Well, duh!
The Alfie Kohn article linked above is one that brings me great clarity and inspiration as I try to wade through what I'm trying to accomplish as an educator. He lays out 10 truths that we must keep at the front of our minds as we make these important decisions. Some click with me more than others, but they make for great discussion nevertheless.
1. Much of the material students are required to memorize is soon forgotten
2. Just knowing a lot of facts doesn’t mean you’re smart
3. Students are more likely to learn what they find interesting
Today, I had three 6th grade students come up and sing a song about Kinetic and Potential energy they had created to the tune of the song Grenade by Bruno Mars. There was even an added "Hammer dance" to boot. I would dare say that these students will never forget these energy concepts. They have attached meaning to it through a synthesis-level product, and a performance in the office only further solidified the experience.
High School for me was one big cram session. I would organize all of the information into a study guide, go home that night and create fancy acronyms to remember the information, and then go to school the next day and spit it back out. The foundation of my knowledge was based on those acronyms stored in my temporary memory. A few moments after the test...they were gone. This system worked well enough for me (I graduated as valedictorian), but I remember little of what was "learned" during this time. I DO, however, remember word for word a rap song I wrote in fifth grade that was chocked full of facts about koalas. This is the first memory I have of ever "performing" my own work in front of a group. Once again, attached meaning.
Does this mean that my high school teachers didn't do a good job teaching? Absolutely not. They were a talented group of teachers, and I am sure that many students absorbed the information much more thoroughly than I did. I was a distracted learned who found a way to use the system in my favor. Plus, I had other options...
4. Students are less interested in whatever they’re forced to do and more enthusiastic when they have some say
An exception to the high school experience I had was a high ability class I was able to take every year of high school. Since this class replaced social studies and arts credits, we studied these subject areas, but in a very non-traditional way. Instead of just reading about The Civil War, we went on a trip to Atlanta and followed the path of a specific soldier, keeping a journal the entire way. Instead of a lecture on art and architecture, we took a trip to Chicago to the Art Institute and toured houses and a church designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. After spending time studying ancient cultures, we split into groups and created our own "ancient" culture. We designed artifacts for language, religion, family-life, etc. and then buried these items. We then "excavated" a different group's culture and attempted to piece together how life may have been.
In addition to all of this, we were required to choose a different topic each semester to focus on as an individual. Over my high school career, I studied homelessness, environmental issues, song-writing, poetry, and many other topics. Every student had to sit down each semester and create four different projects which corresponded to the four highest Bloom Taxonomy levels, and then set our own due dates. Having this ownership over my learning in this class made it difficult for me to focus and concentrate in class where I had little say in my own learning.
5. Just because doing x raises standardized test scores doesn’t mean x should be done.
I'm not going to really touch this one. Obviously, we shouldn't be so dogmatic in our allegiance to standardized testing that we don't question whether or not x should be done. For example, going to a 1:1 learning environment isn't a guarantee of increased test scores, but we are moving forward because it is the right thing to do for our students.
That being said, I believe a key to happiness is controlling those aspects of your life that you have control of, and "making due" those aspects in which you are powerless. For example, it would make me very happy if I didn't come to work until noon every day, but I don't have control over that (unless I want to get fired, of course.) I can mope and complain each and every day, but the only likely result is that I will be depressed and irritated...every day. Instead, I choose to accept this reality.
The same holds true for me with the testing and accountability requirements placed on us. It is a reality for schools in this time, and I am not in a place at this point in my career to affect change in this area. I would rather talk about a solution than spend time struggling against it.
6. Students are more likely to succeed in a place where they feel known and cared about.
Aren't we all? I know that my professional achievement and confidence has been greatly affected by being around caring and supportive people. I believe that most teachers understand how important the relationship is with a student. It is the lifeline through which the information flows. Protect it, nurture it, and don't break that bond just because they forgot a homework assignment. You are likely to get a lot fewer assignments in the future if you do.
7. We want children to develop in many ways, not just academically.
As a teacher, I had a principal who asked me to give less homework because students were having trouble participating in after-school activities and completing their homework. I was appropriately (so I thought) horrified by this, but of course, I obliged. I noticed three things: the number of kids completing homework went up (duh), test scores stayed the same (hmmm...wasn't there less learning?), and my relationship with students improved (especially with those who usually don't turn in homework.) Apparently, my homework wasn't resulting in as much learning as I thought.
My thoughts on homework aren't complete yet. I have always been a champion for it, but now that I have my own kids in school, things suddenly look different. I get home (on a good day) at 4:30 and my kids go to bed around 7:30. This means that I get to see my kids three hours each day. I have a big problem if one of those precious hours is spent doing page after page of math concepts he already knows. I actually found myself saying to my wife, "They have him 7 hours a day. Can't they get the learning done during THEIR time?!?" I then had a self-check moment and gathered my whits.
The biggest problem is that our students' lives are so absolutely and undeniably different. While one student may go home to dinner on the table and two parents willing to help with homework every step of the way, I may have another (out-of-district) student who has to wander around town until 8:00 p.m. when his dad's girlfriend gets off work so she can take him home. (And we yell at him for not taking home his backpack. Heck, he didn't want to carry it around for 5 hours, and he sure as heck wasn't going to work on it when he hadn't been home in 13 hours.) We could argue that student's choices every step of the way, but the truth is that our students' lives are far from uniform.
When a large portion of the grade is homework, these students' grades take an extra hit just because they don't have the same support system in place as the kid next to them. Should we assign homework? Yes - if it has value, not because it is Tuesday and we always have homework on Tuesday. Consider the whole child.
