Radical Teaching

Very much enjoyed reading your analysis. We have similar problems here in the UK -- and a similar attitude to education, especially an increasingly early start and a tests-and-targets driven system.
Three years ago, I published a book called Toxic Childhood which tried to pull together research on the many strands of modern life that are adversely affecting our children -- as well as education, it included diet, lack of real play, poor sleeping habits, changes in family structures and childcare, and an increasingly sedentary screenbased existence (which also exposes children to highly aggressive marketing strategies).
Since then, I've been involved in many childhood campaigns (including trying to set up a UK branch of the US Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood). In terms of education, my own research has suggested that many of the answers are already available through long-established methods such as that devised by Maria Montessori -- I've therefore recently taken on the Presidency of Montessori AMI UK. If you want a ready-made solution to many of the problems you outline, do have a look at Montessori education. There's an excellent book called 'Montessori -- the science behind the genius' by Angeline Stoll Lillard.
Very best wishes,
Sue Palmer

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Thanks

I enjoyed reading your article Judy. With the Literacy with Information and Technology initiative of Manitoba Education, we have been addressing some of the concerns you bring up, namely the collaboration, the differentiated teaching and learning, the need to validate information, assessment and self-reflection, motivation and confidence as well as the whole aspect of ethics and responsibility.
This initiative was launched in 2004 and is now being implemented across our province in all K-8 schools. We expect to move into the senior years in the coming school year.
Please read about the initiative at
http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/tech/lict/index.html
Check the underlying principles under the "Tell Me" tab. And read the continuum ("Show Me") which describes student behaviour as they develop their Literacy with ICT".

Michelle Larose-Kuzenko,
Consultant

I love everything you're saying here.

Thinking about ideas like those of Clay Shirky, "Here Comes Everybody" I guess I would want to reinforce the importance of #2 "Evaluate Information Accuracy" and also have it include something about encouraging the willingness and ability to contribute meaningfully to the giant web 2.0 information pool. What Shirky calls our "cognitive surplus" can be used to contribute to society in ways that were not possible before. E.g. I was just reading Will Richardson's Diigo comments on your article!

Connection and collaboration in the moment.

Very good article.The other points worth considering are.
1.Aptitude of the student is to be assessed.Currently parents normally have dreams of their children becoming a specialist in some field, with out bothering whether their children have the aptitude for the field they suggest.Aptitude test is a prerequisite for education and this has to be assessed by a professional.
2.Attitude of the child has to be studied and developed.
3.Teaching must aim at knowledge, not information cramming.
4.Teaching with multi media is better to engage children's attention.
5.It does not mean multimedia can replace teacher;at no point of time can a teacher be replaced.
6.Inter active teaching is essential.
7.Descriptive answering in examination is to be encouraged, not objective type, for in most cases, objective types elicit toss up answers(most of the times they turn out to be correct,with the student knowing nothing about the subject); also Descriptive type improves better written communication skills.
6.Even in a class room teaching methodology should be different for different levels of understanding of students.
7.Teachers should be honest in their answers;if they do not know the answer, they should admit and inform that he/she shall check and inform.Children shall respect you more for it.
8.Teachers should be of impeccable character for teaching is not a job, but a vocation on par with medicine.Sense of dedication, commitment and love of children is called for.
9.Parents must not exert pressure on their wards to come on top in the class.There can be one topper.Hence, if the child does above average, encourage it.
10.Do not compare your children with other children or siblings.

“The most important manual students and educators can read is the owner's manual to their own brain. When we understand how our brains take in and store information, we hold the keys to operating our brains most successfully. “

This is such an important point. After thirty years of high school teaching I have yet to hear a satisfactory reason why it is so important for students to learn say, the structure of the cell, but absolutely unimportant for them to learn how their own mind works. So many of the problems not only of youth, but of society as a whole, arise from people’s ignorance of basic human psychology. Regardless of any other issues we need to start teaching young people how to use their brains effectively, not only to enhance their learning but to give them emotional control and insight into the behavior of others.

A couple of additional observations:
1.There is evidence that rote learning increases working memory and so the capacity to solve complex problems. I think we probably need more of it though its role in testing is another issue.

2.I think tolerance is caught rather than taught. We can teach students why they should be tolerant but it doesn’t achieve much if their experiences in the wider community are of intolerance. It would be nice to think that schools could lead on this issue but I’m not sure it is realistic.

The points made in your article are compelling......... sounds an awful lot like good, solid homeschooling to me.