Education Readings - technology/ boys educ/ 'growth mindsets' and creative teaching.

By Allan Alach

I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz

  

This week’s homework!

How Technology is Changing the Way Children Think and Focus

“There is also little doubt that all of the new technologies, led by the Internet, are shaping the way we think in ways obvious and subtle, deliberate and unintentional, and advantageous and

detrimental The uncertain reality is that, with this new technological frontier in its infancy and developments emerging at a rapid pace, we have neither the benefit of historical hindsight nor the time to ponder or examine the value and cost of these advancements in terms of how it influences our children’s ability to think.”

http://bit.ly/1EYRbcf

Thomas Markham

Redefining Teachers with a 21st Century Education ‘Story’

“At a time of great transformation in the world, there are no shortages of themes to pick from. But teachers have special opportunities to tell a magnificent story about themselves and their profession:” Thomas Markham

http://bit.ly/1JbzXyQ

Schools of the future must adjust to technology needs

Professor Stephen Heppell - if you ever get the chance to attend one of his presentations, take it!

“Teachers – and increasingly students – are realising that schools need to be places in which difficult, exciting, challenging, engaging, complex learning happens, rather than being where

Big challenge for schools to adapt to!

uniform education is delivered. And they need spaces that encourage that learning and help develop the sorts of skills demanded by employers. Spaces for concentration and collaboration, spaces to make and to mash-up, spaces to celebrate and exhibit, spaces to excel and spaces to share.”

http://bit.ly/1AvH8ee

Noam Chomsky on the Dangers of Standardized Testing

“The assessment itself is completely artificial. It’s not ranking teachers in accordance with their ability to help develop children who will reach their potential, explore their creative interests. Those things you’re not testing.. it’s a rank that’s mostly meaningless. And the very ranking itself is harmful. It’s turning us into individuals who devote our lives to achieving a rank. Not into doing things that are valuable and important.”

http://bit.ly/1waGc0j

Children Educate Themselves IV: Lessons from Sudbury Valley

“The Sudbury Valley model of education is not a variation of standard education. It is not a progressive version of traditional schooling. It is not a Montessori school or a Dewey school or a Piagetian constructivist school. It is something entirely different.”

http://bit.ly/1vqAS8r

Why reading and writing on paper can be better for your brain

“Add to this the help that the physical geography of a printed page or the heft of a book can provide to memory, and you’ve got a conclusion neatly matching our embodied natures: the varied, demanding, motor-skill-activating physicality of objects tends to light up our brains brighter than the placeless, weightless scrolling of words on screens.”

http://bit.ly/1DLMo0Z

No wonder boys struggle!

Why schools are failing our boys
“Boys today aren’t fundamentally different than the boys of 150 years ago. Yet today, they’re confined to classrooms, expected to remain still for the majority of the day, and barely allowed to tackle meaningful labor or the real world until they reach the magical age of 18. Is it any wonder our boys are struggling?”

http://wapo.st/1AEO6NS

Why Preschool Shouldn’t Be Like School

Schools should be like pre-school.

“Adults often assume that most learning is the result of teaching and that exploratory, spontaneous learning is unusual. But actually, spontaneous learning is more fundamental. It's this kind of learning, in fact, that allows kids to learn from teachers in the first place.”

http://slate.me/1DPCdHf

How to spot if you or colleagues are stressed: tell-tale signs for teachers

“It goes without saying that there is a direct correlation between teacher workload and stress levels, and both are currently unprecedentedly high. It’s also no coincidence that over the past few years hundreds of good teachers have been signed off with long-term sickness or quit altogether.”

http://bit.ly/1uNNpNw

This week’s contributions from Bruce Hammonds:

Back to basics - quality creative learning

The power of art

Bruce’s latest article is a must read for all creative and innovative child centred teachers.

“All the above ideas point out the vital role of a teacher to assist all students work towards their potential - to ensure that all students have the ability to 'seek, use and create their own knowledge' as it wisely says in the 2007 New Zealand Curriculum.”

http://bit.ly/1C341cF

8 Signs You Should Become a Teacher

What’s your take on this list? What changes would you make?

