Education

The more I learn about efforts to increase student learning, 'reform' schools, or accomplish any of the other goals that have been talked to death, the more I think we need an effort equal in focus, resources and creativity to the task of putting a man on the moon.

Putting a man on the moon was accomplished though the use of divergent thinking, creativity, risk taking, experimentation, and the timely application of sufficient resources, finances and leadership. Oddly, these are the very things hardest to find in efforts to raise academic achievement.

Great article. I've quoted one point where I don't quite agree below though:

"We do need better ways to reward great teachers, and reward teachers for taking chances which will help their students."

I actually think we need LESS ways to reward great teachers - for anything. No matter what we're giving a reward for, there will be many that think they're doing a great job and feel under-appreciated when they don't get a reward. And will the teachers who are rewarded really work harder afterwards? I hope not! We want our teachers to be motivated by the success of their students, not by a bonus or any other external incentive that might distract them from that purpose. You mention the problem with merit pay is "many teachers become nothing but test prep machines." I absolutely agree, but likewise, if we reward teachers for experimenting, we'll certainly get them experimenting - whether they think it'll help their students or not.

Great teachers already want to try out new things that may help their students. What often stops them isn't the lack of a reward but the fear of failure and its consequences. What we REALLY need to do for teachers to experiment more is give them resources (time, technology, access to funds, resource teachers, etc) and permission (i.e. they won't be punished for the inevitable failures that come with growth and learning).

There are already hundreds of schools around the world that have proven track records with much of what you have envisioned. You can check them out through the Online Directory of Democratic Education (http://www.democraticeducation.com/)

Dozens of those schools have been operating for over a decade. They look very different from what passes for normal in schooling these days, so it's important to know what to look for if you check them out. I wrote a series of articles to consider how those differences can be better understood (http://www.teach-kids-attitude-1st.com/democratic-schooling.html).

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Enjoy,

Don Berg

Site: http://www.Teach-Kids-Attitude-1st.com
Free E-book: http://www.changethis.com/51.05.AttitudeProblem

I have wanted to see an overhaul of teacher training for many years now.  What I find objectionable is that it's too easy for the general population to make a mockery of an Education degree. Along with its Library counterpart, it's considered "easy" As.  Is it any surprise, then, that people look down on the majority of teachers, even going so far as to cite, "Those who can, do, those who can't, teach"? 

Good teaching is much much more than ability to recite education theory.  It's also ability to discern between what is mentioned in textbooks and what presents itself in real life.  What happens in real life is that students all come with their personalities, flaws and all, including many quirks.  Many variables in homelife shape us.  We come to school already having learned values from our families.  Cultural beliefs color our perceptions.  Some of us are more prone towards non-conformity because of personalities, too, and so on.

What I'd like to see first and foremost are teachers who are trained in critical thinking.  A good classical and/or liberal arts education would help with that.  I'd also like to see teachers trained to be good observers.  You liken then to doctors, but I think a good teacher can be like a good detective.  Requires a highly developed intuition to look beyond what presents itself on the surface. 

I'd also like to see teachers trained in cultural diversity.  Being more of a cultural outsider myself, I found a lot of unintentional insensitivity along the way.  Teachers don't need to overcorrect their biases so much as be open to other cultures and other points of view. 

We need to overhaul in a way so that what occurs is a more holistic approach to education.  Emphasis should not be on theory so much as perhaps a blend of theories.  Dewey, for instance, might be all find and good, but what does Rudolf Steiner offer and so on. 

Another element might even be what do parents themselves add to the mix?  If "you know your child best" is more than a slogan to appease parents like me, then perhaps we ought to include more input from parents as appropriate.  Afterall, its their kids being taught.  I don't mean in a throw our weight around free-for-all, but more opportunities to offer thoughtful input and analysis based upon what they know and have observe.  And, last but not least, what about the students themselves, as long as they can articulate what they want and need?  Just a few thoughts off the top of my head.

Great point about competition.  Norm-referencing schools won't do anything to change the way we ensure "failure" by norm-referencing students.

ira, why do you want to keep the NAEP test?  Also,  you're going to have to try harder to get your points across because the person who invited you to blog thinks the schools in the wealthier US districts are successful and education in the US is mainly lacking only in the urban/rural districts.

v.v.

I can't speak for Clay, though I doubt that either of us insists on any type of complete agreement in order to share our ideas. Blogging is a place of conversation. Surely I will try to persuade, using the research as I find it, but my primary goal is go get people to doubt.

That said, I'll just say this. My "bitter experience" didn't teach me the 1/3 concept. Every achievement test given in the US since 1867 did that, combined with our massive drop out rate, and our stunning rate of student failure in post secondary education. There's also a tremendous amount of evidence in the economy.

When I was going to school I imagined a much, much higher success rate - and was told only a few of us were "behind." In the end, that proved to be a lie.

- Ira Socol

i misspoke. i didn't mean you made up the 1/3 concept.  i meant that your school experience bore out that concept. of course we don't need complete agreement, and we can still be friendly and all without complete agreement. but my impression was that your 1/3 point affecting almost ALL US schools (even the ones in the wealthier districts) was not getting across. and since i happen to agree with you and see it as the crux of your argument, i was concerned that clay and others get it. clay brings up the naep to back up his claim that the wealthier school districts are doing 'well enough'.  if one agrees with the across the socio-economic board-1/3-concept, one can not make that statement.  this is an important point in my opinion. in addition, i don't believe i've seen your support for the naep in your blog before, but i will go back and search for it.  i thought that was just another crappy test in your book.

PS ira, on your blog you said: "Assessment must be individual, detailed, and student-centered. This is essential, because two fundamental attitude changes are essential: First, the "customer" in every school must be the student - and our students need assessments which help them move forward, not which compares them to some unknown "norm." "

Isn't the NAEP a normed test? Do you want to keep the NAEP as an accountability tool? How would that work if there were no more age-based grades, as you are advocating for?

V V

I'm not suggesting using NAEP for accountability, but for comparison. There is nothing on the NAEP that I don't wish students knew, and if offered in accessible ways, it might provide one more data point.

I don't like multiple choice tests, or standardized tests, but I think politically I'm offering this to those "true believers" in that kind of educational statistics.

Evidence already suggests that students in these kinds of schoolswill do far better than "the mean" on these types of assessments.

- Ira Socol