sandr068

Ideas to read and share - pass on to two poeople 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 10 Things That Happen When Students Engage in Design Thinking ‘Unfortunately, the system isn’t designed for innovation. For years, schools have been stuck in a one-size-fits-all factory model, where students passively consume content. Some people will point out that this model is outdated. However, I would argue that factory education was a bad idea from the start. Because here’s the thing: kids aren’t widgets. While one-size-fits-all works great for socks, it’s not ideal for minds.  Kids need to dream and wonder and imagine. They need to design and build and tinker. This is why I love design thinking. It’s a flexible framework that guides students through specific phases in the creative process.’ http://bit.ly/2fGQNt5 What Neuroscience Can Tell Us About Making Fractions Stick ‘Fractions a...

A chance to do some real inquiry: Harakeke study and other ideas Flowers on phormium cookianum - mountain flax   . An environmentally alert teacher always keep an eye open for interesting things to introduce to his, or her, students. November/December is an ideal time for environmental or ecological studies. My visits to schools this term indicates such awareness is a lost art. Dramatic flower stalks By term four students should be fully equip ed with all the skills and strategies in place to undertake inquiry topics on their own or with minimum assistance . The ability to do this would indicate that students are able  to 'seek, use and create their own knowledge'  as asked by the New Zealand Curriculum. Driving around last month I couldn't help but note the untapped resources available for teachers to involve their class in exploring. Flowers emerging on Phormium tenax This is a great time to study harakeke or flax, one of New Zealand iconic plants.  Students could ...

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 How Intrinsic Motivation in Education is Undermined by Extrinsic Motivation ‘I have heard many people talk about intrinsic motivation and how we need to get more of it – especially in schools. But what exactly is intrinsic motivation and why should we nurture it? This is a 2-part blog post. In part 1 (this one) I explore what intrinsic motivation is and why it matters. In part two (follow the blog to get informed when it’ s online)   I will explore how intrinsic motivation can be implemented in the classroom.’ http://bit.ly/2fV9Bsd Teacher research and why it is more important than ever for our schools ‘For some time now we have seen suspicion of any form of educational research not fitting into the ‘gold standard’ of randomized controlled trials. Qualitative and context-sensitive research has been excluded from the evidence base and t...

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 What are our students doing 400 minutes a day? ‘If you are a parent you may wonder every now and then what your kids are doing all day in school . But, as an educator, teacher, and administrator (oh yeah, and I’ m a parent), I ’ve wondered out loud what a typical day-in-the-life of our students looks like. In an effort to make this as visually appropriate as possible, I’m sharing with you the 100 block theory of learning. ’ http://bit.ly/2ffO2jD Children should be starting preschool at 3, Victoria University study says Another link from Phil Cullen, who comments: Paul Wildman describes this as the ‘end of childhood’ . It also  gives testucators the opportunity to condition the very young to NAPLAN preparation as a cultural imperative. Its feral nature makes it easy.  Sandal-makers should welcome this move with open arms. Down the g...

Education Readings Thinking out of the box By Allan Alach I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz Link to latest posting So who says competition in the classroom is inevitable? Thanks to Phil Cullen for this link about what appears to be an excellent boo k. Phil Cullen ‘In this extract from her new book Beautiful Failures , the Guardian’s Lucy Clark tackles the culture of contests and ranking s at school, arguing that for children – indeed all of us – it is unnecessary and damaging.’ ‘In personally questioning the role of competition in education I have lost count of the number of people who have said to me, yes, but life is competitive and school is just a training ground for the sort of competition our kids will face as adults in the real world. Is that what school should be ? A warm-up for the main game? A simulation of grown-up life, where we wake up in the morning, put on our armour and go out to compete in a dog-eat...