"You cannot learn anything unless you make a mistake..so I tell my students when you make a mistake celebrate..and the way to celebrate is like this: how fascinating!!!"
"Our educational system is based on a downward spiral because there is no way to go from an A but down, so we should not be surprised if our kids look anxious"
"The new leader is first of all the one that can distinguish the downward spiral and then has the power to take people from there over here to radiating possibilities..anybody can do it...there is a key to the kingdom of possibilities...don't take yourself so damn seriously!"
Benjamin Zander is the conductor of The Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and a guest conductor around the world. He is one of the most sought after speakers in the world. He gave the opening Keynote address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where on another occasion he was awarded the Crystal award for "outstanding contributions in the Arts and international relations". In 2002 he was awarded the "Caring Citizen of the Humanities" Award by the International Council for Caring Communities at the United Nations.
This is an excellent presentation, truly inspiring.
-- watch his TED talk on music and passion (see previous post "The transformative power of classical music")
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Saturday, May 17, 2014
The transformative power of art
Freelance illustrator Katie Daisy lives in a world where dreams and reality are the same. Her honey-laced hand lettering and spring-scented illustrations have been gaining notoriety since she burst onto the scene in 2009 when she graduated from renowned Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Since then, this farm-grown, Illinois-born wanderer has lived everywhere from the misty Cascades to the Great Smokies, sharing her passion for uplifting art with everyone she encounters. Katie loves taking simple, everyday shapes and turning them into something beautiful. Watch as Katie explains why she believes the power of art can change lives.
TRUST: Second Acts in Young Lives
“There is something hopeful in the act of creating a work of art.” -- David Feiner
Moving, intimate, and celebratory, TRUST follows the teenage actors of Chicago's Albany Park Theater Project as they transform through courage, storytelling and community. TRUST begins in a small theater as a group of teenage actors receive a standing ovation. The film then takes us back to the beginning, when Marlin, an 18-year-old Hondureña shares a little bit about her childhood with the company. It is a traumatic story. Amazing things unfold as the young actors transform the story into a daring, original play. TRUST is about creativity and the unexpected resources inside people who are often discounted because they are poor, young, or of color. APTP is a neighborhood theater project dedicated to helping young people reimagine their experiences on stage. Since 1997, APTP has created highly-skilled, artistic and transformative theater. And they do it with kids who never audition. APTP co-founder and artistic director David Feiner, who holds a masters degree from the Yale Graduate School of Drama, has a practiced method and he stays with the kids as they grow. The experience is truly artistic and transformational for the ensemble members.
Marlin’s is one of incredible struggle and pain, from enduring rape as young girl, to the difficult journey of immigrating to the U.S., to further abuse at the hands of her own brother, and finally to emancipation and overcoming substance addiction.
-- TRUST, Second Acts in Young Lives, a film by Nancy Kelly and Kenji Yamamoto
Moving, intimate, and celebratory, TRUST follows the teenage actors of Chicago's Albany Park Theater Project as they transform through courage, storytelling and community. TRUST begins in a small theater as a group of teenage actors receive a standing ovation. The film then takes us back to the beginning, when Marlin, an 18-year-old Hondureña shares a little bit about her childhood with the company. It is a traumatic story. Amazing things unfold as the young actors transform the story into a daring, original play. TRUST is about creativity and the unexpected resources inside people who are often discounted because they are poor, young, or of color. APTP is a neighborhood theater project dedicated to helping young people reimagine their experiences on stage. Since 1997, APTP has created highly-skilled, artistic and transformative theater. And they do it with kids who never audition. APTP co-founder and artistic director David Feiner, who holds a masters degree from the Yale Graduate School of Drama, has a practiced method and he stays with the kids as they grow. The experience is truly artistic and transformational for the ensemble members.
Marlin’s is one of incredible struggle and pain, from enduring rape as young girl, to the difficult journey of immigrating to the U.S., to further abuse at the hands of her own brother, and finally to emancipation and overcoming substance addiction.
