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D**igital Alternatives: Confronting a Standardized World**

If you ask a group of teachers, “What is your ultimate goal in teaching your students?” most would probably respond along the lines of developing lifelong learners, preparing students for the 21st century real world, or creating critical and sophisticated thinkers and problem solvers. Few, if any, would be likely to identify successful performances on standardized tests as their central purpose as educators. However, the need for accountability in today’s educational system has put enormous pressure on teachers to adequately prepare students for these standardized tests, whether or not it is in alignment with the teachers’ philosophies or beliefs. As a result, there is a tendency to move towards traditional test-prep activities in an effort to maximize student scores—but at what cost?

If our focus shifts from educating the whole child to educating only that part of the child that will perform well on tests, what stands to be lost? Yes, we will have produced students who can expertly answer multiple choice questions and constructed responses, but what becomes of skills like collaboration, problem- solving, and creativity? How will schools manage to turn out the critical thinkers and creators that our 21st century workforce demands?

It would seem that teachers are left with two options: either prepare students for the standardized test or prepare them for the rest of their lives. The choice here seems obvious; however, we cannot simply disregard the tests that will be used to—reliably or not—assess our students, colleagues, and schools. What if there was a way to satisfy both demands—to develop students ready to tackle the real world //while// also preparing them for the standardized tests?

This was the essential question addressed in Moravian College’s summer graduate class “Digital Alternatives to Test Preparation.” This universal educational challenge in the age of NCLB has allowed us, a small team of practicing educators, to work collaboratively towards solutions. Our process began by focusing on authentic forms of assessment that promote essential 21st century skills including communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving. The driving challenge behind our work was to explore digital alternatives to test preparation-- alternatives that promote meaningful learning while addressing accountability requirements. This wiki represents our collective work.

// Kevin Bush // // Bridget Doklan // // Jamie Hill // // Jennifer Volpato-Huntsberger // // Randy Ziegenfuss, Instructor // media type="custom" key="6649751"