Or, to quote They Might Be Giants, "Everything old is new again."
What is a "flipped" classroom? In a normal class, the teacher presents a lesson and then gives the students homework in order to practice the concepts presented. "Flipped" classes reverse this process: Students are supposed to watch and/or read the lesson at home, and then practice the concepts during class time.
"Flipped" classes are the newest, shiniest, bestest educational fad. And I know for a fact, it will be an unmitigated disaster. How do I know? I've taught band and orchestra. Our classrooms are already "flipped," have been so since time immemorial, and will continue to be so until we are all fired due to budget cuts.
Confused? Here is what the ideal band/orchestra rehearsal looks like: Students take their instruments home and learn their music. They come to class having mastered the notes and rhythms, ready to work with the rest of the ensemble on the issues of musicality (tone, balance, blend, dynamics, tempo, etc.) The lesson is the notes and the rhythms. The practice of concepts is the musicality.
In the real world, students do not practice. Let me repeat that: In the real world, students do NOT practice. In any meeting of more than three band/orchestra directors, the first question is always, "How do you get your students to practice?" The younger ones offer every technique just this side of a cattle prod. The old, experienced directors just chuckle because they know none of these techniques actually works.
It will be the exact same thing in the regular "flipped" classroom. At least half (probably more like 2/3rds or 4/5ths) will come in, get the day's work - based on the lecture they should have watched last night - and immediately start whining, "I can't do this! I don't get it!" Well, did you watch the lecture last night? "I didn't get it." (Translation: No, I was too busy playing Xbox.) Then the teacher is forced to regurgitate the lecture during class, and the day's work is then assigned for homework.
Viola! Flipped classroom is thus destroyed in a single night.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Who Will Join in My Crusade?
Ah, the joys of coming down with extreme laryngitis. Sitting at home, feeling not too bad, totally unable to work, way too much time to think....
Science and medicine have been burdened since the beginning with fakers and charlatans who make outrageous claims without any kind of evidential backing. Think patent medicines (early 20th century), homeopathy, anti-vacination, that sort of thing. The skeptical movement began in order combat this sort of thing. Real scientists and doctors take the time to point-by-point refute the nonsense claims and studies done by hacks.
Why can't we get the same kind of movement going for education? If there is any field more besotted with quacks, and desperately needs a corps of skeptics, I cannot think of it. This group needs to consist entirely of veteran teachers, who openly laugh at their experiences in university ed school. They need to be fearless and not pull punches. They need to be knowledgeable both about pedagogy and academics. They need to be generous and willing to share their work freely with those who desperately need it.
Dan Willingham has pointed the way with his book, When Can You Trust the Experts?, but it is generalized and is afraid of concrete examples. We need people who are unafraid of saying, "Program X is rubbish. It will not work in the classroom. Here's why...." And then goes on to list all the reasons. Tom Bennett has made a start with Teacher Proof, but at $25 a pop for the ebook, it's doubtful very many of us will ever read it. And besides which, there is a thick layer of bullshit covering the educational garden, one guy with a shovel ain't up to the task of removing it all.
The rising tide of crap is sinking all boats.
Science and medicine have been burdened since the beginning with fakers and charlatans who make outrageous claims without any kind of evidential backing. Think patent medicines (early 20th century), homeopathy, anti-vacination, that sort of thing. The skeptical movement began in order combat this sort of thing. Real scientists and doctors take the time to point-by-point refute the nonsense claims and studies done by hacks.
Why can't we get the same kind of movement going for education? If there is any field more besotted with quacks, and desperately needs a corps of skeptics, I cannot think of it. This group needs to consist entirely of veteran teachers, who openly laugh at their experiences in university ed school. They need to be fearless and not pull punches. They need to be knowledgeable both about pedagogy and academics. They need to be generous and willing to share their work freely with those who desperately need it.
Dan Willingham has pointed the way with his book, When Can You Trust the Experts?, but it is generalized and is afraid of concrete examples. We need people who are unafraid of saying, "Program X is rubbish. It will not work in the classroom. Here's why...." And then goes on to list all the reasons. Tom Bennett has made a start with Teacher Proof, but at $25 a pop for the ebook, it's doubtful very many of us will ever read it. And besides which, there is a thick layer of bullshit covering the educational garden, one guy with a shovel ain't up to the task of removing it all.
