Tuesday, 16 September 2014
Podcast: Chromebooks, 1:1 and a Tech Environment
In this episode, we talk about Chromebooks, 1:1 Classrooms and the Tech Environment on team. Listeners can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. Search iTunes for Harmonized Learning in the podcast section and click "subscribe". You can also follow us on Twitter @melissahellwig4 and @dayankee
Friday, 12 September 2014
Chromebook Rollout!
This year our seventh grade is moving to a Chromebook 1:1 program. Each student will have their own laptop to use at school and take home to use. Today, we get our Chromebooks on team! We see this kind of technology expansion as a great equalizer in student learning. It also allows teachers to be even more creative by flipping lessons, creating and using more video, and structuring learning so that kids are CREATING.
The Chromebooks are essential to 20% Time as we run it. We rely a lot on the intrinsic motivation of each student to research, learn and create knowledge about their project topic. Having access to a cart of Chromebooks last year proved invaluable, but this year, in a 1:1 environment, the access to learning should be even better.
The kids are excited and so are we. We are shifting our subject content so that we can conduct a Technology Boot Camp. Within a week, we want our kiddos to have a good working knowledge of the digital tools that we will be using this year. Today we will introduce and begin using Google Classroom, get kids signed up for 3DGameLab and give the kids a quick tutorial on the laptop they will be using this year. Next week, the learning continues with more digital apps we'll be using in class! These are exciting times on Team Harmony!
The Chromebooks are essential to 20% Time as we run it. We rely a lot on the intrinsic motivation of each student to research, learn and create knowledge about their project topic. Having access to a cart of Chromebooks last year proved invaluable, but this year, in a 1:1 environment, the access to learning should be even better.
The kids are excited and so are we. We are shifting our subject content so that we can conduct a Technology Boot Camp. Within a week, we want our kiddos to have a good working knowledge of the digital tools that we will be using this year. Today we will introduce and begin using Google Classroom, get kids signed up for 3DGameLab and give the kids a quick tutorial on the laptop they will be using this year. Next week, the learning continues with more digital apps we'll be using in class! These are exciting times on Team Harmony!
Thursday, 11 September 2014
Educational Readings - boys v girls/ slow educ / NZ elections.....
By Allan Alach
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| Staying in Croatia |
New Zealand readers - I’ve voted from Croatia. What’s your excuse for not voting in New Zealand?
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!
STEM is incredibly valuable, but if we want the best innovators we must teach the arts
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| Education or testing? |
The Fatal Flaw Of Education Reform
“Nevertheless, I believe that this “movement” (to whatever degree you can characterize it in those terms) may be doomed to stall out in the long run, not because their ideas are all bad, and certainly not because they lack the political skills and resources to get their policies enacted. Rather, they risk failure for a simple reason: They too often make promises that they cannot keep.”Boys Learn to Interrupt. Girls Learn to Shut Up.
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| He who speaks first slides first! |
“The more boys there are in the group, the less often girls in the group interrupt.”
“When girls play together without boys, they interrupt more. A lot more.”
Why replacing teachers with automated education lacks imagination
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| Early testing machine. |
“The belief that technology can automate education and replace teachers is pervasive. Framed in calls for greater efficiency, this belief is present in today’s educational innovations, reform endeavours, and technology products. We can do better than adopting this insipid perspective and aspire instead for a better future where innovations imagine creative new ways to organise education.”
Are You Ready to Join the Slow Education Movement?“Education must be personalized –responsive to the real needs of each student. This could mean the abolition of grade levels based on age. When education is personalized, it emphasizes student interests, teaches skills using worthwhile content –and most important – shows kids how to tap into their own innate motivation to learn. It puts the onus of learning on those who have the most at stake in school: students.”
Beyond Caricatures: On Dewey, Freire, And Direct Instruction (Again)
This week’s ‘heavy duty’ article but don’t let that stop you from reading it! This is important.“The empowered student necessarily requires the classroom offered by the empowered teacher. Any who teaches must first work through the philosophical evolution that Dewey and Freire represent—as well as continuing beyond the possibilities offered by Dewey’s progressivism and Freire’s critical pedagogy.”
