Chapter Two: The Global Achievement Gap

In chapter two Tony talks about how students in AP classes know how to pass tests but not how to observe. Like the story that is told about the students doing a lab, when something goes wrong they look to the professor to help them for him to give them the answer of how to fix it. You would think that in advanced placement classes the students would have the knowledge and critically thinking ability to fix this on their own.

Another main point that I found to be interesting was when Tony talks about how "teachers are not encouraging deeper levels of thinking or question asking. He states tests are multiple choice, teachers are trying their best to get their students prepared for tests." This problem deprives students of that very important skill of critical thinking, I can see now that when I was in Elementary School, that yes, the emphasis was put on getting us prepared for tests. I feel like I am missing out on important skills that I should have been taught but wasn't.

"It is only in an occasional honors or art class where someone may see deviations from the standard lesson." (Page 64) This is sad to me. Students should be able to ask questions that are not related to the standard lesson and they should get an answer! Students should have some freedom to explore topics that are an interest to them, even if it is not always related to the "standard lesson."

The fact that teachers have not been trained on how to teach all students how to reason, hypothesize and analyze takes away from the learning of the student. I feel the fault for this should not go to the teacher but to who taught them. If the teachers were not taught themselves how to think this way, how are they going to teach the students.

Like talked about a lot in this chapter, teachers are focused on the "wrong things" you could say. They are teaching exclusively on the reading and math BASICS. Why just the basics? Learning should have more depth, creativity and exploration. Students don't get excited about learning when it is the basics and they same type of lessons: worksheets, papers, multiple choices tests.Learning should be fun and exciting, and instead of students thinking school is boring they should want to go!