“Are you thinking about becoming an elementary school teacher? If you possess all or most of these personal qualities, I think you could contribute a lot to children, the community, and the field of Education. While there is no static formula for what makes an excellent educator, these personality traits form the essential foundation for succeeding in the classroom as an instructor and as a leader.”

http://abt.cm/1Gs7xOW

Developing a Growth Mindset in Teachers and Staff

“However, in my work, I have found that the notion of developing a growth mindset is as equally applicable to staff and teacher performance as it is to students. This article begins with a brief discussion about the difference between the two mindsets, what that means for education, and concludes with some ideas for how school leaders might seek to develop a growth mindset amongst their staff.”

http://bit.ly/17YYbeT

Playtime Isn’t Just for Preschoolers—Teenagers Need It, Too

Bruce’s comment: The importance of play at all levels of learning – seems blindingly obvious.

“Giving students occasions to learn through play not only fosters creative thinking, problem solving, independence, and perseverance, but also addresses teenagers’ developmental needs for greater independence and ownership in their learning, opportunities for physical activity and creative expression, and the ability to demonstrate competence.”

http://ti.me/1BcnLIH

Project-based program innovates at Springs' Parkside Elementary

Maybe someone gets it!

Bruce’s comment: And to continue the obvious – the power of integrated project based learning. Some day someone in the USA will discover John Dewey!!!

"What we teach fits into the curriculum, but we try to make it as interesting as possible for the kids. The focus is on helping them acquire real-world skills and become problem solvers. Nobody works in isolation these days. You need to learn how to work with others.”

http://bit.ly/1wcqrFP

A New Approach to Designing Educational Technology: Is the biggest learning disability an emotional one? 

Bruce’s comment: Valuing the emotions in learning – well it seems obvious to me. Engaging students who no longer engage in learning by using ICT wisely.

‘And now, Rose and his team have concluded that the most pervasive learning disability in schools, and the No. 1 challenge for UDL, isn’t physical or cognitive, it’s emotional—turning around kids

Positive attitudes or' mindsets' are everything!

who are turned off by school.

“We’ve seen that technology can do a lot of stuff to support students, but the real driver is: Do they actually want to learn something?” says Rose. “If they do, kids will go through a lot of barriers to learn it. Creating the conditions that turn on that drive has become the major function of our work.”’

http://slate.me/1Fnek8O

From Bruce’s oldies but goodies file

Back to the future.

Bruce’s comment: An oldie but goodie.

 The very with it views of a long retired  innovative principal teacher. Good reading to learn about quality creative teaching – might be useful even for those in a modern learning environment (MLE). The teacher taught before the introduction of computers – now in his 80s

Bill - a very creative teachers from the 70s - now in his 80s.

he is a whizz on his Apple (computer). One wonders what wisdom we have lost.

“As a group we were disillusioned with the traditional pre-packaged approach ...largely adult conceived....including ability grouping. Attributes such as co-operation, understanding and sharing were largely given lip service. We believed that learning should stem from the natural but vital curiosity of children and it should centre around real experiences.”

http://bit.ly/1KzIEUx

Back to basics - quality creative learning in art. The power of doing something well.

There have been times when I have felt that others have thought I was old fashioned.

 When I was a principal in the late 80s a BOT member pushed hard for the school to buy computers  , which, at great expense, we did. Ironically the BOT member never inquired as to how they were being used. We just had to be seen to have them!!

My feeling was, that as powerful as they potentially were, they were being oversold and underused.

The same applies to the latest 'silver bullet' - modern school environments ( MLEs)  -the latest iteration of open plan education packed full of information technology..

Even a previous 'silver bullet' of 'higher order thinking' ( HOT ),  or ' twenty first century thinking' skills, both approaches that valued learning processes above content, all too often results in 'thin learning'.

Pioneer creative teacher

I relate back to wise words from Elwyn Richardson, New Zealand's creative pioneer teacher of the 50/60s who said 'a study without real content is a study at risk'.

When I visit classrooms today, or view videos and photo albums of modern learning environments,  I am appalled about The lack of evidence of in depth thinking and quality creative artifacts. Elwyn would despair.

