Kohn - The Case Against "Tougher Standards"
I chose the title for my blog this week, because I often wonder... 'if I had
it to do all over again... would I have gone into teaching?' The true answer
to that question always leads me to mixed emotions and an overall puzzled
feeling. As a teacher, I have more good days than bad, I generally
like what I do, and most often I feel that I make a difference in students'
lives. The flip side to that is that I find myself commiserating with the
teacher who admitted that he, "'used to be' a good teacher."
Now, I do not feel that I have been in the career field long enough to admit
the same sentiments, but I do feel like I am more limited in my teaching
repertoire than the teachers who I had as a student growing up (if I may
reference Dr. Bogad’s ‘igloo’ example here).
Kohn presented a level of these sentiments by discussing the five separate
ways that the tougher standards movement is flawed. The two areas from his list that stuck out to
me the most were numbers three and five.
I like how Madonna pointed out in her blog, “One
in particular struck me hard, which was “our children are tested to an extent
that is unprecedented in our history and unparalleled anywhere else in the
world””. She expanded on that by
mentioning the amount of testing that students would go through just as high
school students! That doesn’t even
include all of the testing that they have endured up to that point. More tests does not equal higher or more
rigorous standards! Additionally, doing
the same thing over and over in a, “harder, longer, stronger, louder,
meaner” (as Kohn mentioned) will not improve our country. I heard somewhere that the definition of
insanity is, “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different
results.” As Kohn suggests, and links to
an article in Education Week from 1999, this is not the case.
I agree with Madonna that I am in a funk with
all of the new roll-outs that are happening right now. I hope that our discussion on Tuesday will
both shed some light on this topic, and make me feel better about what I am
doing on a daily basis in my classroom (no pressure guys!)
Haha no pressure... I'm looking forward to the discussion. I like Alfie Kohn and appreciate what he has to say. I understand the frustrating, but hopefully enlightening view that he offers. Furthermore, is Kohn highlighting problems that teachers have the power to change?
ReplyDeleteMany of his fatal flaws of education seem be cultural, and how can one or six teachers change the culture of education. I don't disagree with him, but these problems seem to be those that the powers that be must help change. I'm not sure.. like I said, I look forward tot he discussion.
Hi Ben,
Delete"I don't disagree with him, but these problems seem to be those that the powers that be must help change."
I also thought this when reading and can't help but think that the "powers that be" can change most of what we have learned of this semester. The questions for me are now that if they don't, can teachers? and if so, how?
Ideally standardized assessments would go away, but maybe there IS a way that we can prepare students for them in a way that also leads to real learning. Hidden in Kohn? and other authors?
ReplyDeleteOne might learn about ecology by first looking at a forest ecosystem. Then maybe take a stroll through one and notice details and interactions. On the way out he or she may reflect on each tree, mushroom, and insect and say, "hey, before I just saw a bunch of trees and bugs and dirt all jumbled together. Now I see an interconnected web of living and nonliving things." GK
It is strange to feel a little burn out so early in the year and to be around so much negativity so early as well. Waiting for my administrator to come in my room at any time is nerve racking at best. I have always enjoyed having a teacher or administrator come in, sit with the kids, chat with me about what I am doing. But that was before the new evaluation system. We have only three times to hit all items on the rubric in order to receive a "4" for highly effective teacher. The dept chair and administrator have been instructed by RIDE to check off ONLY what they see at the moment they are in your classroom. They can not assume you will do it at some point and you can not show them later that you did. They have to see it. I can only imagine what the kids will feel like when they are tested so often. I'm hoping, like Geoff said, that there will be real learning along the way (fun learning I hope) that gets checked with these "formative" type tests throughout the year. We shall see ...
ReplyDeleteI have to give my administration some accolades here (at least in theory). In response to teachers' fears of administrators "ONLY what they see at the moment", our administrators have told us that if they don't see something in the 20 minute observation that they are there for, then they will stay longer. While this is still a genuine fear many teachers have, it was at least comforting to hear that the administration is willing to work within the guidelines set forth by RIDE (hopefully!)
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