By Allan Alach
It’s all too easy for people to dismiss concerns about the seemingly
obvious connections between GERM implementation and rhetoric in many countries
as ‘conspiracy theory.’ This phrase has become a very easy and convenient way
to dismiss anything that does not fit the ‘party line.’ However we must not
fall into this trap. It is so clear that every GERM country is using the same
song book. This is no coincidence. This is compounded by the tendency of the
‘oppressed’ to unconsciously adopt the language of their ‘oppressors’, and so
we hear educators start to use GERM language, even though they hold strong
anti-GERM viewpoints. Listen to the language used in your school. Identify all
the GERM related terms that have slipped into every day use.
( GERM = Global Education Reform Movement)
Thanks to Bruce Hammonds who contributed several of this week’s
articles.
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!
Why
Mathematical Practices Matter as Much as the Content (via Bruce)
‘the
approaches and uses of the tools students learn in math matter just as much as
the topics and situations in which they apply.’
Deeper
Learning: Defining Twenty-First Century Literacy (via Bruce)
‘In
today's world, being literate requires much, much more than the traditional
literacy of yesterday.’
 |
| Solving real life problems |
Change
the Subject: Making the Case for Project-Based Learning (via Bruce)
‘What
should students learn in the 21st century? At first glance, this question
divides into two: what should students know, and what should they be able to
do? But there's more at issue than knowledge and skills. For the innovation
economy, dispositions come into play: readiness to collaborate, attention to
multiple perspectives, initiative, persistence, and curiosity. While the
content of any learning experience is important, the particular content is
irrelevant. What really matters is how students react to it, shape it, or apply
it. The purpose of learning in this century is not simply to recite inert
knowledge, but, rather, to transform it. It is time to change the subject.’
Three
Trends That Will Shape the Future of Curriculum
‘What we as adults experienced in school, as educators
and students, will bear little resemblance to what lies ahead. Here’s a look at
current trends, their implications, and changes to watch for.’
Let’s see: National standards? Nope.
Standardised blanket tests? Nope. League Tables? Nope. Performance pay? Nope.
Focus on the 3Rs? Nope.
Do you agree with this article?
Bringing
Students to Life With Memoir Writing (via Bruce)
 |
| Developing a sense of self ( identity) |
‘Incorporating
personal writing in students' education may seem like a waste of time to those
who emphasize acquiring skills and mastering content, but countless writing teachers
at every level have seen otherwise.’
This is where personal blogs can play a big
part.
If profit-making schools are the answer, what's the
question?
Article is from
England but….
There
is no such thing as an objective rubric.
 |
| Rubrics etc are about conformity |
Beware of rubrics and their relatives, such
as WALTs, success criteria, national/common core standards, employee
performance standards, key performance indicators, etc, all of which profess to
use subjective judgements to make objective assessments. Thought experiments:
how would Picasso have been judged using predetermined rubrics? The Beatles
were rejected by Decca on the basis of a judgement that guitar bands were no
longer current. Einstein struggled for many years to get a university post and
was forced to work in a patent office. Any predetermined measure carries a huge
risk, that the truly unique and original is overlooked due to tunnel vision.
Kelvin Smythe: Primary School Diaries Part 1: Stories and
Satires.
 |
| Conforming to 'best practice' ! |
Kelvin has published
the first booklet of a series which will revisit his best articles from 23
years of writing, firstly in his Developmental Network Newsletter, and then on
his networkonnet website.
I helped Kelvin put
this together, and even though I have that inside view, I can affirm that this
is a high quality document, well worth reading. The madness of the whole
Tomorrow’s Schools ideology and implementation is so apparent and this helps
reveal the present government’s agenda as a part of the same process that was
started in the mid 1980s in the height of the neo-liberal agenda. Nothing has changed.
$20 per booklet or
$17.50 each for two or more. Email Kelvin ksmythe@wave.co.nz
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