I was discussing the issues above with a retired very creative teacher, recognized for the in-depth studies undertaken by his class, and a recently retired respected principal who, in schools he led. was recognized by the quality of the work the students completed.

Power of completion 

The principal concerned mentioned that, in his opinion ( and mine) that classrooms are full of 'three quarter page kids' - students who never get around to finish whatever they set out to do. And I would add book work that show little qualitative improvement in content and design from February to December.

Early in my career I learnt from the Director of Art Education, the late Gordon Tovey, of the power of the completion of something worthwhile - in any area of learning or life.  That the product was just as important as the process - the process is a means to an end.

Goethe.

The same thing applies to learning ( and practicing) techniques and skill involved in any learning. Once again they are a means to an end and cannot be left to chance, or introduced once and never practiced in meaningful situations. Recent research has shown that it takes 10000 hours to develop real expertise in any field and that , as important as innate talent is, effort and practice are as, or more, important.

Going back to the thinking skills movement one of the important skills mentioned is the importance of effort, perseverance , 'grit' or 'stick-ability'. All too often students bring to their classwork the idea of 'first finished is best'. Classes are full of  students who give up too easily, or students who have come to believe they don't have the ability to achieve or don't even try. All too often such demeaning attitudes have been created by the consequences of ability grouping or lack of focused 'catch up' help.

All students with a 'growth mindset'

All the above ideas point out the vital role of the teacher to assist all students work towards their potential - to ensure that all students have the ability to 'seek, use and create their own knowledge', as it wisely says in the 2007 New Zealand Curriculum. If teachers do not do this then students will leave as one writer has written 'wounded by school'.

One book that inspired me when I was a teacher was a very 'strange' ( and now out of print) book called 'The Unfolding of Artistic Ability' (1961) with, very appropriately, an introduction by John Dewey.

Although it dealt with artistic ability its message applies to any area of learning. This book, particularly through illustrations , shows the amazing artistic development of all sorts of individuals - so called 'mental defectives', borstal boys, retired people - all were able to achieve amazing artistic results.

One example, David, illustrates the unfolding of such achievement.

David was a 20 year old 'delinquent'  in a reform school with an IQ of 76   lacking in self confidence and social skills.

He was asked to draw whatever he liked and drew a horse  which could have been done by an 8 year old boy. He liked horses but dismissed his effort as  'it's no good'. Never the less he was stimulated to try again and this second drawing showed improvement and David expressed how he might  improve his next effort.

After four weeks he was aware of his progress and was keen to make his next effort even better. The discovery that he was able to perform unexpected tasks gave him courage to continue.

After several months of improving his ability  he became involved in  perfecting a clay relief of a horse. This relief involved him in a lot of decision making and judgment. -  he was now determined to make his own decisions. There was nothing to be seen of his previous passive and timid approach. The task kept him busy for a week.

With incremental success, and encouragement, David gained both courage, energy and self confidence -  an example of the 'unfolding of natural growth of his inherent abilities'.

After seven months David achieved his last work a horse modeled in clay and cast in artificial stone. It is worth comparing this with his first efforts.

In my class, and later as an adviser and principal, I determined to apply the lessons gained from the book.

Children's book work ( or any work involving content and presentation) should show continual qualitative improvement - as should their belief in their ability.  One of the best books to show aesthetic improvement was the handwriting book - in which we included short poems and small illustrations.

We introduced the concept of' personal best' - encouraging children to set their own future improvements in their work. This applied to all activities across all aspects of the curriculum. Seeing is believing both for the students and their parents. Room environments were seen as  a  'message system' - exhibiting well displayed science, research, language and art work. Rooms reflected the quality of work seen exhibited at science, maths, technology or art fairs.

Teachers helped students 'slow the pace' of their work to avoid the 'first finished best' desire.

This slowing the pace to develop deep thinking applies also to language as well - check this link 'death of a Viking chief'.

Teachers implemented the idea of 'doing fewer things well'; focusing on in-depth student understanding. Later the Japanese idea of Kaizen  was introduced - the importance of incremental improvement. Students were encouraged to reflect how is this piece of work better than their previous effort and what will they improve next time?

