By Allan Alach
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!
To Foster Your Creativity, Don't Learn To Code; Learn To Paint
And if you want to foster those creative, problem solving skills,
the solution isn’t learning to code – it’s learning to paint. Or play an instrument. Or write poetry. Or
sculpt. The field doesn’t matter: the key
thing is that if you want to foster your own innovative creativity, the best
way to do it is to seriously pursue an artistic endeavor.”
‘Closed’ v. ‘open’ systems of knowing Scott McLeod:
“To
fully prepare most students for life – and,
arguably, to reengage many of them in the learning, not just social, aspects of
their schooling – they need greater immersion in open
systems of learning where questions are raised, answers aren’t fixed, and solutions are often contextual. This is true for all
grade levels, not just secondary. So far most schools don’t do a great job with this.”
Pearson's Vision for the World
Real scary stuff Welcome to Sir Michael Barber’s version of Huxley’s “Brave New World.” Warning to teachers, everywhere
Real scary stuff Welcome to Sir Michael Barber’s version of Huxley’s “Brave New World.” Warning to teachers, everywhere
‘The "digital
ocean" that this paper introduces is coming. Just as "big data"
is transforming other industries such as insurance, finance, retail, and
professional sport, in time, it will transform education. And when it does, it
will resolve long-standing dilemmas for educators and enable that long-term
aspiration for evidence-informed policy at every level, from classroom to the
whole system, to be realized.’
What have we done?
US educator Jamie McKenzie reflecting on 20
years of the internet in classrooms
“The
Internet came to schools with much fanfare in 1994-95, as browsers converted
the previously text-based World Wide Web into something far more user-friendly
and attractive. Some of us felt these information technologies might transform
schools in dramatic ways as students would have wide open access to information
much richer than what was available previously. We hoped the Internet would
foster independent thinking and originality. Two decades later, how many of
these
possibilities came true?”
possibilities came true?”
Lessons from Disney Pixar on how creativity leads to more summative
success
Ewan McIntosh:
“Pixar,
since it was purchased by Disney, gives off an air of resilient creative and
commercial success, but the journey is rarely that smooth. In fact, the more
creative the output, the more commercially successful it is, for Pixar at
least, and the processes used by the teams is remarkably close to what we see
in highly effective classrooms.”
How Does PISA Put the World at Risk (Part 3): Creating Illusory
Models of Excellence
Part 3 of Zong Zhao’s series on PISA.
“The
product of most public value, the national league tables, are based on so many
weak links that they should be abandoned right away. If only a few of the
methodological issues raised in this volume are on target, the league tables
depend on assumptions about the validity and reliability which are
unattainable.”
http://bit.ly/1fSFfLh
Not choice, bro – I
want to opt out
A tale from New Zealand mother (and very active
anti-GERM campaigner) Dianne Khan, about her son who has just started school.
“He
has been allocated a National Student Number to track him
throughout his education. His results, standards, and lord knows
what else is being stored against this number. I can’t opt him out of this – trust me I
have asked. He and every child in or entering the system as of the 2014 school
year is in the system, and god only knows what they are recording about him.”
This week’s contributions from Bruce Hammonds:
Like a Wood Duck: Finding Peace in the Classroom
“After
a hard day of teaching, I often plop down on my desk chair at home and gaze up
at a framed drawing hanging on the wall above my desk that a dear friend of
mine gave me. It is a detailed
d
A Wood duck |
Concerns about Use of Standardized Tests a Constant over the Years
Bruce’s
comment: “Politicians
determining education –
shades of TVs House of Cards!!!!”
“I
think we can generally agree that standardized tests don’t have a good reputation today — and that some
of the criticism is merited,” said U.S. secretary of Education Arne Duncan
last April during the annual meeting of the American Educational Research
Association (AERA). “Policymakers and researchers have to listen
very carefully — and take very seriously the concerns of
educators, parents, and students about assessment.”
New School Year - what has been achieved ?
Bruce’s
reflections after visiting classrooms six weeks into the 2014 New Zealand
school year — what was to be seen? Care to make a guess?
“I wasn't expecting miracles on my visits. I was
just hoping for the early signs of the beginning of quality learning – the beginning of the class being a home
for mutual studies by teachers and their students. Students as 'seekers, users and creators of their own knowledge'. ( New Zealand
Curriculum, 2007)”
“Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck’s work on growth mindsets has dominated much of the attention around
how students can influence their own learning. But there are other ways to help
students tap into their own motivation, too. Here are a few other important
mindsets to consider.”
1 comment:
I guess I would choose writing a poetry. First of all it helps to express your deepest thoughts. Second of all it may help to look on things from another more creative angle. We all know the apple you see a poet is going to see in a totally different light for sure. Third of all writing helps to educate ourselves. There is a certain problem Americans expreince with grammar and speling noadays.So why not using an opportunity to make some improvements and choose to turn to places like EssayOnlineStore: argumentative writings for students less often. Thanx a lot for the post
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