(Part 2) Best products from r/education

Hi again, /u/JaredofHawaii.

I am not going to go point-by-point here since its the end of a long ass day for me (proposal for my Comps exam--and it passed!).

What I see here ultimately hinges on a single (but important question): "What is the purpose of school?" Anybody's analysis of your views and points here will change depending on how you answer that question.

For instance, Thomas Jefferson--who we usually see as a bastion of liberty and justice, and all that--claimed that the purpose of schooling was to "weed out" the undesireables. That school's function is to filter and winnow.

I personally disagree with that logic. I see the purpose of school as being essentially framed in terms of equiopotentiality--that all of us can and should contribute to a more robust and open society. That we should embrace differences and work within the spectrum of what is, and not what could/should be. All students matter, essentially.

(Different research programs focus on different populations and prestige abstractions within those programs, but essentially all of them are important. Even if I am not reading "x" literature, I still agree that it has merit since somebody else--some other expert--believes it to be true. [not to get too deep into the weeds, but if a native american scholar views indigenous cultural language and iconography is a cornerstone to a culturally sustaining pedagogy--and this is not my experience--I am still inclined to believe that person regardless of my own thoughts and limited knowledge.)

As to your points about values, valuation, and value systems... all of these fall under the broad philosophical category of "axiology" and is very related to the notion of ideology--essentially what is good and what is bad and on what grounds.

Axiology is embedded in other things like culture, language, education, politics. One of the interesting things that I learned a few years ago taking a class on "literacy as a social practice" was to understand that there is a schism in purposes of school as they hinge on the question of values. if you have not done so, take a look at Brian Street's work in this vein. He says that all schooling can be classified into two headings: ideological and autonomous.

Now, before you make assumptions about the idea itself--realize that "ideology" in this sense is not a bad thing, it is more descriptive than prescriptive. It essentially says that schooling is value laden or it is not. Nonideological schooling (sort of what you are proposing when you say "non-values based personal critical analysis") views knowledge (broadly construed) as inert, acontextual, ahistorical, apolitical. That is to say that autonomous education systems are false representations. All knowledge is contextual, it is historical, it is political and it is dynamic. This is Street's notion of ideological schooling.

The opposite is something more like what we have in US schools today--this common core stuff that sees the framework of schooling as irrelevant so long as somebody can pass an exam. It is even more clearly represented in the "Charter School" movement which treats knowledge as a mere commodity.

I wish i could give you more about early childhood education but I only am conversant in my early childhood deaf education, and I should not make any broad claims about mainstream education theory, research, or practice, since I simply am not well versed enough to do so. If you are looking for general readings, you could do a LOT worse than Jerome Brunner, Jean Piaget, and Lev Vygotsky. These are the three most important theorists to date, especially the second two.

If I had to point you toward One thing to help you sort through some of this "creative" phase of your ideation, it would be this book: Dr. Joanne Larson's "Radical Equality: Starting Over in US Schools".

Most of my ideas in this response contend (in some way shape or form) with ideas from this text. It is foundational to any "new" critical approach to education, IMO. Its a short book but a damned important one.

Hope this helps a bit. Feel free to ask more pointed questions too. or if I am left of center (to your questions), let me know.

Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto

The opening essay of this short read is a condemnation of traditional schooling techniques---and it's also the speech he delivered when he (again) won the NY Teacher of the Year award. Gatto gets at the heart of why public schools consistently produce pencil pushers, not leaders. Every teacher should read this book.

How to Survive in Your Native Land by James Herndon

If Dumbing Us Down is the manifesto in favor of a more liberal pedagogy, Herdon's book is a memoir of someone trying to put that pedagogy in action. It's also a simple, beautiful easy to read book, the kind that is so good it reminds us just how good a book can be. I've read the teaching memoir that made Jonahton Kozol famous, this one is better.

The Montessori Method by Maria Montessori

In the early 1900s, Maria Montessori taught literacy to children that society had otherwise assumed were unreachable. She did this by using the scientific method to study each child's learning style. Some of what she introduced has been widely incorporated (like child-sized furniture) and some of it seems great but unworkable in overcrowded schools. The bottom line is that the Montessori method was one of the first pedagogical techniques that was backed by real results: both in test scores and in growing kids that thrive on learning and participation.

"Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?": A Psychologist Explains the Development of Racial Identity by Beverly Daniel Tatum

While not precisely a book on how to teach, this book is incredibly helpful to any teacher working with a diverse student population, or one where the race they are teaching differs from their own. It explains the process that white, black, and children of other races go through in identifying themselves as part of a particular race. In the US, race is possibly the most taboo subject, so it is rare to find a book this honest and straightforward on a subject most educators try not to talk about at all. I highly recommend this book.

