Social promotion and the direction of schools

The following was a response to a comment on my posting about Ombama's education agenda (at the time of publication) on my Seouldaddy blog. I'm cross posting here due to the topic. Given the length (it wouldn't completely publish in the comments), I thought that I would just make it a post.

It reads a lot like a comment. The organization could use a lot of work, but this isn't a paper now, is it? :)

The original comment was criticizing social promotion (age-based grouping) in schools.

I agree that age-based tracking is the wrong approach. The justification is that students who are in classes with younger OR older students have affective issues. This is certainly possible (and even likely), but I feel that the greater good will be served by ability-based tracking. This is also an issue of socialization. When this becomes the norm, those affective issues with fade to a large extent.

Of course, we could just do nothing, just stay the course. We can continue to sail straight into the abyss :)

I'm not one of those people who scream 21ST CENTURY SKILLS down the halls of the schools. I don't really believe that 21st century skills are fundamentally different than 20th century skills. The tools are certainly different, but the skills of critical thinking are the same now as they always have been. The greatest difference is the ability to filter out all the junk. However, I do believe that 21st century schools should/will be significantly different than 20th century schools. This view comes from the landscape of changing technologies, societal needs, and global competition/resources.

Changing technologies enable, and even promote, decentralized learning. 20th century schools were about aggregation of staff, resources, and students. This model was based on logistical realities of the time. Resources had to be localized in order to interact with them. Great teachers in Paris couldn't serve students in rural Illinois. Schools, therefore, had to do their best to bring the mountain to Muhammad.

The costs and skills necessary to do this required increasing amounts of money and education's version of mergers and acquisitions. Districts (School Corporations) grew increasingly larger and more complex to manage these items and issues. At this point, we are seeing the fallout from this model. Districts are finding that they cannot continue to fund everything that they need to do to keep going. These massive organizations are finding that they are top-heavy, but there is nothing that they can to to solve this. It is the natural progression of the business model. You can restructure the business as much as you want, but aside from completely systemic change, the business will never recover.

21st century schools will be about accessing the widely distributed knowledge and abilities of the global populace. Information is no longer scarce and, thus, schools are no longer the owners of that information. Schools will be more about decentralizing education, thus localizing education. This localization, however, comes in the context of access to global information and interaction.

So, what does a 21st Century school look like? I don't know. Why don't you tell me.

My vision would be a flexible space that is both virtual and real. The "classroom" would cease to be a room and more of a concept where people gather to share information. Classes in this view are more about collections of diverse lessons, tasks, projects, and so forth. The class then becomes an aggregation of activities than address standards as well as steps to achieving short and long-term goals.

The greatest change, though, must be the change in social expectations of what education is. For instance, standardized assessment and social promotion must die. As long as these exist, the above changes can never succeed. These are the tail wagging the dog. Standardized assessment is not inherently problematic. The implementation is the problem. Standardized assessment encourages educational systems to strive for improvements on test performance. Therefore, you get test effect on curriculum. When this occurs, the freedom of exploration necessary in my vision is not possible.

As for social promotion (age grouping), this approach assumes that learners benefit most from learning with their age grouped peers. This is certainly possible in my vision and could even be implemented in some ways, such as "homerooms" or classes that focus on making sense of the learners' places in society. These kinds of age-based striations could be beneficial for establishing a sense of community and for socializing students (still a role for schools). Aside from these, strict, curriculum-wide age-based grouping stifles flexible learning initiatives by effectively requiring that age, not ability/interest/goals/etc drive grouping.

This is much more than I intended to write and the organization is terrible as it is largely stream of consciousness, but my thoughts (in a rudimentary form) on the direction of education are here. Let me know what you think.

How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School

How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School

How cool is this? Not just this book, but the system supplying it. The National Academies Press (http://www.nap.edu) provides thousands of books like this for free online and sells PDFs. They provide this widget to embed the books in a website as well (not too cool, but something to embed). So, if people don't mind reading on their computer screen, this isn't a bad option.

How People Learn: ...
Read this FREE online! Full Book | Podcast

Congress opts for educating students over blocking Web sites and social networks

Congress opts for educating students over blocking Web sites and social networks

Saying that this is a triumph of common sense and local control goes a little too far. It would be common sense NOT to have a bill that addresses this. However, I guess when seen in contrast to many bone-headed bills considered and passed, this one isn't too bad.

Should we really have to legislate teaching students how to best use computers and the networks that connect them? This seems quite obvious to me. Common sense would say that this should be part of every schools role as socializer of youth.