-- TRUST, Second Acts in Young Lives, a film by Nancy Kelly and Kenji Yamamoto
The transformative power of classical music
"People in my orchestra came up to me and said, "Ben, what happened?" That's what happened. I realized my job was to awaken possibility in other people. And of course, I wanted to know whether I was doing that. And you know how you find out? You look at their eyes. If their eyes are shining, you know you're doing it...So if the eyes are shining, you know you're doing it. If the eyes are not shining, you get to ask a question. And this is the question: who am I being, that my players' eyes are not shining? We can do that with our children, too. Who am I being, that my children's eyes are not shining? That's a totally different world."
"Now, we're all about to end this magical, on-the-mountain week, and we're going back into the world. And I say, it's appropriate for us to ask the question, who are we being as we go back out into the world? And you know, I have a definition of success. For me, it's very simple. It's not about wealth and fame and power. It's about how many shining eyes I have around me."
Benjamin Zander has two infectious passions: classical music, and helping us all realize our untapped love for it — and by extension, our untapped love for all new possibilities, new experiences, new connections. Since 1979, he has been the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic. He is known around the world as both a guest conductor and a speaker on leadership -- and he's been known to do both in a single performance. He uses music to help people open their minds and create joyful harmonies that bring out the best in themselves and their colleagues. His provocative ideas about leadership are rooted in a partnership with Rosamund Stone Zander, with whom he co-wrote The Art of Possibility.
This is the most compelling talk we have heard about classical music and life in general. Please take the time to watch, simply beautiful.
"Now, we're all about to end this magical, on-the-mountain week, and we're going back into the world. And I say, it's appropriate for us to ask the question, who are we being as we go back out into the world? And you know, I have a definition of success. For me, it's very simple. It's not about wealth and fame and power. It's about how many shining eyes I have around me."
Benjamin Zander has two infectious passions: classical music, and helping us all realize our untapped love for it — and by extension, our untapped love for all new possibilities, new experiences, new connections. Since 1979, he has been the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic. He is known around the world as both a guest conductor and a speaker on leadership -- and he's been known to do both in a single performance. He uses music to help people open their minds and create joyful harmonies that bring out the best in themselves and their colleagues. His provocative ideas about leadership are rooted in a partnership with Rosamund Stone Zander, with whom he co-wrote The Art of Possibility.
This is the most compelling talk we have heard about classical music and life in general. Please take the time to watch, simply beautiful.
Matt Damon speaks at Save Our Schools
At the Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action Rally on July 30, 2011, thousands showed up to demand better for our schools, students, teachers, parents, and communities. One of those people was actor Matt Damon, whose mother Nancy Carlsson-Paige, is a professor of education and an education activist. A product of the American public education system, he spoke to the crowd of thousands with sincerity and strength.
Never mess with Matt Damon... :)
Never mess with Matt Damon... :)
The learning process is not linear
"The learning process is not linear, it is not just I say this, now you know it so take the test, the learning process is circuitous, it wanders, it rambles, you look out the window and sometimes it goes out the window, and it comes back years later."
Brian Jones is a teacher, actor and activist in New York City. He has been a public elementary school teacher in Harlem for eight years. Jones is on the board of directors of the non-profit organization, Voices of a Peoples History of the United States. He was also the co-narrator of an Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman. He spoke at a meeting on May 2, 2013 about testing in the schools sponsored by the San Francisco UESF group Educators For A Democratic Union.
Such a passionate and powerful speech, definitely worth listening to him.
Brian Jones is a teacher, actor and activist in New York City. He has been a public elementary school teacher in Harlem for eight years. Jones is on the board of directors of the non-profit organization, Voices of a Peoples History of the United States. He was also the co-narrator of an Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman. He spoke at a meeting on May 2, 2013 about testing in the schools sponsored by the San Francisco UESF group Educators For A Democratic Union.
