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Which of the following education reform movements is the most bogus? (Listed in alphabetical order):
- Block scheduling for classes at the secondary level.
- Brain-based instruction
- Differentiated instruction
- Inclusion of students with disabilities in general education settings
cross posted at I Speak of Dreams.
36 comments:
jeez
that is going to be tough (though I must say I'm hearing some good results from inclusion....)
Actually, I don't think I can vote. I don't know enough about block scheduling & brain-based instruction.
I'm voting for differentiated instruction.
What is brain-based instruction??
"Block scheduling for classes at the secondary level."
Utterly detest this, and it's the one of the things about the American education system that I'm unhappy about, and it ironically encourages the alienation that differentiated instruction seeks to fight.
The Singaporean education system as I recall had traditional classes and levels, where each class would have "core" lessons, but would disperse at certain periods for specialised subjects (e.g. because you took a different science).
What's wrong with "Inclusion of students with disabilities in general education settings"? I guess it depends on the disability -- in elementary school here in the US we placed a student who had polio (or something close to it that impaired motor control) -- such that he couldn't speak or walk very well -- but he was very intelligent. He had to communicate with the sort of the voice software Stephen Hawking might use.
(Forgot to say, the last paragraph refers to an experience 10 or so years ago ...)
I can see I will need to do a post soon on the follies of "brain based education"
In my jaundiced view, it is any educational enterprise based on an educator reading a pop-science review of third-hand reports of serious studies...and crafting "curricula".
Just think of "learning styles". Howard Gardner isn't to blame for the follies perpetrated in his name.
Or just do a web search for crockus+"Dan Hodgins"
sciency
Professor Plum does not think highly of brain-based education. He studies these things and should know:
Professor Plum’s Relentless Rants on Eduquackery
Over the next few years I read the websites and syllabi from hundreds of ed schools. I reviewed the literature in whole language, constructivism, “authentic assessments,” learning styles, and multiple intelligences—and other “pedagogies” that struck my cynical nature as weird beyond belief. I even tried to figure out what “brain based learning” was—because, I reasoned, “What OTHER organ WOULD be involved? Before brain-based learning was there BUTTOCKS based learning? Sure they ARE similar. Two hemispheres. A nearby segment of spine. A division down the middle. An apparatus for speaking your mind. But usually you can tell which is which. Just look for a hat!”
Also see Illinois Loop on "brain-based learning"
http://www.illinoisloop.org/brain.html
Everything about block scheduling (BS) and more:
http://www.jefflindsay.com/Block.shtml
Well, if they really researched things, brain based learning supports explicit phonetic teaching of BOTH reading and spelling:
http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/dyslexia.html
Of course, from what I've seen of it, they just picked some brain research they liked and applied it to some poor teaching methods, but I haven't looked into the matter too deeply.
The high school where I taught English devoted an entire year of professional development to brain-based instruction. At the end of it, most teachers were absolutely flummoxed as to what they were supposed to do with any of the information presented. A shocking waste of time and money....
"Brain-based" is the warning siren to stay away from a particular program. When it's not based on sound academic principles it becomes brain-based.
Overhearing conversations about right brained kids and multiple intelligences makes it sound like these kids have mental handicaps.
The parent gets all the benefits of a special ed kid without that pesky evaluation and label. (A good evaluation would reveal that the kid is just fine and that perhaps, just maybe faulty teaching methods would have to be considered)
They can't do regular programs, they have to have special programs. They will tell you their child can't handle a decent algebra program and will say things like, "I need an algebra program that is right brained."
I'd stay away from any program that accomodates rather than remediates problems that average normal kids have.
All three of my children are whole-brained learners. They have an "intellectual" learning style.
Love the two-hemisphere line!
LRG - why didn't you like block scheduling in high school?
(I don't know much about it...)
Our HS uses a form a block scheduling combined with trimesters. This is what I don't like.
1) Most 9-10th graders are not capable of working the entire 90 minute block. Therefore 30 minutes of class time at our school is devoted to what used to be called homework. Most of the teachers have not mastered using the 90 minute time period either, hence a 60 minute class with extra time for homework.
