By Allan Alach
Times are getting interesting. There are increasing numbers of
articles from Australia, USA and New Zealand that reflect a fight back against
GERM. This even includes news from the well known radical state of Texas…..
The situation in New Zealand is going from farce to farce with
barely time to recover between events and we must now start to wonder if GERM
in its present format will survive the year.
The present government will soon be keeping an eye on the general
election at the end of 2014, especially as current polling suggests that a
Labour/Green coalition will get the numbers.
Australia is heading towards an election in September this year;
however given that the present Labor government introduced Naplan, it is not
likely that the more conservative Liberal Party will undo this. This means that
Australians have a bigger battle on their hands.
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!
A Complete Guide to the
Corporate Reform Movement
Here’s a good activity for a staff meeting. Play’ Spot
the reform jargon.”
Fundamentals
of Creativity (via Bruce Hammonds)
‘Here
are five fundamental insights that can guide and support educators as they
endeavor to integrate student creativity into the everyday curriculum.’
 |
| Education to develop gifts and talents |
Creativity can’t be mandated, nor can
it be boxed into predetermined outcomes. Creativity by definition can’t be
predicted or imposed through technocratic WALTs and the like. It can’t be
‘assessed’ and graded. It can’t be tested although there are those who have
developed standardised testing for creativity, to decide whether creativity has
increased or declined. I wouldn’t be surprised to find that Pearson are
developing programmes to teach creativity.
How
Standardized Curriculum Short-Circuits Innovation In Education
Using Sir Ken as a starting point, this
article reinforces the previous article about creativity.
“And that’s what gets lost in a standardized curricula,
where the artistry is replaced by this dead language of delivery.”
While the battle
against GERM dominates at the moment, we must also keep our awareness on the
way ahead. GERM will be eliminated - there’s evidence that 2013 may be the
turning point. However, what will the post-GERM world be like? Educators must
be ready to reclaim the playing field, otherwise another imposed ideology may
take over.
Are
We Teaching Citizens or Automatons?
Automatons, of course. Powers that be don’t
want a population who can think. Why, they may realise what is being done to
them, and object. Can’t have that. Keep them in their place, hence skills based
common core/national standards.
The
Dehumanization of Education
A teacher’s viewpoint.
‘I am
a teacher because of the love I had for school. I loved my teachers. I loved
having fun while learning. I loved the interaction with my peers. I felt safe
and successful at school…even when I made mistakes.’
A
teacher evaluation session out of ‘Star Wars’
Seems to be a theme developing here - now
for the the dehumanisation of teachers. Have you been calibrated yet?
Technology
for the sake of technology: False promises, false prophets and false notions
(via Bruce)
US educator Jamie McKenzie (always worth
reading) making a salient point: ‘Technology
is a false god, unlikely to do much for children unless schools focus on
learning and make huge investments in professional development.’
Yes indeed.
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