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Sheryl Anderson ENG 112-15 Megan Keaton 2 May 2013 Visual Analysis Everyone wants the best education for themselves and their children. They rely on the government to decide on the best way to educate the nations students. A lot of what they have decided to use has to deal with standardized testing. Standardized testing is used starting in elementary school, all the way until the end of high school. It is then used by colleges for admissions. So naturally there have been people that questioned the effectiveness of testing. And what some have found is that standardized testing is not as beneficial to the student as it is cracked up to be. While others see no negative effects with standardized testing and have no problem with the system as it is. Some feel that having students prepare for test after test is not helping them become prepared for their futures. They feel like current education is just teaching them how to take tests. In effect the do not become well rounded critical thinkers who are prepared for life after high school or college. They feel as if they are being taught how to fill in a bubble, and not think outside of their multiple choice questions. On the other side people see many benefits in the standardized testing we use today. They feel that the testing is made to be challenging and thought provoking. It also creates numerous benefits for teachers and parents. Teachers can use tests to better understand how their students are doing, and the government as a whole can see what skills our nations students are lacking. There by creating a way for schools to focus on

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problem areas for students and create well rounded citizens. The question is which side is right, how well are tests preparing students for the real world. The first comic is one that is against standardized testing. The picture is set as an office scene. There is a young adult who seems to be sitting in a poised position ready give his best guess to any question. He is holding his standard number two pencil, and is ready to get started. To the left you can see an older man who is seems unaffected by his guest and has asked a question; the young man is baffled as you can see by his blank stare. The young adults expression seems startled and clueless. The older man seems accomplished and official; he is sitting in a large desk with a nice suit and a groomed appearance. The young man looks lost and his attire seems ruffled. The setting seems like any other normal office, there is nothing that shows what kind of business that it might be. The illustrator has made the boy look unprepared and out of place. He is in a stance that makes him look like he is about to begin a test. The young man is even holding a number two pencil, which is what is always used when filling out a multiple choice test. The illustrator made these choices to show what schools are preparing students for, tests. This is obviously what the man thinks a real job is all about; he does not have the correct skills even for an interview. The illustrator used a normal office scene with an accomplished business man to represent any stereotypical interview that a person would have. The most interesting part of this comic is the dialogue. The older man specifically asks, what does being educated in a public school system qualify him to do? This brings the viewers attention directly to public schools, not colleges, not private schools, or home schooling. This gives us a strong opinion from the author that the way that public school systems are doing things is wrong. His response tells the viewer that the only questions that this student has ever been asked are ones that require

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no other thought than just his best guess. The young mans response gives us even more insight to the illustrators opinion. His opinion is that public schools are focusing too much on testing and causing students to be unprepared. The students arent learning business skills, communications skills, or any skills other than how to take a test. When presented with a question that isnt A, B, C, or D they are not able to come up with anything. The illustrator has drawn a picture where a high school graduate is presented with an opportunity, and does not have the necessary skills to become a successful young adult. All because of the school systems focus on standardized testing. The next picture is one that is encouraging testing. In the picture you can see five high school or college students, who are smiling and all are happy. There is road sign reading College Just Ahead. They are pictured looking down at us and they are up in the sky. The sky is bright with fluffy clouds. The students are from different ethnicity and gender. They are all bound to together. The colors red, white, and blue are very obvious. This illustrator has created a scene of attractive students who all look they are doing well and are very happy. This creates a positive look on the subject of tests which are listed above the students. The words say Gateway to undergraduate and graduate study, thus implying by doing well on these test means opening doors to having bigger opportunities, like going to college. The sign says college just ahead. It creates an image of one almost reaching their destination, it can be much farther. By pairing that sign with the words and the students it makes the viewer think that doing well on tests puts us down the right road to success and furthering our education. The illustrator has used people from different ethnicity and gender to reach out to more viewers. It means that everyone can be successful through doing well on tests. The illustrator could also be implying that tests are fair for everyone. Testing creates a level playing

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field no matter what gender or race someone is. The people are looking down on the viewer maybe to create an effect that one can join them. It shows that where they are is a better or higher place, than where we are. He has used the colors red, white, and blue to create the image of freedom, or the American Dream. By showing the students smiling with the test names and the road sign; the illustrator is arguing that if students are prepared for these tests, and do well on tests, that they can become successful and happy adults. They have more opportunities and are going somewhere good. He used visual appeal to make the viewer see a picturesque place that is in the reach of anyone. The illustrator created a picture that makes the viewer see appealing things while also speaking about tests in a positive manner. In this picture testing is something that is helping our students better themselves, instead of making them inadequate. It is their gateway to a future. These pictures show the two sides to this argument. One shows how standardized testing is lacking in creating optimal adults. While the other persuades one to think that testing will get us to high places where students can become successful adults.

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