Educational Readings - Sir Ken Robinson, Kelvin Smythe,Diane Khan,Bruce Hammonds et all

By Allan Alach

 

One of the zillions of overseas websites that I follow includes a weekly ‘Secret Teacher’ blog. It strikes me that there maybe many teachers out there who have very strong feelings about educational matters in their own country, but who are naturally afraid to speak out due to employment matters. Having been hit by the clobbering machine myself in late 2011, I can sympathise with this.

Darwin finally had a good idea!

I’d like to offer the chance for any disaffected teacher to sound off in absolute anonymity. If you would like to do this, email your article to me and I will post it as a Secret Teacher posting on The Treehorn Express. Avoid defamatory and abusive language, both for legal reasons, and also because that’s the approach beloved of right wing trolls - we don’t need to descend to their level. Rational, well reasoned and well referenced articles are much more powerful!

I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allan.alach@ihug.co.nz.

This week’s homework!

The Current School Reform Landscape: Christopher H. Tienken (via Kevin Woodley).

-      Christopher Tienken, Ed.D. is an assistant professor of Education Administration at Seton Hall University in the College of Education and Human Services, Department of Education Management, Policy, and Leadership.

This video is about the USA educational scene, however it is very relevant, in most part, to New Zealand and Australia. A great watch.

‘Is it necessary to have every child master the same exact material at the same level of difficulty?’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEkN8Sgca0I&feature=youtu.be

Spelling and grammar test for all 11-year-olds to tackle poor literacy

-      Up to 600,000 (English) schoolchildren will be required to sit a new exam in spelling, punctuation and grammar amid fears that almost a quarter of pupils are starting secondary education with substandard literacy skills.

While GERM down under may be causing grief, things could be much worse.

http://bit.ly/12kjtfL

The Power of Metaphor

A commonly expressed concern of the intensely limited focus on the 3Rs that is implicit in GERM, is the neglect of the arts. This article by Pat Buoncristiani provides another window on how this will affect vulnerable children’s development.

http://thinkinginthedeepend.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/447/

How to escape education’s death valley

Sir Ken Robinson - no other introduction needed.

http://bit.ly/160UqTw

 

Could it be our understanding of ‘Quality’…that is BROKEN, perhaps?

Blogger Tony Gurr, writing from Turkey ( proof of the international nature of the battle for true education) touches on a vitally important issue - what is ‘Quality’? Tony includes the vital reference here, Robert Pirsig’s ‘Zen and the Art of Motor Cycle Maintenance,’  a discussion of Quality. If you’ve not

read that book recently, or not read it at all, then you have some homework. I’m on my 3rd copy, having read the preceding copies so many times that they fell apart. This understanding of quality underpins the battle for holistic, rich, child centred education. You will note, in Pirsig’s book, many similarities between standardised education and the lack of quality that he contends is destructive to modern life.

http://bit.ly/14gkWnp

Shonky Data and Shabby Journalism – Must Be National Standards Time Again

Save Our Schools NZ blogger Dianne Khan has joined the ranks of contributors to The Daily Blog. Here’s her excellent first contribution.

http://bit.ly/16t4XX9

Education Should Liberate, Not Indoctrinate

Another excellent link to Yong Zhao - one of the main players in the international anti-GERM disinfectant battle.

http://bit.ly/101EyvO

 

How do Finnish kids excel without rote learning and standardized testing?

More of the same but no less valuable for that. Finland remains our most effective tool in the battle to disinfect schools from GERMs.

http://bit.ly/12yIvXg

The biggest topic in New Zealand education this week was the debate in parliament on the Education Amendment bill that will pass legislation to establish charter school. Here are postings by Bruce Hammonds and Kelvin Smythe about this.

New Zealand education. A choice between Creativity and Charter Schools

http://bit.ly/13pZRVa

Charter schools are …

http://bit.ly/YN7AhE

New Zealand education. A choice between Creativity and Charter Schools

I am going to keep this posting simple.



Pro Charter Schools

The Charter School movement is gathering momentum and schools need to be aware of the pros and cons - and to share this awareness with their Board of Trustees and their parents generally.