Such a passionate and powerful speech, definitely worth listening to him.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Reclaiming the conversation on education
On May 4, 2013, US teachers, parents, students, scholars, and administrators gathered together at Barnard College in the city of New York to work toward the common goal of reclaiming the conversation on education. In the one day conference, they shared their experiences with educational “reforms”, imagined equitable and sustainable alternatives, built coalitions and supported resistance to the standardization, privatization and corporate take-over of education.
-- read about this here
-- read about this here
Albert Einstein
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” -- Albert Einstein
 |
| 10 LESSONS FROM ALBERT EINSTEIN 1. Follow Your Curiosity “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” 2. Perseverance is Priceless “It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” 3. Focus on the Present “Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.” 4. The Imagination is Powerful “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions. Imagination is more important than knowledge.” 5. Make Mistakes “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” 6. Live in the Moment “I never think of the future – it comes soon enough.” 7. Create Value “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” 8. Don’t be repetitive “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” 9. Knowledge Comes From Experience “Information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience.” 10. Learn the Rules and Then Play Better “You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.” “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” “Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.” |
Thursday, May 15, 2014
A Teacher's Story: More Than a Number
"Education is about making people excited, it's about sharing stories, it's about narratives that can pull people in, it's not about simply filling things up and measuring them"
Inspirational education has more to do with the narratives that we each bring to the teaching/learning experience than the use of standardized measurement tools to rank each teacher and student. The current thrust towards quantifying teaching and learning marginalizes the essence of teaching which is complex, unpredictable, often challenging, and always human. The policymakers and the politicians and the media clamor for more accountability as we watch the fire being extinguished in the hearts and minds of our young people. Something is wrong with this picture and we need to act now to fix it. Dr. Dodge, the chair of Educational Leadership and Administration Department at LIU Post, addresses these issues by pulling from years of experience as a teacher and administrator (see more about him in previous post)
Inspirational education has more to do with the narratives that we each bring to the teaching/learning experience than the use of standardized measurement tools to rank each teacher and student. The current thrust towards quantifying teaching and learning marginalizes the essence of teaching which is complex, unpredictable, often challenging, and always human. The policymakers and the politicians and the media clamor for more accountability as we watch the fire being extinguished in the hearts and minds of our young people. Something is wrong with this picture and we need to act now to fix it. Dr. Dodge, the chair of Educational Leadership and Administration Department at LIU Post, addresses these issues by pulling from years of experience as a teacher and administrator (see more about him in previous post)
Reclaiming the Conversation on Education: Arnold Dodge
"Maybe there isn't a metric that is quantifiable for teaching, maybe it has more to do with creating an atmosphere, creating experiences for kids...if there is anything I'd like to have a joy index, as silly as it sounds I would like to see schools joyful.."
Arnold Dodge is the chairperson of the Department of Educational Leadership and Administration at LIU-Post located in Brookville, NY. Dr. Dodge retired in August 2007 after serving as Superintendent of Schools in the East Rockaway School District. Prior to assuming the superintendency, he served in districts in Nassau and Suffolk Counties as a central office curriculum administrator, school principal and teacher. In his forty-third year in education, Dr. Dodge’s particular interest focuses on the effects of high-stakes testing on students, teachers, schools and families. Additionally, his research has included the impact of poverty on schools in the US and in South Africa.
Arnold Dodge is the chairperson of the Department of Educational Leadership and Administration at LIU-Post located in Brookville, NY. Dr. Dodge retired in August 2007 after serving as Superintendent of Schools in the East Rockaway School District. Prior to assuming the superintendency, he served in districts in Nassau and Suffolk Counties as a central office curriculum administrator, school principal and teacher. In his forty-third year in education, Dr. Dodge’s particular interest focuses on the effects of high-stakes testing on students, teachers, schools and families. Additionally, his research has included the impact of poverty on schools in the US and in South Africa.
