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| Teaching as a creative art |
Education Readings
By Allan Alach
I welcome suggested articles, so if you come
across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz
A new phonics test for Australian six year olds is a BAD idea
‘As renowned English author Michael Rosen
explains, the difference between a phonics test and
learning to read is that a
phonics test merely requires children to pronounce a list of words, while
learning to read is about making meaning of a text. Phonics is only
one part of the literacy story. And there is no evidence that phonics training
should precede meaning making in literacy learning. It is much more productive
to address decoding skills in meaningful contexts.’
Should Traditional Teachers Join the Revolution?
‘However my experience is that very few of colleagues make
pedagogical choices on the basis of ideology or efficacy, they do what they do
to get through the day. Effectively each teacher presents a personal mishmash
of entrenched pedagogical styles. It is immensely difficult to persuade
colleagues to break their particular pattern because the pattern is a coping
strategy.’
Give teaching back to teachers
‘We need to give back to teachers control of the learning agenda.
They also need to be supported with high-quality professional experiences. I
want to make clear that I am not advocating an ‘anything goes’ approach. Good
teachers are prepared to be accountable and responsible for their work and the
work of their colleagues. But making them jump through hoop after hoop to
justify their existence is draining and disheartening.’
What Works Can Hurt: Side Effects in Education
Yong Zhao:
‘Educational research has typically focused exclusively on the
benefits, intended effects of products, programs, policies, and practices, as
if there were no adverse side effects. But side effects exist the same way in
education as in medicine. For many reasons, studying and reporting side effects
simultaneously as has been mandated for medical products is not common in
education.’
Contributed by Bruce Hammonds:
Designing New
Learning Environments to Support 21st Century Skills
A serious read
about modern learning environments by Bob Pearlman
This chapter from
a recent book outlines the development of creating 21stC learning environments.
For schools moving in such directions it is worth the read. a key element of
such schools is project base learning with students working collaboratively on authentic
tasks to produce of quality. One message is not to put ‘old wine into new
bottles’. Obviously purpose built buildings feature but it is the pedagogy that
is most important.
How can the
learning sciences inform the design of 21st century learning environments?
A short and valuable report about the
teaching beliefs required to teach in a Innovative Learning Space.
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| More than bean bags and ICT! |
Rethinking classroom design to promote
creativity and collaboration
‘Modern Learning Environments are the in
thing but it’s what happens in them that counts!“The
physical design of the
space absolutely helps, especially when it comes to promoting collaboration. “It
shouldn’t matter whether it’s for high school or college students,” he said. “We
have to prepare students for a future that they can’t imagine, and how to
succeed in the 21st century, using adaptability, creativity and empathy, along
with ethics and problem-solving.”’
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| This is what it is all about! |
Are Teachers Becoming Obsolete?
‘Leaving my school building the other
day, I had an unexpected realization: Perhaps a computer was a more effective
teacher than I currently was. The thought unnerved me, and still does as I’m
writing this. I’m a nearly 13-year veteran educator dedicated to reflecting
upon and refining my teaching craft. But I’m now considering the real
possibility that, for at least part of a class period or school day, a computer
could—and maybe should—replace me.’
Students Learn from Inquiry, Not
Interrogation
‘Almost all students view follow-up
questions as attempts to keep them on the “hot seat” and embarrass them for not
knowing. And most perceive classroom questioning to be a competition that pits
students against one another – Whose hand goes up first? Who answers most
frequently? Very few students understand questioning as a process for
collaborative exploration of ideas and a means by which teachers and students
alike are able to find out where they are in their learning and decide on next
step.’
Always Think Like a Student
‘There are many paths to success, but
there is a common thread among them all: learning.The value of being a lifelong
learner is immeasurable. We tend to forget this outside of the most obvious
situations: at work or in school. What we all need to understand is that there
is knowledge to be uncovered everywhere.’
From Bruce’s ‘goldie oldies’ file:
Modern Learning Environments (MLEs) are they so new?
‘My impressions of the schools I have visited are that they remind
me of technological futuristic factories and, in some ways, not really
relating to real flesh and blood
children. Even the landscaping has been planned by ‘experts’ who like
mass planting of natives that are forced to conform to their futuristic roles -
amenity planting. Not really gardens – or even natural native gardens.’
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| It's the teaching beliefs not just the buildings |
Teaching /learning in flexible spaces - Modern Learning Environments
MLEs - New Tech High
A bit of history about modern learning
environments – a NZ
perspective.
“Modern School Environment are the latest iteration of 1970s open
plan schools.I am not sure how they will be developed by teachers other than
by those who already have an open approach to education. Time will tell
but the flexibility of such buildings are a great improvement on the
limitations of self contained classrooms - sometimes disparagingly described as
'single cell classrooms’.”
http://bit.ly/1NUH50e
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| Examples of integrated project based learning reflecting the pedagogy of the school |
