It has been widely known for a very long time that students have different learning styles. link
And it has been known for a very long time that teachers have different teaching styles. link
We have yet to pair students and teachers accordingly.
Why?
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Learning and teaching styles
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3 comments:
That's ironic you present this topic.
It's said among the APS professional community that Winston Brooks is working towards his dream goal of having the exact same thing taught every day in every APS school.
there's aready signs of moving towards this: 1)the same bell schedules for all schools 2) scripted daily lessons and 3) the recent almost-eradication of Special Needs evaluating by implementing a dauntung huge new impossible identification process.
I claim that the main reason that this everyday-everyone-does-the same thing is beneficial to admin, but detrimental to students.
My hypothesis:
Admin benefits by 1) they know what to look for as before they enter a classroom. and 2) someone is making big $$ by having scripted programs implemented, with student workbooks being constantly consumed, and bought again every year.
Student suffer from: 1) cookie-cutter classes that eliminate individual attention and creativity and enthusiasm and 2) Special Needs students will not be accomodated, will be swallowed up in the cookie-cutter classes, and will not recieve materials designed for them and their disabilities. They will fail, but at least they will be "on the same page as everyone else".
With these policies being seriously considered, Winston Brooks is an embarrassment to a millenia of teaching, an embarrassment to his own education and supposed expertise and is showing a myoptic short-sightedness that makes Beth Everitt look like a genious.
Seriously, where do they pull these freaky APS Supe candidates from???
I have often pointed out that teaching is like herding kittens, especially in the lower grades.
The whole idea of moving groups of kids lockstep through 12 years of education, is preposterous on its face.
The only advantage is that "accountability" is easier to determine. In order to create easy to understand numbers, we deny the existence of inherent differences between children.
I bet Nazi Germany had great accountability in its schools, as it ran them rigid and exact to "specification", with no arguments.
I agree with you Ched, accountability needs to be there, but what are we willing to sacrifice for that, in terms of whats best for kids?
A real leader would find the balance, would seek a solution where accountability could be measured by student success in all its diverse forms.
Unfortunately, I think Brooks wants the quick-and-easy answer to accountability.
Maybe he wants to offer German classes in all schools as well, so we can "enjoy" the experience in all its fullness?
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