 |
| Entering the creative era |
By Allan Alach
I welcome suggested articles, so if you come
across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz
Which Is More Difficult: World’s Toughest Sport Or Teaching?
‘Speaking of deforming and fracturing, the figures for teachers’ careers
are starting to look scarily more like the short-lived careers of elite
athletes. Not because they ‘get old and slow’ and lose the
athletic edge but
simply because they get bruised and drained by the emotional highs and lows,
the expectations, shaped largely by societal expectations but (soon)
internalised as their own, incessant demands on their mental and physical
capacities and more.’
 |
| A world wide issue |
 |
| A true educational warrior |
My Epiphany Moment. A story.
‘My thinking moments changed to considering the differences between
assessment and testing and evaluation and appraisement and teaching. I needed
to sort myself out. Here I was:
professing to be a teacher, a lover of learning, a pillar of a thinking
community and I was violating the sensitivities of children, defying the conventions of confidentially and of
morality, treating kids like robots; while, in other situations, I was
constantly preaching that primary education was
the most intense, busiest, most noble caring profession the world had
ever seen.’
The 13 most innovative schools in the world
Thanks to Tessa Calder for this article.
 |
| A floating school |
‘Innovation in education can look like lots of things, like
incorporating new technology or teaching methods, going on field trips,
rejecting social norms, partnering with the local community. It can be a
floating school in an impoverished region, like the one in Lagos, Nigeria. Or
it can be a school that's blind to gender, like Egalia, in Stockholm, Sweden.
Keep scrolling to see what the future of education can, and probably
should, look like.’
Research Finds The Effects Of Homework On Elementary School
Students, And The Results Are Surprising
‘While homework has a significant benefit at the high school level,
the benefit drops off for middle school students and “there’s no
benefit at the elementary school level,” agrees Etta Kralovec, an education
professor at the University of Arizona.’
How to Become and Remain a Transformational Teacher
‘However talented, no one is a natural-born teacher. Honing the craft
takes significant care and effort, not just by the individual, but also by the
school at large. Though experience does matter, it matters only to the extent
that a teacher -- regardless of how long he or she has been in the classroom --
commits to continued professional development to refresh his or her status as a
transformational teacher.’
Contributed by Bruce Hammonds:
Why mastery matters and creativity shouldn’t be easy
‘Being creative makes us happy – that’s true – but not just because
we just enjoy dreaming up new ideas and having flights of fancy. In fact,
research tells us that what we really love about creativity is the daily drudgery
– the slow and frequently painful trudge towards getting it done and mastering
it.’
13+ unusually simple techniques to get creative when you are in a
rut
Very applicable in your classroom.
‘For businesses and content writers, such creativity and originality
can often be a distant thought as
Is Estonia the new Finland?
‘Most educators and policymakers can rattle off a list of
international educational powerhouses: Korea. Singapore. Japan. Finland.
But there’s an overlooked member of the list: Estonia. Even as
educators from around the world flock to Finland to discover its magic formula,
Estonia, just a two-hour ferry ride away, has not aroused the same degree of
interest.’
Doodling with Dr Seuss: how the cat got his hat
Do we fully appreciate his work?
‘In teaching millions the joy of literature, Geisel also opened up a
wonderfully unique perspective on the world, where life is funny and beautiful,
and where topsy-turviness shows us how things should be. As the author himself once said: “If you can see
things out of whack, then you can see how things can be in whack.”’
From Bruce’s ‘goldie oldies’ file:
Tapping the wisdom between schools.
 |
| Tap into local creative teachers - the real innovators |
‘Over the decades innovation and creativity has shifted from
isolated creative often misunderstood individuals, who network with each other
for mutual support, to whole schools development where schools develop a common
language or learning culture across the school.The future development is for
teachers to share ideas between schools. Ministries of Education worldwide,
after experimenting with the ideas of competing schools and 'top down change,’
have now realised the real power is to be gained through collaboration at the
lowest level.’
Losing the art of play
Have you been in a toy shop recently? Very uninspiring.
‘A cultural historian, Howard Chudwell, believes that from 1955 ,
due to the marketing of toys, children's play became focused on the toys
themselves. Toys have replaced imaginative improvised activity as the focus of
play. New commercial toys provide restricted scripts 'shrinking the size of
children's imaginative space' - and owning such toys becomes all important.’ |
| Most valuable resource |
School Reform: more political than educational
‘I would think that if we had focused on recognising, and sharing,
the ideas of creative teachers and innovative schools in the first place, and
if the various governments had seen their role as creating the conditions and
providing resources, we would be in a far better position than we are in now.
And, as well, we would have teachers who have faith in their ability to develop
new approaches to teaching and learning without distorting and disabling the
total system.’
No comments:
Post a Comment