I'm currently trying to pin down what I'm interested in so I'm just going to try and list them out;
1) project based learning and the psychology behind it - e.g. what skills do students develop when they are involved in a project which lasts a week compared to doing homework on a daily basis.
2) Personally, I want to complete change the present maths curriculum which is best suited to a time when calculators were the size of rooms, in favor of problem formulation rather than calculation. So that students don't spend their time on boring series of calculations which are nowadays done by computers. However, until that day comes I'll be manipulating the maths curriculum so the students can easily relate it to their day to day lives. Hopefully down the line I will also be involved in the development of the curriculum itself - transforming it into a set of knowledge and skills which are useful in day to day life as well as in employment. I believe the currently curriculum achieves neither of these goals - when was the last time you needed to simplify a quadratic equation at home or work? (Inspired by the work of Conrad Wolfram and Dan Meyer)
3) Democratic practices in the classroom - involving students in the three main areas of education which are curriculum (what the students learn), pedagogy (teaching methodology - how it is taught/how they learn it) and assessment (how knowledge of the curriculum is tested). If this involvement is facilitated in such a way as to balance student and adult input, then students personal development can benefit from developing the skills needed to being involved in this process. A correct balance of adult and youth input will also promote the students ownership of the process which will ensure they learn more, what they learn is more useful and what they learn they will remember longer.
Too much adult input and the students feel disempowered and apathetic, too little adult input and they flounder. (Inspired by the work of Ira Shor and of Reed Larson).
4) Creativity and innovation in the classroom - students must be free to express themselves and explore their passions through your subject. (Inspired by the work of Sir Ken Robinson)
5) Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the classroom - even though I don't know much about technology, I believe it is very important to increase its role in the classroom, not just to the ever increasing role it will play in the lives of students, but also for the simple reason - it can help. It can help you entertain and engage your students as well as lend a hand in terms of organisation. (Dan Meyer is fairly good on this too).
6) Critical media literacy - students developing an in-depth understanding of the role of the media in the social, cultural and political of this country. (inspired by no one in particular)
7) Civic Education - students developing an in-depth understanding of not just how the political system works in this country, but how they can employ their political voice to best effect. (inspired by how politically ignorant I feel, despite obtaining an "A" in Civic, Social and Political Education (C.S.P.E.) in 2003 - here's a link to the exam paper. (Useless is a term, which would be used generously in relation to this subject).
6) Philosophy of Pop Culture, e.g. examining the big and small questions behind cartoons, books, movies and music, e.g. the graphic novel "Watchmen" (this is more of a hobby of mine really that I would love to lead a class on - I believe passion in a subject is a good starting point for teaching.) (Inspired by the The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series).
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Dan Meyer - Math Class needs a make over
This is the gold you find when you keep typing in the same search words every six months on TED.com, in this case "math*". - click on the link or check out my Vlog (video + blog) over here ->
This is the TED video on math I've been looking for.
All I need to do now is just apply his algorithm (math lingo for "his procedure") to every distinct mathematical concept on the Leaving and Junior certificate course. Ok admitedly there's nothing "just" about that last goal, but at least I have it alot clearer in my head where I'm going with this. I had a sense that I was going to try and make maths as real life as possible, even quadratic equations somehow.
Essentally what Dan does is he divides the math problems on the curriculum into 2 categories one a group which is characterised by applying an abstract formula to a given equation (which is sometimes disguised) and the other group which is attempting and failing to recreate "real life" problems such as the example Dan gives.
I agree with Dan when he encourages us all to make "real life" maths actually real by being "less helpful".
In terms of the sacred trinity of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment.
Curriculum needs to focus more on real life situations, which should reflect math employed in the students everyday lives and in the day to day labour of the various work sectors.
Pedagogy - Dan sums it up well when he says - be less helpful.
Assessment - Questions should be open ended and short (like Dan suggests) with not one method of answering the question. Students should be given too much data and have to (1) discern what is essential and what is superfluous or (2) be given no data concrete data and asked to work out a formula.
Personally, I am in favour of a more discrete mathematics based curriculum ever since I heard this succinct arguement made on TED.com by Arthur Benjamin. My goal is to one day carry out a community profile with my maths class who design qeustionnaires which ask the qeustions they want answered and then go out into the community, collect the data and then learn about all the various ways it can be analysed and presented to people through stastics. So that they understand the meaning of "lies, damned lies and stastics" and can use this knowledge to question precentages quoted in the media and who knows one day employ stastics to further their own agendas in the future.