Reclaiming the Conversation on Education: Nancy Carlsson-Paige
"Today’s cultural pressures on children—media saturation, materialism, test-driven schools, and the fast pace of life—threaten to undermine some of the basic building blocks of healthy development. But we adults can navigate these difficult waters when we understand what it is children need and how we can best help them in these rapidly changing times."
Nancy Carlsson-Paige is Professor Emerita at Lesley University where she taught teachers for more than 30 years and was a founder of the University's Center for Peaceable Schools. Nancy has written and spoken extensively about the impact of media on children's lives and social development, and how children learn the skills for positive relationships. She is a critic of current education reforms that promote standardized tests and the privatization of schools. Nancy is the author of five books and numerous articles and op eds on media and technology, conflict resolution, peaceable classrooms, and education reform. Her most recent book is called Taking Back Childhood: A Proven Roadmap for Raising Confident, Creative, Compassionate Kids (from Nancy's website)
-- watch her TED talk "When education goes wrong"
-- read New York Times article: Early Learning: This is Not a Test
-- read "One Size Doesn't Fit All", a Boston Globe Op Ed
Nancy Carlsson-Paige is Professor Emerita at Lesley University where she taught teachers for more than 30 years and was a founder of the University's Center for Peaceable Schools. Nancy has written and spoken extensively about the impact of media on children's lives and social development, and how children learn the skills for positive relationships. She is a critic of current education reforms that promote standardized tests and the privatization of schools. Nancy is the author of five books and numerous articles and op eds on media and technology, conflict resolution, peaceable classrooms, and education reform. Her most recent book is called Taking Back Childhood: A Proven Roadmap for Raising Confident, Creative, Compassionate Kids (from Nancy's website)
-- watch her TED talk "When education goes wrong"
-- read New York Times article: Early Learning: This is Not a Test
-- read "One Size Doesn't Fit All", a Boston Globe Op Ed
Monday, May 12, 2014
Why massive open online courses (still) matter
"The last big innovation in education was the printing press and the textbooks. Everything else has changed around us. You know, from healthcare to transportation, everything is different, but education hasn't changed."
"Now, I really believe that we can transform education, both in quality and scale and access, through technology."
2013 was a year of hype for MOOCs (massive open online courses). Great big numbers and great big hopes were followed by some disappointing first results. But the head of edX, Anant Agarwal, makes the case that MOOCs still matter — as a way to share high-level learning widely and supplement (but perhaps not replace) traditional classrooms. In this TED talk he shares his vision of blended learning, where teachers create the ideal learning experience for 21st century students.
Anant Agarwal is a professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and President of edX, a worldwide, online learning initiative of MIT and Harvard.
"Now, I really believe that we can transform education, both in quality and scale and access, through technology."
2013 was a year of hype for MOOCs (massive open online courses). Great big numbers and great big hopes were followed by some disappointing first results. But the head of edX, Anant Agarwal, makes the case that MOOCs still matter — as a way to share high-level learning widely and supplement (but perhaps not replace) traditional classrooms. In this TED talk he shares his vision of blended learning, where teachers create the ideal learning experience for 21st century students.
Anant Agarwal is a professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and President of edX, a worldwide, online learning initiative of MIT and Harvard.
What We Must Do for Our Students and Our Public Schools
The future of teaching and learning, as imagined by those who know students best: practicing teachers. That's what you'll find in TEACHING 2030, coauthored by twelve accomplished teachers and CTQ founder Barnett Berry.
"Teaching 2030 is a brilliant look at the future of teaching in America from the perspective of those who know most about what it is and should be: accomplished teachers. Working with Barnett Berry, himself a former teacher and one of the nation's foremost experts on teaching, these voices frame the issues and the possibilities with passion, knowledge, and insight. Everyone who cares about teaching and learning should read this book."
