Educational Readings: Albert Shanker, Pasi Sahlberg

Educational Readings

 By Allan Alach

Here’s this week’s collection. Things must be speeding up, as I could have doubled the number of links. There is increasing interest in the USA about the GERMing of Australia and New Zealand, as shown by the big increase in readership of the Treehorn Express blogs, and also by increasing Twitter referrals of our articles. We can use our experiences and battles to support the disinfection campaign elsewhere, through using the power of the social media and internet to counteract the media driven spin supported GERM. Right will prevail over might.

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 goal of the war against teachers: A conjecture

Stephen Krashen is yet another US academic who is battling against the deformers. Here’s his take on the war against teachers in the USA. Applicable elsewhere - what do you think?

http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2012/10/the-goal-of-war-against-teachers.html

Assessing Ourselves To Death

Albert Shanker was a USA educator who fought for public education and teacher unionism. We can forgive him for his misguided thoughts that started charter schools, as these never turned out to match his vision, much to his sorrow. The Albert Shanker Institute honours his memory. The title of this article is self explanatory.

http://shankerblog.org/?p=6835

Save Our Schools NZ

 

Pasi Salberg

New Zealand anti-GERM campaigner Dianne Khan attended a presentation by Pasi Sahlberg and subsequently wrote two detailed blog articles summarising Pasi’s wisdom. For those who have not read Pasi’s book “The Finnish Lesson” nor listened to him in person, these articles provide an excellent introduction. Finland, via Pasi, is our most powerful weapon against the GERMs. Pasi travels the world to spread disinfectant. The third link is to a Radio New Zealand interview with Pasi, which would have had a nationwide audience.

http://bit.ly/QR7ej0

http://bit.ly/Rk3aIT

http://bit.ly/T6OThQ

Fear of Creativity

“Why do corporations say they want and need creative ideas, but then reject them when the ideas are ambiguous and make them feel uncertain. Does society really value creativity? People say they want more creative people, more creative ideas and solutions, but do they really?”

http://www.creativitypost.com/business/fear_of_creativity

The rigor (?) of kindergarten!

“Editor's Note: How would you like a job with the following in the description? Severity, strictness, demanding, difficult, extreme conditions, exhaustive. I suppose some enjoy such jobs, but many of us would not like to be forced into such work. Unfortunately, this is exactly what our schools expect of our children...starting in kindergarten!!!  Read on to learn more.”

http://bit.ly/TfdIrQ

What’s Next on the School Reform Agenda

Once again, this is from USA; however history tells us that their mad ideas spread like GERMs….

http://bit.ly/RczbWd

Parenting More Important Than Schools to Academic Achievement, Study Finds

Yet more researched based evidence to be ignored by the ‘we know better’ ideologues of the political and corporate worlds.

http://bit.ly/RglLZe

The United States of ALEC: Bill Moyers on the Secretive Corporate-Legislative Body Writing Our Laws

This video has an educational connection that kicks in at about the 27 minute mark. You won’t be surprised by the revelations about US education policy development; however the fact that these policies are appearing elsewhere in the world may cause you to reflect on why this could be. The same goes with policies about climate change denial, clamp down on workers’ rights, targeting beneficiaries, privatising health care, tax cuts, etc etc……  This illustrates how the corporates are shaping the world to their benefit.

http://www.democracynow.org/2012/9/27/the_united_states_of_alec_bill