This is the TED video on math I've been looking for.
All I need to do now is just apply his algorithm (math lingo for "his procedure") to every distinct mathematical concept on the Leaving and Junior certificate course. Ok admitedly there's nothing "just" about that last goal, but at least I have it alot clearer in my head where I'm going with this. I had a sense that I was going to try and make maths as real life as possible, even quadratic equations somehow.
Essentally what Dan does is he divides the math problems on the curriculum into 2 categories one a group which is characterised by applying an abstract formula to a given equation (which is sometimes disguised) and the other group which is attempting and failing to recreate "real life" problems such as the example Dan gives.
I agree with Dan when he encourages us all to make "real life" maths actually real by being "less helpful".
In terms of the sacred trinity of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment.
Curriculum needs to focus more on real life situations, which should reflect math employed in the students everyday lives and in the day to day labour of the various work sectors.
Pedagogy - Dan sums it up well when he says - be less helpful.
Assessment - Questions should be open ended and short (like Dan suggests) with not one method of answering the question. Students should be given too much data and have to (1) discern what is essential and what is superfluous or (2) be given no data concrete data and asked to work out a formula.
Personally, I am in favour of a more discrete mathematics based curriculum ever since I heard this succinct arguement made on TED.com by Arthur Benjamin. My goal is to one day carry out a community profile with my maths class who design qeustionnaires which ask the qeustions they want answered and then go out into the community, collect the data and then learn about all the various ways it can be analysed and presented to people through stastics. So that they understand the meaning of "lies, damned lies and stastics" and can use this knowledge to question precentages quoted in the media and who knows one day employ stastics to further their own agendas in the future.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Finland vs The Slums; Who will we look to for inspiration in the field of education?
Here is another TED.com video that you have to see on how Charles Leadbeater went looking for radical new forms of education -- and found them in the slums of Rio and Kibera, where some of the world's poorest kids are finding transformative new ways to learn. And this informal, disruptive new kind of school, he says, is what all schools need to become.
http://www.ted.com/talks/charles_leadbeater_on_education.html
You can also catch it on my Vod Pod on the right hand column.
If you want to read more about the subject matter he covers you can find a copy of the report he bases his presentation on, on his website at
http://www.charlesleadbeater.net/home.aspx
I'm currently reading through it at the moment and gleaning for all the possible schools I want to visit on W.T.S.R.E. (World Tour of Sites of Radical Education).
I'll do another blog on that when I'm done.
Talk to ya later mates.
http://www.ted.com/talks/charles_leadbeater_on_education.html
You can also catch it on my Vod Pod on the right hand column.
If you want to read more about the subject matter he covers you can find a copy of the report he bases his presentation on, on his website at
http://www.charlesleadbeater.net/home.aspx
I'm currently reading through it at the moment and gleaning for all the possible schools I want to visit on W.T.S.R.E. (World Tour of Sites of Radical Education).
I'll do another blog on that when I'm done.
Talk to ya later mates.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Dan Pink on the surprising science of motivation | Video on TED.com
Pink talks about intrinsic motivation and autonomy as the new ways to motivate employees.
The same goes for students; Reed Larson, Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, writes about how to help young people develop initiative (2000). He extensively credits Ryan and Deci’s research in his discussion of how adolescents might be encouraged to self-motivate, remarking that the first of three “elements of initiative” (p. 172) is “intrinsic motivation, the experience of wanting to be doing and activity and being invested in it.” There is no way to manufacture or fake this condition, though with the right emphasis and planning, it can be kindled. The second part is “concerted engagement in the environment, with exertion of constructive attention in a field of action involving the types of constraints, rules, challenge, and complexity that characterize external reality.” An appropriate challenge is necessary and good for skill development. Making an environment that is realistically difficult is also exciting. Thirdly, it takes time to nurture real growth or to become secure in one’s own progress. Larson continues, “Initiative involves a temporal arc of effort directed toward a goal, an arc that might include setbacks, re-evaluations, and adjustment of strategies.”
