paisa a test administered by OECD to
the paisa a test administered by OECD to
the paisa a test administered by OECD to measure the proficiency of education
measure the proficiency of education
measure the proficiency of education systems in 35 countries now as you can
systems in 35 countries now as you can
systems in 35 countries now as you can see here Finland scores are much higher
see here Finland scores are much higher
see here Finland scores are much higher than the u.s. is and every category
than the u.s. is and every category
than the u.s. is and every category except for anxiety which one would hope
except for anxiety which one would hope
except for anxiety which one would hope to be lower right and while their test
to be lower right and while their test
to be lower right and while their test scores have decreased in the past couple
scores have decreased in the past couple
scores have decreased in the past couple of years
of years
of years they’re again making reforms to their
they’re again making reforms to their
they’re again making reforms to their system showing that they’re unafraid to
system showing that they’re unafraid to
system showing that they’re unafraid to take chances in light of a better
take chances in light of a better
take chances in light of a better educated public now for a solution which
educated public now for a solution which
educated public now for a solution which to me is experiential education and it
to me is experiential education and it
to me is experiential education and it consists of two components the first
consists of two components the first
consists of two components the first being the students physical encounter
being the students physical encounter
being the students physical encounter with the subject which will inevitably
with the subject which will inevitably
with the subject which will inevitably be unique from anyone else’s experience
be unique from anyone else’s experience
be unique from anyone else’s experience and the second is the students
and the second is the students
and the second is the students reflection which allows them to develop
reflection which allows them to develop
reflection which allows them to develop a conclusive statement on what they
a conclusive statement on what they
a conclusive statement on what they learned tangible interaction
learned tangible interaction
learned tangible interaction make a student more likely to remember
make a student more likely to remember
make a student more likely to remember and learn the material I know this to be
and learn the material I know this to be
and learn the material I know this to be true because I had this experience
true because I had this experience
true because I had this experience myself at coastal studies for girls a
myself at coastal studies for girls a
myself at coastal studies for girls a semester school I attended in Maine last
semester school I attended in Maine last
semester school I attended in Maine last spring we conducted a month long
spring we conducted a month long
spring we conducted a month long research project on relevant marine
research project on relevant marine
research project on relevant marine ecology issues on top of that incredible
ecology issues on top of that incredible
ecology issues on top of that incredible achievement which would have been
achievement which would have been
achievement which would have been impossible for me had I not gone there
impossible for me had I not gone there
impossible for me had I not gone there I also took an AP exam on environmental
I also took an AP exam on environmental
I also took an AP exam on environmental science the semester of apes here in the
science the semester of apes here in the
science the semester of apes here in the fall and the in-depth marine ecology
fall and the in-depth marine ecology
fall and the in-depth marine ecology education I received in Maine allowed me
education I received in Maine allowed me
education I received in Maine allowed me to achieve a high score on a
to achieve a high score on a
to achieve a high score on a standardized test without being directly
standardized test without being directly
standardized test without being directly taught towards it my success and the
taught towards it my success and the
taught towards it my success and the success of the finished high school
success of the finished high school
success of the finished high school students on the piasa is enough to show
students on the piasa is enough to show
students on the piasa is enough to show me the proficiency of an education free
me the proficiency of an education free
me the proficiency of an education free from standardized tests now I have one
from standardized tests now I have one
from standardized tests now I have one major grievance with the education
major grievance with the education
major grievance with the education system here and that is our education
system here and that is our education
system here and that is our education seems to be written for us instead of by
seems to be written for us instead of by
seems to be written for us instead of by us now experiential education and the
us now experiential education and the
us now experiential education and the independent independent projects that
independent independent projects that
independent independent projects that come with it would allow students
come with it would allow students
come with it would allow students countless opportunities to pursue their
countless opportunities to pursue their
countless opportunities to pursue their own interests
own interests
own interests so maybe someone going into a bachelor’s
so maybe someone going into a bachelor’s
so maybe someone going into a bachelor’s degree program in nutrition like me