2) Our schedule is insane. Take math for instance. 78% of our 10th graders are not proficient on our state tests. Therfore the district changes to the trimester block schedule and now said kids receive algebra in 90 minute blocks only 2 trimesters per year. Some students have math trimester 1 and 2 and then not again until trimester 2 of the following year! Certain AP classes do not have class during the trimester when the AP exam is offered. Foreign languages are broken up by missing trimesters in between class. Oh, I forgot, band meets every day.
3) Content must be dumped to fit everything in. Classes are in reality meeting for less time. Yet the creative glue and paste projects are very evident.
I'd go for block scheduling. It may not do the most harm, but it is the most obviously bogus. As has been mentioned already, continuity is very important for certain subjects: music, foreign language, and math. You have to do each of those every day if you don't want to lose ground. It's better to do a year of math over a year rather than doing it intensively in the fall and then having no math during the spring and summer. I think the same is probably true of other subjects, but perhaps to a lesser extent. Also, the 90 minute "block" is rather obviously intended for "projects"--that's how it used to be sold.
I had forgotten that block scheduling also meant going for months at a time not studying a subject.
That's a terrible idea.
I think differentiated instruction may turn out to be even more destructive.
That's a guess; I wouldn't bet money.
"1) Most 9-10th graders are not capable of working the entire 90 minute block. Therefore 30 minutes of class time at our school is devoted to what used to be called homework."
My English teacher sister-in-law says that since so many of her kids don't do homework, she has them do more of it in class. This really is not a block scheduling issue, but it seems that the longer blocks mean that teachers are more likely to waste time or give the time to the students.
"Therfore the district changes to the trimester block schedule and now said kids receive algebra in 90 minute blocks only 2 trimesters per year."
I don't see how this is tied together. Couldn't you have trimester course gaps without block scheduling?
Time is time, so how, exactly, does block scheduling waste time?
My son's K-8 school just went to a six-day cycle, but they don't call it block scheduling. Six days means that the schedule repeats every six school days. What you have on Tuesday of one week is not the same as what you have on Tuesday of the following week. Some classes are double in length, but this doesn't seem to be the reason for the odd schedule. No course is taught every day.
It seems like it has to do with all of the different "things" they want to do. Actually, my son spends little of the day in core courses. He has time slots filled with things like "DEAR" time (in sixth grade!), "Planner", "Reading", and "Advisory". For example, Day 5 he does the following:
Home Room
Reading
Math
Dear Time
Home Room/Planner
Lunch/Recess
Social Studies from 12:00 - 1:50
Reading
The Social Studies block has lots of time for projects.
How much of the day do teachers actually teach?
I've been looking for an excuse to write about the difficulties with differentiated instruction over at the Core Knowledge Blog. I think I spy an opening.
Great blog, BTW. Gave it a shout and a blogroll early this week.
Robert Pondiscio
Mr. Pondiscio, looking forward to the Core Knowledge Blog take on differentiated instruction.
[I think differentiated instruction may turn out to be even more destructive.]
Edland is such a target-rich environment when trying to spot the looniest and most destructive practice that it is hard to pick a winner.
I think one shouldn't overlook so-called inquiry-based science. I think it does enormous damage. It's going to get much worse now that Gates is spending a ton to convert high schools to this educationist fantasy.
The bad news is that I'm seeing multiple destructive practices in my district. Our schools have jumped on many a reform movement bandwagon including inquiry based science.
When you put numerous bad practices together I suspect it increases the degree of terrible.
The CK blog link didn't work for me. Here is the link:
http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/
"When you put numerous bad practices together I suspect it increases the degree of terrible."
1 bad + 1 bad = 3 bad
The extra bad comes from their bad fix.
Our high school has block scheduling and it seems to work (at least it did for my son). I'll take 4 90 minute classes per day over 8 (!) 40 minute classes per day (which is what the middle school does) any time. When I went to school it wasn't block scheduled, but I think we only had 6 periods a day which was managable. I guess it depends on what you are comparing it to whether block scheduling sounds like a good idea or not.
There is no question in my mind that the rationale for block scheduling is to allow more time for group work and projects (and for teachers to read their email, etc.)...so you just know that wherever it is used, learning is compromised, it's just a question of how much.