On the other hand, people often point to telephones and say, "do we teach students how to use telephones in responsible ways"? The answer is not really, but until recently students' telephones didn't come into the school. Now, we do teach them (in some ways) about the proper use of telephones. At the very minimum, we teach them that it is not ok to use telephones in class or when it interrupts the educational experience for anyone.

I hate to give teachers even more responsibilities, but this would be easy to insert into any and all computer-based activities that teachers utilize. Just mentioning things in passing like, don't give your contact information to strangers, don't leave your online social networking account open to the public (friends only), don't put anything online that you wouldn't be comfortable with your mother seeing, electronic data is easy to copy and distribute and anything bad you do will likely get back to a person you don't want to see it, and so forth.

If the schools want to take it a step further, have programs dedicated to this. Search for student pages or fish for friend invites and shock them that you so easily entered their space. I don't agree with showing the whole school their embarrassing details, but drop a comment on their page or just mention that you got access in a meeting. This will wake them up. If it doesn't, ask them if it would be ok to give their parents a link...that will probably seal the deal.

We are still in the trial and error stage here. Things change too fast to come up with any solid advice on how to educate students in this area. However, we can't just leave it to the streets. We will end up with a generation of digitally pregnant and drug addicted (metaphorically) citizens.

Is college worth it?

Is college worth it? -- chicagotribune.com

This is a great article in that it brings home something that many educators have been saying for years, "Why go to college"?

This isn't to say, at the article also states, that there aren't great reasons to go to college, including broadening horizons, meeting people from diverse backgrounds, and a little something called education. However, the return on investment isn't what it once was. They often cite salaries of people who go into business-related fields, but not those in social services. Those in business are easily making $50,000+ relatively soon after graduate. They will pay off their debts. Those other professions, though, make much less and will likely need to get advanced degrees to bridge the gap even slightly.

We need students to begin making these calculations on their own. Return on investment isn't just about money, but to be in debt for 20 years is a terrible existence. This is beginning to drive lower-cost alternatives and will change the educational landscape over the next decade (yes, that soon).

As I near the end of my formal education (I swear I'm done after this phd), I have to say that it's been pretty good to me. I'm comfortable, I'm saving a little money, and I have a generally rosy outlook on life. In order to get this, though, I've had to go through years of graduate studies that was bartered with office and teaching work at the universities I attended.

I wish someone had sat me down when I was 17 and laid this out for me. I can't say that I would have done anything differently (I just wanted to party after high school and college was the best place to do it), but it might have saved me (more so my parents) a little money by making different decisions. By the time my own son is preparing for post K-12 life, I don't even think this will be an issue. It will be part of a well-worn system by then. At least I hope so. Having 2 of "the talks" is just too much.

Top 100 Tools for Learning 2008

Top 100 Tools for Learning 2008

Great list of applications and services. I love these, because they boil down much of what I've learned this year from blogs, Twitter, and other places on my network into one neat package.

Of course, this list doesn't include how these should be used. That's what you'll have to hit your network up for :-)

Dan

Kant Attack Ad

Kant Attack Ad

Thanks to Clay Burell for pointing to this video. The video isn't great, but the concept is. In just about any class there are competing ideas, positions, beliefs, and so forth. This is a great approach to dealing with those AND this is a great example for teachers asking their students to do this or anything like it (I've seen this approach in some Language Arts and History classes).



And here is a Nietzsche attack ad



Dan

Six “Key Emerging Technologies” for Higher Ed Profiled in the 2008 Horizon Report | nmc

Six “Key Emerging Technologies” for Higher Ed Profiled in the 2008 Horizon Report | nmc:

Vicki Davis (Cool Cat Teacher) bookmarked this today. Thought that it was good fodder for discussion.

The 2008 Horizon Report marked these 6 "technologies" (some are really just concepts) as THE emerging technologies to watch in higher ed (don't know why they just chose higher ed):
1. grassroots video
2. collaboration webs
3. mobile broadband
4. data mashups
5. collective intelligence and
6. social operating systems

These are certainly some smart bets in the technology realm. I'd have to say that many were emerging technologies to watch in 2007. Grassroots video was certainly a player in 2007, which more and more options for both UCC (user-created content) and small film projects. If they had said interactive video streaming sites, I would have been on board. With Ustream.tv and Y! Live hitting bit time in the last couple months, video networking is taking off. With video cameras embedded in most new laptops and the cost of plug-in cameras coming down drastically, we are going to see an explosion of video interaction online.

Collaboration webs were also on the rise in 2007. Though, I have a feeling that this report means what will hit the mainstream. If that's the case, I see that happening more this year. There are many different options for collaborative webs. There are sites that mix many collaborative options like Ning (http://ning.com) or others that specialize on types of media, like Google Docs, SlideShare, and Scribd. These are moving from beta-geeks to classroom teachers this year.