Dan Pink on the surprising science of motivation | Video on TED.com
The same goes for students; Reed Larson, Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, writes about how to help young people develop initiative (2000). He extensively credits Ryan and Deci’s research in his discussion of how adolescents might be encouraged to self-motivate, remarking that the first of three “elements of initiative” (p. 172) is “intrinsic motivation, the experience of wanting to be doing and activity and being invested in it.” There is no way to manufacture or fake this condition, though with the right emphasis and planning, it can be kindled. The second part is “concerted engagement in the environment, with exertion of constructive attention in a field of action involving the types of constraints, rules, challenge, and complexity that characterize external reality.” An appropriate challenge is necessary and good for skill development. Making an environment that is realistically difficult is also exciting. Thirdly, it takes time to nurture real growth or to become secure in one’s own progress. Larson continues, “Initiative involves a temporal arc of effort directed toward a goal, an arc that might include setbacks, re-evaluations, and adjustment of strategies.”
Dan Pink on the surprising science of motivation | Video on TED.com
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Teacher's Blogs
Here's a short list of interesting Teacher's blogs I've found along the way.
Dan Myer, Edutopia, Guerilla Educators, J.D. Howell,
Dan Myer, Edutopia, Guerilla Educators, J.D. Howell,
List of stuff I have to Blog on..
Reaction to the critical pedagogy podcast-
New words Lancaster model of education
Why I haven't read Pedagogy of the Oppressed yet
My sense of inadequacy - before you can change anything you must understand it.
What is my motivations behind this blog in the context of the other great blogs I've found.
Idea; Interview yourself - do your own podcast and in it situate yourself in terms of your philosophy of education. Cover, pragmatism, are you an academic? (lazy, easy to write etc.), list of writers/thinkers to explore, the state of your political consciousness, basic counselling skilks, YSI & Larson, positive psychology. philosophy of psychology - my meeting with John McCarthy, active citizenship, Youth-led Development, Youth and Community Work, nation wide change, social democracy - Sweden and Finland, atheism, Ken Robinson, creativity, innovation and the smart economy, Key words - ownership, relevance and facilitation.
Aside; Instrumental Hybridity e.g. Heroic Leadership
Why my blog is annonymous.
Life as learning.
Positive psychology and education = Positive Education; What would it look like; the gratitude letter.
New words Lancaster model of education
Why I haven't read Pedagogy of the Oppressed yet
My sense of inadequacy - before you can change anything you must understand it.
What is my motivations behind this blog in the context of the other great blogs I've found.
Idea; Interview yourself - do your own podcast and in it situate yourself in terms of your philosophy of education. Cover, pragmatism, are you an academic? (lazy, easy to write etc.), list of writers/thinkers to explore, the state of your political consciousness, basic counselling skilks, YSI & Larson, positive psychology. philosophy of psychology - my meeting with John McCarthy, active citizenship, Youth-led Development, Youth and Community Work, nation wide change, social democracy - Sweden and Finland, atheism, Ken Robinson, creativity, innovation and the smart economy, Key words - ownership, relevance and facilitation.
Aside; Instrumental Hybridity e.g. Heroic Leadership
Why my blog is annonymous.
Life as learning.
Positive psychology and education = Positive Education; What would it look like; the gratitude letter.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Critical Pedagogy Podcast
Coventry University Podcast Service - Critical Pedagogy
This is what I have been listening to when I've been cleaning ovens in my new job as a warden of a student accommodation complex.
I salute Joyce Cannan, Gurnam Singh and the other Left academics involved for creating this valuable space critical pedagogy. Who knows their could be radicals walking amoung you right now with one earphone in listening to this podcast.... dun dun dun.
The podcasts so far include;
Joyce Canaan on the Neoliberal University, Critical Pedagogy and Popular Education
Steve Wright on Autonomist Marxism, Social Movements and Popular Education
Philip Chambers on Critical Reflection and Critical Pedagogy.
Michael Wlliams on Indigenous Pedagogy
This is what I have been listening to when I've been cleaning ovens in my new job as a warden of a student accommodation complex.
I salute Joyce Cannan, Gurnam Singh and the other Left academics involved for creating this valuable space critical pedagogy. Who knows their could be radicals walking amoung you right now with one earphone in listening to this podcast.... dun dun dun.
The podcasts so far include;
Joyce Canaan on the Neoliberal University, Critical Pedagogy and Popular Education
Steve Wright on Autonomist Marxism, Social Movements and Popular Education
Philip Chambers on Critical Reflection and Critical Pedagogy.
