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FREE NEWSLETTER GREAT GIFT--especially for yourself! TEACHER THINKING EDUCATION MYTHS
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If We Should, Why Don't We? A Matter of Confidence...Guest article by Howard Weiner, PhD. Textbooks in the Age of Standards Series on Transforming Schools Part 2: How Metaphors Influence Reform and Transformation Part 3: School as Factory: the Greatest Barrier to Transformation Part 5: Transforming Education: One Teacher at a Time Part 6: Why Transform Education? Part 7: Transforming Education: The First Steps Part 8: Transforming Education: A Key Shift of Perception From Other Sources That Elusive Spark (Commentary from Education Week-5-21-02) How Teacher Thinking Shapes Education (New Horizons for Learning) Teachers are constantly bombarded with shoulds—what they should teach, how they should teach, how they should assess learning, how they should deal with disciplinary issues... One response to a "should" is—according to who? What evidence is there that I "should"? If these "shoulds" work so well for some, why don't they work equally well for all? And if we "should," why don't we? Education means... Ask anyone involved in education to complete that sentence and chances are each one will complete it in a different way. There is no generally agreed upon definition of education! Is it any wonder that efforts to reform education have come up short when there's no consensus about what the purpose of education is in the first place? Many of the typical statements made by teachers and administrators when speaking of teaching, learning, and other factors of education are beliefs, not facts. They are repeated so often that people assume them to be true--even when they are only true in some contexts. Because they "infect" the minds of the listener, these commonly held beliefs are called "thought viruses." Decisions based on these thought viruses are often ineffective or even detrimental to learning. The brain comes into existence seeking out patterns—categories—in our environment. Later, the patterns/categories are labeled in words to simplify storing and communicating distinctions. Over time, the categorizing becomes more discriminating. She is a woman, not a man. That is a tree, not a flower. The act of creating these categories requires active participation of the mind, but once identified, people tend to go on automatic pilot. Categorizing—labeling—becomes mindless. Schools are hotbeds of categorization—labeling. Honors, gifted, remedial, BD, ADD, differently-abled, overachievers, underachievers... Worse, because many educators tend to focus on what needs to be "fixed" in a student, rather than on what already works well, those categories often force teachers into negative perceptions. Mindfully choosing the labels you apply to others is one way to create major changes in yourself and the world in which you live and work. Dichotomies are a favorite device in education. Constructivists battle objectivists, humanists battle intellectuals, standards battle in-depth learning. The military metaphor dominates the language of education. Ideas are seen as ammunition to shoot down the opposition. Researchers and educational experts are the generals in this theoretical battle to win the support of teachers. Teachers must take sides—align themselves with one camp or the other. What if we changed the metaphor? What if we tossed aside the dichotomies? What if we saw educational theories as a garden of resources from which people might choose depending on the circumstances? Or a toolbox filled with an assortment of tools for different purposes? A key proposition of many standards-based reform programs is that by raising standards to high levels for all students, teacher's expectations will also rise. Disadvantaged students who have previously been 'left behind' because of those low expectations will be given equal educational opportunities. Is that proposition valid? Is there a direct relationship between standards and expectations? Teacher quality has become a priority in both government and other educational reform efforts for several reasons. How are theorists and reformers addressing the issue of identifying effective teachers? How are they approaching the problem of teachers who are inadequately prepared? How does the factory metaphor limit the kinds of professional development provided for teachers? Educators spend a tremendous amount of time arguing about who is right and who is wrong. Which theory, which methods, which form of assessment is the "best." It's time to stop wasting our time in futile arguments that no one can win. Each argument contains some truth. Few arguments are true in all contexts. Let's adopt the attitude that there's something of value in each of these arguments and adopt a multiple perspective approach to decision making. From the June 2002 newsletter. From the July 2002 newsletter, this article discusses teachers' feelings of powerlessness. Includes ways to stop giving away your power, a survey that demonstrates how completely the influence of teachers is ignored on some fronts, and suggestions for reclaiming your power by "thinking mosquito!" The Many Faces of Character Education From the August 2002 newsletter, this article presents various views of character education and warns against allowing "glittering generalities" and emotional appeals prevent us from asking the tough questions. Suggestions for creating a "character-building" environment are included. Presuppositions: No Child Left Behind Education Act The provisions of the No Child Left Behind Education Act demand that research-based programs be used in teaching children. To what extent is the act itself "research-based"? From the September 2002 newsletter. From the October 2002 newsletter, this guest article by Howard Weiner offers a personal account of how addressing teachers' personal beliefs and values, coupled with ongoing support by master teachers influenced an inclusion program. Textbooks in the Age of Standards From the November 2002 newsletter, this article describes how state adoption committees, state standards, and the proliferation of what students should "know and be able to do" have influenced textbook design. Unwarranted beliefs of publishing companies and the lack of research support for present designs is also discussed. Reforming
or Transforming Education: From the January 2003 newsletter, this article discusses factors that prevent reform efforts from being effective and discusses the difference between reforming and transforming education. Why transformation is essential, what it entails, and how educators may move toward it are included. Part 2: How Metaphors Influence Reform and Transformation From the March 2003 newsletter, this is the second in a series on Transformation. The article examines three metaphors of schools, including school as culture, school as community, and school as hospital. The way in which the inherent logic of a metaphor enables and inhibits perceptions is discussed. IMPORTANT NOTE: Because the newsletter is in PDF format, this article is not presented separately on the site. If you wish to print out just the article, print pages 5-12 of the newsletter. Part 3: School
as Factory: From the April 2003 newsletter, this is the third in a series on Transformation. The article examines the "school as factory" metaphor and its profound effect on the language and organization of schools. IMPORTANT NOTE: Because the newsletter is in PDF format, this article is not presented separately on the site. If you wish to print out just the article, print pages 5-17 of the newsletter. From the May 2003 newsletter, this is the fourth in a series on Transformation. The article examines the "school as organism" metaphor and how metaphors that conceptualize schools as living things offer more appropriate insights into the education of students. IMPORTANT NOTE: Because the newsletter is in PDF format, this article is not presented separately on the site. If you wish to print out just the article, print pages 4-10 of the newsletter. Part 5: Transforming
Education: From the November 2003 newsletter, this is the fifth in a series on Transformation. The article suggests that the transformation of a culture comes about when the individuals within it transform. That transformation is a matter of personal choice. IMPORTANT NOTE: Because the newsletter is in PDF format, this article is not presented separately on the site. If you wish to print out just the article, print pages 5-10 of the newsletter. Part 6: Why Transform Education? From the January 2004 newsletter, this begins a year of exploring how educators can begin to transform education. But first, perhaps we need to reexamine why that transformation is so important and why failure to do so is unthinkable. IMPORTANT NOTE: Because the newsletter is in PDF format, this article is not presented separately on the site. If you wish to print out just the article, print pages 4-14 of the newsletter. Part 7: Transforming Education: The First Steps From the March 2004 newsletter, this article discusses the important of beginning a true transformation by involving all segments of society. A process used in Scotland is used as a model for the kinds of questions we might ask. IMPORTANT NOTE: Because the newsletter is in PDF format, this article is not presented separately on the site. If you wish to print out just the article, print pages 4-15 of the newsletter. Part 8: Transforming Education: A Key Shift of Perspective From the May 2004 newsletter, we look once again at the historical basis of public education in America and why it is inconsistent with the present push for "equal opportunities" for all students.. IMPORTANT NOTE: Because the newsletter is in PDF format, this article is not presented separately on the site. If you wish to print out just the article, print pages 4-14 of the newsletter.
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