In 9+ things that will disappear in our lifetime from Blue Skunk Blog, Doug Johnson lists 9 things that will disappear in our lifetimes from K-12 education. Then he asks,“What's on your list of things that will (or should) disappear from your school before you kick the bucket?”
Of course, I couldn’t resist so here are my answers:
1. Lecture type teaching - I hope that students will learn by collaborating doing some kind of project based learning where the teacher is more of a facilitator than a lecturer. I hope there is more active learning rather than passive learning.
2. Teacher vs. Parent mentality - I hope that eventually teachers and parents can work as a team to help students be more successful. Many parents are discouraged from being a part of the school and I hope this will change.
3. Excessive paperwork - I can’t begin to tell you how much data I am asked to input into a computer only to be asked at the end of the year to fill out a paper report on the same data. There is way too much paper being used in schools!
4. Fear of being sued - Too many times I am told that things can’t be done because of liability possibilities. I think people sue others for things that could be settled easily out of court.
5. Fear of cell phone use - many students have smartphones now and can be used as a great tool in the classroom. Unfortunately many teachers still don’t have these and don’t know how to use them.
6. Homebased instruction with a tutor - I hope that students who are at home due to some discipline reason will have to attend classes using Skype or some kind of technology from home. They will not be allowed to watch TV and have fun because they are suspended but rather still have to participate in class only from a different venue.
7. Expecting students to fit the mold - All students are different and should be recognized and applauded for their individuality. Instead of teaching special ed students with individualized learning, allow all students to be taught this way. Maybe once we stop expecting all students to be the same, students can learn more tolerance for those who are different.
What things would you add to this list? Please share!
Image: 'bucket'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16215823@N06/4227534087
2 comments:
How about the idea that if we just keep raising the state test score expectations, the students will all rise to the occasion? My ID students have plateaued. My struggling students cannot make three years' gain in nine months.
#1 was my favorite so I second that. As for #2, until there is more parent involvement there won't be much improvement. However, I feel for parents who are burned out from their jobs. Although I am not a traditional teacher I think discipline is a serious issue in schools. Detention and Saturday school would be at the top of my list replaced by hard physical labor, like grounds maintenance and janitorial duties. Next would be the tradition of new students every year. Why can't teachers have the same students for a couple years in order to develop deeper relationships and understanding?
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