If there is any chance you will be teaching history, definitely read:

Lies My Teacher Told Me and A People's History of the United States (the latter book is a classic and, personally, changed my life).

Also recommend: The Multi-player Classroom by Lee Sheldon and Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov

Finally, anyone who plans to teach math should read this essay, "Lockhart's Lament" [PDF at the bottom of the page].

PS, I was tempted to use Amazon affiliate links, but my conscious wouldn't let me.

Great job! Feel free to brag, you've earned it.

1. The link looks ok to me. Here is it on Amazon But...
   
   
2. Have you checked your library? They sometimes have SHSAT prep.
   
   
3. Also some SHSAT programs offer free training. I've run into them but haven't kept links. But I know there are some free tutor resources out there. Both from the city and private. Ask around the libraries and friends if you can.
   
   I've known kids who ace the test with just practice tests, so you stand a good chance. Best of luck!
   
   

I'm middle school teacher in Helsinki and I'm really happy doing my work as most of my colleagues.

Teachers are respected and trusted like doctors and other professionals. We have a lot of autonomy and freedom in our jobs and there's no need to talk about accountability, because the teachers are motivated to do the job as well as possible. Also we don't overwork the teachers. It's really important for teachers to have time off from work to be able to think, improve our skills and teach in a creative and effective way.

There are no standardised tests apart from the matriculation examination at the end of high school. This way we can focus on the important things like creativity, thinking, collaboration, problem solving, emotional intelligence and other skills needed in the future. We don't have to teach for the tests.

Yes, PISA scores of high performing Asian countries are better, but they spend way more time studying. We don't think that's healthy. Instead it's important for the students to have hobbies, social lives, passions and unstructued time.

I'd recommend two books, if you want to know more about education in Finland. Most of the methods and insights could be applied anywhere.

Teach Like Finland by Tim Walker: https://www.amazon.com/Teach-Like-Finland-Strategies-Classrooms-ebook/dp/B071CPJ9LP/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=

Finnish Lessons 2.0 by Pasi Sahlberg: https://www.amazon.com/Finnish-Lessons-2-0-Educational-Finland-ebook/dp/B00SZ7L8M4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1520342678&sr=1-1&keywords=finnish+lessons+2.0

I'm interested in doing this too (getting an undergrad degree in game design right now). I feel like it has a lot of potential when implemented well. I don't believe the Extra Credits video does a super good job of explaining the concept, because it focuses too heavily on reward systems (more on that in my comment to u/notjawn), which should not be the core of a gamification experience.

Have you heard about ClassRealm? From what I've seen/read, its creator has had a lot of success with it. However, don't be fooled - it might seem easy, but gamification can be very difficult to implement correctly.

I've read some good books on the subject that I highly recommend: The Gamification of Learning and Instruction and The Multiplayer Classroom.

Additionally, I don't know where you are in your schooling right now, but NYU has a great graduate program in this vein.

EDIT: For anyone looking for an overview of true gamification, here's a quick and simple slideset. It is much more than just giving out points.

The "new" textbook is, in some ways, a very double-edged sword. It offers a lot of benefits, but at times I'm afraid it does so at the expense of real growth in thinking on the part of my students. It lets them get to the quick of the issue faster, but I worry that by removing the hurdles of learning to analyze and parse text critically (who needs to do that? There's a commentary or a link that will just tell me the 'answer'...), we do them a great disservice. Sven Birkerts notes as much in The Gutenberg Elegies. He even addresses the Perseus Project directly as a point of concern. The tools are definitely a boon for those individuals advanced enough in their learning to use them judiciously, but what happens when they become a quick end-around for actually mastering basic material? I'm a huge fan of the digital humanities, but at times I think we're rushing forward for the sake of being able to do so and without consideration for what sacrifices we make in order to obtain our gains. All very interesting questions though. That's for sure.

Thanks. Just for others:

What Works in Schools

Contents:

1. Introducing the best of times
   
2. The school-level factors
   
3. A guaranteed and viable curriculum
   
4. Challenging goals and effective feedback
   
5. Parent and community involvement
   
6. Safe and orderly environment
   
7. Collegiality and professionalism
   
8. The teacher-level factors
   
9. Instructional strategies
   
10. Classroom management
    
11. Classroom curriculum design
    
12. The student-level factors
    
13. Home environment
    
14. Learned intelligence and background knowledge
    
15. Student motivation
    
16. Implementing the model
    
17. Using the model
    
18. The critical role of leadership.
    
    Amazon listing / reviews.
    
    > It is extremely comprehensive, yet also somewhat shallow in that his recommendations seem logical and easy to implement.
    
