Last night the wife and I watched an excellent video entitled "Teach". Our daughter teaches science courses at Willard Intermediate, Santa Ana, CA and encounters every one of the problems portrayed. The teachers as well as principals and advisors recognize that regardless of socio-economic problems, our schools must improve.
Granted that the school systems are forever experimenting with new teaching formats, trying to find the most effective. They agree that there is no SINGLE answer because every child is different. Each comes to school with unique knowledge, previously acquired ideas, and a different level of emotional baggage.
In a class of thirty students, for example, one teaching method may produce excellent results for half the class, and unsatisfactory results in the other half. The "lower performance" students may be just as intelligent, but learn faster if the teacher uses a different teaching method. It becomes a politically incorrect nightmare to separate the fast learners from the slow learners. Classroom teachers have been required to conform to the rules passed down from administrative superiors. For example:
1. All students were subjected to a standard test. Good learners were passed to the next grade and the low learners were required to repeat.
2. To assure that a satisfactory number of learners passed to the next grade level the standard tests were made less demanding.
Granted that the school systems are forever experimenting with new teaching formats, trying to find the most effective. They agree that there is no SINGLE answer because every child is different. Each comes to school with unique knowledge, previously acquired ideas, and a different level of emotional baggage. In a class of thirty students, for example, one teaching method may produce excellent results for half the class, and unsatisfactory results in the other half. The "lower performance" students may be just as intelligent, but learn faster if the teacher uses a different teaching method. It becomes a politically incorrect nightmare to separate the fast learners from the slow learners. Classroom teachers have been required to conform to the rules passed down from administrative superiors. For example:
1. All students were subjected to a standard test. Good learners were passed to the next grade and the low learners were required to repeat.
2. To assure that a satisfactory number of learners passed to the next grade level the standard tests were made less demanding.
We know that these choices produce a satisfactory level of achievement.
We know that spending more money does not automatically improve achievement.
We know that parents are increasingly critical and want our schools improved.
We know our students do not compare well when their scholastic acheivement is
compared to several other nations.
The teacher stood up front and talked for about fifty minutes. Students were expected to take notes.When the period ended the homework was assigned. Completed homework was turned in and graded. Then the student was expected to pass a test on the subject.Those that passed were considered sufficiently educated. Those that didn't pass were not. This system format has been used for years. By international scholastic measurements the our students education is no longer competitive in the world.
America needs to make a few changes in how we educate our citizens.
We know that spending more money does not automatically improve achievement.
We know that parents are increasingly critical and want our schools improved.
We know our students do not compare well when their scholastic acheivement is
compared to several other nations.
The way students are educated.
America needs to make a few changes in how we educate our citizens.
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