One of the most worrisome trends in today's schools is the assigning of too much homework. Although what constitutes "too much" varies from child to child (and parent to parent), a good rule of thumb is that if a student has little or no time for outside activities and appears continually stressed, the homework load is too great.
An illuminating book published some time ago by Stanford lecturer Denise Pope, "Doing School": How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Students, depicts just how great a toll the burden of too much homework can take. Pope spent a year following the lives of five students at an affluent public high school in California. The pressure of too little time and need for top-notch grades severely compromised both the students' love of learning and the quality of their lives, not only during high school but in the years after graduation. Other disturbing findings included health problems and rampant ethical transgressions such as cheating and "playing" the system.
Pope went on to implement the Stanford Stressed-Out Students (SOS) project—now expanded and renamed as Challenge Success—aimed at educating schools and parents about the consequences of too much pressure and competition and need for a broader vision of what constitutes "success."
Challenge Success provides conferences, workshops, and other ways for educators and parents to become involved in helping to effect much-needed change. Perhaps most important, it offers hope that reform is possible—and evidence that, at least in some schools, it has already begun.
Showing posts with label Philosophy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philosophy. Show all posts
Are Today's Students Uneducated and Unfit for College?
Today on Joanne Jacobs's blog, she reports on Penn State University accounting professor J. Edward Ketz's op-ed arguing that today's students are "uneducated and unfit for a college education." Although at first glance one might be tempted to dismiss this assertion as extreme, the author draws upon 30-plus years of teaching experience and convincingly supports his conclusions.
Ketz doesn't believe there are differences in "native, raw intelligence" between today's students and those of previous generations. Rather, the discrepancies lie "in their educational backgrounds, analytical thinking, quantitative skills, reading abilities, willingness to work, and their attitudes concerning the educational process."
As an accounting professor, Ketz's observations focus on deficiencies in mathematical preparation for the requirements of an accounting major. However, the problems he sees aren't restricted to this area but are much broader, encompassing not only an inability to read but also to think well and work hard. He blames this situation—and today's students' high self-esteem, which appears unwarranted—on K–12 education.
Is Ketz right? And if he is, can anything be done to rectify the situation, or has our society evolved (or deteriorated) to the point where previous assumptions about the preparation for and purpose of a college education are no longer relevant? Cast your vote in the poll to the right and feel free to add your comments. (This poll is now closed—thanks for voting! The poll asked whether today's students are less fit for college; out of 32 respondents, 71.9% said yes, 12.5% said no, and 15.6% were not sure.)
Ketz doesn't believe there are differences in "native, raw intelligence" between today's students and those of previous generations. Rather, the discrepancies lie "in their educational backgrounds, analytical thinking, quantitative skills, reading abilities, willingness to work, and their attitudes concerning the educational process."
As an accounting professor, Ketz's observations focus on deficiencies in mathematical preparation for the requirements of an accounting major. However, the problems he sees aren't restricted to this area but are much broader, encompassing not only an inability to read but also to think well and work hard. He blames this situation—and today's students' high self-esteem, which appears unwarranted—on K–12 education.
Is Ketz right? And if he is, can anything be done to rectify the situation, or has our society evolved (or deteriorated) to the point where previous assumptions about the preparation for and purpose of a college education are no longer relevant? Cast your vote in the poll to the right and feel free to add your comments. (This poll is now closed—thanks for voting! The poll asked whether today's students are less fit for college; out of 32 respondents, 71.9% said yes, 12.5% said no, and 15.6% were not sure.)
School Closed? Enjoy the Break
What with power outages, snowstorms, and icy roads, as the weather worsens during these winter months parents are likely to learn that their child's school has closed for one or more days. Though nearly all kids are thrilled to have "snow days," these breaks in the regular routine can cause scheduling difficulties for parents and conflicts about how the unexpected free time should be used.
On the one hand, a day spent sleeping in, making snow angels, and playing board games can provide a well-deserved "vacation" from what is often a daily homework and after-school activity grind; on the other, no-school days offer an opportunity to catch up on work or get a bit ahead. What's a parent to do?