Dispelling the Myth of Deferred Gratification:What waiting for a marshmallow doesn't prove
By Alfie Kohn:
“Underlying self-discipline and grit is the idea of deferring gratification—for example, by
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putting off doing what you enjoy until you finish your "work." The appeal to many educators of transforming kids from lazy grasshoppers to hardworking ants explains the fresh wave of interest in a series of experiments conducted back in the 1960s known as the marshmallow studies.”
Gifted primary school children need more than special classes
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“Many gifted boys and girls find the gifted label stigmatising, and go out of their way to dodge the dreaded nerd status. Would these children be better off in specialised school environment? The gifted education community is sharply divided about this issue with some educators perceiving that the specialised school environment is the ideal setting for gifted children, whereas others believe that they would be better off in the regular school milieu.”This week’s contributions
from Bruce Hammonds:
Common Core's Five Big Half-Truths
Bruce’s comment:The US has a Common Core Standards that are neither common nor core (Sir Ken Robinson calls them a ‘race to the bottom’) New Zealand has National Standards that are neither national or standard. Both are political and populist. Both narrow the curriculum, encourage teaching the tests and side-lining of creativity and the arts. Both are the equivalent to the ‘McDonaldisation of education’.
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4 Big Things Transformational Teachers Do
Bruce’s comment: Are you a transformational teacher – read this then decide.
“Transformational teachers don't react. They anticipate and prepare. Lee Shulman, as reported by Marge Scherer, suggests that expert teachers demonstrate the following, despite enormous challenges:”Planting the Seeds of Innovation in Education
Bruce’s comment: An innovative high school class/teacher.
‘Don Wettrick is on a mission: revolutionizing the world of education by training the next generation of innovators. A reformed teacher (he taught to middle and high school students for 17 years), Don started planting the seeds of innovation at the Franklin, IN High School 3-and-a-half years ago, having found inspiration in Daniel Pink‘s book “Drive”.’Leading the Shift to Digital: School, System & City
“We’re living through the most significant shift in how human beings learn—it’s bigger deal than the printing press and happening a lot faster. Almost everyone has a stake in the quality and speed of transition from the old model organized around birthdays and books to personal digital learning. In the near future, in cities and across networks that lead the shift, we could see a significant improvement in career readiness and economic participation.”
From Bruce’s oldies but goodies file…
The corporate takeover of society and education.
“Since the early 90s society has been reshaped by a neo liberal corporate ideology. An emphasis on private enterprise and self-centred individualism has replaced an earlier concern for collective good of all members of society. As a result of this ideological shift a wider gap has been created between the rich and poor causing a number of social concerns. Schools as part of this shift have been transformed from a community orientation to being part of a competitive cut throat ideology.”Creativity – its place in education
Wayne Morris’s essay on education for creativity. Brilliant - from one of Bruce’s closest associates.
“Creative students lead richer lives and, in the longer term, make a valuable contribution to society. Surely those are reasons enough to bother. Creativity in the classroom – what does it look like?”
Howard Gardner on creativity – are schools encouraging creativity? The challenge of creativity.
“By definition all life is creative and schools ought to be the best place to develop the creativity of all their students but this is currently not the case.”
For New Zealand readers about to vote in the general election - here’s some political postings from Bruce:
New Zealand Elections – are we missing the big picture?
“That we had the lowest voter turnout last election indicates that many citizens no longer feel motivated to vote. Many seem to feel it makes little difference and, unfortunately, those with most to gain in change seems the most indifferent.”
Max Rashbrooke: NZ A Paradise Lost –now a land only fit for the rich. Inequality in NZ
“God’s own country – once supposedly the best place to bring up kids in the world, seems no longer to be the case. A country originally founded to escape the worst of the class structure of England seems to have given up on the idea of giving a fair go to all citizens. The view of many well off people now is that the poor are the authors of their own misfortune and only need to set about and pull up their socks and all will be well; there seems little empathy for those in difficult situations.”Nigel Latta: The new ‘Haves and Have Nots’ – time for Moral Leadership in New Zealand
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| Hugh Fletcher |
Saturday, 6 September 2014
Educational Readings -dirty politics/ the cult of order/ 'grit?'/ beyond the '3Rs'
By Allan Alach
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!