Quality results were only one part of the equation - the work created also need to show the 'voice', 'identity', or idiosyncrasy of the learner.

 As students move through the school system their work should show greater and greater variety . All too often my classroom visits ( and viewing on my computer of modern classrooms) shows just the opposite - formulaic , so called 'best practice', conformist teaching devoid of real creativity.

 Experience of excellence comes from:

'Mastering at least one thing supremely well. It can be anything – music, mechanics, motorcycle racing. If you don’t go deep into something, you don’t know what extraordinary performance is. You get satisfied with ordinary performance. And if you have never experienced it yourself, it’s hard to be a role model. Without an experience of excellence, you won’t appreciate the quality in others.’
Harry Davis University of Chicago.

Ideas  rather old fashioned maybe  but as relevant as ever even in a modern learning environment?

How would David fare in your school or class?

Education Readings - the arts/technology/educational vision and John Dewey

By Allan Alach

I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz   

This week’s homework!

Who wants to be a teachers with all the teacher bashing?

Where Have All The Teachers Gone?

I sourced this from Ivon Prefontaine’s excellent Leadership, Innovation, and Creativity site.

As Ivon observes, this is becoming a problem all over, not surprisingly given the incredible teacher bashing in many countries.

“The list of potential headaches for new teachers is long, starting with the ongoing, ideological fisticuffs over the Common Core State Standards, high-stakes testing and efforts to link test results to teacher evaluations. Throw in the erosion of tenure protections and a variety of recession-induced budget cuts, and you've got the makings of a crisis.

The job also has a PR problem, McDiarmid says, with teachers too often turned into scapegoats by politicians, policymakers, foundations and the media.”

http://n.pr/1DX8aN0

Teaching Students How to Talk Less, and Think More

“We all feel rushed in today’s classroom — to teach, to question, to respond — but increasingly, we need to teach children how to close their mouths and open their minds. Silence, whetherpackaged as a reflective writing period, a mandatory three-second waiting time on student responses, or simply as a moment of quiet reflection between subjects, is golden.”

http://nyti.ms/17CT3xk

Standardizing Education – Common Core’s Hidden Agenda

I’ve suspected for a number of years that all the variants of standardised education, in many countries, are stalking horses for a longer term plan to computerise education.

“This is the stated goal of the “Adaptive Learning Revolution” being planned by a certain faction within the technology industry. They want to transform schools in a very radical and mechanistic way. Key to all of this is a centralized system of personal data collection. The phrases personalized and individualized are trojan horses used to gain access and control over student personal data. It’s the only way to take teachers out of the equation, in their view.”

http://bit.ly/1E8nW8R

If You Want To Improve Education, Get Rid Of All The Computers!

Don’t panic, this article isn’t as gloomy as the headline!

“It is, of course, true that good teaching is the most important contributing factor to improved educational outcomes, but it would, in my view, be naive and shortsighted to suggest it was the only factor or that technology and great teaching are somehow incompatible.”

http://bit.ly/1yJxOPS

The problem with opportunity cost and other possibly erroneous criticism of EdTech

This article follows on from the one above.

“In reality, technology is just a means and a tool. You can’t for example, expect technology to magically engage children. To truly engage children in learning beyond the initial here’s-something-new-and-shiny kind of engagement, you need to get the teaching right. Pedagogy matters.”

http://bit.ly/1Afi7nl

Curiosity: The Force Within a Hungry Mind

Article about curiosity and learning, an essential attribute, as Albert Einstein acknowledged  in quote likes these:

•   The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.

•   It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.

•   The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous

structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.

•   I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.