First watch John Banks of New Zealand being positive about Charter Schools in this video clip.  ( 7 minutes)

Then as an alternative watch Auckland University education lecturer Prof Peter O'Conner explaining the pitfalls of Charter Schools ( 10 minutes)

Anti Charter Schools

And to conclude watch  (19min)Sir Ken Robinson vision of a  creative education as  an alternative to the American No Child Left Behind ( NCLB) - a programme of standardised teaching - an approach where many see National Standards leading to.

I know where I stand.

Where do you?

For those who want to get the full picture of education over the past century and where it might go in the future watch this illustrated video of Sir Ken

To learn more about No Child Left Behind watch this 7min video clip

Educational Readings - narrowing the curriculum

By Allan Alach

 

One of today’s items discusses the myth of lagging US schools, and, as I noted in my introduction, this equally applies to schooling in other countries. This is no coincidence, and is consistent with the practice of disaster capitalism (Naomi Klein). This either takes advantage of various disasters in order to impose neo-liberal policies (blanket introduction of charter schools in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina is an example of this) or, if no disaster happens to conveniently arrive (Christchurch earthquake) the neo-liberals create their own ‘disaster’ through manipulation of the media. Claiming that schools are failing, in order to justify ‘reform’ is an example of this. I’m sure you can think of many other examples.

I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allan.alach@ihug.co.nz.

This week’s homework!

More Evidence that Test-Based Accountability Narrows the Curriculum

Time to say ‘We told you so?”

‘A new academic study has found that test-based accountability measures in the United States have narrowed the curriculum in schools. A statistical analysis published in the latest issue of Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis concludes that there is strong evidence that class time devoted to mathematics and English has increased while the share going to science and social studies has decreased in response to school accountability measures.’

http://bit.ly/11G2O4g

Finland: The Lighthouse of Progressive Education and Divergent Learning

Yet another US educator sees the light. The problem is that is our politicians, wherever, who are blind. Ah well, we can all work hard for a cure.

“If John Dewey was alive today, he would see his words on child-centered and problem-based learning put into practice in Finland.”

http://bit.ly/13QI1g3

“We’re Number Umpteenth!”: The myth of lagging U.S. schools

The myth of lagging New Zealand/Australia/Canadian/…. schools as well, seeing as this the prime justification used by GERMers to bring in school ‘deform.’ Alfie Kohn dismantles this myth from the USA perspective; however his arguments are equally valid all over.

http://wapo.st/108mPyb

The Industrial Classroom

‘In resisting standardized testing, today’s teachers are part of a rich tradition of struggle against dehumanization in the workplace.’

There’s nothing new under the sun, as the saying goes.  Nothing new in this article either; however its a good overview of the antecedents to the present educational nonsense.

http://jacobinmag.com/2013/04/the-industrial-classroom/

Why I’m anti-rubric (via Michael Fawcett)

A basic overview of the problems with rubrics, which should encourage everyone to investigate further!

http://see.ludwig.lajuntaschools.org/?p=302

Leading the way in education - instead of following the failing neo liberal agenda

Bruce Hammonds’ interpretation of Yong Zhao’s book “Catching Up By Leading”

Yong Zhao

‘Why right wing politicians in New Zealand would want to follow the failing neo-liberal agenda of the USA is more to do with politics than education.’

http://bit.ly/YGK8oq

 

 

"School Time" in New Zealand (via Bruce Hammonds)

What can be learned from New Zealand's school schedule?

Educator and blogger Adam Provost in this post writes about a recent trip to New Zealand, in which he examined the country's school model. Provost includes a detailed account of the school day, which includes daily "teatime" to relax and collaborate and 10 hours of professional development over a six-day period, which is built into the schedule’.

http://bit.ly/10uVSWw

Yong-Zhao: Leading the way in education - instead of following the failing neo liberal agenda

Yong - Zhao

'Education in America  is at a crossroads', writes American educator Yong-Zhao

Ironically while China is busy trying to transform its test orientated education into a talent orientated system, writes Chinese born but now a respected American educator Yong- Zhao, America ( and now New Zealand) is moving towards a standardized test driven culture.

