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For 2012, what 3 things should schools focus on for students?
Schools around the world are trying to determine the secret to a successful school and more importantly, an engaged student. But many schools get bogged in the mire of bureaucratic policies that make the teaching of students an even more complicated one.
Topics:
creativity education innovation
Robert Winner 50+
The way you frame your next conversation will limit the range of answers. The best in public schools would not be the same answer as the best in private nor would that match the answer for charter. When you say "expand the box" I read public education. How about starting a parent group at your school called Bridge Builders or something acceptable and have them make suggestions in the school direction. There are few avenues for parents to get involved. This group would make them feel like a real part of the future rather than a tool only called for errands. If they interact with the administration (you) they will feel at part of the solution. Remember the PTA when we were young. Everyone came to meetings. We need something to draw parents like that did. The answer to many of the questions is parent pressure to the board, the lawmakers, etc ... Lets maker sure they are on our side.
I look forward to your next conversation. Best of luck.
Elizabeth Gu 30+
All of the students are sick and tired of doing what schools say.
Teachers also have to admit the fact that they are not perfect enough to teach their students--no offence to teachers I love teachers.
Even though it sounds like a naive idea,
wIth modest attitude, rather than forcing students to do what the teachers want them to do, the teachers need to give them a free and let them find the values of learning just by themselves.
Robert Winner 50+
Instill motivators
AUTONOMY - The urge to direct our own lives
MASTERY - The desire to get better and better at something that matters
PURPOSE - The yearning to do what we do as a part of a larger goal.
We accomplish this by using intrinsic motivators VS extrinsic motivators
EXTRINSIC MOTIVATORS - Rewards (Carrots) and sticks (punishment). These are 20thy century
motivation tools that are good for mechanical skills
INTRINSIC MOTIVATORS - Use of cognitive skills (meets 21st century needs) It matters, we like it,
interesting, part of something important.
SELF DIRECTION - Inspires engagement and satisfaction
As this conversation ends in two days could I ask for a summary of how this has influenced your thinking.
Randy Speck
What is interesting about this conversation is the range in which the discussion can go. My ideas about what the "perfect classroom" could look like (might be my next TED question) are unfortunately bound by the education box I allow myself to be in. The system doesn't account for motivators such as "autonomy", "mastery", "self-direction" and "purpose." Those ideals often become the exception rather than the norm. As a building principal, I can teach and instruct my staff on the points you describe, but it takes a teacher's intrinsic desire to push for those ideals.
As I look at the overall conversation, it affirms to me the direction I want to lead in education. The constant battle is how to expand the box.
Vickram Jaidka
edward long 100+
2. Teach the life-long value of the learning process.
3. Teach nothing subjective.
Mary M. 100+
Schools are just one small part of a child's overall life experience. In my experience, the school with loving teachers, involved parents, and an administrator who is interested in teaching the child, and not teaching the subject, is the one that has success.
The school system is broken. But there are still teachers who view teaching as a work of heart. And are in it for the love of teaching in and of itself. Find those teachers, bring them to your school. And reward them, let them know you appreciate them. Then watch the results. Those who will benefit will be the students, and society as a whole.
Randy Speck
Thank you Mary for the comment. I couldn't agree more.
Robert Winner 50+
This conversation is great. Thanks.
Robert Winner 50+
Bob
Mary M. 100+
Mary
Denver Cannon
So, I would say, focus on the child, the curriculum and the teachers.
The problem is that all the focus ends up being on the number of subjects taught, test scores, discipline, legal requirements, Et al, leaving the child waiting in line or at desk "quietly" for a great amount of the day while the staff does paperwork, waits for space availability, or just to takes a break.
(And preemptively, I have the utmost respect for teachers, what I consider the most noble of professions) And being your question was brief, I will not bloviate further.
Randy Speck
Albert Hong
1. Teach students to be self learners. The classical model of teaching is dependent upon the teacher. We want students to become autonomous learners-to look the information up themselves and even challenge what the teacher says. The best thing a teacher could do is provide the mechanisms for learning: researching online, asking experts or peers, collaboration,skepticism, abstract problem solving, and being willing to make mistakes
2. Schools need to inspire passions in students. Students in the troubling adolescent years do not know why they are in school besides qualification. By helping students find their passions, we give them the drive and purpose to learn--not as a mere qualification but a means to achieve a dream. I personally took a yearlong engineering class and it stands as the single most valuable and enlightening experience of my highschool career. There is also room to include industry into the equation and let students see what lies after school
3. Provide resources with open access. Creativity happens. Wether it be a fancy laser printer, full access to the machining room, computers with creation software, school kitchen usable by aspiring cooks, a supply of circuitry components, or a large library. My old highschool had an open fabrication lab and every day people would come in and build things.