-- Linda Darling-Hammond, Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education, Stanford University and author of The Flat World and Education
"Teaching 2030 is a brilliant look at the future of teaching in America from the perspective of those who know most about what it is and should be: accomplished teachers. Working with Barnett Berry, himself a former teacher and one of the nation's foremost experts on teaching, these voices frame the issues and the possibilities with passion, knowledge, and insight. Everyone who cares about teaching and learning should read this book."
-- Linda Darling-Hammond, Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education, Stanford University and author of The Flat World and Education
Friday, May 09, 2014
Redifining Teachers' voice
This is a MUST WATCH for all teachers and is dedicated to them.
"How can we us teachers and educators in general use our voices to elevate the profession?"
José Luis Vilson is a math educator, blogger, speaker, and activist in New York City, NY (read more about him in previous post). His blog has insightful essays on education, race, and politics through the eyes of a middle-school math teacher.
"I would never let anyone take my voice away from me as long as I knew that students issues come in front of adults issues"
"..Who gets weaker? The king or the teacher. It’s not about a salary it’s all about reality. Teachers teach and do the world good kings just rule and most are never understood..."
-- KRS-One, “My Philosophy”
Teachers push us to think critically whereas rulers push men and women to concede to their demands. That’s why it’s not about a salary, and it’s all about reality. The idea of poor righteous teachers doesn’t mean that we’re settling for less; it means that our pedagogy is inclusive of all who desperately need their voices elevated. That means you -- view José's blog post
"How can we us teachers and educators in general use our voices to elevate the profession?"
José Luis Vilson is a math educator, blogger, speaker, and activist in New York City, NY (read more about him in previous post). His blog has insightful essays on education, race, and politics through the eyes of a middle-school math teacher.
"I would never let anyone take my voice away from me as long as I knew that students issues come in front of adults issues"
"..Who gets weaker? The king or the teacher. It’s not about a salary it’s all about reality. Teachers teach and do the world good kings just rule and most are never understood..."
-- KRS-One, “My Philosophy”
Teachers push us to think critically whereas rulers push men and women to concede to their demands. That’s why it’s not about a salary, and it’s all about reality. The idea of poor righteous teachers doesn’t mean that we’re settling for less; it means that our pedagogy is inclusive of all who desperately need their voices elevated. That means you -- view José's blog post
This is Not a Test: I am a Bubble you Can Not Erase
"Given an answer sheet, these students shaded in L-O-V-E over ABCD
A set of standards commonly set forth before
Acing geography by means of peace instead of war
Shaping the world henceforth
They will elevate our math to where the sum of the people
Is greater than the parts
Becoming fluent in the languages of English, Spanish, and caring
America, please put down your pencils
This is not a test!"
This is Not a Test is a poem written and performed by Jose Vilson at the Save Our Schools March in Washington, D.C. on July 30th, 2011.
José Luis Vilson is a math educator for a middle school in the Inwood / Washington Heights neighborhood of New York, NY. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in mathematics education from the City College of New York. He’s also a committed writer, activist, web designer, and father. He co-authored the book Teaching 2030: What We Must Do For Our Students and Public Schools … Now and In The Future with Dr. Barnett Berry and 11 other accomplished teachers. He currently serves as the president emeritus of the Latino Alumni Network of Syracuse University and as a board member on the Board of Directors for the Center for Teaching Quality. He writes for Edutopia, GOOD, and TransformED / Future of Teaching, and has written for CNN.com, Education Week, Huffington Post, and El Diario / La Prensa NY. He has also spoken at TEDxNYED and the Save Our Schools March.
This is so POWERFUL.
-- read whole POEM here
-- Get his book "This is not a Test"
A set of standards commonly set forth before
Acing geography by means of peace instead of war
Shaping the world henceforth
They will elevate our math to where the sum of the people
Is greater than the parts
Becoming fluent in the languages of English, Spanish, and caring
America, please put down your pencils
This is not a test!"
