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Showing posts with the label Creative teaching

What makes a teacher great ? Read what Sir Ken Robinson says

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Education Readings By Allan Alach Every week Bruce Hammonds and I collect articles to share with teachers to encourage a creative approach to teaching and learning. I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz   This edition will be the last one for 2018 . We appreciate it a busy time with political action, end of term activities, and school reports but suggest you save readings to cherry pick mid Janua ry Sir Ken Robinson: What makes a teacher great? ‘Education innovator Sir Ken Robinson, School News deliberated over misconceptions about great teaching. “ It’s assumed, I think, that to be a good teacher essentially all you need is to have a good degree in whatever it is you’re being paid to teach,” Sir Ken noted. “It’s simply not true, it was never true.’ http://bit.ly/2RgDvGl Rewards Are Still Bad News (25 Years Later) By A lfie Koh n ‘It’s not just that these two are different but that the first tends to undermine the se...

New Zealand loses a top educator - Kelvin Smythe / teacher well being / Importance of PE / Deep learning / creativity

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Education Readings   By Allan Alach Sad news this week. One of New Zealand’s premier educators, Kelvin Smythe, lost his battle against prostate cancer last Saturday .  Kelvin was one of the very best educators in New Zealand’s history and his passing is a tragedy for primary school education. Over the past decade from 2009, Kelvin led the battle against the then government’s imposition of national standards (not too dissimilar to common core standards in the USA) and I think it’s fair to say that his efforts contributed to the removal of these when the government changed a year ago. He was indeed an educational warrior who fought to the end to protect holistic /creative /democratic teaching from current technocratic formulaic approach es . Our condolences to Kelvin’s family , who devoted themselves to his care over the last few weeks . Every week Bruce Hammonds and I collect articles to share with teachers to encourage a creative approach to teaching and learning. I welcome ...

Handling student trauma / the artistry of teaching / embrace uncertainty / vision and values /

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Escaping traditional thinking Education Readings By Allan Alach Every week Bruce Hammonds and I collect articles to share with teachers to encourage a creative approach to teaching and learning . I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz Secondary Traumatic Stress for Educators: Understanding and Mitigating the Effect s An article that examines the effect of student trauma on their teachers - a vital read. ‘With this evolving role comes an increasing need to understand and address the ways in which student trauma affects our education professionals. In a growing number of professions, including firefighters, law enforcement, trauma doctors and nurses, child welfare workers, and therapists and case managers, it is now understood that working with people in trauma — hearing their stories of hardship and supporting their recovery — has far-reaching emotional effect on the provider.’ http://bit.ly/2RDxPXF Problems with Evidence-...

Personalized learning / importance of the arts / engaging students / beyond the 3Rs / and time for principals to fight back

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Time to refresh your energy. Education Readings   By Allan Alach Every week Bruce Hammonds and I collect articles to share with teachers to encourage a creative approach to teaching and learning . I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz Arriving at a Definition of Learning 'Personalized and blended learning and differentiated instruction should be viewed as interrelated supports for deep learning.’ https://edut.to/2IzXTPm Play based learning ‘ However, the play environment is only one part of the puzzle in supporting and observing how children learn through pla y.   Much of the critical work is unseen to the 'naked eye' by visitors intent on seeing how schools 'do' play in their environment.’ http://bit.ly/2yeX7Cw Why an education in visual arts is the key to arming students for the future ' Visual skills are essential  for a sophisticated workforce , yet we offer so little education in the vital sk...