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‘Opinions in media’ Category

  1. BS in Science A worry

    February 17, 2016 by Tunya

    Tunya Audain
    February 17, 2016
    Just A Granny . . .
    Awhile back I grew alarmed about current “transformations” in education — the shift from knowledge and skill “transmission” to “soft competencies” of critical thinking, creativity, etc. (in Western English-speaking nations: USA, UK, AU, NZ, Can)


    It was a serendipitous Internet search for “sponsored reading failure” that kicked out an extraordinary piece that speaks to this topic at hand — BS Science.


    Here is a just-retired editor of a Journal on Teaching of Science with a front seat on a quarter-century of watching “constructivism” debase science and the teaching thereof. I downloaded this 60 pager when it was free but academics can access it using their means — Reflections on 25 Years of Journal Editorship. Michael R. Matthews.


    As a granny I am concerned about the legacy we leave future generations plus the dangers for social engineering when politics and beliefs displace science and evidence in policy-making.


    There ought to be an agency or method by which research misconduct can be tapped and countered.


    I am not an academic and cannot possibly do justice to Matthews’ article to raise the proper alarms. But I see that both the author Earp and commentators here are sensitive to the ethics of the matter and we might see some development. Looking forward to the fuller article later this Spring.

    [posted in significant conversation — Unbearably Assymetry of Bullshit — about research misconduct in Science and other resesrch — a lot of good comments, eg. 80% of "research" is meaningless     http://quillette.com/2016/02/15/the-unbearable-asymmetry-of-bullshit/

     

    Category Absurdities, Opinions in media, Uncategorized | Tags: | No Comments

  2. Dumbing-down Hong kong

    January 31, 2016 by Tunya

    Tall Poppy Syndrome In Hong Kong ?

    Look at the description of a new school for Hong Kong: “inquiry-based, play-based and student-centred approach that will contrast with the worksheet-oriented and teacher-led traditional local schools.”

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/fairchild-group-opens-non-profit-private-school-in-hong-kong/article28448021/comments/

    Hong Kong has always scored high in international school achievement tests. Why would anyone want to bring in a style of schooling typical to “progressive education”? With an emphasis on group work and making children “happy” these schools pay little attention to basic skills. Many parents are thus forced — if they can afford it — to buy private tutoring for Reading and Math for example.

    I feel that this “inquiry-based” approach, if on a large scale, will soon bring down the high achievement Hong Kong is now proud of.

    Category Absurdities, Opinions in media, Uncategorized | Tags: | No Comments

  3. Flight From Education Accountability

    November 2, 2015 by Tunya

    Flight From Education Accountability

    Teacher unions are the “protection racket” grown up to shield the public school trade from judgment.

    Politicians and governments fail to use their powers for reform in favor of retaining the “status quo” — continued political funding from unions, “labor peace”, etc

    The media does stories — it’s not their habit in modern times to expose glaring incongruities.

    There is no other human service — medical, pharmaceutical, police, fire fighting, etc. — that is so evasive of accountability or “best practices”. Bad outcomes are not tolerated as they are in schooling. It is only education that is such a “Swiss cheese”, attracting experiments, fads and ideological programs.

    Why, even the supreme chief for international education standards, Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skill for PISA (Program for International Assessment) seems to have been cornered into a state of obvious appeasement to the anti-testing, anti- accountability crowd. See — “Schooling Redesigned”, OECD, Oct 22, 2015, where he argues that those who seek “robust scientific evidence” for new proposed directions will not be favored with any examples of “’proven’ or ‘best’ practices” (pg 5).

    The best hope is not to expect any of the culprits above to change but for consumers to themselves flee the system. Either home educate, where parents overwhelmingly use proven phonics reading programs, or choose a private school.

    Hopefully, in your child’s lifetime a new funding program called Education Savings Accounts (ESA) will arrive wherein parents get an account set up by the Education Ministry by which to choose services. Look up Nevada ESA.