The ministry of education and Whale Oil: an introduction
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| Cameron Slater !!!! |
This article describes what seems to have been a coordinated dirty politics attack (as part of a government wide dirty politics programme) on New Zealand primary principals (including me) in 2011, for daring to object to the government’s national standards in education agenda.
“And if deep collusion has occurred and basic human rights have, indeed, been transgressed, I look forward to the day when a test case for damages to individuals is undertaken, substantial damages awarded – and with that done, a process of truth and reconciliation following.”
Cameron Slater - Whale Oil blogger
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Welcome To The Teaching Profession: Are You Ready To Go To War?“The teachers who stay in the profession have realized that they are in the fight of their life. Teachers can no longer do what they love, what they spent years being educated to do; they have to fight for their students, their parents, their colleagues, and their selves. They have to fight against the education reformers who have never been teachers but somehow are allowed to make policies that impact other people’s children while their children go to private school.”
The Cult of Order
Yet another gem from Peter Greene - education’s version of big brother?
“Many, many, many reformsters are members of the Cult of Order.
The Cult of Order believes in blind, unthinking devotion to Order. Everything must be in its proper place. Everything must go according to plan. Everything must be under control.”
Newspapers are Bad News for Teachers
Some research from Australia that is applicable all over.
“As such, an accumulation of negative and critical media reportage about teachers is likely to erode public trust for teachers and the teaching profession. This is an unacceptable situation where a teacher’s role is made more difficult with the gaze of non-educationist onlookers ‘second-guessing’ teachers’ every move; and the status of teaching become less attractive for those contemplating their career opportunities.”Parents, I Cannot Protect Your Children
“Parents, I cannot protect your children. I must be honest in telling you that the war is alive and well in our classrooms, and children are being harmed every day. What is happening is evil, cruel and abusive.”
Scientists Say Child's Play Helps Build A Better Brain
Don’t know why we need scientists to tell us the obvious!
“When it comes to brain development, time in the classroom may be less important than time on the playground.”
“Got Grit?” Great on a T-shirt, not so good in a gradebook.
“Without rehashing the entire story, the basic premise is that to teach grit, the school and its teachers create an artificial obstacle or challenge that students must overcome (almost like a washout course in college). Along the way, the mantra of “growth mindset” and “grit” are common, but the basic positive regard for students seems to be deliberately hushed. The teachers and leaders actually avoid confidence boosting statements like, “You are a smart kid”, they discourage the usual positive comment as “dirty words” in favor of the new language of grit, “failure is success”. This story struck me as a decent idea gone awry.”
OECD Says That Competition in Education Has FailedThe OECD has issued a damning verdict on education policies that promote competition between schools. Its latest PISA in Focus brief says bluntly that the PISA international test data shows that more competition has failed to improve student results and has increased social segregation between schools.
This week’s contributions from
'Grit' May Not Spur Creative Success, Scholars Say
Seems Bruce has been following this grit meme as well…
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| Curiosity before grit |
Back to School: Looking beyond the 3 R’s
Bruce’s comment: Ontario could be the first province in Canada to measure not just what students learn in school, but also how well the needs of the whole child are being met. A new programme launched this week aims to objectively examine how schools promote creativity, develop social skills and teach citizenship.‘“These are the things schools say they have been doing for the past 100 years — developing a child’s ability to relate to others, to understand society, to appreciate the arts, to become a citizen, so let’s take it seriously and measure it,” he said. “We can measure creativity, we can measure whether a school attends to students’ mental health. We can measure whether a school provides a positive school climate.’
3 Ways to Plan for Diverse Learners: What Teachers Do
Bruce’s comment: So what do you think – formulaic teaching or student centred learning?
“Differentiated Instruction (DI) casts a spell on educators as to how it meets all students' needs. The skillset required to differentiate seems mystical to some and incomprehensible to others in this environment of state standards and high-stakes tests. Where does one find the time? The reality is that every teacher already has the tools to differentiate in powerful ways for all learners.”.jpg)
6 Scaffolding Strategies to Use with Your Students
Bruce’s comment: Some useful ideas to explore.
