Friday, July 05, 2013

Educational Readings Diane Khan, Nigel Latta, Pasi Salberg, Sir Ken, Michael Rosen, Rip Van Winkle and Dr Suess


 

By Allan Alach

LIfe is getting busy on the educational readings front. This is a selection of the many I could have sent your way, much the the relief of many, I suspect!

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!

Education and the blame game

Dianne Khan’s article is a must read. Really!

Who is to blame that some students achieve less than others? Is apportioning blame and pointing fingers actually helpful for anything other than head-line grabbing? Admit it – did you click on this because of the headline, hoping for an easy answer? Well there isn’t one.  It’s a complex issue.’


Great Teachers Don't Teach

Wonder if the people who design the 6 week teacher courses know anything about this?

‘… great teachers engineer learning experiences that manoeuvre the students into the driver's seat and then the teachers get out of the way.’


Nigel Latta on National Standards

"Nonsense"
Bruce Hammonds’ republishing of a Nigel Latta posting about national standards - a must read.


 
Kelvin Smythe:The not so hidden corporate agenda of National Standards, and PaCT testing

Another republished article by Bruce Hammonds - this time a slight re-editing of a longer Kelvin Smythe article.


The Matthew Effect: What Is It and How Can You Avoid It In Your Classroom? (via Tony Gurr)

Heard of the Matthew Effect before? I hadn’t either, until I read this article.

‘The only reason not to reward the best and brightest for their achievements is to avoid punishing the rest for their shortcomings.’

And:

‘How The Labels You Place On Your Students Affect Their Performance’


Unpacking the sound bite “quality teaching eliminates socioeconomic advantage”

''Queen of the sound bites!"
Recently New Zealand’s Minister of Education Hekia Parata made the unsupported claim that four years of quality teaching would overcome the effects of poverty on children’s learning.  Rubbish but not surprising as this is her usual level of discourse. Save Our Schools NZ blogger Dianne Khan has done the required debunking - a recommended read!


Finland's education ambassador spreads the word (via Mike Boon)

Pasi Sahlberg was Finland's chief inspector of schools … until it was decided teachers did not need Ofsted-style surveillance. Now his job is global spokesman for the Finnish message.’

We can’t have too many articles about Sahlberg and Finland!


Rip van Winkle and schools
 

An oldie from Bruce Hammonds (2006)  - what has changed?


 

Video Section.

How to Change Education - from the ground up

Video of an hour long webcast from July 1st that features a presentation from Sir Ken Robinson where he delivers the long-awaited follow-up to his now legendary 'Changing Education Paradigms' talk.’

An edited version will be available at some time, if you can’t find one hour in your busy life.


Michael Rosen on Education (via Bruce Hammonds)

Author of ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.’ Poor quality video but the message makes up for it!


Why too often do schools kill curiosity (via Bruce Hammonds)


Diffendoofer day (via Phil Cullen)

A video variation of the well known Dr Suess story, from Opotiki College, that reflects on the potential impact of tests to rate schools.

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