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
Writing is more beneficial for learning than typing, according to these
scientists
‘"When the students were drawing the word we saw that the brain
was active in larger areas and also in a very particular way that is indicative
of being beneficial for learning," said van der Weel.
Flogging Dead Horses
‘Our model of schooling is more than 100 years old and has barely
changed in that time
The rest of society – our industrial practices, technology, the
media we use, our leisure activities, the global scope of our world,
communication systems – has undergone a revolution.’
‘The original purpose of school – designed to sort and sift; to
separate sheep and goats – is now redundant. We need 100% of students to
be skilled and capable citizens able to contribute positive agency to both
their economic and social world.’
Teacher Quality: A Reader in 2017
‘“The continual dumbing-down of the preparation of teachers is not
without consequences.”
I would argue that the “dumbing-down” is about the false attack on “bad”
teachers as the primary or even single cause of low student achievement among,
specifically, vulnerable students. And the ugly consequence of that assault has
been increasing accountability over teacher certification and teacher
evaluation (such as using value-added methods) and thus demonizing teachers
without improving teaching or learning.’
Busting the attention span myth
‘You probably won't get to the end of this article. Everyone knows
our attention spans are getting shorter. It's just obvious. Or is it?’
12 ways to really make Genius Hour work in your class
‘It’s a class unlike anything you’d see at almost any school. But at
The changing skill set of the learning professional
‘It comes as a surprise to no-one that learning professionals are
operating in a very different world to those of a generation ago. I’d like to
highlight four changes in particular that impact heavily on the skill set of
the learning professional.’
Contributed by Bruce Hammonds:
How
Integrating Arts Into Other Subjects Makes Learning Come Alive
‘Art has long
been recognized as an important part of a well-rounded education — but when it
comes down to setting budget priorities, the arts rarely rise to the top. Many
public schools saw their visual, performing and musical arts programs cut
completely during the last recession. A few schools are taking the research to
heart, weaving the arts into everything they do and finding that the approach
not only boosts academic achievement but also promotes creativity,
self-confidence and school pride.’
Brava Art
Press, Visual Art for Children, Teachers and Parents
An Art site
schools might like to join?
‘Children who
participate in the Brava Art Visual Art Program express their thoughts, ideas,
and
Seeing
Struggling Math Learners as ‘Sense Makers,’ Not ‘Mistake Makers’
The need to
develop an activity based maths programme.
’In
discussions of progressive and constructivist teaching practices, math is often
the odd subject
Want to Raise Successful Boys? Science
Says Do This (but their schools probably won’t)
‘This is a story about successful kids
(especially boys), common sense, and research.
 |
| Too much time sitting! |
Most of us spend hours each day sitting
at work. Science says it's killing us, and we have developed all kinds of fads
to combat it--from standing desks to smartphone alerts to get us up and moving.
Armed with that knowledge, however, what do we force our kids to do each day at
school? Sit still, for six or eight hours. Now researchers say that mistake
leads us into a three-pronged, perfect storm of problems:’
From Bruce’s ‘goldie oldies’ file:
Mathematics in education and ability grouping
Bruce Hammonds recently complied a recent
blog with developing active maths programmes with links to practical resources
for those interested.
 |
| Mathematics Prof Jo Boaler |
‘Recently I had a discussion with some young teachers about the
teaching of mathematics in schools - the teachers taught in the middle school
area. It didn't go to well! They have to do what's expected of them - and that
this was sadly influenced by what the secondary school maths teachers
wanted students to have covered! Change requires leadership and a whole school
approach.’
What do the learners think?
‘The people who know best about what attracts student's curiosity,
or things that worry them, are the students themselves. A visit to even the
most child-centred classrooms will find very little reference to students'
questions, views and theories. All too often students are required to respond
to what their teachers feel is important for them to learn.’
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