The ‘Drill and Kill’ approach: Does it work?
by admin on July 14, 2011 in News
I just finished reading an article you should know about.
It addresses a fixation we all have by necessity: how to keep creativity in your lesson plans while also preparing students for standardized tests.
You can read the article here:
The piece focuses on an elementary school teacher who used to spend weeks with her students with practice tests . . . until she found that they bored her students.
Instead, she began engaging them with more creative, hands-on lessons — and got much better results in the end.
Here's what this teacher said in the article:
"I used to spend time on test prep because I felt pressured to do it. But I think it's kind of a waste of time. The students get bored and don't take it seriously and it defeats the purpose."
Did this teacher's approach work for her? Well, she was rated "highly effective" in a value-added analysis by the Los Angeles Times based on her students' standardized test scores in English and math. She also ranks among the Los Angeles Unified School District's top 100 third-, fourth- and fifth-grade teachers in English in that analysis.
As the article put it: "Who says students need 'drill and kill' exercises to raise their test scores?"
Well, this is something that certainly hits near and dear to my own approach, and I'm betting this is a compelling topic for you, too.
There are several things in the article I found fascinating, but let me just address one of them now.
The movement to raise standardized test scores is certainly important. But I also think it's crucial to ask yourself these questions:
> Has the pendulum swung so far in one direction that it no longer makes sense?
> Is this really good for my kids?
> Who knows about teaching kids better: a politician, an administrator, or me?
> What is the motivation for this new plan? Is it so that administrators look better to their bosses? Is it for parents to get a quick analysis of their child's performance without ever spending a day at the school, talking to teachers, or experiencing the school's climate for themselves? Of course we want — and need — our kids to do better on standardized tests, no question.
But as you can probably tell, I'm not a big supporter of the "drill and kill" approach.
What do you think?
Give me your thoughts by posting your opinion below.
Dick Howland
July 15, 2011 at 12:13 AM
Education as we understand it in today's vernacular is not helpful. Our students do not need to know facts with any great precision. They must think and reflect upon questions confronting them in an endless barrage of perceptions and challenges.
First, They do need fluency in their own language and if not a major language better to also have fluency in one of those. Fluency as I use it means read easily with comprehension, speak and listen easily and write clearly and reasonably succinctly.
Second, They need a practical understanding of mathematics through at least advanced algebra and the skill to manipulate it effectively.
If they have acquired a sound footing in these essentials they have the tools for further and limitless learning. Humans need above all to be able to solve problems in their life experiences and career explorations. Once the critical skills are there, the emphasis should not, in my opinion focus on memorization but rather upon the range and scope of comprehension.
I believe that a student should never be given an answer, but should be coached, quided, prompted to find the path leading to a resolution. For most people, formulating the question is the most important function. Answers follow fairly quickly once the question can be posed.
J Douglas
July 16, 2011 at 6:49 AM
It is so sad that we are encouraged to think outside the box and then boxed in by the constant barage of testing. The new goal is for differentiation in the classroom. Response to Intervention is another project we are developing. All these programs take time and creativity to show progress. Some brave schools are getting on board and really seeing progress but others seem too scared to test new theories. Hopefully, the pendulum will eventually swing a different direction and look at the students interests and individual areas of need. I know it will change in time, but I feel sorry for the students who need help now.
Michael
July 17, 2011 at 5:30 AM
Drill doesn't have to mean kill. THe times table, for instance, or number facts like 7 + 5 = 12, 7 + 15 = 22. These are moe crucial than learning to use a calculator. Spelling also comes to mind. Why use a spellchecker if you don't have to? Or, why rely on it as your primary spelling resource when you have a perfectly good brain? The science says use it or lose it, and I don't want my students to lose it, so I do a certqain amount of drilling.