    I've found that a lot of things in life are simple. Which needn't be confused with "easy".
    
    And I've got a pretty solid stats background.
    
    The good/bad teacher/school matrix sounds sensible, though I also understand that family background matters considerably as well.

If the teacher has a rubric that gives an operational definition of what an A means in their class then the grade is quantitative. You're right that the absence of a general operational definition of what a grade means is problematic when comparing across classes and schools, but that doesn't mean that in a single classroom the grades aren't quantitative. Anything can be quantified if an operational definition can be crafted for how it is being measured--even "love of learning." How to Measure Anything is a good primer on crafting operational definitions, especially for intangibles like "love of learning."

That said, good assessment and feedback required quantitative and qualitative description. One without the other is like peanut butter without jelly.

Personally, I think you're quite brave. I'm a biology and integrated science teacher and trained in biology and there is no way in hell I would approach a class like that. You could really make a difference as long as you don't get kicked out and fired in the process. There are some great books on teaching evolution. I do think being up front about teaching evolution is probably the better idea rather than to spring it on them all later. Part of me would ask the Principal if the letter is alright, the other have would ask for forgiveness later. When you do discuss biology/evolution make sure they understand that most natural philosophers were believers. Darwin definitely was (which is one of the reasons why he had such a problem internally).

This is a good book for your personal understanding of the history of the topic: Evolution: The history of an idea

These are good ones for teaching Evolution:
NSTA Toolkit for teaching Evolution
and
Teaching about evolution and the nature of science.

As far as the letter goes, I would not admit that you have no advanced training in teaching evolution. That leaves holes for them to say, "Well if you aren't trained in it, then don't teach it." I do like that you say your background is in physics. That gives them something to be similar to you with. "In as fair manner as I can" also gives them holes. Just say that you are going to be presenting it fairly and discussing both (which I assume you have to teach the biblical version in your school anyway). I like the "general scientific processes that..." but I would follow with something about the tools evolution uses. Depending on your area, I've seen a large movement against "Critical Thinking Skills" and calling them "indoctrination." As much as we know critical thinking is goal, many fundamentalists do not anymore. The bullying and mocking statement is perfect :)

Good luck and Godspeed. Hope I helped a little bit.

Some good resources:
http://www.rome.mrdonn.org/ (the site looks clunky but there's a TON of good information, kid's level, activities and games and free cute illustrations)

Also: http://www.amazon.com/Usborne-Encyclopedia-History-Internet-Linked/dp/1409519074/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1345802116&sr=8-3&keywords=usborne+internet+linked+encyclopedia+of+world+history This book is a constant favorite.

http://www.amazon.com/Classical-Kids-Activity-Ancient-Greece/dp/1556522908/ref=pd_sim_b_19 (check the library for this one)

Another activity book http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Rome-Exploring-Powerful-Kaleidoscope/dp/1885593600/ref=pd_sim_b_8

http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Rome-DK-Eyewitness-Books/dp/075663766X/ref=pd_sim_b_2 (library will also have this one, and the clip art CD included is pretty cool)

Some kids will dig this level of detail http://www.amazon.com/City-Story-Roman-Planning-Construction/dp/0395349222/ref=pd_sim_b_18

Okay I don't know why these are kind of hard to find, but they ROCK. Just gross enough to fascinate kids! http://www.amazon.com/You-Wouldnt-Want-Roman-Gladiator/dp/0531162044/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345802331&sr=1-1&keywords=you+wouldn%27t+want+to+be+a+roman+gladiator

http://www.amazon.com/You-Wouldnt-Want-Roman-Soldier/dp/0531124487/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345802331&sr=1-2&keywords=you+wouldn%27t+want+to+be+a+roman+gladiator

well, i teach high school math at an independent school, and the school is just trying to start up a summer program that offers various classes. there's a larger private school in the area that already does an extensive summer program, so our school is aiming to do shorter classes. i proposed a two-week, half day SAT math prep course and it got enough kids signed up to make it happen :-) honestly i don't especially want to teach SAT, but i wanted to do some sort of summer course and have it be related to math and this is probably the only way to make it happen.

the kids at my school are pretty "test anxious"... i have a lot of them who struggle, especially with multiple choice, and a lot who haven't done much of this kind of test at all (coming from montessori schools and such). therefore, i really want to focus the class more on the test-taking itself, and not as much on the math, though i'll definitely try to help each of them individually with math skills as needed.

i actually ordered the new math SAT game plan already, but haven't gotten to it yet. i will definitely prioritize looking at that book next. another book that i just finished and found really interesting was Conquering the SAT. it's not test prep per se, but more about dealing with the various anxiety issues and sabotaging behaviors that kids have.

thank you for the thoughts!