Why right wing politicians in New Zealand would want to follow the failing neo-liberal agenda of the USA is more to do with politics than education.

In America they have the No Child Left Behind testing programmes based around literacy and numeracy and in New Zealand we have National Standards.

Why we follow the failing approaches of the USA, the UK and Australia when we could be leading the world into developing a system that focuses on developing the talents and gifts of all students shows a lack of direction by those who profess to lead our schools. Schools cannot just be simply against such standards, which increasingly sound like whinging, they need to be leading by articulating a creative alternative.

To thrive inrapidly changing world countries like New Zealand needs to cultivate adiversity of talents of all citizens if we really want to be seen as an innovative country. Cultivating this student creativity and imagination is one thing our New Zealand schools have never done with the exception of a few creative teachers.

Yong- Zhao, in his book  ‘Catching up by Leading’, points out the damage being created by the American NCLB, and even more strongly, writes that schools that comply ‘are actually undermining their strengths by overemphasizing high-stakes testing and standardisation’.

There are lessons we can learn from America (and the UK and Australia) – of what not to do! Particularly as we rate higher in international testing than such countries. We need to lead rather than follow.

In America the NCLB has resulted in school teaching to the test and the reduction of time for subjects not tested. As well teachers, to score well, have changed their instructional focus and teaching styles. Some American schools have even resorted to cheating.

Schools in America (and other Western countries who follow the same neo- liberal agenda) spend valuable teaching time on test preparation (another form of cheating?). Already schools in New Zealand are, disturbingly, ensuring their teaching focuses on their ensuring test results are impressive – and this self- interest can only get worse. And if you read KelvinSmythe the Ministry is ensuring the ‘shonky’ National Standards results show improvements to 'prove' their value.

If schools do not make a collective stand and present an alternative beyond objecting to National Standards it will be too late.

The reasoning behind the NCLB in America resonates to what is happening in New Zealand under this government.

According to Zong Zhao it goes like this:

American education is in a crisis.

This crisis is proved by the ‘achievement gap’ (ignoring, of course, poverty issues).

The ‘achievement gap’ results from poor teaching; teachers who hold low expectations of their students. (John Key said as much as this prior to the elections). This is not helped by self-interested teacher unions.

Teachers are to be seen as complacent or lazy.

The solution is hold educators accountable for producing measurable outcomes including publishing of school performance data thus providing information for parent school choice and the possibility using performance-based teacher pay.

Standardisation and centralisation of curriculum and assessment are essential ingredients for obvious reasons.

All students have to be held to the same standards and need to be assessed by the same tests otherwise it is impossible to compare how much students have learnt or to distinguish good teachers and schools from poor ones. Until tests are standardised as in the UK and Australia results will remain ‘shonky’.

The consequence of such standardised teaching leads to the homogenisation of student outcomes and a diminishing of student talents in areas not being tested.

National Standards practically define what ‘good ‘education is; they become the default curriculum. A ‘good’ education is defined as a school being able to show good scores in a literacy and numeracy. Such a ‘good education’ deprives students the opportunity to develop talents in other areas. In addition children who do not perform well will be shamed and seen ‘at risk’ doomed to get more of what they cannot do while their unique gifts are ignored.

Developing talents of all

Theoretically schools can teach more than defined by the Standards but in reality schools will ensure they do well in areas that affect their reputation by focusing on areas that ‘count’.

As a result of such a narrow agenda schools will produce students with a narrow range of measurable outcomes.

Yong- Zhao writes that this approach in America will limit the production of creative and imaginative individual with a wide range of talents the very people China is determined to produce!

New Zealand educators need to confront such a narrow interpretation of education and present an alternative based on an education that develops the talents and gifts of all students.

It is morally wrong, Yong-Zhao writes, ‘to place all responsibilities on schools and teachers. While schools can definitely do a lot to help children overcome certain difficulties, their influence has limits.’

Worse still, Zhoa writes, the NCLB is ‘putting America in danger’….into a deeper crisis ‘because it is likely to lead increasing distrust of educators, disregard of students’ individual interests, destruction of local autonomy and capacity for innovation, and disrespect for human values’.

