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| 11th of the 11th 1918 |
Education Readings
I know a school
I know a school where almost all the students are successful. It's
an interesting place.
They don't give grades at this school.
There are no numbers.
No test scores. No SAT, ACT, no GPA or other acronyms.
No rankings.
Yet, the kids are more than alright.
They create amazing things.
They contribute to their communities in all sorts of ways.
They're happy.
They love coming to school.
Those that want to go to college after they graduate.
Others take different paths, which everyone celebrates.
We talk about success in schools as if it were a data point.
It's not.
And even if it were, you really think the data we're collecting now
equates to success in any but the most tenuous ways?
Look at your kids.
Talk to them.
See if they love to learn.
See if they have passion.
See if they care.
See if they're happy.
Those are much clearer indicators of "success" than any
set of numbers can supply.
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
Armistice Day
At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the
armistice that ended WW1 came into force.
Here are some websites that may be of use to teachers.
Armistice Day from the New Zealand History website
Papers Past
Older children could be asked to go back into
time to read copies of newspapers from 1918. There may even be copies of
letters.
Ten Facts About The Armistice
Armistice Day in WWI: Definition & Facts
We’re sure you will be able to find plenty of
others and make this into a major study.
Moving on:
After National Standards -
Have your say about the emerging ideas
‘Following the removal of the compulsory use of National Standards
and Ngā Whanaketanga Rumaki Māori in December 2017, the Ministry signalled it
would work with the education sector – with input from students, parents, whānau,
iwi and communities – to focus on progress and achievement across the National
Curriculum We want to know what you think about the emerging ideas developed by
our Ministerial Advisory Group.’
Teachers: Move On Before You Burn Out
‘Have you moved on in order to keep from
burning out? Have you changed a subject or grade you taught, or even your
school? Sometimes this is the best choice.’
Why are kids impatient, bored,
friendless, and entitled?
‘“Kids today are in a devastating
emotional state! Most come to school emotionally unavailable for learning.
There are many factors in our modern lifestyle that contribute to this.” . I
encourage every parent who cares about the future of his/her children to read
it. I know that many would choose not to hear what she says in the article, but
your children needs you to hear this message.’
Drawing Is the Fastest, Most Effective
Way to Learn, According to New Research
‘But according to a fascinating new
study, the right answer is whenever was the last time you tried to learn
anything new. Put away the highlighter (really, science shows they're worse
than useless) and skip the flash cards. The fastest way to cram new information
into your brain is by drawing it, concludes the research.’
How Jo Boaler Hopes To Mold Math Mindsets
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| Jo Boaler |
‘Boaler — who teaches at Stanford —
travels the country with a message of hope for teachers. There are obvious flaws,
she says, in a system that uses stressful tests to decide who's got a brain for
math and counts on rote memorization to build mathematical curiosity. With
her talks, her research, and a website full of videos about mathematics, her mission is
not to build memories — but mindsets.’
To Learn, Students Need to DO Something
‘First, let me say that authentic,
project-based learning is probably the best way to have students experience
meaningful learning. But many schools and classrooms aren’t quite there yet:
They deliver instruction in a more traditional way. That model can still result
in solid learning, if it’s implemented correctly. And that’s where I’m seeing a
problem. I think we’re skipping over one of the most important steps in our
lesson plans.’
Less is more – practical tips for
teachers for students with a disability.
‘An education assistant can be an
invaluable resource in the classroom to support the teacher to include a
student with disability. They can assist
the class teacher to provide a great educational experience to all students as
well as increase the independence and social connection of the student with
disability.’
Be neotenous: The importance of curiosity
for teachers
‘As teachers, I think we are genuinely
interested in generating and nurturing curiosity in our learners. We worry
about squashing curiosity and the childlike wonder in our learners,
particularly when they start school. We believe that curious learners are
engaged, passionate, excited. But I’m not sure that we invest enough in our own
curiosity as adults.'
Why “Goldilocks” Parenting
Helps Build Executive Functioning Skills
‘Increasingly, researchers are
discovering that “just right” is an important concept for how we parent. It has
to do with how kids develop executive functioning.
Executive functioning is the “air traffic
control system” of the brain. It helps kids focus, remember rules, resist
temptation and think flexibly. The way we parent can affect how kids’ executive
functioning skills develop.’
Head, hand and heart
Steve Wheeler:
‘Hyman's perspective is that change is
needed and that a repertoire of curriculum strategies is required to give young
people a rounded education. These include real world learning (which presumably
involves immersion in real world probems, challenge based learning etc), maths
mastery, oracy techniques and storytelling - and dialogue, plenty of dialogue.’
From Bruce’s ‘goldie oldies’ file:
Einstein, Darwin, da Vinci & Mozart et all - lessons from the
Masters
‘Although there have been individual teachers who have developed
creative classrooms most classrooms could be classified as benign environments
where students achieve success by achieving teacher determined objectives.
Imagine an education system premised on developing every students talents and
passions!’
Transforming education: Stop teaching and begin learning with your
students
‘Teachers spend hours and hours of their time preparing lessons for
their students but all too often the only person learning anything are the
teachers themselves. Even the most attentive and compliant of students do not
get what the teachers intend – and
worse still researchers have shown that that such teaching does not change
students’ minds – and changing minds is the definition of learning.’
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