Mobile broadband isn't going to make a splash this year in America. I think that it will in many other countries, but the US doesn't have it yet. Not enough people with the equipment and the service isn't nearly good enough to get mainstream buy-in. This won't happen until people on different providers can easily collaborate with people on other providers. Verizon, pushed by Google, is making the move for openness that could make the market. That's going to take more than a year for buy-in though. I'd say that 2009 or 2010 is really the year of mobile computing in the US.

I'm going to stop there (out of time) and say that the other ideas are right on track. I think that each idea and relevant technologies will gain traction this year and discussions will move in the direction of using the Internet as more than just a delivery platform, but as a networking platform.

Dan

Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Go Fix the Web! (A case for micropresentations)

Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Go Fix the Web! (A case for micropresentations)

I don't know why I continue to blog. Vicki Davis does it much better and with finds like this, I can just bow in her general direction.

This is regarding a presentation video giving on "fixing the Web", which is in reference to using scripting agents (plug-ins for Firefox) to change the viewing experience for Web pages. In the example given, Paul Fenwick describes how to do this with MySpace. He goes on to show people how to remove entire sections, which can selectively include advertisements, updates, and other elements that can contain questionable content.

Using tools like GreaseMonkey, a teacher can modify the viewing experience to reduce the likelihood of coming across something that might get them put in front of a judge :)

This could go a long way to allaying fears that admins have of these spaces. However, problems do exist. (1) This looks easy, but it's still a lot of work. I imagine that these solutions could be scripted by tech staff or, better, by outside companies. So instead of offering blocked-surfing, they could offer mod-surfing. (2) Large media companies will eventually find ways to dodge this scripting or even legally remove it. This is a serious threat to their business models and really copyright infringement. These scripts modify designs and take decisions away from creators on how their creations are used. (3) It's easier to block than to modify. Admins will take the easier, cheaper way out if given the chance.

Great start, though, and a possible way for innovative teachers to get access to pages that might otherwise need to be blocked.

Dan

Can’t Learn English Without Native Speakers? : Korea Beat

Can’t Learn English Without Native Speakers? : Korea Beat

Ooohhhh, the times they are a changin'

The winds of change are beginning to blow in Korea. Education officials are beginning to understand that there are alternatives to importing tens of thousands of English "teachers" (is teacher a title or qualification?) into the country. Finally, someone has woken up and realized that Korea's huge Internet pipes and national broadband (even in rural areas) can be used for innovative approaches to educating their children.

When it comes to English education in Korea there are many problems batted about by politicians, educators, and researchers. It's tough to come to conclusions with so many different opinions out there. However, I think that most agree on at least 2 serious issues: (1) Qualifications of English Teachers and (2) the Number of English Teachers.

I think that looking to the Internet is a good start for dealing with both of these issues. There is no reason to cite a lack of qualified English teachers when considering the global pool of teachers. There are plenty of Teachers who are qualified either with general teaching credentials or specifically with TESOL certifications or ESL licenses. All that is needed to get them into Korean classrooms is teacher training, a curriculum, and access to technology developed specifically for this type of distance instruction.

I don't want to make it sound like this is THE answer to all of the issues with English education in Korea. Not only does this not solve them all, but it creates some training and infrastructure issues as well. However, as this article states, it is a great option for regions that cannot get highly qualified English teachers (Korea or other) as well as for other schools that want that extra interaction with native speakers of the language.

Dan

YouTube - Did You Know 2.0

YouTube - Did You Know 2.0

I'm likely behind on promoting this video, but better late than never. It isn't a new message, but it's a great new way to present the message.

What is the message, you ask? It's that our approach to education (and policies across the board) need to change in order to compete in the 21st Century. Education needs to stay ahead of the change instead of consistently lagging behind.

We, as a global society, need to consider not only how our physical neighbors will fare in this change, but how the rest of the increasingly connected world will as well. I'm weaving in my personal interpretation here, but I have a feeling that the producers would agree.

Enjoy.



Dan

Where is Dora the Explorer for Chinese?

YouTube - Culture Cubs

Maybe I shouldn't even make this comparison. Dora the Explorer is certainly Spanish-lite and not necessarily a good teaching tool. The rush to teach Chinese is hardly subsiding across the world and in the United States. However, while it seems that many parents, educators, and even the government are on board, instructional materials are lacking.

Where are the quality instructional materials for learning Chinese, especially for children? Do they cost too much to produce? Possibly. But, come on, if we can't do it cheaply in China with Chinese, where can we do it. I would love to see a company get its foot in the door in this area. I see nothing but growth in this area in the coming decades. If done right, you could just modify the script for any language that you want to teach to. Sending it to France? Change it from English to French. It would just take a couple studio hours to record the French speaker.

