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| Sticking to ones beliefs is never easy. |
By Allan Alach
As the New Zealand school year is coming to an
end, this will be the final education readings for this year. Normal service
will be resumed towards the end of January.
To give you something to do until then, this week’s list will be a bit
longer than usual!
Bruce and I hope you all have an enjoyable
festive season with friends and family.
I welcome suggested articles, so if you come
across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz
No Art Left Behind: Introducing a New Series
Keep an eye on this blog series by Susan
Dufresne and Anthony Cody.
“In the past 13 years of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top
test-driven education policies, art has been pushed to the margins in our
schools. Students have lost countless hours for creating art, music and dance
that expresses themselves. But artistic expression is like the seedling that
forces its way through cracks in the asphalt. This blog series will explore how
students and teachers use art to express themselves.”
Tablets out, imagination in: the schools that shun technology
“But the fact that parents working for pioneering technology
companies are questioning the value of computers in education begs the question
– is the futuristic dream of high-tech classrooms really in the best interests
of the next generation?”
Classroom technology 'rarely used' by half of teachers
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| How well are they used? |
I remember this problem from my principal days.
“Nearly half of teachers rarely use the technology in their
classrooms, with a lack of trainingholding many of those surveyed back, new
research suggests. Over a third of teachers in primary schools, and a similar
number in secondary schools, also say they are unsure about how to integrate
technology into the curriculum, leading to many items going unused on a regular
basis.”
Technology makes a difference
However, on the other hand, here’s Steve
Wheeler.
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| On the other hand! |
“I have often heard the argument that there is no evidence that
technology improves learning. Thisis a vacuous claim that is either a) based
on ignorance of the available research literature, or b) possibly the result of
a deep seated fear, mistrust or dislike of technology in general. My usual
response to such a claim is that children with special educational needs are a
classic example of technology improving learning.”
Reflections on Teaching: The Craft of Teaching
Posted on Save Our Schools Australia:
“In Victoria, long ago, teaching was left to teachers. It was
presumed that there were people skilled in the craft and they would pass on
their knowledge to others. But theory has trumped practice in recent decades.
Now teaching has been overtaken by education, which deals with students and
clients, rather than children, and which often has little respect for the craft
of teaching. But learning begins with teaching, not data collection.”
National Academic Standards – Turning Public Education into
McSchools
This is happening all over.“But look almost anywhere in the US of A, and you’ll see a strip mall with almost all of the same stores and fast food restaurants selling the same crusty burgers and fries left waiting for the consumer under a heat lamp. Somehow this has become THE model for public education, as well. Corporations have convinced our lawmakers that the disposable franchise business schematic is perfect to increase student learning.”
Can Competency Based Education Be Stopped?
I haven’t included a Peter Greene article for a
while…
‘Every single thing a student does would be recorded, cataloged,
tagged, bagged, and tossed into the bowels of the data mine, where computers
will crunch data and spit out a "personalized" version of their
pre-built educational program. Right now seems like the opportune moment for
selling this program, because it can be marketed as as an alternative to the
Big Standardized Tests which have been crushed near to death under the wheel of
public opinion. "We'll stop giving your children these stupid tests,"
the reformsters declare. "Just let us monitor every single thing they do
every day of the year.”’
Why teacher-powered schools are picking up momentum
“In teacher-powered schools, students are at
the center of every decision. Teachers secure autonomy to make the big choices
about a wide array of factors, such as the learning program, school-community
partnerships, and budgeting. In many such schools, teachers evaluate their
colleagues with peer review processes, as is so often the case in other
professions.”
‘Not a Math Person’: How to Remove Obstacles to Learning Math
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| Prof Jo Boalar |
“Recently, a colleague’s 7-year-old came home from school and
announced he didn’t like math anymore. His mom asked why and he said, “math is too much
answering and not enough learning.” This story demonstrates how clearly kids
understand that unlike their other courses, math is a performative subject,
where their job is to come up with answers quickly. Boaler says that if this
approach doesn’t change, the U.S. will always have weak math education.”
Can a Truly Student-Centered Education Be
Available to All?
Is the public school system scared to put students at the centre of
education?
“An education which doesn’t use any set curriculum and is
instead directed by the child’s interests, is vastly different from traditional public and private
schools. While the freedom inherent
Why the Greatest Minds Take Long Walks
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| Charles Darwin. |
“Walking isn’t sexy. It’s not the hot new trend or the most enticing
productivity hack. Even so, it’s probably one of the most beneficial habits you could add to your
routine. But don’t
take my word for it. Some of the greatest minds throughout history were
notorious for taking walks, from Steve Jobs to Charles Darwin, walking was a part
of their routine. Here’s why.”
Stop, Start, Continue: Conceptual Understanding
Meets Applied Problem Solving
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| There must be a better way!! |
The end of the year is the time to ask some important questions.
“As simple as these sound, they provided us a
safe, predictable set of questions that became habits of mind, a way to pause
and reflect before engaging in something else. Our aim was to get better at
what we were doing.What should we stop doing?What should we start doing? What
should we continue doing?”
Teaching
By Doing Something Meaningful
Getting away
from corporate testing mad ‘Big Education’ and
bringing back the magic of real teaching.
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| Has teaching lost its magic? |
“When my
head is in the world of corporate education, my heart isn’t fully in my job. When I am focused
on how much there is to “do,” I lose some of my teaching magic…and unfortunately, so does my
audience. There are still many abracadabra moments that take me away from the
sideshow of Big Education Teaching, in its truest form, is simply inspiring
other people to inspire each other, and to learn and grow together.”
A Few
Ideas for Better Writing Conferences
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| Value student's voice |
Not a new
idea for creative teachers – or is it? Personal writing developing each students ‘voice’ and sense of identity was once a feature in New
Zealand classrooms.“That
perhaps this was my chance to not lead their conferences. To not have all of the answers, but
instead be ready to listen and support. To let them tell me what they needed rather
than vice versa. So I did, and it felt like I held my breath all day, but it worked. It worked! And I could not be happier with the
outcome. So
what did we do?”
From Bruce’s ‘goldie oldies’
file:
End of year survey – tapping the wisdom of your
class/school/community
“At the end of the school year it is a good
idea to gather information from the students you are passing on.Not only is
this a chance for you to get some insight about your teaching but it is also a
great way to value the ‘voice’ of
your students.What are your students’ attitudes towards areas of learning?”
What should a parent expect from a teacher in
the 21stC?
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| Steve Wheeler |
This an
extract from a blog by Steve Wheeler, Professor of Technology, University of Plymouth, UK.
“In this
post I'm not going to dwell on digital skills. Instead I'm going to focus on
three essential things teachers need to practice, and without which children
would be poorer.The first thing parents should expect from teachers is their
ability to inspire children to learn.Another allied skill we should expect from
teachers is an ability to understand the child's perspective. Parents should
also expect teachers to give creative freedom to children.”
Teachers'
key role in fostering creativity
“Essential
characteristics of creative teachers,are a commitment to: deepen the
understandings of the world of each learner; believe in the creative ability of
all students; encourage empathy in students; value creative expression in
learners; teach in ways that facilitate it; adapt the curriculum to meet
students individual needs.”
The
corporate takeover of society and education.
“Since
the early 90s society has been reshaped by a neo liberal corporate ideology. An
emphasis on
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