We are well on the way  in New Zealand to follow America into such a depressing scenario.

Now is the time for schools to see the big picture and to collectively present an alternative vision; a vision implicit in the all but side-lined 2007 New Zealand Curriculum which sees students as ‘seeking using and creating their own knowledge.’ All it needs is a greater emphasis on developing the gifts and talents of all students.

Yong-Zhao believes 'American education is at a crossroads' and 'we need to change course'. 'We need to move away from focusing on the past and move towards focusing on the future'  We need to leave the test driven road and move towards the road to innovation and creativity.

New Zealnd should be a leader  in developing this new discourse not a follower..

For the keen an interview with Yong Zhao

Educational Readings - testing! testing! no time for teaching!

By Allan Alach

Testing is pretty much dominating the educational scene in Australia as the time approaches for their poor kids to be ‘naplanned.’ Good luck kids. Sorry you have to go through this.

Hypocrite!

If it’s any help, you may be interested to know what your Minister of Education, Peter Garrett, thinks about you and your parents’ rights.

https://treehornexpress.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/parents-are-stupid-people/

Hard (impossible?) to believe he used to be the singer of Midnight Oil, a politically minded rock band. Hypocrisy then, or now, Peter? One or the other, mate - you can’t have it both ways. Guess there are some rather disillusioned fans out there, not just in Australia.

I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allan.alach@ihug.co.nz.

This week’s homework!

Problems in American education: let teachers teach.

Letting teachers teach would also solve most problems in New Zealand and Australian education...

http://bit.ly/17ZhkGA

The Coming Revolution in Public Education

As Bob Dylan wrote: ‘The times they are a’changin…’  Keep fighting against GERM, people. We are winning.

‘It's always hard to tell for sure exactly when a revolution starts. Is it when a few discontented people gather in a room to discuss how the ruling regime might be opposed? Is it when first shots are fired? When a critical mass forms and the opposition acquires sufficient weight to have a chance of prevailing? I'm not an expert on revolutions, but even I can see that a new one is taking shape in American K-12 public education.’

http://bit.ly/14UBhCz

Education Reform Party is Over -- What a Mess!

More of the same.

Some market-driven "reformers," undoubtedly, are motivated by profits. Mostly, I suspect, it is the egos of the true believers in Big Data that have kept this testing alive. With the help of the best public relation flacks that money can buy, the top corporate "reformers" and the top state and federal accountability hawks might be able to fend off the evidence-driven protests of teachers. But as these testing outrages grow, they will not be able to stop the ridicule. As more of these absurdities are lampooned, we get closer to the endgame chorus of, "Good night, the party's over."

http://bit.ly/184vol1

Eighth grader designs standardized test that slams standardized tests

‘A 13-year-old eighth grader in upstate New York woke up on Sunday and decided that it would be funny if she designed a standardized test that made fun of standardized tests.’

http://wapo.st/Y1bvas

Online education is mostly a fantasy

The neo-liberal dream is to replace teachers with online education (e.g the Khan Academy, that Gates has described as the future of education). They dream of rooms of computers with children logged on to their own online ‘teaching’ (indoctrination?) software. No troublesome teachers to worry about, think of the money to be saved and profits to be made. Not so fast, GERMers, maybe you should read this.

http://bit.ly/Yd8Tsk

Back to the past!

Testing, Testing… But Not Teaching

-How standardised classroom tests are producing some frightening outcomes in the US.

‘Migration to Finland however, is not an option for New Zealand teachers. Although many of them would probably share Jerry Conti’s fears about where the undue emphasis on standardised classroom testing is leading us, and the damage it is doing to children’s creativity.’

http://werewolf.co.nz/2013/05/testing-testing-but-not-teaching/

High-stakes test time for state's schools

‘Preparations for standardized testing include assemblies, free food, high-tech analyses’

As Bruce Hammonds comments, ‘God help us!’

http://bit.ly/17AoJhh

Transform Education? Yes we must., Lets listen to Sir Ken Robinson.

I have to admit being somewhat disillusioned by the lack of leadership of those who profess to lead the education profession.