A friend of mine recently sent me this video that is a fun introduction to some words in Chinese (Mandarin), though it could just as easily be for Mandarin speakers learning English. I think that it's a great production. If used in conjunction with other materials and possibly a teacher (online or face-to-face), it could be extremely motivating and effective.



Imagine a program like this that grew with students. They could start with the basics and advance as their students advanced. They could go beyond vocabulary learning and branch into learning culture, critical literacy, and so forth. A program like this would cost to start, but the long tail on something like this would provide revenue for many, many years. Not to mention, the first ones into the schools will stay in the schools.

Now that I'm talking about it, I wonder if I could carry it out. Unfortunately, I lack both the production abilities for this sort of animation and the Chinese speakers. Oh, well. I hope that this gives one of you the impetus to check it out.

Dan

TESL-EJ June 2007 -- Pedagogical affordances of syndication, aggregation, and mash-up of content on the Web

TESL-EJ June 2007 -- Pedagogical affordances of syndication, aggregation, and mash-up of content on the Web

Good article on how syndication, aggregation, and mash-ups can be used in education.

Dan

Educating the Dragon » Blog Archive » Look out Mrs O’Malley! ….detour ahead

Educating the Dragon » Blog Archive » Look out Mrs O’Malley! ….detour ahead

This is a great example of how, with the right equipment AND the right methods, a teachable moment can become more teachable. How many times have teachers glossed over this difference or simply stated the first thing that came to their mind (often wrong). With the tools at your fingertips, there is no excuse for not checking it out immediately. The teachable moment is IN THE MOMENT, which is where it should be.

I understand that it has always been possible and good teachers have always encouraged students to go figure these things out at the library or through other research. However, when you remove the immediacy experienced here, you remove much of the motivation. Many people bemoan instant gratification and today's technologies that urge it on. However, this is how the world works. We address our needs when they arise. When it's no longer a need, it's off our radar.

Cheers to Simon.

Dan

K12 Online 2007 - Schedule

K12 Online 2007 - Schedule

This is a must-attend event. I really hope that I can make these presentations considering that most are around 9:00PM my time.

Check out the schedule. If this was a regular, hotel-based conference, I would say that it was unprecedented in scope and in simply fascinating topics. Most traditional conferences have a handful of presentations that I'm interested in, and, thus, I don't sacrifice much to attend them.

Top 100 Tools for Learning

Top 100 Tools for Learning

This is a great list of tech tools for teachers. I was familiar with most of these applications (this IS nearly a full time job for me!), but there were also a few absolute gems that I hadn't used previously.

This is certainly worth a look and could prove to be excellent fodder for discussion.

Dan

eXe : eLearning XHTML editor

FrontPage - eXe : eLearning XHTML editor

This is simply the easiest multimedia authoring tool that I've come across. While I can do this coding myself, it takes me forever to do so. I was able to put together a sample in a couple minutes that I exported as an HTML folder, which I uploaded and used in 5 minutes. I exported to a SCORM 1.2 zip, uploaded to Moodle, and launched a SCORM activity in about 5 minutes.

This is insanely easy to use and can really broaden your horizons. My only desire is an export to flash option. This could be just around the corner given the fact that this is an open source project.

I can't say enough good things about this. Try it out.

Dan

KnowledgeWorks - Map of Future Forces Affecting Education - Education Map

KnowledgeWorks - Map of Future Forces Affecting Education - Education Map

Neat conceptual map (with links)on the future of education with a particularly techno-centric viewpoint (not saying that is a bad thing)

A good conversation starter

Dan

The Fischbowl: Blogging: In Their Own Words

The Fischbowl: Blogging: In Their Own Words

Really a must see video for those of you thinking about using blogs with your students or even if you have hesitated. The video features teachers and students talking about blog usage in their school with great insights into the benefits of using this technology. The the video also provides some good ideas for using blogs in your classrooms.



Dan

No more school as council opens 'learning centres' - Independent Online Edition > News

No more school as council opens 'learning centres'

I think that you will here a lot about this over the next few years. Both success and failure will benefit our understanding of this movement, which I think is gathering steam in academic circles and even political circles.

I personally think that this is an important direction to be researched in education with my gut reaction being that it is the right direction to move in. Of course, I'll check my gut until I see some results :)

Dan

CMU_Podcasting_Jun07.pdf (application/pdf Object)

CMU_Podcasting_Jun07.pdf

Wow! Super article (white paper) on the use of podcasts in education. I think that this is really well balanced and brings together some current research (what there is of it) to support it's arguments. This is a must-read for anyone interested in implementing podcasts in their courses or across the curriculum.

Dan