EOG; The End of Teaching

From the 3rd grade on, students are given state made tests to prove that the teachers are doing their jobs.  It has very little to do with the students and everything to do with the teachers.  Test like EOGs, EOCs, and even the SATs are designed to test the students on what they learned not how much.  If students do poorly on these tests,then it reflects on the teachers.  This means that to keep their jobs they have to teach for the test!  So instead of students becoming knowledgeable and confident, ready for the harsh reality that is college, they are in the classrooms learning, "If you don't know the answer to something, pick 'C'.  Studies show that must test makers make 'C' the answer".  It's sick and perverse!  We are the slaves to the test, a test that is made up by people who haven't been in a classroom setting for years.  I am yet to use any of the information I learned for a state made test.  I admit that it has been a while, but I don't think I have used anything from the SAT either.  When a teacher was able to create and give their own EOC I learned so much more from the class.  Why are we still using this antiquated method to prove that students are learning?  Each student learns differently and every student shows what they have learned in different ways.  I always did poorly on tests in school.  Then I got into College and was given essay format tests and started getting perfect scores.  It was the multiple choice that messed me up.  Given all those choices I almost always second guessed myself.  There are thousands of children who are just like me or worse and will never make it out of Middle School due to discouraging test grades.  Will the school system ever get there act together and come up with a more equal testing?

Another new ipad....

 http://business-standard.com/india/news/customers-pre-ordering-ipad-3-will-have-to-wait/467430/

 It seems like as soon as they come out with one ipad, you turn around and another one is soon to be released.  Each time they change or upgrade one or two things making it hardly worth it.  Yet hundreds of people are lined up every time for the next ipad or iphone.  I would like to get one myself, but I'm afraid that as soon as I get out of the store with it, it will be out dated.  It is possible that we have too much technology?  That we as a society are obsessed with it?  The world keeps giving us more and we keep eating it up because we are told it is better than before and it will make our lives better. How much difference can a slightly updated product make, and how often are we fooled by what the media tells us?