30 Years - Huge Changes in our Schools

This author taught 30 years ago and is still teaching today.  Some of our readers went to school in the 70's and 80's and can identify with these immense changes.  Teaching was the norm in those years. Teachers had their favorite lessons for certain subjects and tests that matched those lessons.  Kids came to school to learn then just as they come to school today - to learn.  Big difference though.  Today the focus is on learning, not teaching.  Interesting read.  I do believe, however, that in many of our schools our older teachers have not made that switch.  Do you agree?

INSIDE OUR SCHOOLS:  Learning, not teaching, now drives classroom interaction.  Dan Stockwell. 11.24.13.  The Bellingham Herald.
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2013/11/24/3331828/learning-not-teaching-now-drives.html

Why Education is a Tool, Not an End

How many of us teachers view education as a goal to achieve?  This author, Cord Ivanyi, raises the pertinent question,  What really is the goal of education?  To find out answers to this question, please read this premium article from Education Week.  Excellent and not to be missed!

The Deeper Purpose of Learning:  Satisfaction.  Cord Ivanyi.  7.26.13.  Education Week - Premium Article
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/07/26/37ivanyi.h32.html?tkn=VNUFerR9hUv1S%2F1OSjQCizhtV0ZRFFKkwZHC&cmp=ENL-CM-NEWS2


 

US Students Compared with Peers in Other Countries

Decision 2012: Education Policy. 10.6.12.  JSOnline - Crossroads.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/172918471.html  

 

Here is the latest comparison of U.S. K-12 students with their peers in in other parts of the world.  As you might have guessed we continue to lag behind other countries. True also, as you might have expected, white students outperform minority students continues to be a problem.  The charts show the top 10 countries and the bottom 10 performing countries in both reading and math.  As you also might have predicted, our US students perform better in math than reading.

[My opinion on these broad-based studies is that the U.S. is a very diverse country, not only in race, but in culture, family values, religious orientation, economic classes, regional differences, language and others to name a few.  Comparing our U.S. K-12 students to countries without this diversity can be very misleading and somewhat  skewed.  However, as other countries become more diverse, as we are seeing happen now, results may look different in time.  Regardless of my opinion, it is important and revealing to us that we certainly have work to do on many levels:  curriculum, teacher training, student preparedness to learn, parent engagement, good leadership and collaboration among stakeholders.]
 

How do you feel about this study?  Are we on the right track with Common Core? 

How Will Students Remember You?

All of us probably have had teachers from our past who we remember for qualities they have taught us.  One of them may even have given you the desire to pursue a teaching career.  We have learned much from our teachers, but of them most have been forgetable.  Will you be in that group?  Or will you be that one teacher who has ignited a passion in a particular kid?
This article is most interesting as people describe the qualites they now have due to certain teachers in their past.  Very interesting.   How would you like to be remembered?

Favorite teachers and what they taught us.  Matt Woods. 7.23.12.   Midland Daily News. 
http://www.ourmidland.com/news/article_c665b45f-8856-5e1d-bd99-122a7b7b9355.html