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| 'It's a miracle that curiosity has survived modern education' |
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
The Writing Process Isn’t Linear. So Why Do Schools Keep Pretending
That It Is?
Read this!
‘If you conduct an online image search for “writing process,” you’ll
find many charts that lay out the steps—brainstorming, drafting, revising,
editing, publishing—in a nice linear fashion. It’s as if these visuals assert, “We
brainstorm on Monday, draft on Tuesday, etc.”
However, professional writers don’t check off the steps of the
writing process as they move through it. As any experienced writer will tell
you, the writing process is recursive, not linear.’
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| Steve Wheeler |
Learning spaces of the third kind
First Steve Wheeler article of the year:
‘Students carry technology in their pockets,
information floats through the air, and the they use their own devices to seek
and capture it. There is a sense that learning can occur without the teacher
being present in this same space, although the teacher may be there anyway, as
a co-learner as much as a facilitator. Education is co-constructed, and the
tools and technologies provide the scaffolding to support the learning.
Students learn by creating, connecting, discovering and sharing.’
Curiosity Is the Cat
Here’s a Will Richardson article that reminded
me of this quote by Albert Einstein “It is a miracle that curiosity survives
formal education.”
‘I’m becoming more curious about curiosity. I’m beginning to think
it’s the only “C” that truly matters, and that it’s been badly disrespected in
all the conversation around the 4Cs or 7Cs or however many Cs that people have
been throwing around.I mean really, when it comes to learning, what comes
before curiosity?
Critical thinking doesn’t, because if you’re not curious as to
whether something is true or fake or accurate or real, you won’t really think
very hard about it.’
Five-Minute Montessori
‘Many of today's hot topics in education were
addressed by iconic educator Maria Montessori nearly a century ago. The
video below (5 1/2 min) - along with this Wikipedia link - provide a quick
overview of this method of schooling (the video is an adjunct to a book
promotion but still works).’
Why Creativity?
‘I would argue that without creativity there is the danger of not
challenging what we do and why we do it. Possibly to go blindly along with what
we are told without question for we have no drive, no vision of how things
could be different, no need even, to do anything different.
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| Is your school curious enough? |
Without creativity
in our lives, we risk seeing the world only as a series of things we are
directed to achieve in the way we are shown to achieve them. Should we
forgo challenge and accept obedience?’
3 Ways To Encourage Creativity In Your Classroom This Year
‘As educators, when it comes to creativity in the classroom, we can
take the path of least resistance and take creativity out of the learning
process or we can create an environment that fosters creativity in learning and
allow kids to explore their talents. Fostering creativity in learning in the
classroom doesn’t have to be complex or complicated. Here are 3 ways you can
encourage creativity in your classroom this year.’
Contributed by Bruce Hammonds:
Breaking the
Cycle of "Baby Stuff”
Challenging the
Goldilocks Rule
‘For years,
teachers have been using simple benchmarks, tests, or other assessment tools to
select materials that attempt to align with students' abilities. This is often
known as the Goldilocks Rule—selected books are not too difficult and not too
easy but supposedly just right. Unfortunately, this was how all three boys
ended up confronting baby stuff at their schools.’
How to Combine
Rigor with Engagement
‘The
imperatives are clear. On the one hand, we have an obligation to equip all
children with a baseline level of literacy and numeracy. Rooted in concerns
about equity and given teeth by recent accountability policies, this obligation
has become a central goal of schooling in the United States. On the other hand,
however, we know that the basics are no longer enough. To successfully
negotiate modern life, adults need the capacity to tackle open-ended problems
in creative ways—a capacity that requires both critical-thinking skills and the
disposition to persevere.’
Right-Sized
Rigor
‘At the core
of our quest to increase rigor is creating a common understanding of rigor that
speaks to all students. Too often, we dismiss struggling students as unable to
work at rigorous levels. In fact, "Rigor is creating an environment in
which each student is expected to learn at high levels; each student is
supported so he or she can learn at high levels; and each student demonstrates
learning at high levels" (Blackburn, 2013).’
From Bruce’s ‘goldie oldies’ file:
What has really changed in our schools the past 50 years?
Reflecting on teaching beliefs – are things
better now?
‘The other day I had the opportunity to visit a school I began my
career visiting in 1960. During a discussion with the principal she
mentioned the classrooms had been developed into innovative (or flexible)
learning environments. I couldn't help suggesting that I bet the daily
classroom programmes/timetables haven't changed much since I first visited the
school 40 plus years ago ( with exception of availability of information
technology). If anything the current emphasis on literacy and numeracy had
reinforced the timetables of earlier times taking up the morning time with the
rest of the Learning Areas squeezed into the afternoon period. Hardly flexible
teaching? Hardly progress?’
Educational Quotes 5: Leadership and Teamwork
Some quotes on leadership to think about.
‘Imposed bureaucratic 'top down' changes have resulted in school
being 'over managed and under led.' Now is the time for courageous leaders, at
all levels, to emerge and add their 'voices' to the debate. There are no
experts with 'the answer' - we will have to invent the future ourselves
together as we go along.’
The Treaty of Waitangi - what do your
students' know?
‘A wise teacher should take advantage of important events in New
Zealand history such as the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
As the celebration comes early in the year it is a good opportunity
to introduce the students to how they will be expected to learn in the class;
how to work together to develop critical thinking; how to value their own ideas;
how to deepen their understandings and how to apply lessons learnt to their own
class.’
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