Category: learning

What Do We Need to Remember?

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I am taking a class at the gym called “Boot Camp.” We gather each morning at 6am to let Emily wear us down and build us back up.

Lately, one of the participants has been bringing his son, who looks to be about 10 or 11. This morning, though, he didn’t show up with his dad.

“Where is Chuck?” someone asked.

“Oh he has his test on the state capitals today. He’s only up to 28, so he’s studying,” dad said.

Grrrrr. I could feel my stomach start to turn.

“Why do we do that to kids?” I asked. How many of you remember all the state capitals. And why do we need to know them?”

My husband, always the one to push me, said: “It’s good for us!”

Yeah. So here this poor kid is waking up early to memorize state capitals for a test he is taking today. In his book, Confusing Harder with Better, Alfie Kohn says:

And, this isn’t new. Here’s a discussion about how “memorization in schools is fading,” from a New York Times article in 1982.

”Memorization is a luxury that isn’t used anymore,” he said. ”We have fundamental goals to accomplish with our youngsters today. We have to practice in dealing with ideas so that they can conceptualize and draw conclusions.”

I don’t get it. I suppose there is some value in memorizing short poems and some math concepts, but state capitals? Why? Does anyone have a valid reason for using time in this way?

 

image credit: By cityyear

More on Fear

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And while we’re on the topic of fear, check out BrendaDee’s post that makes great points about teacher innovation vs tradition:

Once in practice, educators discover that preparing students to be design thinkers, tinkerers, creative problem solvers, leaders etc can be highly abstract and that many of today’s teachers are uncomfortable with the pedagogical changes needed to shift from traditional teaching practices to the education reform required to “make schools places that cultivate creativity” (Florida, 2004).

She also references Nancy Stuewe’s post on teaching and innovation. Powerful questions to ponder:

1. What opportunities do teachers have to make sense of their experiences with innovation and change?

2. We do not make it easy for students to be innovative by making it difficult for teachers to be innovative. Can we describe clearly what is standing in the way of teachers becoming both creative and innovative?

3. Technology changes quickly, teachers regularly come into contact with technology they have no experience with. How do we help them gain this experience and reduce their frustration?

4. To become an architect of learning requires teachers to teach differently than they were taught (we can not give what we do not have). How can we support teachers to build their own profession learning networks during working hours?

5. Given that People not technology will be the solutions to problems, how do we adjust the structure of the working environment to allow for the free flowing exchange of ideas to support their personalized learning?

 

I’ve been wondering about how to make these changes more feasible within the constraints of our working hours as well (though I recognize that traditional “working hours” will be another necessary change). This may be the heart of the matter:

…how do we shift a the system that once discouraged participation to now encourage teachers to engage in mindful, thoughtful interaction with why we have school?

 

image credit

Why? Why Not?

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An early morning brain dump: Why not….

  • eliminate grouping by grade levels. Let students move through outcomes and benchmarks at their own pace.
  • hire teachers year round for a substantial increase in salary. Most effective work needs to happen when students aren’t in class. Teachers must stop thinking of their day as time spent only with students. Teachers must have time to read, work together, be inspired and creative, reflect, and plan. Every year. Always learning.
  • re-think the school day. Why not spend less time together and more time asynchronously?
  • allow students to learn math, English, science,and art around a passion: say sailing? woodworking? astronomy?
  • eliminate grades for conversations and portfolios. Sorting and ranking creates a society of winners and losers (and power struggles)
  • develop ways to help students understand that effort, real effort, pays off
  • ask the questions instead of giving the answers
  • think of inquiry as central to learning

inspired by looking through a different lens

Where are you looking?

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Look into my eyesphoto © 2008 Look Into My Eyes | more info (via: Wylio)
The UPS truck slowed down in front of my house today. I listened for the “Knock, knock.”

My books had arrived. Though I often choose to read on my Kindle App, sometimes I really want THE Book. Like the Complete Artist’s Way, all 700 pages of it, which I will dive into tomorrow.

Another one in the stack today was Practically Radical, by William C. Taylor, co-founder of FAST COMPANY magazine. I picked it up, starting from the back. This chapter jumped out at me:

Where you look shapes what you see

Isn’t that true? We strive to make changes, but if we look where we have always looked, if we listen to voices we have always heard, we can’t see the possibilities.

I have chosen to add a variety of blogs to my RSS feed over the years. They are not all about education. Some I read for the message, some for the fabulous writing, some for the inspiration.

Take a look:

Re-educate Seattle: A blog written by an administrator at a charter school. He wants to change the world.

Harvard Business Review: Speaks for itself

Buried in Wires: Teaching writing in the digital age

Full Circle Associates: Nancy White’s company about connecting and learning, collaborating online. Much more.

15 Axioms: leadership

White Hot Truth: crazy stuff

Life is a Verb: inspiration- she asks: what would I be doing today if I only had 37 days to live?

Beth Kanter: because I learn a lot from her about nonprofits and social media

sacha chua: I like her transparency

Brene Brown: researcher with an authentic voice who talks about imperfections and strength

These are among the 307 blogs I currently subscribe to. The variety keeps me thinking about how the rest of the world works. We all need to look beyond our comfort zone, don’t you think? And sometimes, we still come back to where we started: read Study for the Essay Questions