Michael Wlliams on Indigenous Pedagogy
Do Schools Kill Creativity? The famous TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson
This video contains the central thesis for his book - "The Element; How finding your passion changes everything" which is definately worth a read.
more about "Ken Robinson, (TEDTalks) - Do schools...", posted with vodpod
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Sir Ken Robinson; Bring on the Learning Revolution
Part two of "Do Schools Kill Creativity?"
more about "Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learni...", posted with vodpod
Pedagogical ideas 1 & 2 (courtesy of Alan November)
And so here begins my list of pedagogical ideas (teaching methodology ideas).
1. ICT in the classroom; (This idea is from Alan November's video entitled "Myths and Opportunities; Techology in the Classroom".
One student each day would be designated the responsibility of the post of researcher for that class. The responsiblities of researcher would include; using particular subject specific search engines to generate a collection of resources.
2. There can be a ipod/audio production committee made up of some students who produce an audio track of what they learned that week, also you could have a newsletter committee who produce a newsletter on what they learned that week.
Two things that have to be explored; firstly, what kind of technology is needed for this kind of pedagogical process and secondly, maybe its unconfidence on my part but I feel I need some concrete advice from people who have done it before I could facilitate these processes.
1. ICT in the classroom; (This idea is from Alan November's video entitled "Myths and Opportunities; Techology in the Classroom".
One student each day would be designated the responsibility of the post of researcher for that class. The responsiblities of researcher would include; using particular subject specific search engines to generate a collection of resources.
2. There can be a ipod/audio production committee made up of some students who produce an audio track of what they learned that week, also you could have a newsletter committee who produce a newsletter on what they learned that week.
Two things that have to be explored; firstly, what kind of technology is needed for this kind of pedagogical process and secondly, maybe its unconfidence on my part but I feel I need some concrete advice from people who have done it before I could facilitate these processes.
Technology in the Classroom
Todays Video;
Myths and Opportunities; Technology in the Classroom by Alan November
Alan also references that together with ICT, negotiating control/authority can be a powerful force for youth development. As it evolves from being simply youth development to youth lead development.
Myths and Opportunities; Technology in the Classroom by Alan November
Alan also references that together with ICT, negotiating control/authority can be a powerful force for youth development. As it evolves from being simply youth development to youth lead development.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Mathematics & Active Citizenship
Bottom line;
Mathematical Literacy is an important component of active citizenship and the democratic process itself.
References; Linking mathematics education and Democracy: Citizenship, Mathematical Archeology, Mathemacy and Deliberative Interaction by Ole Skovsmose published in ZDM Volume 30, Number 6 / December, 1998
Definitions;
Mathematical literacy (or Mathemacy); I agree with Ole who defines mathemacy as similar to Paulo Freire's notion of literacy which is more than simply being able to read and write but also competence in reading one's social life, being able to "read the world".
Active Citizenship; the active role of people, communities and voluntary organizations in decision making
which directly affects them. This extends the concept of formal citizenship and democratic society from one of basic civil, political and social and economic rights to one of direct democratic participation and responsibility (as defined by the Irish Government's white paper on supporting community volunteering and referenced in a white paper by the Irish Taskforce on Active Citizenship.
Main Body;
Skovsmose makes a very valid point. While I had always considered the mathematical dimension to democratic elections and the mathemacy to critical analyse media and governmental output. I had not considered students employing their mathemacy to generate their own input into the democratic process. Skovsmoses uses an anecdote to illustrate this point, recounting a project entitled "Our community" where a group of students mathematical investigate various pertinent issues in the local community. One aspect of this I would be wary of relates to the forum for the students. If the students carry out this research to find that their is not a suitable forum for their input (which there should be in a perfect world) then it can be very dis-empowering. In this case, Skovsmose invited the local major to have a conversation with the students, I would disagree with this course of action as it deprives the students of learning to discern the most appropriate method of the employing their research to the best effect (e.g. do you organise a meeting with the major or organise a public meeting and invite him to speak). Facilitation rather than orchestration.
Mathematical Literacy is an important component of active citizenship and the democratic process itself.
References; Linking mathematics education and Democracy: Citizenship, Mathematical Archeology, Mathemacy and Deliberative Interaction by Ole Skovsmose published in ZDM Volume 30, Number 6 / December, 1998
Definitions;
Mathematical literacy (or Mathemacy); I agree with Ole who defines mathemacy as similar to Paulo Freire's notion of literacy which is more than simply being able to read and write but also competence in reading one's social life, being able to "read the world".