Because it is the most pervasive and difficult to uproot, it gets my vote as the worst on the list.
The middle school my sons used to attend used an A-day/B-day 75 min block schedule and this wasn't too bad, as block schedules go. Core classes ran all year. "Skinnies" (35 min. 1/2 blocks) were used for things like Advisory, Music, Health, Band... Advantages: classes met every other day, so if you had a busy night you could adjust the homework schedule. Also the skinnies provided time to squeeze in an array non-core subjects. Disadvantages: Total class time in core subjects was less than in a typical schedule, and of course what time there was, wasn't used efficiently.
BTW Steve: How much reading is the school trying to stuff into your son's schedule?? What a waste of class time. Reading (twice!) and DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) on the same day? Two Homerooms?? When *do* the teachers teach?
The high school used one of those really horrible schedules others have described, where the year was divided into 4 quarters and core classes met for a full block every day, but only for 2 of the 4 quarters.
Moral (and I didn't know this as an elementary school parent): If your middle or high school has block scheduling, get the details. None of it's good, but some permuations are a lot worse than others.
"BTW Steve: How much reading is the school trying to stuff into your son's schedule??"
I've never found out exactly what goes on in these classes. I would have to make myself a real pita to find out. They are surprised (and defensive) when you start asking detailed questions. Syllabus? Testbook? What are those?
The school emphasizes reading as the solution to everything. The official reading classes are for child-centered book discussions or circles or something. The latest book is (once again) something about a teenager who overcomes problems at school and home to find her true inner self. How about a book where parents aren't drunks (or something else) and they set high standards by example? (This would never win a book award.)
In any case, the 6-day scedule at my son's school means that what used to fit into 5 days (of core courses) now fits into 6 days. Even at my son's old private school, they had so many "specials" that you could fit in all of the core course mateial before noon!
The latest book is (once again) something about a teenager who overcomes problems at school and home to find her true inner self.
Oh don't get me started about "young adult literature" (aka kids' junk novels). Yes, whatever happened to the inspirational, aspirational, heroic novels that give kids confidence and hope? Three times already I have had to object to junk books selected by well-meaning teachers.
Our bedtime book currently is Swiss Family Robinson. I think this is listed at grade 11 on the Accelerated Reader scale, so you can see how far vocabulary has fallen in this country (replaced, no doubt, by adult themes at ever earlier ages...).
There is no question in my mind that the rationale for block scheduling is to allow more time for group work and projects (and for teachers to read their email, etc.)...so you just know that wherever it is used, learning is compromised, it's just a question of how much.
Yup, what Vicki said.
And I'm with you, Steve, on the kid lit stuff. Some of it isn't bad, but some of it is a waste of time.
Thanks for reminding me about getting started on another good book with my son. We did Sherlock Holmes last summer which prompted him to immediately go read several more on his own.
SusanS
VickyS: yes, this "replaced, no doubt, by adult themes at ever earlier ages..." concerns me a lot. I have been building up a collection of older works myself.
-m
The brand-new "middle school schedule" for our school has been posted on edline.
I'm afraid to look.
Robert - PLEASE write about differentiated instruction.
Our school, no surprise here, has differentiated instruction for the kids who shouldn't have it and NO differentiated instruction for the kids who do.
C. has needed differentiated instruction in math for 3 years now. For passers-by: he's in the accelerated math class which is "taught to the top" -- students have to be gifted to manage the course easily.
The school's attitude -- and I know this because I've had encounters with the math chair -- is: if he's not gifted, tough. He doesn't need to learn algebra in the 8th grade.
His teachers this year are breaking that mold to some degree....but that's them; there's no institutional support for teaching content to the child's level of background knowledge.
At least, not so far.
They're bringing in formative assessment....maybe that will help.
I loathe kid lit.
Barbara Feinberg (kids went to/currently attend Hastings schools) wrote a whole book about it.
Welcome to the Lizard Motel.
Swiss Family Robinson.
Great idea!
Swiss Family Robinson was a big hit at our house too. My youngest (5 yo) would have me stop and explain some of the vocabulary along the way but even she followed the story with great interest. All three kids were captivated by the story. It's really a must read.
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