From the article:

“What makes children want to learn? According to research, it's the joy of exploration -- a hidden force that drives learning, critical thinking, and reasoning. We call this ability curiosity, and we recognize it in children when we see them exploring their environment, devouring books and information, asking questions, investigating concepts, manipulating data, searching for meaning, connecting with people and nature, and seeking new learning experiences.”

http://bit.ly/1AjlppH

Why Reading On A Screen Is Bad For Critical Thinking

Food for thought…

“If as parents and teachers we are serious about developing critical thinking in our progeny and students, we need to ask ourselves whether those handy digital devices are helps or hindrances.”

http://huff.to/1DnOkg9

Arts and culture being 'systematically removed from UK education system’

‘The report insists that arts education should be an entitlement for all children. It believes the government’s focus on science, technology, engineering and maths needs also to include the arts. It says: “Policymakers are obsessed with a siloed subject-based curriculum and early specialisation in arts or science disciplines that ignores and obscures discussion around the future need for all children to enjoy an education that encourages creativity.”’

http://bit.ly/1LcUeje

This week’s contributions from Bruce Hammonds:

A Welcome Letter to New STEM Students

Bruce’s comment: Thought the below had good advice for students about future learning attributes – and for teachers.

“Have a lot of fun with these STEM projects, and take them seriously. They will teach you how to approach problems, and research and design solutions for the issues that will face our society by the time you graduate. STEM will help you make sense of science and math because you will apply these in solving problems and meeting challenges.”

http://bit.ly/1Kg4j3G

Taking Back Computer Science: Young Girls Who Learn Code Acquire Problem Solving Skills, Feel Empowered

Bruce’s comment: Something I know little about – computer coding. Although article is aimed at girls it ought to be read by all.

‘“I became convinced, and am even more convinced every day, that teaching girls to code is the domestic issue of our time,” Saujani told Medical Daily in an email. She added that GWC’s main purpose is to empower young girls to build the technology they want to see in the world, as well as assure them coding isn’t only for “geeky guys locked in a dark basement.” It’s for anyone from the prom queen to the bookworms.’

http://bit.ly/1wHs672

Educator innovation: Re-Making teaching and learning

Bruce’s comment: Combining teaching and the entrepreneur – really about creating a creative learning environment.

“I describe my room as equal parts woodshop, machine shop, rapid 3D-printing lab, art room and

science lab that you shook in a blender and took out in pureed form,” he said. “In a classroom, you may not have a perfect space to mix all of these disciplines in one place. A makerspace allows kids to build, make physical objects — with the help of adult facilitators and interesting materials.”

http://bit.ly/18j09GP

From Bruce’s oldies but goodies file:

Educational lessons from the USA?

Bruce’s comment: A blog indicating why the above developments are so difficult in “American schools that are too busy having to comply with the demands imposed on them.

The efficiency movement that created the mass production factories of the Industrial Age it seems are alive and well in American schools. Henry Ford would be proud of them! Everyone will have an education, but one size will fit all.”

http://bit.ly/1B5RQIG

Five principles for learning - worth thinking about?

Bruce’s comment: An antidote from Australia  - great principles for any school to have.

Note: this was written before Australia headed down the GERM route through implementing

What are your schools key beliefs

its Naplan testing regime under the malevolent influence of New York’s Joel Klein.

“I guess the principles are less problematic than defining a set of values but they do underpin the values of a democratic society. If they were all put into practice they would certainly challenge the current educational provisions that are more suited to an ‘industrial age’ environment than a ‘knowledge era’.”

http://bit.ly/17PfUFm

Disorganisation.Why organisations must 'loosen up’!

Bruce’s comment: The problem in a nutshell – from 2004. Control versus freedom; compliance versus creativity. A problem at every level of education.

“Organizations are caught up in a growing tension between those who want to take greater control in the name of accountability and those who want the freedom to make full use of their individual creativity.”

http://bit.ly/1sGifej

John Dewey - New thinking 1897!

Bruce’s comment: John Dewey 1987 – shame his ideals were replaced by a ‘Fordist’ ideology.

“John Dewey's famous declaration concerning education was first published 1897 and is still as pertinent now as it was then. All school communities ought to declare their beliefs about education and then work towards aligning all their teaching to achieving what they believe in.”

http://bit.ly/1EeQDlT

Developing a powerful school vision

“The only meaningful way to develop a vision owned by all is to develop a process that involves everyone in developing their ideal school – a school of their combined dreams.

Such a process should develop their school not as it is but what it could become. It must reflect the ‘best’ thinking, beliefs, and ideals of the entire community. Everybody must feel empowered.”

http://bit.ly/1BS0n5k