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!
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| Kelvin is a fighter for holistic education |
Hattie’s research: Is wrong Part 5 – this should clinch it.
Education academic John Hattie has been in the news recently as part of another self promotion tour. Here's Kelvin Smythe's latest critique of his so-called research that is being used by governments as an excuse to rip apart and privatise primary education.
“At some time in the future, Hattie’s research and his opinions will be revealed for what they are: a huge charade. But you don’t need to wait – all you need to do is read the postings in the Hattie series and clear-sightedly and undistractedly employ your critical faculties. Everything about Hattie’s research is false except for some opinions which, while true, are also false, because he claims them to be evidence-based.”
Can data really define ‘coasting’?
Think things are bad in your neck of the woods? How about new legislation in England
defining and targeting ‘coasting’ schools and then using this to force schools to become academy (aka charter) schools? |
| Are we to ruled by accountants |
‘Coasting’ suggests a lack of effort but all we have, with results data, is a statistical end product: the output numbers. Teachers could be working phenomenally hard, and yet failing to improve results as much as outsiders might wish, because schools, in reality, do not have full control over results.These are, inevitably, subject to unpredictability, from the motivation and ability of pupils to ‘perform’ on the big day to the vagaries of marking. And there may be a sense of a zero-sum game: ‘below-average’ schools will always be penalised, even if all schools are working very hard, if the indicators used are based on comparing one school’s results to others’.
1984 Arrives Thirty Years Late: Say Goodby to Privacy Forever if This Bill Passes
This article by Diane Ravitch highlights concerns in USA; however the implication for other countries is just as ominous as similar data collection systems are established and extended.
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| Big Brother is alive and well |
‘What it really means is that the federal government will:
authorize the creation of a federal database of all college students, complete with their personally identifiable information, tracking them through college and into the workforce, including their earnings, Social Security numbers, and more. The ostensible purpose of the bill? To provide better consumer information to parents and students so they can make “smart higher education investments.”’
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| Making learning to simple! |
Here’s a response to a recent news item that highlighted the benefits of Sesame Street.
“Don’t get me wrong: I love Big Bird as much as the next guy. But when people start talking about how Sesame Street is just as effective at closing the achievement gap as preschool, I start to worry that we’re becoming enamored with a seductively simple characterization of a deeply complex problem.”
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| Beyond the Homer brain! |
Deeper Learning in Practice
“Across the education sector, we define what students need to know and should be able to do for succeeding in college and career. We know that they need more than just the ability read and write -- today's constantly changing workforce shows that they must be able to master academic content, communicate and collaborate effectively, think critically, and become life-long learners. Supporting students as they develop these skills, understandings, and mindsets often requires a shift in how we think about classroom learning and the competencies needed by teachers to facilitate that learning.”
Debunking 10 Big Myths About Gifted Kids
“Here are myths about gifted kids and some realities, based on years of classroom observation and interaction with teachers who work with them.”
Teachers’ fightback against the destructive ideals of Germ has reached global proportions
“The fight takes different forms in different countries, but there are common threads throughout. Not only are the attacks part of the same neoliberal agenda but, in each case, resistance relies on the
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ability of education unions to mobilise the mass of their membership, developing their political consciousness through struggle. Teachers and their unions emerge from this process changed — stronger, more democratic and with a wider vision for education.”
Beliefs about innate talent may dissuade students from STEM
This is a lengthy article, which also includes a couple of videos, and is very worth reading.“We need to abandon dangerous ideas that some people just can’t do math. Neuroscience and educational research flatly contradict such beliefs. As the new study suggests, valuing hard work over innate “genius” might even spur students to tackle new challenges.”
This week’s contributions from Bruce Hammonds:
Lessons from Finland
Finland, as ever, offers a high trust community orientated alternative to the GERM corporate target based model the Anglo American world is taking.
“In recent years, Finland’s students have been at the top or near the top on a range of international indicators. Furthermore, Finland’s commitment to social equity has led to low levels of variance in student results from school to school.However, this has not always been the case. In the early 1990s, Finnish students achieved mediocre results on international tests such as PISA and TIMMS. Yet, they turned this around. Notably, they didn’t do this through introducing high-stakes testing, introducing charter schools, or enforcing superficial compliance with central mandates. Rather, they did it through placing teachers at the very heart of school reform.” |
| Carol Dweck |
How Can Teachers Develop Students' Motivation -- and Success?
Most teachers will have heard of Carol Dweck but how many implement her ideas in their rooms?
“What can teachers do to help develop students who will face challenges rather than be overwhelmed by them? Why is it that many students seem to fall apart when they get to junior high or middle school? Can the "gifted" label do more harm than good? Do early lessons set girls up for failure? Is self-esteem something that teachers can or should "give" to students? Those are some of the questions Carol Dweck, professor of psychology at Columbia University, answers. Some of her responses will surprise you.”
Why Glorify Failure to Enhance Success?
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| Failure is beyond making mistakes |
“Teachers must help students understand that the conditions for success are within their control and that thry will help them remedy their learning errors when they occur. Teachers, must have a growth orientation to learning, and help their students develop the same orientation.As Dweck reminds us, a growth orientation creates motivation and enhances productivity. When shared by both teachers and students, it also builds positive relationships.”
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| Creative thinking. |
Academic subjects alone won't 'set every child up for life'
Beyond the basics! The importance of innovation and creativity
“What successful employers, big and small, hi-tech and no-tech, are crying out for are recruits who are innovative and creative, who can think laterally, communicate clearly and work as part of a team. These are all abilities that are most effectively developed for children through the arts and music.”
From Bruce’s ‘goldie oldies’ file:
Putting critical information literacy skills into action - use them or lose them
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| To study the Land Wars requires embedded literacy skills |
“To make good use of exciting learning experiences students need a full range of literacy, numeracy observation , inquiry, and expressive skills to be in place. Real literacy requires a context, or need, so that students can see the point of acquiring such vital skills. Literacy and numeracy are all about gaining meaning and power. Exciting studies provides the context for such learning.”
The artistry of the teacher
The killing of a Vikings' chieftain’s horse – and the artistry of a creative teacher
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| A student helped through tchr artisty |
Write Now Read Later
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| Why have we forgotten about Marie Clay? |
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