Bullying behavior / exhausted teachers / role of parents / testing - educational malpractice / talent development..

Educational malpractice

Education Readings

By Allan Alach

Every week Bruce Hammonds and I collect articles to share with teachers to encourage a creative approach to teaching and learning. I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz

Want to get rid of bullying? Get rid of schools

‘The Victorians created schools to produce people to run their empire. Educator Sugata Mitra said these people must be so identical that you could pick one up from New Zealand and ship them to Canada and they would be instantly functional. The system was so robust it is still with us today, continuously producing identical people for a machine that no longer exists.’

http://bit.ly/2kIrWZU

Why Children Aren't Behaving, And What You Can Do About It

‘

If we respond to our kids' misbehavior instead of reacting, we'll get the results we want. I want to take a little of the pressure off of parenting; each instance is not life or death. We can let our kids struggle a little bit. We can let them fail. In fact, that is the process of childhood when children misbehave. It's not a sign of our failure as parents. It's normal.’

https://n.pr/2sG6w3l

Following the Child: What Does that Look Like?

‘

Lessons need to be planned and kids need literacy instruction. What does following the child look like in literacy instruction? Following the child in reading instruction means assessing where the child is in the literacy learning process and then providing the instruction, guidance, prompting, questioning or resources needed by the learner.’

http://bit.ly/2LXt0FP

Contributed by Bruce Hammonds:

Factory Model Education “Reforms” Were Designed for Product Testing, Not Children

“The factory model was developed to ensure quality control and produce identical “consumer” products cheaply. It is NOT an approach that should be used with children. Modern researchers and professional educators have come to understand that the human brain is wired for learning, and that the most effective methods of education are aligned with how children naturally learn.”

http://bit.ly/1FjKA1J

Educational Malpractice – The Child Manufacturing Process

‘It’s a model of education that seems straight out of George Orwell’s 1984 or Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, designed to produce obedient workers for the modern industrial economy of the last century. In effect, its more like a method for manufacturing future robot workers then for nurturing true creativity, independence, skillfulness and learning.’

http://bit.ly/2dygz6m

Invest in Children, Not Testing. It’s That Simple.

‘Children don’t magically do better when we test them more or raise the bar higher, they do better when adults back up higher expectations by creating supportive and enriched learning environments, that nurture and nourish children as whole human beings, with social, emotional and creative needs, not just as data points and test scores.’  

http://bit.ly/2Hhfzgg

‘Should I look and feel THIS exhausted?’

Teacher’s heartfelt plea for parents to STOP their ‘bizarrely lenient attitude toward disciplining children,’

‘Lately, it seems that many parents have adopted a bizarrely l

enient attitude toward disciplining children as well as bending over backwards to accommodate their children’s every demand. It’s unclear what’s causing these parents to believe that children should be subject to no limits, no discipline, and no stringent requirements at school. Whatever the cause, these parents are, in fact, doing a terrible disservice to today’s young people and to society as a whole. And, they are leaving their children’s teachers feeling frustrated, ill-supported, and utterly exhausted.’

http://bit.ly/2HhDwUJ

Study finds popular 'growth mindset' educational interventions aren't very effective

‘A new study found that 'growth mindset interventions,' or programs that teach students they can improve their intelligence with effort -- and therefore improve grades and test scores -- don't work for students in most circumstances.’

http://bit.ly/2kMBXFF

Teach Kids When They’re Ready

A new book for parents on developing their kids’ sense of autonomy has some useful insights for teachers as well.

‘Not only are parents feeling undue pressure, but their kids are, too. The measuring stick is out, comparing one kid to another, before they even start formal schooling. Academic benchmarks are being pushed earlier and earlier, based on the mistaken assumption that starting earlier means that kids will do better later.’

http://edut.to/2p6fjcS

One student’s open letter to educators: please prepare us better for the real world

There is plenty of rhetoric that the education system needs fixing as it doesn't prepare students for the real world. But the evidence for this isn't clear until you understand how students are letting the world of opportunity slip by as they leave high school completely unaware of how our world is rapidly changing.

.

http://bit.ly/2JxkZt3

From Bruce’s ‘goldie oldies’ file:

 Developing talent in young people? Benjamin Bloom

I’n the future schools will need to focus on developing the talents of all students rather than

academic success for those students who are best suited to the current education. This is the position of creative expert Sir Ken Robinson. Howard Gardner is obviously a key figure in defining the range of multiple intelligences or talents student have but Bloom’s research is very interesting.’

http://bit.ly/2LjISBy

Why art is important in education?

‘Art is as important as reading and maths but I am not sure many parents or children would think this – and not many teachers. One amazing educator Sir Ken Robinson has said that creativity is as important as

literacy and numeracy and that if we focus on reading and maths too much we wont have the time discover the gifts and talents children have in other areas.'
http://bit.ly/2Hkx93dg