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At risk by politicians! Education Readings By Allan Alach I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz If I Were Secretary of Education – A Classroom Teacher’s Fantasy If only teachers were given the chance to run education. Steven Singer: ‘I’m only a classroom teacher. The powers that be don’t trust someone like me with that kind of responsibility. It’s okay to give me a roomful of impressionable children everyday, but there’s no confidence I can make sound policy decisions. For that we need someone with experience in management – not schools, pedagogy, children or psychology.’ http://bit.ly/2dTnW4R Creativity and Academics: The Power of an Arts Education ‘The arts are as important as academics, and they should be treated that way in school curriculum . This is what we believe and practice at New Mexico School for the Arts (NMSA). While the positive impact of the arts on academic achievement is worthwhile in itself, it's a...

Jerome Bruner  1916-2016 Pedagogy for  21stC flexible learning environments Jerome Bruner has a always  been a favourite of mine. I have previously written a blog about one of his bis books that  I have read several times ( because one reading is not enough to  fully comprehend  - some essays are still beyond me) Bruner's ideas are in opposition to the standardized direction being imposed on our schools but are surely the essence of what a modern learning environment is all about? 'Towards a Theory of Instruction'   is the book, first published 1969, I want to share today .. 'The will to learn is an intrinsic motive, one that finds both its source and its reward in its own exercise. The will to learn becomes a "problem" only under specialized circumstances like those of school......what the school imposes often fails to enlist the natural energies that sustain spontaneous learning - curiosity, a desire for competence, aspiration to emulate a model, a...

Education Readings By Allan Alach I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz The education system would fall over without many hours of teacher overtime. How long until this goodwill is withdrawn? This article is from the UK; however it sure applies to New Zealand , and, I suspect, to many Colin Harris - former primary principal other countries as well. ‘ There is no doubt that the vast majority of teachers do far more work than they are either contracted or paid to do. Recent BBC research showed that the average primary class teacher, if there is such a thing, worked 59 hours per week. If we consider that only 20 hours of this time is actually in front of a class, then it means a phenomenal amount of time is spent on preparation or marking or taking on the many additional responsibilities a class teacher now has.’ http://bit.ly/2dDrnwl Author Ron Ritchart How Clear Expectations Can Inhibit Genuine Thinking in Student s Time ...

Education Readings By Allan Alach I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz Author Steven Lewis (Aust) Fast policy: when educational research morphs into quick fixes and ‘silver bullets ’ ‘These new ‘actors’ in the field produce and promote usually short, easy-to-read and easy-to-implement glossy reports, which offer simplified evidence and give definitive solutions involving ‘best practice’, and where research knowledge is orchestrated to best influence government policy. Evidence is tailored to the needs of policymakers but also fits within the report generator’s own interests and agendas. We call this type of report ‘fast policy ’; that is, policy shortcuts via readymade examples of ‘what works’, which are often borrowed from other countries (or systems) and cherry picked to meet political needs.’ http://bit.ly/2cx7mIW We are in “ Deep” Doo Doo: Latest Buzz Word of Caution Beware ….when will this arrive in your location ?...