    [ http://www.city-journal.org/2015/25_4_new-york-schools.html —What I Saw in the Schools, Sol Stern, 2 Oct 2015 ]

    Category Education Reform, Obstacles, Opinions in media, Uncategorized | Tags: | No Comments

  4. Judgement harsher of teachers – James 3:1

    October 30, 2015 by Tunya

    Educators Dodging The Judgment Of James 3:1

    “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” – James 3:1, Bible NIV

    In social media I have seen the occasional teacher mention that they are aware of the extra expectation of teachers — that judgment is justifiably harsher in this field than in any other. Yes, whether they mention James 3:1 or not, nonetheless, these few seem to be keenly aware of the extra responsibility as they deal with impressionable young minds.

    As I observe education trends internationally I see a decided move by education systems to inch away from accountability. As we head into more of the imposed 21st Century Learning “transformations” — involving such biggies as OECD, UNESCO, Common Core, OISE, etc. — we see the replacement of hard statistics with narratives, checklists and other subjective reports. This is to accommodate the shift away from hard skills such as reading, writing, arithmetic and knowledge to soft competencies as collaboration, creativity, etc. Is this shift away from accountability measures a consequence of James 3:1?

    One major way to sidestep accountability is sabotage. This has just been gloriously demonstrated in Ontario by timely organized teacher strikes that prevent some districts from doing standardized tests and certainly averting the calculation of a provincial score.

    The Windsor-Essex Catholic District Bd already has a math task force set up stemming from past concerns. The local newspaper reports: “ . . . the task force will look beyond the system and the country for examples of best practices.”

    Now, here is a hitch. The latest manifesto from the OECD — “Schooling Redesigned — Toward Innovative Learning Systems” — clearly states that this is “ . . . not a compendium of ‘best practices’.” And Andreas Schleicher himself, Director for Education and Skills responsible for PISA reports, an international benchmark setter for student achievement, says: “Some will call for a robust scientific evidence base . . . [but this report] avoids references to ‘proven’ or ‘best’ practices . . .”

    Furthermore, in the literature plugging this report is a testimonial from TUAC — Trade Union Advisory Committee to OECD, an interface for trade unions with OECD — “Teacher unions are, can and should be at the centre of creating the conditions for innovation.”

    Now, how do I feel about all this? After a half century of trying to be a good biological parent, and now grandparent, and after being told, interminably, that parents and the education system are two sides of the same coin, what can I say? Totally frustrated!

    I will simply ask: Why does the flipped coin always land with the producers on top and the consumers face down? Where is the justice for parents and their children in this equation? The only hopeful sign is to work for more options so that there is some relief and escape from such totalitarianism and accountability avoidance.

    Category Education Reform, Obstacles, Opinions in media, Uncategorized | Tags: | No Comments

  5. Tall poppies in Education – cut down to size

    October 23, 2015 by Tunya

    Call-out Against “Massachusetts Miracle” Tall-Poppy Syndrome

    [This was a reply submitted on Jay P Greene’s blog about Bill Gates http://jaypgreene.com/2015/10/14/emperor-gates-has-no-clothes/]http://jaypgreene.com/2015/10/14/emperor-gates-has-no-clothes/ ]

    Thanks to Sandra Stotsky and others in Massachusetts, attention is focusing on the deliberate dumbing-down of a high scoring school system. But now, Common Core is being pushed. Education programs have been working so well for so many years that Mass. has a reputation for great reading, math and science scores. In the blogosphere, education consumers and critics often mention this American state as a model to be followed.

    It’s likely some kind of unprincipled envy that’s conspiring to bring Massachusetts education down to size. Cut down the tall poppy. See “The Tall Poppy Syndrome” http://www.societyforqualityeducation.org/index.php/blog/the-tall-poppy-syndrome

    That happened in Canada in the province of Alberta. For many years AB was the top scoring province in the country and measured highly against international education scores as well. The main reason performance was high was due to choices parents had between schools including charter schools since 1994.

    But, the usual culprits despising choice, plus the adoption of 21st Century Learning “transformation” (like CC) have cut down this “tall poppy” to size. Scores have been dropping and right now there is a huge parent effort to at least bring back some rigor to Math.

    An alien to Planet Earth would shake his head in sorrow and puzzlement. Why would excellent programs to help children learn be compromised by untested experiments? And, why do free-democratic nations that embrace human rights allow only a few to exit these programs? Thankfully people like Stotsky and Greene are calling-out against these kinds of absurdities!

    Category Education Reform, Obstacles, Opinions in media, Uncategorized | Tags: | No Comments

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