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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!
Hattie’s research: Is wrong Part 3 – meta-meta
analysis a monster
The latest instalment in Kelvin Smythe’s deconstruct of john Hattie’s ‘visible
learning research’:
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| Ooops - a big error! |
“While
what follows points out fundamental statistical and mathematical errors in
Hattie’s research, I want to emphasise
that the central error in Hattie’s research is not in
his mathematics and statistics but in his lack of control over the variables.
All other errors, such as the mathematical ones that follow, are symptoms. In a
bizarre sense, the errors were ‘necessary’ – necessary to cope with the massive lack of control of variables.”
Great teacher = great results? Wrong
“Does
that mean that teachers don’t matter? Of course it
doesn’t. We need teachers who help children
to get the most from their time in school. It does, however, mean that the
common
After learning
new words, brain sees them as pictures
Implications for
the way children are taught to read:
"The
visual word form area does not care how the word sounds, just how the letters
of the word look together," he says. "The fact that this kind of
learning only happens in one very small part of the brain is a nice example of
selective plasticity in the brain.”
Judgement Day: The Double Standard of Teacher Evaluation
‘The
plangent perversity of this process is, perhaps, best summed up by Michael
Fullan in a recent interview in which he remarked: “A
huge apparatus is in place to identify the five to seven percent
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8 Characteristics of the Innovator’s Mindset
“Building
upon Carol Dweck’s work, I have been looking at
the traits of the “Innovator’s Mindset”, which would
be summarized as follows:
Belief that abilities, intelligence, and talents are developed
leading to the creation of new and better ideas.”
10 very real teacher ailments and diseases
Such as:Endoftermitis: This disease normally occurs at the end of term but
sometimes afflicts teachers at half-term breaks too. Symptoms vary but usually
include exhaustion, shattered nerves and a common cold.
Britain should be wary of borrowing education ideas from abroad
Pasi Sahlberg:
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“One
thing is true. No country should aim to replicate the educational models of
others. Finland is no exception. What governments need to get right is the big
picture for the educational landscape of their nation. The road to a better
education for all our children is not to return to the past but to build
schools where curiosity, engagement and talent can be discovered and nurtured.
That calls for integrating research-informed international lessons into local
needs and capacities.”
Misconceptions about Mindset, Rigor, and Grit
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| This is not rigour, grit or perseverance |
Beware of bandwagons…
“Among
the educational ideas that have gained momentum in recent years are the
concepts of Mindset, Rigor, and Grit. While all of these ideas may have merit,
as with all shiny new objects that attract our attention we need to proceed
with caution and think about whether and why these concepts fit into our
personal pedagogy. Being willing to implement the hot new thing is admirable,
but not if it is done feet first with our eyes closed.”
This week’s contributions from Bruce Hammonds:
The Problem With Math Problems: We’re Solving Them Wrong
Bruce’s comment:
Confused about maths then is worth a read. Getting ‘stuck’ on a maths problem is real maths – or the
essence of problem solving or creativity. Not knowing drives
knowing
and not giving up.
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| Now start learning! |
“There really ought to be problem solving and imaginative thinking
all the way through while kids master the basics. If you’ve never been asked to struggle with open-ended, non-cookbook
problems, your command of math will always be shaky and shallow.”
Why on Earth Do We Need Teacher Training?
“Much of the teacher training I’ve encountered has been fundamentally top-down in approach; follow
the example of the trainer (like the mentor educator), and you too can learn
how to work in class. I’d favor a flipped approach, in which educators tried to listen to
their learners and reshaped their classroom strategies accordingly.”
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Time to create a positive learning
epidemic/virus - says Andy Hargreaves
“In education antiquated educational cultures and structures are
increasingly being found wanting and becoming part of the problem. And any new
change can no longer rely on central educational architects with some master
ideology or plan to provide roadmap into the future.”
Shifting Mental Models in Educators
Bruce’s comment: An
excellent read –
our mental models (often unconscious) determine how we
treat students.
‘If we're intent on transforming classrooms and schools, if we are
truly committed to seeing equitable outcomes for children, we'll need to take a
long and hard look at our mental models. This is hard and scary work, because
we need to poke around in the beliefs that we hold about education and children
and their ability to learn’
From Bruce’s ‘goldie oldies’ file:
Creative Leadership: A Challenge of our
Times
 |
| Time to break free!! |
“This means principals being brave enough to take sensible risks so
as to help teachers open up possibilities for thinking about things in
different ways. This represents a new form of leadership, one that 'isn't top
down: leading a team in such a way that it's not dictating and yet still
scaffolding and supporting’.”
Bring back the Jesters!
Bruce’s comment: We
need modern Jesters to tell us the truth. Time to bring back the role of
the
jester – the only person in a medieval court to tell the truth.
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| Let's abolish the Monarchy! |
“Modern boards of directors are a bit like mediaeval courts where no
one questions the king or the senior courtiers because they have become far too
important to challenge. And as long as they can’t possibly be wrong, they can continue doing the wrong things all
the time and never know it.”
The dark side of Literacy and Numeracy
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| We don't need your education... |
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