“What's the opposite of scaffolding a lesson? It would be saying to students something like, "Read this nine-page science article, write a detailed essay on the topic it explores, and turn it in by Wednesday." Yikes -- no safety net, no parachute, no scaffolding -- just left blowing in the wind.”
Friday, 5 September 2014
New Zealand Elections – are we missing the big picture?
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| Who pulls National's strings? |
I happened to catch the final episode of a UK political thriller called ‘Secret State’. I wish I had watched earlier episodes but the final showed the prime minister giving a dramatic idealistic speech asking for the house to have a vote of no confidence in his own party. He was making a plea for the democratic principle of thinking about the rights of ordinary citizens rather than falling in line with the vested interests of big oil companies, power hungry corporations and financial interests.
The ending was left unclear but the Prime Ministers rhetoric was defining two alternative pathways to the future.
The Leader of the Opposition in New Zealand has expressed that the two main political groupings offer two very different pathways to the future but his plea seems to be falling on deaf ears.
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| Latta exposes social ills. |
Recommended changes to liquor laws are blocked by corporate interests. Even the appalling amount of sugar in our food and soft drinks are not to be challenged by government, but according to industry spokesperson,, are to best left to individual choice! Powerful business lobbies have the real power in New Zealand. And then there is the appalling behaviour of far right bloggers working to destroy the opposition – and it seems with support of government politicians.
The National Government is ‘working for New Zealand’ but in reality the wealthy elite; the Queen Street entrepreneurs are the real winners. Cunningly, even cynically, they have introduced policies like free medical care for children up to the age of thirteen, extended paid parental leave and protection of rivers from dairy pollution to suggest to middle income New Zealanders that they care.
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The Leader of the Labour Party vision of a more positive New Zealand – one based on fairness for all is being ignored as is the alternative vision of the Green Party.
Chris Trotter in a recent opinion piece column reports that there is a group called the Opinion Partnership ( led by John Third a Wellington businessman, Owen Jennings former president of the Federated Farmers and an ACT member, and John Ansell, famous for supporting National leader Don Brash with his infamous ‘Iwi /Kiwi’ billboards). Their aim is to ensure a National Party victory by undermining public support for the Greens and Labour.
The Opinion Partnership intention is, according to Trotter, ‘to frighten all those otherwise conservative voters thinking of giving the Greens their vote into thinking again’. Add to this the
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| Chris Trotter |
Trotter is not against the right of the Opinion Partnership to express their views to protect their position; he is more concerned is the apathy of many voters towards considering the need for change referring to ‘those New Zealanders whose comfortable stake in the status quo impels them to risk nothing at all. They will cast their vote on election day without the slightest regard to the growing body of evidence pointing to a “long list of abuses and usurpations”’.
That we had the lowest voter turnout last election indicates that many citizens no longer feel motivated to vote. Many seem to feel it makes little difference and, unfortunately, those with most to gain in change seems the most indifferent. But as Trotter says, concluding his column, ‘in the end, democracy is about defending ourselves – voting’.
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| It seems you can fool the people? |
If the government returns, as it is increasingly likely, then our version of the Secret State will continue. The business and financial elite, and the international corporations will continue to be the winners; the inequality gap will continue to widen.
The chance to develop an alternative pathway to a more positive people orientated sustainable economy (rather than waiting for the wealth to trickle down) may have to wait until 2017.
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| NZ as National likes it! |
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| Read what the Pope says!! |
- The market knows best philosophy of our current government has little to do with human needs other than for the elite. The neo-liberal market fundamentalism has had thirty years to prove its worth - increasingly it has been shown has not to work for the benefit of all or the sustainability of our increasingly fragile environment. As Chris Trotter writes , 'thirty years of devil take the hindmost capitalism' has corroded our once caring society. The 2008 financial crisis may prove only to be an early warning. As it is the Economist reports that our housing market is 74% overvalued - heading for a 'bust'?
A real alternative requires a new progressive alliance best expressed by Labour/Green policies. Finance needs to be focussed on the needs of the community and productive industry not to reward a wealthy few – and those who want to join them.
This is do-able – but only if people can see past the idea that the status quo is the way to go!
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