8. Just because a lesson (or book, or class, or test) is harder doesn't mean it's better.
The Alfie Kohn article linked above is one that brings me great clarity and inspiration as I try to wade through what I'm trying to accomplish as an educator. He lays out 10 truths that we must keep at the front of our minds as we make these important decisions. Some click with me more than others, but they make for great discussion nevertheless.
1. Much of the material students are required to memorize is soon forgotten
2. Just knowing a lot of facts doesn’t mean you’re smart
3. Students are more likely to learn what they find interesting
Today, I had three 6th grade students come up and sing a song about Kinetic and Potential energy they had created to the tune of the song Grenade by Bruno Mars. There was even an added "Hammer dance" to boot. I would dare say that these students will never forget these energy concepts. They have attached meaning to it through a synthesis-level product, and a performance in the office only further solidified the experience.
High School for me was one big cram session. I would organize all of the information into a study guide, go home that night and create fancy acronyms to remember the information, and then go to school the next day and spit it back out. The foundation of my knowledge was based on those acronyms stored in my temporary memory. A few moments after the test...they were gone. This system worked well enough for me (I graduated as valedictorian), but I remember little of what was "learned" during this time. I DO, however, remember word for word a rap song I wrote in fifth grade that was chocked full of facts about koalas. This is the first memory I have of ever "performing" my own work in front of a group. Once again, attached meaning.
Does this mean that my high school teachers didn't do a good job teaching? Absolutely not. They were a talented group of teachers, and I am sure that many students absorbed the information much more thoroughly than I did. I was a distracted learned who found a way to use the system in my favor. Plus, I had other options...
4. Students are less interested in whatever they’re forced to do and more enthusiastic when they have some say
An exception to the high school experience I had was a high ability class I was able to take every year of high school. Since this class replaced social studies and arts credits, we studied these subject areas, but in a very non-traditional way. Instead of just reading about The Civil War, we went on a trip to Atlanta and followed the path of a specific soldier, keeping a journal the entire way. Instead of a lecture on art and architecture, we took a trip to Chicago to the Art Institute and toured houses and a church designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. After spending time studying ancient cultures, we split into groups and created our own "ancient" culture. We designed artifacts for language, religion, family-life, etc. and then buried these items. We then "excavated" a different group's culture and attempted to piece together how life may have been.
In addition to all of this, we were required to choose a different topic each semester to focus on as an individual. Over my high school career, I studied homelessness, environmental issues, song-writing, poetry, and many other topics. Every student had to sit down each semester and create four different projects which corresponded to the four highest Bloom Taxonomy levels, and then set our own due dates. Having this ownership over my learning in this class made it difficult for me to focus and concentrate in class where I had little say in my own learning.
5. Just because doing x raises standardized test scores doesn’t mean x should be done.
I'm not going to really touch this one. Obviously, we shouldn't be so dogmatic in our allegiance to standardized testing that we don't question whether or not x should be done. For example, going to a 1:1 learning environment isn't a guarantee of increased test scores, but we are moving forward because it is the right thing to do for our students.
That being said, I believe a key to happiness is controlling those aspects of your life that you have control of, and "making due" those aspects in which you are powerless. For example, it would make me very happy if I didn't come to work until noon every day, but I don't have control over that (unless I want to get fired, of course.) I can mope and complain each and every day, but the only likely result is that I will be depressed and irritated...every day. Instead, I choose to accept this reality.
The same holds true for me with the testing and accountability requirements placed on us. It is a reality for schools in this time, and I am not in a place at this point in my career to affect change in this area. I would rather talk about a solution than spend time struggling against it.
6. Students are more likely to succeed in a place where they feel known and cared about.
Aren't we all? I know that my professional achievement and confidence has been greatly affected by being around caring and supportive people. I believe that most teachers understand how important the relationship is with a student. It is the lifeline through which the information flows. Protect it, nurture it, and don't break that bond just because they forgot a homework assignment. You are likely to get a lot fewer assignments in the future if you do.
7. We want children to develop in many ways, not just academically.
As a teacher, I had a principal who asked me to give less homework because students were having trouble participating in after-school activities and completing their homework. I was appropriately (so I thought) horrified by this, but of course, I obliged. I noticed three things: the number of kids completing homework went up (duh), test scores stayed the same (hmmm...wasn't there less learning?), and my relationship with students improved (especially with those who usually don't turn in homework.) Apparently, my homework wasn't resulting in as much learning as I thought.
My thoughts on homework aren't complete yet. I have always been a champion for it, but now that I have my own kids in school, things suddenly look different. I get home (on a good day) at 4:30 and my kids go to bed around 7:30. This means that I get to see my kids three hours each day. I have a big problem if one of those precious hours is spent doing page after page of math concepts he already knows. I actually found myself saying to my wife, "They have him 7 hours a day. Can't they get the learning done during THEIR time?!?" I then had a self-check moment and gathered my whits.
The biggest problem is that our students' lives are so absolutely and undeniably different. While one student may go home to dinner on the table and two parents willing to help with homework every step of the way, I may have another (out-of-district) student who has to wander around town until 8:00 p.m. when his dad's girlfriend gets off work so she can take him home. (And we yell at him for not taking home his backpack. Heck, he didn't want to carry it around for 5 hours, and he sure as heck wasn't going to work on it when he hadn't been home in 13 hours.) We could argue that student's choices every step of the way, but the truth is that our students' lives are far from uniform.
When a large portion of the grade is homework, these students' grades take an extra hit just because they don't have the same support system in place as the kid next to them. Should we assign homework? Yes - if it has value, not because it is Tuesday and we always have homework on Tuesday. Consider the whole child.
8. Just because a lesson (or book, or class, or test) is harder doesn't mean it's better.
9. Kids aren’t just short adults.
10. Substance matters more than labels.
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