Active Citizenship; the active role of people, communities and voluntary organizations in decision making
which directly affects them. This extends the concept of formal citizenship and democratic society from one of basic civil, political and social and economic rights to one of direct democratic participation and responsibility (as defined by the Irish Government's white paper on supporting community volunteering and referenced in a white paper by the Irish Taskforce on Active Citizenship.
Main Body;
Skovsmose makes a very valid point. While I had always considered the mathematical dimension to democratic elections and the mathemacy to critical analyse media and governmental output. I had not considered students employing their mathemacy to generate their own input into the democratic process. Skovsmoses uses an anecdote to illustrate this point, recounting a project entitled "Our community" where a group of students mathematical investigate various pertinent issues in the local community. One aspect of this I would be wary of relates to the forum for the students. If the students carry out this research to find that their is not a suitable forum for their input (which there should be in a perfect world) then it can be very dis-empowering. In this case, Skovsmose invited the local major to have a conversation with the students, I would disagree with this course of action as it deprives the students of learning to discern the most appropriate method of the employing their research to the best effect (e.g. do you organise a meeting with the major or organise a public meeting and invite him to speak). Facilitation rather than orchestration.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Education Entrepreneurship
The bottom line -
We need to educate kids to be both active citizens and entrepeneurs.
What I'll be referencing -
A TED.com talk - by Cameron Herold entitled "Raising Kids to be Entrepeneurs"
A paper by David Hartley entitled "New Economy, New Pedagogy?" Oxford Review of Education, Vol. 29, No. 1, 2003
A report by the National Advisory committee on Creativity and Cultural Education (Britian)titled "All our Futures" and nicknamed "The Robinson Report", this report was the precursor to Sir Ken Robinson's famous TED talk "How schools are killing creativity" and his book The Element.
This post is to be continued as I'm in a bit of a rush at the moment
We need to educate kids to be both active citizens and entrepeneurs.
What I'll be referencing -
A TED.com talk - by Cameron Herold entitled "Raising Kids to be Entrepeneurs"
A paper by David Hartley entitled "New Economy, New Pedagogy?" Oxford Review of Education, Vol. 29, No. 1, 2003
A report by the National Advisory committee on Creativity and Cultural Education (Britian)titled "All our Futures" and nicknamed "The Robinson Report", this report was the precursor to Sir Ken Robinson's famous TED talk "How schools are killing creativity" and his book The Element.
This post is to be continued as I'm in a bit of a rush at the moment
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Why I decided to blog
To be honest I didn't think setting up a blog would be this easy. Thank you blogger.com!
So why did I decide to start blogging?
Well the answer is quite simple. I want to be a great teacher and I thought a blog could help me do that. I think a blog can be helpful in a number of ways;
1. It can help you to reflect, clarify and consolidate your thoughts and ideas.
2. It can help you reflect on your daily practice (or in my case, my journey to becoming a teacher).
3. Information and Communication Technologies (I.C.T.) in the classroom is the way of the future. Technology will play an every important role in the lives of our students and to ignore this fact is to do them a disservice. Also it can help you make learning more interactive, interesting and fun.
4. It will help me connect with "my tribe" of progressive radical teachers(I'm referncing Ken Robinson's "The Element" here). It's a nice feeling knowing that out there, there are fellow teachers attempting to formulate and answer the same questions I am.
5. It can help me organise my thoughts and ideas on various issues through tagging, you can't do that with a journal.
So why did I decide to start blogging?
Well the answer is quite simple. I want to be a great teacher and I thought a blog could help me do that. I think a blog can be helpful in a number of ways;
1. It can help you to reflect, clarify and consolidate your thoughts and ideas.
2. It can help you reflect on your daily practice (or in my case, my journey to becoming a teacher).
3. Information and Communication Technologies (I.C.T.) in the classroom is the way of the future. Technology will play an every important role in the lives of our students and to ignore this fact is to do them a disservice. Also it can help you make learning more interactive, interesting and fun.
4. It will help me connect with "my tribe" of progressive radical teachers(I'm referncing Ken Robinson's "The Element" here). It's a nice feeling knowing that out there, there are fellow teachers attempting to formulate and answer the same questions I am.
5. It can help me organise my thoughts and ideas on various issues through tagging, you can't do that with a journal.
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