Randy Speck
Brianna McCleerey
1- a goal will push students to try harder to acheve that goal, esp. if their friends is already in thoses honor classes they will urge the other to come and join them in the classes
2-to give the attention to the right students .......i once had a teacher who cattered to the lower academic level of students while i was a higher academic level (suitable for honors), but since there was no higher level classes i had to act as a student teacher . wich means that for about a year i didnt learn anything more,one year of my life wasted
please take these reasons to consideration...there is always more room for improvement and when it comes to schools there is many ways we can improve...to stick w/ your rules i thought of the most important 3, i can think of
a few other things
Jeff Cable
To a greater extent, the continual fiddling with legislation, regulations, outcome measurements and dogma within the UK state education system, has produced unsatisfactory learning experiences for many pupils. I remain to be convinced that letting children decide what they want to learn is an altogether useful approach for providing our future societies with the tools they need to develop to become model citizens. When 15 year old children are innumerate and illiterate, it is clear that our schools have (and will likely continue) failed our children.
The primary reason that any government has an interest in their local school system and why education is compulsory is more about our schools being used as agents of social control. Ersatz education policies keep the pupils just dumb enough so that they are too stupid to make unreasonable (or perhaps any) demands of government and to provide fodder for the few remaining menial tasks which so-called civil societies require to be completed. Computerisation having removed many of the occupations they may have sought.
The UK school system is currently arranged to gate-keep access to wealth and suppress untrammelled demand from those who would benefit most from being well-educated, despite them being the least likely to succeed within a system of learning, expectations and examinations which were deliberately designed to keep them excluded from attaining any wealth.
Randy Speck
Jeff Cable
Whether we are talking about Maslow's hierarchy of needs or Gardner's multiple intelligences, the theories of education appear (to me) to be a mix of psychobabble, personal opinion and pedagogic myth. I would like to be pointed to the science which defines the boundaries of educational method and delineates where the art of teaching begins and upon which hypotheses the tuition of our children is based. Absent seeing any scientific papers concerning the reproducible influences of teachers, on classes of children, it is hard to shake myself from the belief that the teaching profession has no real base from which to sustain its methods.
It is not my intention here to dismiss the teaching profession because I firmly believe in the value of educating our future generations and teachers appear well-placed to undertake this work. It is difficult to see how our children will survive if we do not pass on the skills which we consider are necessary for society to function well. Students do not know enough, in my experience, to know what they are lacking. I consider it to be the fundamental responsibility of the teacher to make the student aware of their lack of knowledge and to give them sufficient skills and motivations to function both in the hear and now and later; particularly if they are to be able to assimilate new knowledge.
Robert Winner 50+
2. Cease high stake testing. Tests should be designed to show application not reguration of instructors thoughts.
3. All secondary instructors should be associated with a college/university and if the secondary student completes college level course then give college level credits. This allows the student to accel academically while remaining with peers for social development.
Sorry to limit this to only three areas. In order to return education to a "learning" environment it will be necessary to get the Federal and state government out of the business. The latest requirement in Arizona is that the teachers raises and ratings will be determined by the students test results. I see this as a disaster in the making. Randy have you viewed the PISA scores. If not please do. The US is in the POOR category and still falling. A revolution in education is about to take place of the magnitude that occured when Russia won the space race. I am working with the State Superintendent of Schools and the Senate Chair for Education to get some base line ideas in place for consideration. This program (course map) is K thru 12 with all syllabus interlocking. I also firmly believe that the best instructors should be a the elementry level as a foundation is essential to the structure we are attempting to build. If discipline and focus are instilled at the beginning then success is within their grasp.
One last thought .... we must devise a method of getting the parents back into education. The parents that show up at parent / teacher meetings are not the ones you need to see.
I broke your rules. Sorry
Randy Speck
I whole-heartedly agree with your perspective on elementary teachers. As a current elementary principal, I marvel everyday at the work these teachers do with students. Teaching a child to read is one of the most amazing accomplishments of a teacher and that foundation can never be overlooked.
Zared Schwartz