One of my personal frustrations with the current conversation around
educational reform (at least the admittedly small parts of the conversation
that I hear) is that it seems so lacking in specifics.
I went to a workshop at the recent NAIS convention on de Bono thinking
methods. After a couple of hours, I had some very specific procedures that I
understood and could use. I had had witnessed (and been party to) its
application and the change in results.
Next day I went to a workshop (generically) on the use of tech tools in
progressive education, where I heard a lot of talk about embracing energy,
embracing change, empowering students, etc. One example given of innovative
teaching was a woman who used her iPod to play music to her students to help
set the stage for a piece of literature they were about to read.
I remember my 6th grade teacher doing the same thing, and 6th grade was a
long time ago. (Okay, he didn't use an iPod - he used a a turntable.) This
is innovation?
Can we get real?
I'll throw this bait out there, knowing I am setting myself up to be torn
apart, but how about we abolish grades and use a systematic creation of
digital portfolios instead? Isn't it obvious that grades are outdated,
highly fallible representations of a student's abilities and that a keyed,
online portfolio, while not infallible, would provide a much more accurate
representation of a student's skills, knowledge and overall abilities?
Wouldn't this alleviate grade inflation, honors courses, a whole swath of
cheating (while admittedly opening up other opportunities, but corruption
will never cease), as well as whole slew of other benefits?
Yes, there are downsides, and it is a process we'd have to work through
thoughtfully, but *when* can we get started on this? *How *do we get
started?
What other real, practical, concrete ideas can we begin pushing?
Sorry to be so prickly, but I love to talk, and I love to
talk philosophically, but at some point, you have to just *start*.
Norman Maynard
Executive Director
National Coalition of Small Schools <http://www.coalitionofsmallschools.org/>
On Tue, Mar 2, 2010 at 1:29 PM, SARAH HANAWALD <
SarahHanawald@greensboroday.org> wrote:
> A forum for independent school educators <ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU> writes:
> >Putting your cards on the pedagogical table creates the conditions to
> >change one's thinking.
> (actually, Joel Backon said that, not ISED).
>
> I'm fascinated by this thread in general and this comment in particular.
> Computing technology's greatest impact on education is, in my opinion, the
> way it has compelled educators to "put their cards on the table." A
> couple of years ago I wrote in a blog post (rant?) that I believed ed tech
> folks were the futurists of education. I still think that, but I think
> the futurist crowd has expanded tremendously beyond the borders of ed tech
> in the last couple of years.
>
> There's a book I'd like to recommend, [
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Rethinking-Education-Technology-Education-Connections-Education-Connections/dp/0807750026/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
> ]Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology by Allan Collins and
> Richard Halverson. I'd describe it as the intellectual's version of
> Disrupting Class. I was a little disappointed when I first finished it.
> Now, I think that was because I was looking for more flash. I keep
> reflecting on and bringing up points Collins and Halverson make, so I
> think I need to award them another star in my GoodReads review!
>
> For example, the authors describe the balance between classic and
> progressive education as a compromise resulting in content instruction
> organized in classical disciplines but without the rigor or context. The
> result is weaker than either of the two approaches in isolation. There's
> some food for thought that, on the surface, looks to have nothing to do
> with technology. However, I'd argue that something similar happens when
> teachers "integrate" technology into the curriculum.
>
> I've just posted this as a book discussion on ISENET too. So, if you're
> looking for spring break reading. . .
>
> Sarah
>
>
> Sarah Hanawald
> Technology Integration Coach
> Greensboro Day School
> 5401 Lawndale Drive
> Greensboro, NC 27455
> 336-288-8590
> shanawald@greensboroday.org
>
> The principal goal of education is to create [individuals] who are capable
> of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have
> done.
> Jean Piaget
>
>
>
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>
Norman Maynard
Executive Director
National Coalition of Small Schools <http://www.coalitionofsmallschools.org>
[ For info on ISED-L see https://www.gds.org/podium/default.aspx?t=128874 ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.
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