The rising tide of crap is sinking all boats.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Evaluation Time
Hillsdale Equality, Learning and Leadership Academy
Teacher Evaluation Form
Name of teacher __________________________________
Interactions with Office
1. Number of times teacher has visited
with The Principal to:
complain ___________________ request
changes ______________
request help
_______________ complement _________________
2. Number of times teacher has
volunteered for extra duties in the last 60 days ________
3. Number of times teacher has refused
to perform extra duties in the last 60 days (including implicit
refusals demonstrated by not volunteering) _____________
4. Number of office referrals issued by
teacher in the last 60 days _______________
5. Teacher's suspension rate _________
6. Teacher's expulsion rate __________
7. Teacher's detention rate __________
Work Ethic
1. Average arrival time ___________
2. Average departure time __________
3. Number of full-day absences in the
last 60 days __________
4. Number of half-day absences in the
last 60 days __________
5. Number of students tutored on own
time __________
6. Number of times teacher has volunteered to teach summer school in the last three years
_________
Educational Investment
1. Teacher's children attend Hillsdale
_________
2. Contribution to annual fund
$___________
3. Contribution to sunshine fund
$__________
4. Amount of own money spent on
teaching materials (receipts required) $ __________
5. Amount of own money spent on
professional development (receipts required) $ _________
6. Amount of own money spent on students (receipts required) $ __________
Compliance
1. Dresses appropriately _____________
2. Completes paperwork in a timely
fashion __________
3. Follows school discipline plan
____________
4. Follows all policies and procedures
laid out in the faculty handbook __________
5. Follows all directives issued from
the office __________
Instructional Practice
1. Implements all programs and curriculum
as instructed _________
2. Uses technology in every lesson _________
3. Uses child friendly language as described in faculty handbook _________
4. Corrects student work in green or purple ink _________
5. Has memorized all the Common Core standards for her grade/subject _________
6. Spends less than 20% of class time speaking to the class as a whole (either in the form of lecturing or giving instructions) _____________
7. Uses cooperative learning in every lesson _____________
8. Ratio of complements to criticisms _______________
Student Performance
1. Allows student creativity in classroom ____________
2. Allows student creativity in completing projects/assignments ___________
3. Gives students extra time to complete projects/assignments ___________
4. Gives extra-credit, make up projects ____________
5. Students are graded on personal improvement (not on a curve or an objective standard) ______________
6. Uses rubrics for grading. ___________
Classroom Management
1. Does not speak of or enforce consequences for student misbehavior. _________
2. Always compliments students, never criticizes them. ____________
3. Allows students to do what they like, when they like. ____________
4. Keeps all discipline issues within the classroom. ____________
5. Never requests parents discipline their child. ___________
Parent Interaction
1. Kowtows to parent requests to change student grades. __________
2. Allows parents free access to classroom. ____________
3. Complies willingly to all parent requests. _____________
Friday, January 10, 2014
Let's Talk About Parents
Elizabeth Weil, writing for the New Republic, claims that nonconformist children are being harmed by modern American schooling. She was horrified that her daughter's teacher recommended therapy for her chronically disruptive child. Here is part one of my response:
The reason your teacher recommended OT for your child, rather than disciplining her is simple: If he had the temerity to punish your daughter for her continual refusal to sit still, you would have beating down the door of the principal's office demanding his immediate dismissal. No seriously, you *are* that type of parent. Obviously, you will not discipline your own child and have no tolerance for anyone who does. For punishing, or, in the PC parlance, following through with "negative consequences," would make your precious out-of-control daughter feel bad. She might even say one afternoon that she hates her teacher or hates school because she gets in trouble. And God forbid a child with a behavior problem feel bad when she acts out. It might harm her self esteem! It might forever destroy her creativity!! Or damage her imagination!!! Or horrors it might make her realize that the entire universe does not in fact revolve around her and cater to her every whim!!!!
It is because of parents like you, who refuse to instill discipline in their children and who fly into a rage any and every time someone else tries to do it for you, that teachers such as I no longer have any means of managing our classrooms. Your tirades have caused principals to remove every single tool of discipline that teachers possessed. We cannot even LOOK at your child when she misbehaves, because when we do, she comes crying home to you, claiming that, "The teacher is mean and picks on me!" Of course, you do not believe it when the teacher tells you what really happened; you believe the fantasy story concocted by your tasmanian-devil child. You charge into the principal's office the next morning yelling and screaming about the harsh discipline your child has to endure every single day and how damaging it is to her tender psyche.
