Education’s Revolutionaries are Revolting

January 25, 2008 in Reading Response, Reforms in Education
Tags: classroom, dennis deturck, education, education reform, fractions, how to teach math, math, math education, quack, reform, revolution, teaching

I’m not sure why revolution is such a good word to use. After all, there was the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, another French Revolution, those African Revolution and, one of these days, there will probably be another French Revolution.

So why is the idea of teaching revolution so glorious? There is no Anton’s key to teaching brilliance, but still theorists and experts make a mint promoting their Great American Teaching Revolution when every other flavor-of-the-month curriculum has gone the way of the dodo.

What inspired this rant? We have, on the horizon, not one but two potential revolutions in elementary mathematics on the horizon. Click on the links, and you’ll notice that they take drastically different directions in math curriculum modification.

Foolproof School Reforms, though Not Knowing the Fools

January 17, 2008 in Interview an Elder, Reforms in Education
Tags: education, education reform, legislation, nclb, no child left behind, reform, school, school reform

“How could we successfully legislate education reforms?”

My master teacher paused for a moment. This did not compute, so I broadened the question.

“Or, what should we get rid of?” She had an answer to that, at least.

“Well, I’m glad you said that, because I was going to say, ‘outlaw No Child Left Behind.’ The federal government has no place in the classroom. That’s something that’s best left for states to decide.”

What reforms could California do, then? She had pretty good suggestions.