This is Not a Test is a poem written and performed by Jose Vilson at the Save Our Schools March in Washington, D.C. on July 30th, 2011.
José Luis Vilson is a math educator for a middle school in the Inwood / Washington Heights neighborhood of New York, NY. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in mathematics education from the City College of New York. He’s also a committed writer, activist, web designer, and father. He co-authored the book Teaching 2030: What We Must Do For Our Students and Public Schools … Now and In The Future with Dr. Barnett Berry and 11 other accomplished teachers. He currently serves as the president emeritus of the Latino Alumni Network of Syracuse University and as a board member on the Board of Directors for the Center for Teaching Quality. He writes for Edutopia, GOOD, and TransformED / Future of Teaching, and has written for CNN.com, Education Week, Huffington Post, and El Diario / La Prensa NY. He has also spoken at TEDxNYED and the Save Our Schools March.
This is so POWERFUL.
-- read whole POEM here
-- Get his book "This is not a Test"
We must have vision
"Standardized testing is cheap and is easy, but it it not good..why would we trust what somebody put on a test, on a bubble sheet that they (students) took on one day of the year better than what we see with our eyes every day, why do we allow that..."
"In our cities, in places where they are not passing the test they are stripping art, they are stripping history, they are stripping gym, they are stripping everything out just to give them really good math prep so they can pass the test..That is not education, that is training and what are we training them for? We are training them for the 21st century workforce...I want the 21st century citizens. If we shoot for citizens we will get the workforce we need, if we shoot for citizens, not only we get workers, we will get husbands and wives and friends and neighbours and politicians and activists and scholars..."
Chris Lehmann is the founding principal of the Science Leadership Academy, a progressive science and technology high school in Philadelphia, PA. Chris has returned to his native Philadelphia after nine years as an English Teacher, Technology Coordinator, Girls Basketball Coach and Ultimate Frisbee coach at the Beacon School in New York City, one of the leading urban public schools for technology integration. Great passionate presentation.
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn" -- Alvin Toffler
-- read Chris' blog
"In our cities, in places where they are not passing the test they are stripping art, they are stripping history, they are stripping gym, they are stripping everything out just to give them really good math prep so they can pass the test..That is not education, that is training and what are we training them for? We are training them for the 21st century workforce...I want the 21st century citizens. If we shoot for citizens we will get the workforce we need, if we shoot for citizens, not only we get workers, we will get husbands and wives and friends and neighbours and politicians and activists and scholars..."
Chris Lehmann is the founding principal of the Science Leadership Academy, a progressive science and technology high school in Philadelphia, PA. Chris has returned to his native Philadelphia after nine years as an English Teacher, Technology Coordinator, Girls Basketball Coach and Ultimate Frisbee coach at the Beacon School in New York City, one of the leading urban public schools for technology integration. Great passionate presentation.
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn" -- Alvin Toffler
-- read Chris' blog
Thursday, May 08, 2014
The importance of public schools
"Public schools are the only schools that are accessible to all children...there is no other institution, no other service, no other organization that is as accessible and as committed to meeting the needs of children as are public schools. Even when public schools don't work well academically, we have to keep that in mind...Public schools are still part of making sure we have a vibrant democracy, they are still important to make sure there is a sense of integration and cohesiveness within the society. It is really a vital resource that is under appreciated".
As a leading urban sociologist, Pedro Noguera examines how schools are influenced by social and economic conditions in the urban environment. Here, he talks about the importance of public schools.
"We believe in a society where education should serve as pathway to opportunity, where your talent and your ability and your effort should be what determines how far you go, not who your parents were, but in fact who your parents were matters a whole lot more".
"It is in our collective interest to ensure that all children get a good education. And that's the part that rubs against our individualism, our notion that it is our self interest that matters more than our collective interest".
A MUST WATCH if you believe that every child is entitled to a proper education, regardless of their background. This man is truly inspiring.