In part, the answer may depend on how long the break is. If it's just one day, allowing children to have their fun and forget about school may be the best (and easiest) course. Plans for longer breaks, however, may require more thought—and negotiating. Perhaps some of the time can be spent on educational activities—not necessarily school work, but things like pleasure reading or visiting a science museum.
A child's academic standing and habits should also be taken into consideration. Children who are working hard and keeping up with their classes may particularly benefit from an unstructured break. Conversely, struggling kids might be better off devoting at least some of the time to catching up and trying to understand any concepts causing them difficulty.
Either way, having at least a tentative plan for how to handle unanticipated school closures will help both parents and children more successfully—and cheerfully—navigate the storms.
On the one hand, a day spent sleeping in, making snow angels, and playing board games can provide a well-deserved "vacation" from what is often a daily homework and after-school activity grind; on the other, no-school days offer an opportunity to catch up on work or get a bit ahead. What's a parent to do?
In part, the answer may depend on how long the break is. If it's just one day, allowing children to have their fun and forget about school may be the best (and easiest) course. Plans for longer breaks, however, may require more thought—and negotiating. Perhaps some of the time can be spent on educational activities—not necessarily school work, but things like pleasure reading or visiting a science museum.
A child's academic standing and habits should also be taken into consideration. Children who are working hard and keeping up with their classes may particularly benefit from an unstructured break. Conversely, struggling kids might be better off devoting at least some of the time to catching up and trying to understand any concepts causing them difficulty.
Either way, having at least a tentative plan for how to handle unanticipated school closures will help both parents and children more successfully—and cheerfully—navigate the storms.
TIMSS: Math Scores Up, But What Does This Mean?
According to results of the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) survey recently reported in the New York Times, math scores of fourth- and eighth-grade students in the United States have risen but still fall short of those in some Asian and other countries. Science scores have not increased, and educators are concerned that U.S. students will not be competitive with those from higher-scoring nations.
But what does it mean when students do better than average on a test? It could mean several things. Perhaps these students learned certain math facts that enabled them to solve problems that students without those facts couldn't solve. Maybe teachers in higher-scoring countries (and states) "taught to the test" more so than did teachers elsewhere. Perhaps the textbooks were better at conveying concepts clearly and providing opportunities to consolidate learning.
Whatever the reason (or reasons) behind the improvement, whether scoring well on a test will ultimately translate into making U.S. students more economically competitive is unclear. These sorts of tests don't measure students' feelings about math or motivation to do it.
Yes, students can spend hours drilling basic math facts, completing repetitive worksheets, and otherwise "getting ahead" in math. But even if they "like" the subject because (at least for the time being) they appear to be better at it than their peers who haven't trained so rigorously, there's little point if the work doesn't ultimately inspire them.
Rather than seeing a major increase in math scores so that U.S. students are on a par with those in Singapore and Taiwan, it would be far better to witness a big jump in the percentage of students who decide to become mathematicians or scientists. Better still would be if those same students made that decision out of a love for the subject matter.
But what does it mean when students do better than average on a test? It could mean several things. Perhaps these students learned certain math facts that enabled them to solve problems that students without those facts couldn't solve. Maybe teachers in higher-scoring countries (and states) "taught to the test" more so than did teachers elsewhere. Perhaps the textbooks were better at conveying concepts clearly and providing opportunities to consolidate learning.
Whatever the reason (or reasons) behind the improvement, whether scoring well on a test will ultimately translate into making U.S. students more economically competitive is unclear. These sorts of tests don't measure students' feelings about math or motivation to do it.
Yes, students can spend hours drilling basic math facts, completing repetitive worksheets, and otherwise "getting ahead" in math. But even if they "like" the subject because (at least for the time being) they appear to be better at it than their peers who haven't trained so rigorously, there's little point if the work doesn't ultimately inspire them.
Rather than seeing a major increase in math scores so that U.S. students are on a par with those in Singapore and Taiwan, it would be far better to witness a big jump in the percentage of students who decide to become mathematicians or scientists. Better still would be if those same students made that decision out of a love for the subject matter.