Perhaps I expect too much?

At best educational spokespeople talk and write about the negative effects of National Standards as if schools were to be left alone the status quo would be ok. To the public such a negative position sounds like teachers can’t face up to accountability. By defending the status quo teachers are missing an opportunity to contribute to new agenda for educational change – one facing the challenges of the future than either defending the past or the current government standardisation agenda.One Taranaki principal has had enough and has spoken out!

And it seems I am not alone about the lack of leadership - read the latest from Kelvin Smythe



Everything seems ok!

Ironically, if educationalists were to stand up they already have the ideal supporting document – the, all but side-lined, 2007 New Zealand Curriculum. To do this would means breaking out of compliance mode which sees schools focussing on looking after their own self-interest.

Such action will only happen if schools work together. As Voltaire said ‘it’s hard to be right when the government is wrong’

One writer school leaders could get behind to give supportis Sir Ken Robinson who is well known to many schools. And there are many others. It is also ironic that while Western countries follow neo liberal ideology leading to testing, standardisation and privatisation Asian counties are working hard to break out of high stake testing and introduce more creativity into their systems!

Listen to Sir Ken's TED Talk if nothing else!
If you like pictures with his talk this is great ( and shorter)

Sir Ken Robinson recently wrote an article outlining his educational transformational thoughts. It was written with America in mind but his thoughts apply as much to New Zealand.

‘One of the biggest challenges’ writes Sir Ken, ’is sorting out American education.’’ Education’, he writes, ‘is probably not on the top of politicians to do list but it must be soon. Transforming education has to be at the root of everything the new administration hopes to achieve’.

This applies equally to New Zealand.

What is required is a ‘passionate vision of social equality and personal possibility, of economic responsibility and cultural respect’ – a vision that relates to the dream of Martin Luther King. ‘Realising this dream means thinking in radically different ways about ourselves and our children, about our relationships with the earth’.

‘All of this is the work of education. Not the sort of education we have now. The present system was designed for 19^th century industrialisation and it is overheating in a dangerous way. Reforming education isn’t enough. The real task is transformation…… systems of education that live and breathe the 21^st century. This is a large task and it can’ be put off.’

Something wrong with industrial age thinking!

While we have National Standards America has No Child Left Behind testing in a narrow range of similar areas. ‘Whoever thought of this title clearly gets irony. The fact is this legislation is actually leaving millions of children behind’. The same scenario will result from National Standards for those are found below standard.

‘The premise of NCLB is deeply flawed. It is based on the fatal idea that to face the future schools have to do better at what they did in the past; they simply have to get back to basics and raise standards. Schools….should get back to basics.’ ‘But what are the basics now, and which standards should apply?’

Sir Ken outlines the flaws of NCLB that apply equally to National Standards. Firstly they promote a narrow idea of intelligence and ability. The result is a terrible waste talent and motivation for children whose abilities lie in other areas. ‘The result is that schools will become dreary and homogenised.’ And third, it assumes ‘that education can be improved without professional creativity and personal passions of teachers. The result is that many good teachers are streaming out of the very schools that urgently need them to stay.’

‘To face the future, America (and New Zealand) needs to celebrate and develop the diverse talents ofall its people- young and old alike. It needs to cultivate creativity and innovation……these are the real basics. Basic…is a different view of human talent and ability, and of the conditions in which people flourish’.

This ought to be the challenge for school leaders in New Zealand not meekly complying with what many must feel is wrong!

Sir Ken writes, ‘I’m always struck by how many adults who have no idea what their real talents are, or whether they have any at all. Many people just do what they do with no particular passion or commitment to it. I know others who genuinely love what they do; who would probably do it for free if they had to, and can’t imagine doing anything else. Understanding what makes a difference is essential for transforming education, business, and communities to meet the real challenges of the twenty-first century.’

 

‘I’ve lost track of the numbers of brilliant people I’ve met, in all fields, who didn’t do well at school. Some did of course, but others only really succeeded, and found their real talents in the process, once they’d recovered from their education. This is largely because the current systems of public education were never designed to develop everyone’s talents. They were intended to promote certain types of abilities in the interest of the industrial economies they served.’

