Teachers Take On In Schools We Trust : A Book Discussion

Learning in the Company of Adults Greater, not less, intimacy between generations is at the heart of all the best school reform efforts around today and is the surest path to restoring public trust in public education – while also enhancing the capacity for creativity and novelty, which earlier forms of apprenticeship learning often downgraded (13).

Greater, not less, intimacy between generations is at the heart of all the best school reform efforts around today and is the surest path to restoring public trust in public education – while also enhancing the capacity for creativity and novelty, which earlier forms of apprenticeship learning often downgraded (13).

The kind of company I want children to keep with adults is essential to learning. And the key building block of this relationship between student and teacher is trust (13).

The kind of company I want children to keep with adults is essential to learning. And the key building block of this relationship between student and teacher is trust (13).

The key was that we risked showing ourselves as learners alongside the students (14). There is no way to get around it: the willingness to take risks , ask questions, and make mistakes is a requirement for the development of expertise (14).

The key was that we risked showing ourselves as learners alongside the students (14).

There is no way to get around it: the willingness to take risks , ask questions, and make mistakes is a requirement for the development of expertise (14).

… but that their teachers learn the same way they do, and that it’s what we do with our mistakes that makes us worthy of our authority (19). TEACHERS… There is no way to avoid doing something dumb when you are inexperienced or lacking in knowledge, except by not trying at all , insisting you don’t care , or aren’t interested (18).

… but that their teachers learn the same way they do, and that it’s what we do with our mistakes that makes us worthy of our authority (19).

If we begin to see all the kids who come to us in school as possessing quite remarkably complex skills that are springboards to doing equally well in a host of new learning topics, we’d be on our way to imagining new ways to approach teaching (17).

If we begin to see all the kids who come to us in school as possessing quite remarkably complex skills that are springboards to doing equally well in a host of new learning topics, we’d be on our way to imagining new ways to approach teaching (17).

7 Components That Make Schools “Work” First Schools that work are safe. Discussion on different definitions of what it means to have a “safe” school environment.

Second Schools that work do their best to reproduce the ratios that make for successful learning: smaller classes multi-age classes older students working with younger adult volunteers activities that cut across age and skill levels. 7 Components That Make Schools “Work”

Second

Schools that work do their best to reproduce the ratios that make for successful learning:

smaller classes

multi-age classes

older students working with younger

adult volunteers

activities that cut across age and skill levels.

Third Schools that work make it possible for those precious experts – even if they are only slightly more expert – to show their stuff, to display and demonstrate both their passion and their skill in highly personal ways (not just to talk about what they’re good at but actually to do their stuff alongside of novices.) 7 Components That Make Schools “Work”

Third

Schools that work make it possible for those precious experts – even if they are only slightly more expert – to show their stuff, to display and demonstrate both their passion and their skill in highly personal ways (not just to talk about what they’re good at but actually to do their stuff alongside of novices.)

Fourth Schools that work offer a range of ways for learners to find their way around any new domain of knowledge, and more than one way to become good at science or history. 7 Components That Make Schools “Work”

Fourth

Schools that work offer a range of ways for learners to find their way around any new domain of knowledge, and more than one way to become good at science or history.

Fifth Such schools offer plenty of time for ideas to grow, and they don’t set rigid timetables. 7 Components That Make Schools “Work”

Fifth

Such schools offer plenty of time for ideas to grow, and they don’t set rigid timetables.

Sixth Schools that build around this style of learning do their best to make schooling engaging and fun. 7 Components That Make Schools “Work”

Sixth

Schools that build around this style of learning do their best to make schooling engaging and fun.

Seventh Such schools know that what one is learning needs to have lots of possible hooks to other things and thus leads itself to being practiced in the normal course of living (20-22). 7 Components That Make Schools “Work”

Seventh

Such schools know that what one is learning needs to have lots of possible hooks to other things and thus leads itself to being practiced in the normal course of living (20-22).

One teaches best by listening and learns best by telling (23).

Experiments in Trust Small schools represent a different vision of what it means to educate all children well, and what it would take to do so in the public sector (25).

Small schools represent a different vision of what it means to educate all children well, and what it would take to do so in the public sector (25).

Debate Point Space… To what extent is the school driven by furniture? Principal has no formal office…it removes the formality and spatial intimidation that a desk and big office offers.

Debate Point

Space…

To what extent is the school driven by furniture?

Principal has no formal office…it removes the formality and spatial intimidation that a desk and big office offers.

Debate Point Textbook-Driven Courses… Can our courses be taught without textbooks?

Debate Point

Textbook-Driven Courses…

Can our courses be taught without textbooks?

Debate Point Real Learning… How do you define what it means to be well-educated? How does learning best takes place? What you think learning looks like at age 5, 15, or 18?

Debate Point

Real Learning…

How do you define what it means to be well-educated?

How does learning best takes place?

What you think learning looks like at age 5, 15, or 18?

Debate Point Teacher Evaluations… Teachers should be observing and evaluating other teachers instead of administrators always doing the evaluations.

Debate Point

Teacher Evaluations…

Teachers should be

observing and evaluating other teachers instead of administrators always doing the evaluations.

Debate Point Teacher Evaluations [cont.]… What’s wrong with holding each other accountable? pg. 67 Ex: Math curriculum: Why don’t you teach what everyone else does? How to handle confrontation…conflict resolution in teaching subjects…

Debate Point

Teacher Evaluations [cont.]…

What’s wrong with holding each other accountable? pg. 67

Ex: Math curriculum: Why don’t you teach what everyone else does?

How to handle confrontation…conflict resolution in teaching subjects…

Debate Point Standardized Testing… Can be very damaging for some students. How do you address the issue of: test bias? test preparation? pressure from colleges to score high on ACT & SAT? Small school idea allows for more: concentrated learning real-world learning project-based learning

Debate Point

Standardized Testing…

Can be very damaging for some students.

How do you address the issue of:

test bias?

test preparation?

pressure from colleges to score high on ACT & SAT?

Small school idea allows for more:

concentrated learning

real-world learning

project-based learning

Photograph Credits Fotosearch.com 0051340 K0318908 K0176398 Corbis: 42-17678875 42-15603822 42-20326171 42-21233563 42-16738131 S0205-161 42-21526720 42-19861882 42-20713764 100685-272 42-17225230 42-21402218 42-20817296 42-19947457 42-18525456 CBR003954 42-19034558 42-22065072 42-15522555

Fotosearch.com

0051340

K0318908

K0176398

Corbis:

42-17678875

42-15603822

42-20326171

42-21233563

42-16738131

S0205-161

42-21526720

42-19861882

42-20713764

100685-272

42-17225230

42-21402218

42-20817296

42-19947457

42-18525456

CBR003954

42-19034558

42-22065072

42-15522555