There is abundant research on motivation (Pink, 2009), learning (Gallagher 2009), standardized testing (Harris, Smith, & Harris, 2011), and the standards movement (Stedman, 2010) that shows how the current reform efforts that focus on using tests to evaluate schools and teachers lowers student motivation and teacher moral while it narrows the curriculum. Even China has started to realize that a standardized testing system that dates to 600 CE is bad (Zhao, 2010). There are ways to evaluate student learning that don't depend on standardized tests and don't use the extrinsic motivation of grades. In a time when anyone can learn anything, anywhere, at anytime, why do we still force everyone to learn the same thing in the same place at the same time? What are some of the non incremental changes we should consider? Here is the link to my summaries of the books sited above: http://bit.ly/ogLq0n.
I suggest a panel discussion featuring ideas of what we do to motivate students and encourage real learning. The panel will also take on how to evaluate students, teachers, and schools. This will build on the panel I was part of at #140edu in New York City on August 3rd. Here is the link: http://bit.ly/mPp4Lb