Education Readings
By Allan Alach
Editorial
Now that the National Standards emphasis on
literacy and numeracy, and the onerous associated assessment and
Time to re-read John Holt’ book ‘How Children Learn’ again
‘
Here, summed up, are John Holt’s great insights about children’s
learning. If Holt were alive today he might be optimistic because even though
the percentage who understand that children learn best when allowed to control
their own learning remains small, that percentage is growing.’
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| John Holt - a brilliant writer |
Social Studies were once a feature of earlier integrated learning. .
The below article may be useful.
‘The basic idea is that students ask or are given compelling
questions and then investigate those questions, evaluate and find evidence to
answer them, and communicate their answer. An inquiry model is outlined and
related to project based learning.’
Advice for beginning teachers. 'Surround yourself with good people'.
‘By finding the positive, supportive, energetic teachers in your
school and sticking close to them, you can improve your job satisfaction more
than with any other strategy.’
Every Kid Can Do Amazing Things – an important read
‘I’m not talking about the child genius, who can spell, read and
write before he goes to school and gets all the school accolades that make her,
and importantly her parents, proud as punch. We see enough of them to know that
school knows how to respond to their talent. I’m talking about thother kids.
The vast majority.’
Debating the Best Way to Teach a Child to Read - not phonics!
‘We are not supportive of systematic phonic based teaching we
believe It’s all about meaningful contexts.Phonic enthusiasts blatantly disregards hundreds of studies that
show the merits of a rich, comprehensive literacy approach that includes
phonics but not to the exclusion of authentic, experiential reading (and
writing) experiences that will ensure that every child becomes a successful
reader inside and outside of school.’
For the love of learning – stop writing learning intentions!
‘How often have you been told that writing the lesson's objectives
on the board is best practice? Can
Project-based Learning: Are You Focused on the Project or the
Learning?
‘I think it is important to highlight that if students aren’t
motivated and inspired to solve authentic and meaningful problems, it’s not
just them that misses out. It’s all of us.
In case you haven’t been paying attention, we have some very real and
challenging problems that we continue to face in our world. Much of this is a
result of a focus on short-term, extrinsic rewards to coax kids through
low-level tasks and provide technology as games or rewards to motivate learners
instead of designing authentic and personal learning experiences that draw on
learner’s curiosity, passions, and interests.'
Just in case you missed our advice to begin the school year.
‘Teaching is one profession where there is no shallow end. From day
one you are presented with up to thirty plus young individuals for you to shape
into a learning community; and every class community will be different. Even
experienced teachers have Here are some ideas to select from.'
Ken Robinson: Government “Standardization” Blocks Innovative
Education Reform
There can be few NZ teacher who have not heard
or read the ideas about creativity of Sir Ken Robinson – now it time to put
them into action.
“I never blame teachers or schools… But there is this deadly culture
of standardizing, that’s being pushed on them, politically. My core message
here is that we have to personalize education, not standardize it. That all children
are different, and we have to find their talents and cultivate them.” ~Ken
Robinson
Quotes from John Dewey
Steve Wheeler is publishing sets of quotes from
significant educators - this week he features
‘One of the most valued books in my personal library was first
published over a hundred years ago, in 1916. It's by John Dewey and is called
Democracy and Education. One of the first things I learnt from reading Dewey,
is that we don't teach subjects, we teach people. Dewey opposed the mechanistic
methods of education that were prevalent in his day, proposing (then) radical
solutions. His thoughts about the nature of education extend to what cannot be
taught, but is learnt by experience.’
From Bruce’s ‘goldie oldies’ file:
Developing talents - what role for school? Benjamin Bloom’s research
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| Benjamin Bloom |
‘In 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.. An emphasis on a personalised talent based
education would dramatically transform education and would result in less
students leaving feeling failures, or worse still alienated, as at present.’
Howard Gardner’s book ‘Five
Minds for the Future’.
‘Howard Gardner is well known to many teachers but he is the first
to worry that his ideas about multiple intelligences have not always been
introduced in ways that he approves. In his 2006 book ‘Five Minds for the
Future’ he introduces readers to the ‘five minds’ that will be vital in the
21st.’
Experience and Education -John Dewey 1938
Such a lot of the ideas expressed today have
their genesis in the ideas of John Dewey. That Dewey's ideas have yet to be
fully realised says something for the power of conservatism in education.
'Experience in Education' is Dewey's most concise statement of his ideas
written after criticism his theories received. In this book Dewey argues that
neither 'traditional ' nor 'progressive ' ideas are adequate and he outlines a
deeper point of view building on the best  |
| Now is the time for creative thinking |
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