School leaders who have chosen to comply when at heart they know what they are being asked to do is wrong is worrying but I also appreciate standing up against   un-educational practices is difficult. And this is even more difficult when the general public have not been given a true alternative and all they hear is ‘we don’t want National Standards’.

Sir Ken (and many others) has outlined an alternative scenario based on developing the talents of all for school leaders to articulate and put into practice.

So far I see no evidence of such an alternative being expressed.

 Sir Ken concludes by saying that we have to face up to a very different world, one in which creativity and innovation will be required. Our success will depend, he writes, ‘on the diversity and creativity of all its people.’

‘The wholesale transformation of education is at the heart of the changes that are needed.’

Be great if school leaders had the courage to lead such a transformation.

I’m not holding my breathe!

Educational Readings : Hate school -love education!!

By Allan Alach

There was a wealth of excellent articles to chose from for this week’s list of readings. Make sure you watch the “Why I hate school but love education’ video - very powerful and, to my mind, very true. The series of articles about national standards will keep you out of trouble for quite some time - they are lengthy but extremely well researched and presented, and so are possibly the defining statements about the attempts to impose standardised learning in New Zealand.

I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allan.alach@ihug.co.nz.

This week’s homework!

In an Era of Global Competition, What Exactly Are We Testing For?

World renowned educator Yong Zhao finds that ‘...the countries with lower scores had students who reported higher interest in the subjects,’ and further,  ‘If the stated goal is to get kids ready for careers, and careers demand confidence, creativity, and an entrepreneurial attitude, then why focus on test scores that seem to produce the opposite effect?’

http://bit.ly/14CW6SL

Don’t Mandate Cursive Writing

‘In their eagerness to drag the schools and children of their states back to the early 20th century, legislators in North Carolina and South Carolina want to mandate the teaching of cursive writing. In this comment, handwriting expert Kate Gladstone explains why the cursive mandate is a bad idea.’

http://bit.ly/11pDyzw

Education Discussion: The History and Evolution of Standardized Testing

While some of this article isn’t that relevant, it does provide food for thought, regardless of whether the tests are used for ranking purposes (summative) or in an attempt to provide diagnostic information (formative).

http://bit.ly/Zakg2L

The break-things-into-bits mistake we have been making in education for centuries – happening today with standards

‘Dewey’s point is clear even if the writing is dense: so-called analysis of things into bits for the purpose of learning the whole has no basis in cognitive psychology or epistemology. Indeed, as he says just after, it is a case of putting the cart before the horse. Distinctions are made when we need them in the service of understanding. Learning an endless array of distinctions and their names prior to encountering the whole and interesting problems that require analysis yields no meaning and merely verbal knowledge.’

http://bit.ly/XXuPrj

Is It Possible to Measure Creativity?

What do you think? I have my doubts.

http://bit.ly/106qMmK

Why I Hate School But Love Education

‘As the cyclical and seemingly never ending debate about education rages on, the topic - somewhat ironically, often poses more questions than it provides answers.But what is the value of mainstream schooling? Why is it that some of the most high profile and successful figures within the Western world openly admit to never having completed any form of higher learning?’

Pink Floyd 'We don't want your education....'

Indeed. We must not confuse education with schooling. Two different things altogether, yet this is the club used by GERMers to justify ‘deform.’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_ZmM7zPLyI

National Standards and Neanderthals – “They will know what is required …”

Here is a series of three very comprehensive articles about national standards in New Zealand, with much relevance to other countries as well.  This is a superb analysis.

‘It’s pretty clear from the documentation that National Standards ‘double down’ on the directing and controlling aspects of education that have been at the heart of modern schooling since its inception. But there’s a subtler point to be made about what this rhetoric indicates about the actual – as opposed to claimed – role of National Standards.

The role is not, in fact, to enhance learning – or the capacity to learn (‘learning how to learn’). It is about directing learning to achieve a progression within a subject area.’

http://www.thepoliticalscientist.org/?p=1220

http://www.thepoliticalscientist.org/?p=1264

http://www.thepoliticalscientist.org/?p=1304