We separate children and group them according to ability all the time. Children who learn slowly or who need teachers to give them choices are often labeled as Learning Disabled or Emotionally Handicapped and taken to the Special Education Room for intense interventions. On the other end of the spectrum are the children who learn quickly, they are labeled as bright or gifted and put into Honors Classes or Advanced Placement classes. Then there are the children that learn neither quickly, nor slowly but just move through the paces. They are put in the "regular" classes and rarely get opportunities to shine.
Everyone in education knows that children learn in different ways, at different times and need different forms of input in order to truly learn new material. We know that, but we spend a great deal of time and money trying to fit everyone into one type of learning. Children are not supposed to be one-size-fits-all and neither should our classrooms. So how do you differentiate? Do you continue to separate children and stick labels on them?
Children need a blended learning model. No child should have to be separated from their peers because of learning disabilities or because of their ability to complete tasks quickly. Educators need to move to an inclusive model with handheld devices powered by Classroom Management Systems. With a well developed CMS one teacher can post lessons that are differentiated for all the children in their class. Enrichment activities are available for a child who finishes first, but are also available to the child who needs more time. Children who have trouble with an assignment can send a message to their teacher, who can respond privately to the child. Maintaining teacher and student privacy while giving the extra help needed, on an as needed basis. Teachers can monitor the time on task, create polls to see who understands the materials, adjust lessons for students and create portfolios of student work that show growth over time.
This model of learning is the future of education.
There are classes and schools that are doing this now. Real schools and teachers who are using social networking and classroom management systems to enhance student learning. In schools using this model, students are engaged and actually enjoy learning. Say good-bye to apathy, get blended!
-AMA
Showing posts with label Apathy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Apathy. Show all posts
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Real Reasons Behind Problems in Education Today
Stories circulating on the web would have you think that public education in the United States today is not working or that kids don't care. Neither are true.
When teachers and students here in the U.S. are subjected to standardized tests, our results don't compare well to some other countries, like Japan. I could tell you that there are multiple reasons for this, not the least of which would be that all students in Japan get exactly the same education, regardless of disability and their students with disabilities are not counted in test results, but let's not go there.
Some people would have you believe that our problems come from teacher's unions. If teachers worked harder, our kids would be smarter. Anyone who has spent a full day in one teacher's classroom would know that is simply not true. Teachers arrive early, stay late and take work home with them. Teacher's unions were formed to protect teachers from unscrupulous communities that took advantage of people caring for their children. If unions didn't help teachers negotiate contracts with school districts that hire lawyers for negotiations, teachers would never get raises. It's that simple.
Others would have you believe that the problem lies in student apathy. That kids today just don't care. Students that I work with will tell you that they do care. It's important to them that they have opportunities to be contributing members of society.
So where is the apathy coming from? Apathy stems from people who have lost sight of how important it is to have educated citizens. People today may not realize that democracy depends on having an educated citizenry. Long ago when public education was first envisioned in this country, our founding fathers understood that uneducated people are perfectly willing to leave decisions in the hands of people who appear to be smarter. Educated people know when their rights are infringed upon, when politicians are hoodwinking them out of money. An educated public is our democracy’s best defense.
Developing standards based education has led us to a place where it is not cheap to educate students and it is difficult to justify the cost when standards are inconsistently applied. Or a waiver for a standard/ administrative rule can be had simply by asking. School districts regularly cut corners on technology, teaching contracts, building maintenance and repair or hire people who are not qualified to deal with students because they came at the lowest cost to the district.
Why? Because today's tax burden on communities is so high, that every minor increase in a school's budget is put under a microscope. This is not just happening in low income communities but everywhere. Standards based education and accountability are not going to go away. We need these to push ourselves into improving the education your child receives. But we have to stop cutting corners in education. Children need us to give them time, money and love if they are going to grow into citizens we can be proud of, we need to change the perception regarding education from an unjustifiable expense to an investment in our future.