As a leading urban sociologist, Pedro Noguera examines how schools are influenced by social and economic conditions in the urban environment. Here, he talks about the importance of public schools.
"We believe in a society where education should serve as pathway to opportunity, where your talent and your ability and your effort should be what determines how far you go, not who your parents were, but in fact who your parents were matters a whole lot more".
"It is in our collective interest to ensure that all children get a good education. And that's the part that rubs against our individualism, our notion that it is our self interest that matters more than our collective interest".
A MUST WATCH if you believe that every child is entitled to a proper education, regardless of their background. This man is truly inspiring.
How do schools promote equity among students?
"The term equity has come to mean the need to focus more directly not simply on equal opportunity, that is making sure that all kids have access to school...but really focus on outcomes and results...In schools that are really focused on equity, they are trying to meet the different needs of kids and do so in ways with a focus on outcome...Schools are set up to be the equalizers of opportunity, that was the mandate early on, that we would use education to promote merit and talent and so theoretically you want to make sure that all kids, regardless of background, have similar education opportunities..but that is not what we do..even within schools we exacerbate inequities...largely because it serves political purposes..."
Pedro Noguera is the Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education at New York University with faculty appointments in the departments of Teaching and Learning and Humanities and Social Sciences at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Development and the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education. In this interview he discusses the term equity and the forces that sometimes prevent schools from providing children with equitable outcomes. "Schools are set up to be the equalizers of opportunity," but often fail to do so.
"In this country (US) we tend to think that the more we do for excellence, the less we will be able to do for equity because in our mind there is only a small number of elite kids who are excellent and we are going to give more to them....and then we forget about the rest of the kids...When we combine excellence and equity what we are focused on is: how we make sure that all kids are exposed to high standards, quality teachers....What we really should be aiming for are kids who are learning ideas, knowledge and skills that they can apply to their own situation so that they can understand the utility of what they have learnt and how it is relevant to their life circumstances."
Pedro Noguera is the Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education at New York University with faculty appointments in the departments of Teaching and Learning and Humanities and Social Sciences at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Development and the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education. In this interview he discusses the term equity and the forces that sometimes prevent schools from providing children with equitable outcomes. "Schools are set up to be the equalizers of opportunity," but often fail to do so.
"In this country (US) we tend to think that the more we do for excellence, the less we will be able to do for equity because in our mind there is only a small number of elite kids who are excellent and we are going to give more to them....and then we forget about the rest of the kids...When we combine excellence and equity what we are focused on is: how we make sure that all kids are exposed to high standards, quality teachers....What we really should be aiming for are kids who are learning ideas, knowledge and skills that they can apply to their own situation so that they can understand the utility of what they have learnt and how it is relevant to their life circumstances."
The Smartest Kids in the World
Amanda Ripley is the author of The Smartest Kids in the World--and How They Got That Way, a New York Times bestseller, and The Unthinkable. She writes feature stories for Time Magazine and the Atlantic and speaks on various topics, including global competitiveness, education and parenting. The Smartest Kids was selected by The Economist, The Washington Post, The New York Times and Amazon.com as one of the most notable books of 2013.
What is it like to be a child in the world's new education superpowers? To find out, author and Time Magazine writer Amanda Ripley spent one year following American teenagers living in Finland, South Korea and Poland. Their stories, along with groundbreaking new research into learning around the world, reveal a pattern of startling transformation. These countries got smarter fairly recently--and not by spending more money or creating more tests.
(Amanda Riplley's website)
-- Watch her talk at POPTECH 2012
What is it like to be a child in the world's new education superpowers? To find out, author and Time Magazine writer Amanda Ripley spent one year following American teenagers living in Finland, South Korea and Poland. Their stories, along with groundbreaking new research into learning around the world, reveal a pattern of startling transformation. These countries got smarter fairly recently--and not by spending more money or creating more tests.
(Amanda Riplley's website)
-- Watch her talk at POPTECH 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)