Gates Foundation Has Right Priorities
After much research and deliberation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has just announced new educational initiatives that will continue and build upon its previous efforts. The philanthropic organization hopes to double the number of low-income students who graduate from post–high school programs (including college), help create national standards for high school learning, and increase teacher quality and efficacy.
Although some critics might argue that this philanthropy would be better directed at such problems as poverty, health care, and housing, education remains the best vehicle for upward mobility—the long-term solution for low-income students to obtain good jobs and, ultimately, improve not only their own economic circumstances but also those of their families and the nation as a whole. It's analogous to the old Chinese proverb by Lao Tzu: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime."
One controversial goal of the foundation's new initiatives involves paying teachers based upon their performance rather than according to how much education they have or how long they've been teaching. Many who oppose such a goal argue that teacher efficacy would likely be measured by students' test scores, which are not necessarily reflective of teachers' skill levels or performance.
Although finding fair and accurate ways of measuring teachers' effectiveness would be challenging, rewarding high-performing teachers—just as we reward high performers in other professions—makes sense. Every teacher has the potential to affect, for better or for worse, the achievement levels of thousands of students. Finding ways to increase teacher quality could thus have an enormous effect not just on individual students' lives but on the educational competitiveness of the country as a whole—a worthwhile goal indeed.
Although some critics might argue that this philanthropy would be better directed at such problems as poverty, health care, and housing, education remains the best vehicle for upward mobility—the long-term solution for low-income students to obtain good jobs and, ultimately, improve not only their own economic circumstances but also those of their families and the nation as a whole. It's analogous to the old Chinese proverb by Lao Tzu: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime."
One controversial goal of the foundation's new initiatives involves paying teachers based upon their performance rather than according to how much education they have or how long they've been teaching. Many who oppose such a goal argue that teacher efficacy would likely be measured by students' test scores, which are not necessarily reflective of teachers' skill levels or performance.
Although finding fair and accurate ways of measuring teachers' effectiveness would be challenging, rewarding high-performing teachers—just as we reward high performers in other professions—makes sense. Every teacher has the potential to affect, for better or for worse, the achievement levels of thousands of students. Finding ways to increase teacher quality could thus have an enormous effect not just on individual students' lives but on the educational competitiveness of the country as a whole—a worthwhile goal indeed.
Halloween
Halloween is more than just a candy-filled holiday for kids—all across the country, it's a day when most schools decide to take a break from their usual seriousness of purpose and have some fun. Kids and teachers alike dress up in costumes, and although the day's lessons may still get taught, they have a levity that's typically missing during the rest of the year. And most kids return home happy and excited about what a great time they had in school that day.
The question is, why can't every school day be fun? Yes, there are important facts to learn and skills to master, but too often, even in the earliest elementary grades, they're taught as if the sole purpose of education was to cram in as much material as possible in preparation for standardized tests.
When my son was in third grade, he had a teacher who, though constrained by rigid state guidelines about what had to be taught and when, understood that making learning fun was an integral part of her mission. I still remember how excited he was when describing her class—"it's like if there's a fun way and a boring way to teach something, she always picks the fun way."
Fun isn't something that should only happen outside of the classroom. In fact, the most important thing teachers can do is make learning their subjects seem like play—whether it's Halloween or not.
The question is, why can't every school day be fun? Yes, there are important facts to learn and skills to master, but too often, even in the earliest elementary grades, they're taught as if the sole purpose of education was to cram in as much material as possible in preparation for standardized tests.
When my son was in third grade, he had a teacher who, though constrained by rigid state guidelines about what had to be taught and when, understood that making learning fun was an integral part of her mission. I still remember how excited he was when describing her class—"it's like if there's a fun way and a boring way to teach something, she always picks the fun way."
Fun isn't something that should only happen outside of the classroom. In fact, the most important thing teachers can do is make learning their subjects seem like play—whether it's Halloween or not.
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