Have you heard of the Broken Window Theory? People who lived in spaces that were not cared for felt marginalized and social norms tended to break down. The theory was tested in New York, Albuquerque, Lowell MA and the Netherlands. When broken windows and litter were not taken care of, more vandalism and crime followed. In neighborhoods where windows were repaired and litter was removed crime did not increase.
Children learn what they see and hear. Parents argue about a tax bill and say things like, "The school tax is out of control, I'm not voting for that." What the child hears is, "Education is too expensive." A child performs in a play or concert and their parents don't come. What the child hears is, "I don't have time for you." When school district officials blame teachers for poor performance in test scores, what the child hears is, "Teachers are bad." When technology doesn't work in their schools or halls are not kept clean, the child sees this and thinks, "No one cares." Their behavior reflects what they see and hear. If you are wondering why students misbehave, do poorly in school or exhibit apathy in your school district, perhaps it's time to examine the real source of apathy.
-AMA
When teachers and students here in the U.S. are subjected to standardized tests, our results don't compare well to some other countries, like Japan. I could tell you that there are multiple reasons for this, not the least of which would be that all students in Japan get exactly the same education, regardless of disability and their students with disabilities are not counted in test results, but let's not go there.
Some people would have you believe that our problems come from teacher's unions. If teachers worked harder, our kids would be smarter. Anyone who has spent a full day in one teacher's classroom would know that is simply not true. Teachers arrive early, stay late and take work home with them. Teacher's unions were formed to protect teachers from unscrupulous communities that took advantage of people caring for their children. If unions didn't help teachers negotiate contracts with school districts that hire lawyers for negotiations, teachers would never get raises. It's that simple.
Others would have you believe that the problem lies in student apathy. That kids today just don't care. Students that I work with will tell you that they do care. It's important to them that they have opportunities to be contributing members of society.
So where is the apathy coming from? Apathy stems from people who have lost sight of how important it is to have educated citizens. People today may not realize that democracy depends on having an educated citizenry. Long ago when public education was first envisioned in this country, our founding fathers understood that uneducated people are perfectly willing to leave decisions in the hands of people who appear to be smarter. Educated people know when their rights are infringed upon, when politicians are hoodwinking them out of money. An educated public is our democracy’s best defense.
Developing standards based education has led us to a place where it is not cheap to educate students and it is difficult to justify the cost when standards are inconsistently applied. Or a waiver for a standard/ administrative rule can be had simply by asking. School districts regularly cut corners on technology, teaching contracts, building maintenance and repair or hire people who are not qualified to deal with students because they came at the lowest cost to the district.
Why? Because today's tax burden on communities is so high, that every minor increase in a school's budget is put under a microscope. This is not just happening in low income communities but everywhere. Standards based education and accountability are not going to go away. We need these to push ourselves into improving the education your child receives. But we have to stop cutting corners in education. Children need us to give them time, money and love if they are going to grow into citizens we can be proud of, we need to change the perception regarding education from an unjustifiable expense to an investment in our future.
Have you heard of the Broken Window Theory? People who lived in spaces that were not cared for felt marginalized and social norms tended to break down. The theory was tested in New York, Albuquerque, Lowell MA and the Netherlands. When broken windows and litter were not taken care of, more vandalism and crime followed. In neighborhoods where windows were repaired and litter was removed crime did not increase.
Children learn what they see and hear. Parents argue about a tax bill and say things like, "The school tax is out of control, I'm not voting for that." What the child hears is, "Education is too expensive." A child performs in a play or concert and their parents don't come. What the child hears is, "I don't have time for you." When school district officials blame teachers for poor performance in test scores, what the child hears is, "Teachers are bad." When technology doesn't work in their schools or halls are not kept clean, the child sees this and thinks, "No one cares." Their behavior reflects what they see and hear. If you are wondering why students misbehave, do poorly in school or exhibit apathy in your school district, perhaps it's time to examine the real source of apathy.
-AMA
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