Your idea that children's lives are messy and loud and chaotic is fine. Please do all of those things - ON YOUR OWN TIME! When your child walks into my classroom she does so along with 20+ other children who have the right to learn. I await them with the right to teach them the academics necessary to survive in the modern world. Your child does NOT have the right to prevent me from teaching or the other children from learning. Let me repeat that: YOUR CHILD DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO DENY 20+ OTHER CHILDREN FROM GETTING THEIR OWN EDUCATIONS. If you don't like that fine, go away and homeschool your child. In the meantime, since it is impossible for me to discipline your daughter I will do everything else I can, including recommending therapy, counseling, and medication. Maybe if I keep it up, you will get my real message: You need to roll up your sleeves and do the hard work of actual parenting.
The reason your teacher recommended OT for your child, rather than disciplining her is simple: If he had the temerity to punish your daughter for her continual refusal to sit still, you would have beating down the door of the principal's office demanding his immediate dismissal. No seriously, you *are* that type of parent. Obviously, you will not discipline your own child and have no tolerance for anyone who does. For punishing, or, in the PC parlance, following through with "negative consequences," would make your precious out-of-control daughter feel bad. She might even say one afternoon that she hates her teacher or hates school because she gets in trouble. And God forbid a child with a behavior problem feel bad when she acts out. It might harm her self esteem! It might forever destroy her creativity!! Or damage her imagination!!! Or horrors it might make her realize that the entire universe does not in fact revolve around her and cater to her every whim!!!!
It is because of parents like you, who refuse to instill discipline in their children and who fly into a rage any and every time someone else tries to do it for you, that teachers such as I no longer have any means of managing our classrooms. Your tirades have caused principals to remove every single tool of discipline that teachers possessed. We cannot even LOOK at your child when she misbehaves, because when we do, she comes crying home to you, claiming that, "The teacher is mean and picks on me!" Of course, you do not believe it when the teacher tells you what really happened; you believe the fantasy story concocted by your tasmanian-devil child. You charge into the principal's office the next morning yelling and screaming about the harsh discipline your child has to endure every single day and how damaging it is to her tender psyche.
Your idea that children's lives are messy and loud and chaotic is fine. Please do all of those things - ON YOUR OWN TIME! When your child walks into my classroom she does so along with 20+ other children who have the right to learn. I await them with the right to teach them the academics necessary to survive in the modern world. Your child does NOT have the right to prevent me from teaching or the other children from learning. Let me repeat that: YOUR CHILD DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO DENY 20+ OTHER CHILDREN FROM GETTING THEIR OWN EDUCATIONS. If you don't like that fine, go away and homeschool your child. In the meantime, since it is impossible for me to discipline your daughter I will do everything else I can, including recommending therapy, counseling, and medication. Maybe if I keep it up, you will get my real message: You need to roll up your sleeves and do the hard work of actual parenting.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Quick Take: Translation
Lisa Hansel, of the Core Knowledge Foundation, published an open letter to the new Chancellor of NYC Schools today.
Ms. Hansel waxes eloquent, but her real message is this: "Please, pretty, pretty please do not drop our language arts curriculum from your schools."
Ms. Hansel waxes eloquent, but her real message is this: "Please, pretty, pretty please do not drop our language arts curriculum from your schools."
Friday, January 3, 2014
I Wonder as I Wander
Because I refuse to become a Twit:
Why is it that the most dis-satisfied, and vocal about it, teachers are those specializing in math and science?
Why are dumbest teachers the hardest to deal with?
Follow up: Why do the dumbest teachers always end up as administrators?
Why do they always schedule an emergency drill during my once-a-week class?
Grammar is beautiful. Why doesn't anyone teach it?
Why has no one in education ever heard the expression, "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions?"
Why is teaching the only profession where competence is a liability?
Why is it that all education experts and pundits always insist on highlighting the wrong issues?
Not every person is intellectually suited to go to university. Why can't we have realistic expectations for students?
It's nice to dream and have lofty goals. But where is the plan for reality, when those dreams and goals are unattainable?
Why do educators lie so much, both to themselves and others?
Why is it that the most dis-satisfied, and vocal about it, teachers are those specializing in math and science?
Why are dumbest teachers the hardest to deal with?
Follow up: Why do the dumbest teachers always end up as administrators?
Why do they always schedule an emergency drill during my once-a-week class?
Grammar is beautiful. Why doesn't anyone teach it?
Why has no one in education ever heard the expression, "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions?"
Why is teaching the only profession where competence is a liability?
Why is it that all education experts and pundits always insist on highlighting the wrong issues?
Not every person is intellectually suited to go to university. Why can't we have realistic expectations for students?
It's nice to dream and have lofty goals. But where is the plan for reality, when those dreams and goals are unattainable?
Why do educators lie so much, both to themselves and others?
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