Comments on: Questions about the future of education http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2008/04/30/questions-about-the-future-of-education/ Education, Technology, Productivity. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:36:36 +0000 hourly 1 By: Jonathan Gower http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2008/04/30/questions-about-the-future-of-education/comment-page-1/#comment-735 Jonathan Gower Tue, 06 May 2008 13:36:05 +0000 http://www.dougbelshaw.com/?p=518#comment-735 I agree. These are good questions. The first video is even better - I think. The 'Where's the mouse?' question surely could be applied to a lot of school lessons. And I don't think it's enough to say, "These are children..." and therefore there's no need. We need to equip children to make the choices that we are guessing will be open to them as adults. I agree. These are good questions. The first video is even better – I think. The ‘Where’s the mouse?’ question surely could be applied to a lot of school lessons. And I don’t think it’s enough to say, “These are children…” and therefore there’s no need. We need to equip children to make the choices that we are guessing will be open to them as adults.

]]> By: Mundesley Junior School : The Future of Education?? http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2008/04/30/questions-about-the-future-of-education/comment-page-1/#comment-736 Mundesley Junior School : The Future of Education?? Fri, 02 May 2008 09:29:18 +0000 http://www.dougbelshaw.com/?p=518#comment-736 [...] Questions about the future of Education. [...] [...] Questions about the future of Education. [...]

]]> By: Charlie Roy http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2008/04/30/questions-about-the-future-of-education/comment-page-1/#comment-739 Charlie Roy Fri, 02 May 2008 00:36:50 +0000 http://www.dougbelshaw.com/?p=518#comment-739 Good questions: people who happen to have been born between the same two Septembers as them? # 1 Why is it that school starts and finishes at the same time for everyone? Part of the education = day care culture #2 Why is it that lessons last an hour, and then we all move round again? Carnegie units and a carry over from the industrial age. #3 Why is it that for all our talk about understanding multiple intelligences, 95% of learning and assessment is written? Too many teachers equate display of knowledge with written work. #4 Why is it that we try to manage the complicated business of learning by increasing the number of ever tiny boxes to be ticked? #5 Why is it that at the end of the day, it’s the teachers who leave exhausted? Because of the traditional focus on teaching as opposed to learning. Good questions:
people who happen to have been born between the same two Septembers as them?

# 1 Why is it that school starts and finishes at the same time for everyone?
Part of the education = day care culture

#2 Why is it that lessons last an hour, and then we all move round again?
Carnegie units and a carry over from the industrial age.

#3 Why is it that for all our talk about understanding multiple intelligences, 95% of learning and assessment is written?
Too many teachers equate display of knowledge with written work.

#4 Why is it that we try to manage the complicated business of learning by increasing the number of ever tiny boxes to be ticked?

#5 Why is it that at the end of the day, it’s the teachers who leave exhausted?
Because of the traditional focus on teaching as opposed to learning.

]]> By: Karyn Romeis http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2008/04/30/questions-about-the-future-of-education/comment-page-1/#comment-738 Karyn Romeis Thu, 01 May 2008 11:59:07 +0000 http://www.dougbelshaw.com/?p=518#comment-738 Excellent questions, and here are my reflections on them: Q1 Why indeed! It isn't the case everywhere in the world, and I am two years younger than my husband, although we finished school in the same year. Q2 The alternative to this would be either a completely redesigned system with a rewrite of a teacher's job description (don't hold your breath!), or a logistical nightmare Q3 I have no problem with the moving about bit - it gives people a bit of a break and a breather, but the one hour bit I guess takes us back to my response to Q2 above Q4 This one gets me, too! I guess they haven't figured out ways to mark, capture or quantify assessments conducted in other ways. Perhaps they haven't even figured out what the "other ways" might be Q5 Political correctness and health and safety gone mad together? Ridiculous! Q6 Now here I feel I'm on solid ground: because they should! Teaching is hard work... if you do it right (the same can be said of parenting). I'll bet my grade 8 history teacher who read the text book to us in every lesson was not exhausted at the end of the day. If you invest yourself in your job and give it all you've got, you WILL be exhausted at the end of it. I find that sense of exhaustion highly gratifying - I know that I've given it my best shot. Excellent questions, and here are my reflections on them:
Q1 Why indeed! It isn’t the case everywhere in the world, and I am two years younger than my husband, although we finished school in the same year.

Q2 The alternative to this would be either a completely redesigned system with a rewrite of a teacher’s job description (don’t hold your breath!), or a logistical nightmare

Q3 I have no problem with the moving about bit – it gives people a bit of a break and a breather, but the one hour bit I guess takes us back to my response to Q2 above

Q4 This one gets me, too! I guess they haven’t figured out ways to mark, capture or quantify assessments conducted in other ways. Perhaps they haven’t even figured out what the “other ways” might be

Q5 Political correctness and health and safety gone mad together? Ridiculous!

Q6 Now here I feel I’m on solid ground: because they should! Teaching is hard work… if you do it right (the same can be said of parenting). I’ll bet my grade 8 history teacher who read the text book to us in every lesson was not exhausted at the end of the day. If you invest yourself in your job and give it all you’ve got, you WILL be exhausted at the end of it. I find that sense of exhaustion highly gratifying – I know that I’ve given it my best shot.

]]> By: Andy B http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2008/04/30/questions-about-the-future-of-education/comment-page-1/#comment-737 Andy B Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:49:46 +0000 http://www.dougbelshaw.com/?p=518#comment-737 Dave has posted some very thought provoking questions. I got particularly animated about the first one which, if resolved, could possibly cure much of the evils in schools today. However we are in the business of educating children. Now that I have my own children I realise that they need structure and routine. They also benefit from and prefer the company of their peers. Do you let your child choose the time he sleeps, the time he eats, do take him to playgroup with other babies his age or prefer he mixes with teenagers to accelerate his learning? The only answer I can arrive at for most of Dave's questions is..."because are students are children". Dave has posted some very thought provoking questions. I got particularly animated about the first one which, if resolved, could possibly cure much of the evils in schools today.

However we are in the business of educating children. Now that I have my own children I realise that they need structure and routine. They also benefit from and prefer the company of their peers. Do you let your child choose the time he sleeps, the time he eats, do take him to playgroup with other babies his age or prefer he mixes with teenagers to accelerate his learning?

The only answer I can arrive at for most of Dave’s questions is…”because are students are children”.

]]>