By Allan Alach
I welcome suggested articles, so if you come
across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz
This week’s homework!
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| Who wants to be a teachers with all the teacher bashing? |
Where Have All The Teachers Gone?
I sourced this from Ivon Prefontaine’s excellent Leadership, Innovation, and Creativity site.
As Ivon observes, this is becoming a problem all
over, not surprisingly given the incredible teacher bashing in many countries.
“The
list of potential headaches for new teachers is long, starting with the
ongoing, ideological fisticuffs over the Common Core State Standards,
high-stakes testing and efforts to link test results to teacher evaluations.
Throw in the erosion of tenure protections and a variety of recession-induced
budget cuts, and you've got the makings of a crisis.
The job also has a PR problem, McDiarmid says, with teachers too
often turned into scapegoats by politicians, policymakers, foundations and the
media.”
Teaching Students How to Talk Less, and Think More
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Standardizing Education – Common Core’s Hidden Agenda
I’ve suspected for a number of years that all
the variants of standardised education, in many countries, are stalking horses
for a longer term plan to computerise education.
“This is the stated goal of the “Adaptive
Learning Revolution” being planned by a certain faction within the technology industry. They want to transform schools in a
very radical and mechanistic way. Key to all of this is a centralized system of
personal data collection. The phrases personalized and
individualized are trojan horses used to gain access and control over student
personal data. It’s the only way to take teachers
out of the equation, in their view.”
If You Want To Improve Education, Get Rid Of All The Computers!
Don’t panic, this article isn’t as gloomy as the headline!
“It
is, of course, true that good teaching is the most important contributing factor to improved educational outcomes, but it would,
in my view, be naive and shortsighted to suggest it was the only factor or that
technology and great teaching are somehow incompatible.”
The problem with opportunity cost and other possibly erroneous
criticism of EdTech
This article follows on from the one above.
“In
reality, technology is just a means and a tool. You can’t for example, expect technology to magically engage children. To
truly engage children in learning beyond the initial here’s-something-new-and-shiny kind of engagement, you need to get the
teaching right. Pedagogy matters.”
Curiosity: The Force Within a Hungry Mind
Article about curiosity and learning, an essential attribute, as
Albert Einstein acknowledged in quote
likes these:
•
The important thing is not to
stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.
•
It is a miracle that curiosity
survives formal education.
•
The important thing is not to stop
questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be
in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the
marvelous
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structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend
a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.
•
I have no special talents. I am
only passionately curious.
From the article:
“What
makes children want to learn? According to research, it's the joy of
exploration -- a hidden force that drives learning, critical thinking, and
reasoning. We call this ability curiosity, and we recognize it in children when
we see them exploring their environment, devouring books and information,
asking questions, investigating concepts, manipulating data, searching for
meaning, connecting with people and nature, and seeking new learning
experiences.”
Why Reading On A Screen Is Bad For Critical Thinking
Food for thought…
“If
as parents and teachers we are serious about developing critical thinking in
our progeny and students, we need to ask ourselves whether those handy digital
devices are helps or hindrances.”
Arts and culture being 'systematically removed from UK education
system’
‘The
report insists that arts education should be an entitlement for all children.
It believes the government’s focus on science,
technology, engineering and maths needs also to include the arts. It says: “Policymakers
are obsessed with a siloed subject-based curriculum and early specialisation in
arts or science disciplines that ignores and obscures discussion around the
future need for all children to enjoy an education that encourages creativity.”’
This week’s contributions from Bruce Hammonds:
A Welcome Letter to New STEM Students
Bruce’s comment: Thought
the below had good advice for students about future learning attributes – and
for teachers.
“Have a lot of fun with these STEM projects, and take them seriously.
They will teach you how to approach problems, and research and design solutions
for the issues that will face our society by the time you graduate. STEM will
help you make sense of science and math because you will apply these in solving
problems and meeting challenges.”
Taking Back Computer Science: Young Girls
Who Learn Code Acquire Problem Solving Skills, Feel Empowered
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Bruce’s comment:
Something I know little about – computer coding. Although article is aimed
at girls it ought to be read by all.
‘“I became convinced, and am even more convinced every day, that
teaching girls to code is the domestic issue of our time,” Saujani
told Medical Daily in an email. She added that GWC’s main purpose is to empower young girls to build the technology
they want to see in the world, as well as assure them coding isn’t only for “geeky guys locked in a dark basement.” It’s for anyone from the prom queen to the bookworms.’
Educator innovation: Re-Making teaching
and learning
Bruce’s comment:
Combining teaching and the entrepreneur – really about
creating a creative learning environment.
“I describe my room as equal parts woodshop, machine shop, rapid
3D-printing lab, art room and
science lab that you shook in a blender and took
out in pureed form,” he said. “In a
classroom, you may not have a perfect space to mix all of these disciplines in
one place. A makerspace allows kids to build, make physical objects — with
the help of adult facilitators and interesting materials.”
From Bruce’s oldies but goodies file:
Educational lessons from the USA?
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Bruce’s comment: A
blog indicating why the above developments are so difficult in “American
schools that are too busy having to comply with the demands imposed on
them.
The efficiency movement that created the mass production factories
of the Industrial Age it seems are alive and well in American schools. Henry
Ford would be proud of them! Everyone will have an education, but one size will
fit all.”
Five principles for learning - worth thinking about?
Bruce’s comment: An antidote from Australia - great
principles for any school to have.
Note: this was written before Australia headed down the GERM route
through implementing
its Naplan testing regime under the malevolent influence
of New York’s Joel Klein.
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| What are your schools key beliefs |
“I
guess the principles are less problematic than defining a set of values but
they do underpin the values of a democratic society. If they were all put into
practice they would certainly challenge the current educational provisions that
are more suited to an ‘industrial age’ environment than a ‘knowledge era’.”
Disorganisation.Why organisations must 'loosen up’!
Bruce’s comment: The problem in a nutshell – from 2004.
Control versus freedom; compliance versus creativity. A problem at every level
of education.
“Organizations
are caught up in a growing tension between those who want to take greater
control in the name of accountability and those who want the freedom to make
full use of their individual creativity.”
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John Dewey - New thinking 1897!
Bruce’s comment: John
Dewey 1987 – shame his ideals were replaced by a ‘Fordist’ ideology.
“John
Dewey's famous declaration concerning education was first published 1897 and is
still as pertinent now as it was then. All school communities ought to declare
their beliefs about education and then work towards aligning all their teaching
to achieving what they believe in.”
Developing a powerful school vision
“The
only meaningful way to develop a vision owned by all is to develop a process
that involves everyone in developing their ideal school – a
school of their combined dreams.
Such a process should develop their school not
as it is but what it could become. It must reflect the ‘best’ thinking, beliefs, and ideals of the entire community. Everybody
must feel empowered.”
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