Don 't Always Trust Everything You Read Essay

High school history textbooks are seen, by students, as presenting the last word on American History. Rarely, if ever, do they question what their text tells them about our collective past. According to James W. Loewen's Lies My Teacher Told Me, they should be. Loewen has spent considerable time and effort reviewing history texts that were written for high school students. In Lies, he has reviewed twenty texts and has compared them to the actual history. Sadly, not one text measures up to the author's expectation of teaching students to think. What is worse, though, is that students come away from their classes without "having developed the ability to think coherently about social

Additionally, Albert Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” There are different forms of intelligence that go beyond what our school system measures. Students are not a unit to be measured, and students cannot be assigned a numerical value to identify their intelligence. Students are diverse—they learn at different speeds, and they learn in different ways. Focusing solely on test scores is hurting our students and deviating away from building our society on success and excellence. Critics are slowly realizing the problems associated with standardized tests—they create anxiety, they are extremely biased, and they do not measure the ability to think deeply.

American history is taught in high schools all over the country. It is held as a core curriculum for every American student because of the importance found in teaching our youth of our “perfect nation” and our “perfect past”. However, contrary to popular belief, James W. Loewen, author of Lies My Teacher Told Me, has found American history to be taught with a completely nationalistic approach. Not only is the history of our country taught with a horribly strong patriotic sentiment, but generally with a misunderstood concept of the history of America by the writers themselves. America has never lived a lie as ruinous as that in which happens in classrooms every day.

Albert Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” I’ve seen this today, where students are these fish, and these standardized tests that we take are the judges at how well we climb up the tree.

James Loewen wrote the book ?Lies My Teacher Told ME? to help the students of the United States become aware of their true history. This book attempts to show how and why American history has been taught the way it has without regard for the truth. Mr. Loewen had compared twelve different history textbooks they are: The Great Republic, The American Way, Land of Promise, Rise of the American Nation, Challenge of Freedom, American Adventures, Discovering American History, The American Tradition, Life and Liberty, The United States ? A History of the Republic, Triumph of the American Nation and The American Pageant. Loewen has argued his cases for Heroification, Euorcentrism and the first settlers, and Racism in our history. He has done

Primarily, the article titled, “Is the Use of Standardized Tests Improving Education in America?” it states, “The multiple-choice format used on standardized tests is an inadequate assessment tool. It encourages a simplistic way of thinking in which there are only right and wrong answers, which doesn't apply in real-world situations” (ProCon.org). There are numerous answers to the everyday simple problems that we, as humans, face. So, who is to say what answer is correct and what answer is not, when you have to read between the lines in a passage or article. Each student has a different point of view, and not always are they wrong. According to an article written by Thomas Armstrong it states, “Standardized tests don’t provide any feedback on how to perform better. The results aren’t even given back to the teachers and students until months later, and there are no instructions provided by test companies on how to improve these test scores” (edge.ascd.org). This exhibits how the test does not provide any feedback of particular instruction on how to improve, so why take a test when you cannot even reflect off of your right and wrong answers? Also, according to an article written by Susannah Cahalan, it states, “Researchers studied the efficacy of the blots finding that they were worse at predicting job performance or academic success than report cards or even a short questionnaire” (nypost.com). This study shows that standardized testing, and ‘blots’, do not predict occupations effectively for maturing students. School is finding out what you want to do with the rest of your life, and taking a test that does not correspond with helping you find out what paths you should begin to lead down is not practical. However, many critics belief that standardized testing does accurately test the students and their capabilities. So,

"It would be better not to know so many things than to know so many

Beginning my elementary school career, I attended Indianapolis Public Schools. When I entered school, Kindergarten was only half days, and we were working on materials such as, learning our alphabet and counting to 100. The workload was a far cry from the addition, subtraction, early reading skills, and science that my daughter is learning in kindergarten this year. Following the first grade I left the Indianapolis Public School System and entered into a new school system. Embarking on second grade we started working on the skills that would help us read proficiently. I was absolutely struggling, but I was also so distrustful that I didn’t dare to say anything to my teacher. Thankfully, even without me saying anything to her, my teacher noticed

The use of standardized testing to measure students’ knowledge is an inaccurate reflection of their capabilities. By being forced to take a test that does not effectively show their abilities, students become overstressed, and the tests themselves do not promote true academic achievement. Rather than learning about subjects in order to gain knowledge, students simply memorize facts and formulas to get a decent test score. Standardized tests are not an appropriate measure of student performance, only benefit certain groups of students, and do not prepare students for the real world.

The first type of inconsistency or the internal inconsistency of the maxim relates to the fact that, as we noted earlier, maxims are principles of action in that they provide directives that we intend to realize; this intention is what we mean when we say that we have willed the maxim. The conceptual or internal contradiction, to which O’Neill refers, emerges when what we intend incorporates something that is not possible. For example, one cannot will success and stay detached from the world at the same time. However, one can consistently will success in public life and yet not interact with others in private life. O’Neill sees this kind of ‘schizophrenic’ willing as problematic, but tolerable within the bounds of the Kantian doctrine since such nuances

It is true ... you generally teach as you were taught. The second truth is that you often discipline as you were disciplined. This is unfortunate, but true.

It was completely acceptable for Emma to bear false witness to a rehabilitation center concerning her father’s health because she was doing so out of her love for him. If someone has the opportunity to help another, one could say it is his duty to help, regardless of the cost. Think of Robin Hood. He took from the rich in order to help the poor. He did break a law, but it is man’s duty to always help others if given the opportunity and means. The repercussions are worth it if people can benefit. Though fulfilling one’s duty is important, doing so out of love makes one’s actions so much more honorable. Even further honor could be given, though, if one willingly, not out of obligation, takes a risk for the betterment of another. Considering

This past semesters has been an eye opening experience that has changed my views on teacher. Ever since I was little, I have always wanted to be a fourth grade teacher. However after being placed in a second grade classroom my views have changed. I liked the idea of teaching fourth grade because my fourth grade teacher was my inspiration in life. When I was in Ms. Petro’s class I enjoyed being able to watch the students progress over time. Being able to see the drastic improvements in little children is very rewarding and that is why I want to continue to teach lower grades. I have learned that being a teacher requires a special someone, a person who knows that sometimes you will have to deal with tough situations leaving you exhausted and feeling like you are not able to help more. But at the same time, being a teacher allows one to be a visionary for the world and those who surround you.

The question of right and wrong has been battled over for centuries. Many conservatives still believe that truth is absolute, while others disagree, saying that truth is relative. I believe that truth is an individual’s perception of beliefs and decisions.

According to Dante, truth and dishonesty are viewed as the most sinful act to be done in the mid-evil period. In Dante's eyes, liars are sent to hell and truth holds a high standard to life, without truth one must face the consequence of lying. In today's society, truth is still important. Without truth there is no honesty and without honesty you cannot expect to maintain relationships. People may befriend you because of your lies, but you are not automatically assumed as a sinner. Whereas in the mid-evil period, if you were even thought of as not telling the truth you were automatically believed by Dante as a sinner who must suffer in hell. To Dante, truth is not about you but about the impact you have on society. Without