degree program in nutrition like me
degree program in nutrition like me wouldn’t have to start off from square
wouldn’t have to start off from square
wouldn’t have to start off from square one in college another problem is that
one in college another problem is that
one in college another problem is that with the without the development of a
with the without the development of a
with the without the development of a well-rounded person in our education and
well-rounded person in our education and
well-rounded person in our education and with the sudden emergence of the
with the sudden emergence of the
with the sudden emergence of the Internet our generation seems to have
Internet our generation seems to have
Internet our generation seems to have resorted to maybe less productive
resorted to maybe less productive
resorted to maybe less productive hobbies such as googling memes or vines
hobbies such as googling memes or vines
hobbies such as googling memes or vines like this one here up in the corner but
like this one here up in the corner but
like this one here up in the corner but maybe instead we could grow up in a
maybe instead we could grow up in a
maybe instead we could grow up in a society where students are encouraged
society where students are encouraged
society where students are encouraged instead to look up the new issue of
instead to look up the new issue of
instead to look up the new issue of national Geographics or the amateur
national Geographics or the amateur
national Geographics or the amateur astronomical Association
astronomical Association
astronomical Association instead of stressing over the tests
instead of stressing over the tests
instead of stressing over the tests created by these four companies that
created by these four companies that
created by these four companies that dominate the test-taking industry and
dominate the test-taking industry and
dominate the test-taking industry and maybe it is too late for our education
maybe it is too late for our education
maybe it is too late for our education our generation to receive the time and
our generation to receive the time and
our generation to receive the time and attention needed to create such change
attention needed to create such change
attention needed to create such change but that shouldn’t keep us from fixing
but that shouldn’t keep us from fixing
but that shouldn’t keep us from fixing this issue from everyone else to come
this issue from everyone else to come
this issue from everyone else to come we could bring education in this country
we could bring education in this country
we could bring education in this country to such a high standard that students
to such a high standard that students
to such a high standard that students and younger generations could easily
and younger generations could easily
and younger generations could easily ponder the following questions from
ponder the following questions from
ponder the following questions from Finland’s matriculation exam has your
Finland’s matriculation exam has your
Finland’s matriculation exam has your body become your hobby choose three
body become your hobby choose three
body become your hobby choose three world religions and compare the role and
world religions and compare the role and
world religions and compare the role and use of a holy image within them in what
use of a holy image within them in what
use of a holy image within them in what sense are Happiness good life and
sense are Happiness good life and
sense are Happiness good life and well-being ethical concepts don’t worry
well-being ethical concepts don’t worry
well-being ethical concepts don’t worry I don’t really know how to answer these
I don’t really know how to answer these
I don’t really know how to answer these questions either I say ditch the
questions either I say ditch the
questions either I say ditch the standardized tests because as we have
standardized tests because as we have
standardized tests because as we have seen they cause undue stress and fall
seen they cause undue stress and fall
seen they cause undue stress and fall through when the narrow slit of
through when the narrow slit of
through when the narrow slit of information covered is not needed what
information covered is not needed what
information covered is not needed what I’m not saying is that experiential
I’m not saying is that experiential
I’m not saying is that experiential education is for everyone and who knows
education is for everyone and who knows
education is for everyone and who knows it may it might not fare so well I’m
it may it might not fare so well I’m
it may it might not fare so well I’m also not saying we should adopt
also not saying we should adopt
also not saying we should adopt everything that the that Finland has
everything that the that Finland has
everything that the that Finland has because we have a vastly different
because we have a vastly different
because we have a vastly different culture from them but I am saying we
culture from them but I am saying we
culture from them but I am saying we need to give something a try if we took
need to give something a try if we took
need to give something a try if we took some chance then maybe the lyrics to the
some chance then maybe the lyrics to the
some chance then maybe the lyrics to the Jimi Hendrix song are you experienced
Jimi Hendrix song are you experienced
Jimi Hendrix song are you experienced could have a whole new meaning for one’s
could have a whole new meaning for one’s
could have a whole new meaning for one’s life and true passion thank you
life and true passion thank you
life and true passion thank you [Applause]
”
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