Quick summary:
Integrated student-centered year-round education is the way to go.
Shift emphasis from student endurance to student competence.
Shift matriculation from units of time to units of learning.
Shift matriculation from birthdays to demonstrations of competence.
Read the full article here.
A recent Associated Press article by Paul Wiseman says that top employers want college graduates with skills that don’t show up on school transcripts. I am hearing the same thing from local small and medium businesses about high school and community college graduates. So it’s across the board national and local.
Good potential employees have acquired the necessary knowledge and/or technical skills; exceptional potential employees also have ‘soft skills.’
So, just what are these ‘soft skills?’
And that’s the disconnect between what can be taught in a classroom and tested for to show progress for students, teachers, principles, school systems to state agencies and legislators – and what can’t be easily classroom taught or tested that employers are looking and needing to hire.
Solution: above my pay grade, but I can see and appreciate the problem.
What’s the best predictor of success in a person’s life?
Dr. Angela Duckworth says it’s “Grit” in this June 2013 video/TED Talk,
You should watch it.
A wonderful and important refresher course in U. S. History.
Introduction by Morgan Freeman – 14:24 minute video
“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it’s the difference between lightning and lightning bug.” – Mark Twain
In the spirit of Mark Twain, let’s begin with dictionary definitions –
ed·u·ca·tion – noun
learn·ing – noun
Education sounds like something done to or for you; educators have something that you don’t have, and you need to go through them to get it.
Learning , on the other hand, sounds like an inside job – no one can do it for you and you can’t do it for someone else; it’s up to each individual to learn.
Seems to fit here: “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make her drink.” But if you happen to find a horse that is thirsty – that is quite a different matter!
What if kids – students – are naturally learning thirsty?
Isn’t that where those clouds of early child questions come from? Why is the sky blue? What is that? Why do I have to do that? How does that work? What happens if I touch my little brother in the back seat of the car? Does touching with my elbow count? Or my toe? Are we there yet? …
Observe your little learning machine in full action!
And there’s yet another saying that applies here: “To appear masterful or powerful, ride the horse in the direction it is going.”
In Jiu-itsu and Tae Kwan Do martial arts, one learns to use the opponent’s momentum to their advantage. Don’t stop or block your opponent’s movements – embrace their momentum and allow them to sweep past you harmlessly, effortlessly in a direction you intend.
So, what’s the point? What is a take-away for kids, parents, teachers?
Compare this with what we complain about now:
Maybe purposeful shifting orientation from “a little more school education” to “a little more kid learning” might be worth more than a few little trials. My guess is, the best teachers already know and are doing this. What do you think? How do we support making such a shift happen?
A Teacher Makes Her 3rd-Grade Kids Hate Each Other For The Best Reason Imaginable
The payoff at the end is brilliant and a perfect metaphor for what we deal with and face every day in our society.
“I had plenty of great resources and educators,” said Zak Malamed of his Long Island high school. “My dissatisfaction came from the lack of ability to be an individual.”
Zak noticed how #EdChat had quickly become a community that gave teachers a voice. He thought students needed the same and launched #StuVoice Twitter chats last May. During Teacher Appreciation Week, the first chat was “What makes a great teacher?”
His #StuVoice Twitter chats (Mondays, 8:30 EDT) grew quickly, “A few months after launching I was connecting with renowned educators.” He knew he was onto something and has started the process for Student Voice (Check it out!) to become a nonprofit.
During his freshman year at the University of Maryland, Zak said he probably spent more time on Student Voice than his school work but he “learned more from that than anything.” Zak said, “I learned how to work with and manage people, formed relationships, and had an incredible experience.”
Student Voice has expanded beyond Twitter to bimonthly Google hangouts. “We recognized the value of face-to-face interaction–it’s often less about the topics and more about the relationships formed.”
Lisa Nielsen (The Innovative Educator) introduced us to Zak. She noted that “He recently put together their first conference (sponsored by Dell) which was a terrific success.”
An added benefit of promoting student voice is that it “helps develop entrepreneurial mindset,” said Zak. He was frustrated with the limitation of his political science major
so he created his own major in social engagements–a study of social, media, business, civic engagement.
The young organization is supported by dozens of volunteer students like Zak. Like Zak, they are convinced that the “idea of student voice, as individual and organizational level, needs to be promoted.” He noted that “plenty of teachers inspired me, but I recognize how much work needs to be done.”
I found this article on http://gettingsmart.com/