By
Allan Alach
When spiders unite they
can tie down a lion.
Ethiopian proverb.
I welcome suggested
articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allan.alach@ihug.co.nz.
This
week’s homework!
Fighting For Our Classrooms, and
For the Human Beings Inside Them
‘It seems as if the same battle is
being fought in every aspect of American society. On one side are the forces of
egalitarianism, economic opportunity and self-determination. On the other is a
well-funded and entrenched elite bent on hijacking our media, our political
process and our institutions for their selfish ends. Sadly, the classrooms of
this country haven't been spared.’
Ring
any bells for you?
What’s the most
‘natural’ way to learn? It might surprise you.
‘Here is a
counterintuitive piece on what we consider the “natural” way to learn, from
cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham.’
To THUNK or not to THUNK…
There’s
life beyond protests in Turkey and to prove that here’s a good thunk from Tony
Gurr.
It Makes Me Wonder
Why All the Amateurs Have Come to Education
US educational activist (http://atthechalkface.com) Shaun Johnson
reflecting on the seemingly endless numbers of amateur experts on education,
especially politicians and economists! Right on Shaun.
Are College and Career Skills
Really the Same?
This US article examines the
rhetoric that common core standards are necessary to prepare children for
employment and tertiary studies. The connection to national standards rhetoric
in New Zealand is very obvious.
‘The second concern is justifying
the Common Core on the highly dubious notion that college and career skills are
the same. On its face, the idea is absurd. After all, do chefs, policemen,
welders, hotel managers, professional baseball players and health technicians
all require college skills for their careers? Do college students all require
learning occupational skills in a wide array of careers? In making the
"same skills" claim, proponents are really saying that college skills
are necessary for all careers and not that large numbers of career skills are
necessary for college.’
Telling Time with a Broken Clock:
The trouble with standardized testing
Very
comprehensive article by Canadian teacher Joe Bower.
‘Ask any parents
what their long-term concerns and goals are for their children, and seldom will
you hear about test scores and world rankings. Their concerns are compelling,
existential and heartfelt. Parents want their kids to be happy, hard-working,
motivated, responsible, honest, empathetic, intelligent, collaborative,
creative and courageous.’
Bill Gates Discovers Money Cannot
Buy Teachers
Surprise,
surprise. Another neoliberal dream goes up in smoke.
 |
| .Not by testing Bill!!!! |
‘Ultimately,
there are three ways to get people to do something you want them to do. One is
to force them, by making the consequences for not complying onerous or
unacceptable. The second is to lure them, by offering some sort of bribe or
incentive. The third is to get them excited about your ideas, whereupon they
may engage with enthusiasm. In my experience, real change in education only
comes with the third of these methods, because the first two inspire more
resistance than cooperation.’
Will New Tests
Measure Any Valuable Skills?
‘After more than ten
years of national education policies like No Child Left Behind and Race to the
Top, the words accountability and assessment have become synonymous at many
public schools with high-stakes testing. The two government programs have
attached consequences and rewards to standardized test scores, leading many
educators to believe they have to teach to the test. But, as the well-known
argument goes, teaching prescribed math and reading content doesn’t help
students build the skills like creativity, problem-solving and adaptability
they need to adapt in the world outside of school.’
What Would Socrates Say? (via
Bruce Hammonds)
The
concept of inquiry learning goes back a very long way to the Ancient Greek
philosopher Socrates. One of his reporting sayings was "I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance." I can
think of many politicians who would do well to adopt the same self belief. This
quote highlights the relevance of Socrate’s philosophy to the 21st century
educational environment, without a standardised test in sight.
‘Socrates
believed that we learn best by asking essential questions and testing tentative
answers against reason and fact in a continual and virtuous circle of honest
debate. We need to approach the contemporary knowledge explosion and the
technologies propelling this new enlightenment in just that manner. Otherwise,
the great knowledge and communication tsunami of the 21st century may drown us
in a sea of trivia instead of lifting us up on a rising tide of possibility and
promise.’
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