9/27/17 - On Common Core

Today, the public’s opinion of public education is some of the lower in our history. Education may go through waves of reform and resistance to reforms, but the public usually doesn’t hold public education in such low regard. These opinions are often expressed as resistance to Common Core, one of the newer waves of reform which is currently the government’s main policy for schools. This is especially frustrating once one realizes just what Common Core’s purpose is. Common Core is a series of general standards students need to be able to complete once they exit a certain grade level, not a dictation of curriculum. It merely tries to direct curriculum toward what it should look like, not predetermine exactly what the curriculum is going to be. It’s more of a compass giving direction than government-micromanaged curriculum.

So then, if Common Core is not the impetus behind the public’s frustrations, why does it receive so much flak? The simple answer is that it’s a government policy people can remember the name of. To discuss the internal politics of an individual school or school district wouldn’t do much to assuage Little Jimmy’s parents about why their child is having trouble at school. Schools don’t want to accept blame, whether it is the teachers or the administration, so Common Core/the federal government acts as an easy scapegoat. “ ‘Why can’t our children get good funding?’ ‘It’s because of Common Core.’ ‘Who is responsible for these inept policies?’ ‘It’s because of Common Core.’ ” It all about saving face. If the government is at fault, then schools/districts can push the blame onto someone else, giving the public a reason to despise Common Core without truly understanding it.

Furthermore, we never hear about when schools are doing okay, average, or slightly above average. No, we only hear of those that are struggling, failing miserably, or one that embodies an underdog-to-modern-success story. If a school does well, then it’s because of dedicated teachers and administrators. If a school struggles, then it’s because of the big, bad, government. We will never hear when Common Core works, only when it doesn’t. 

9/25/17 - Class Post on Discussion as a Way of Teaching

"Discussion as a Way of Teaching" comes across as a very useful and informative piece. It gets right to the point, offering clear and specific advice.  Here’s my take on a few of the ideas it puts forward.

Hatful of Quotes definitely seemed like an excellent way of opening up discussion. By forcing students to listen to the same quotes over and over again, the students can both hear others' perspectives on the matter while simultaneously incorporating those views into their own analysis.

However, I disagree slightly with the piece’s perspective on the limited number of quotes. Such an approach can backfire if applied without forethought. If students are not familiar enough with the subject matter, they might simply agree with what was said previously or restate what was already said without adding anything of what they thought about that matter.

Quotes to Affirm or Challenge was another one that caught my attention. We’ve used this one (with some slight variations) in a few of the classes I’ve taken at Eastern and I love it whenever we do. For instance, students would spend a few minutes after reading a piece in order to find a quote we wanted to use to encapsulate the reading as a whole. Then, after everyone had shared their quote, we went around the classroom talking about whether or not we agreed on the quote and if it still had significance in modern society. Like, if a quote about Freud came up, a student might talk about how we disagreed with him but still recognize that Freud’s theories are still important in his field today.

The last one I’d like to write about will be the Speech Policy. It’s a small thing, but acknowledging your own nervousness (past or present) regarding public speaking and taking the pressure off of having to speak for a teacher’s approval goes an awfully long way. Personally, I would have benefitted tremendously from hearing this in high school. I know I’m not the only one who feels that way, either.