Monday, January 22, 2007

Last month the National Center on Education and the Economy released Tough Choices or Tough Times, a report of the new commission on the skills of the American workforce. There is a book discussion group starting up at Open Planner to discuss the curriculum implications of this influential new assessment of the US education system. If you would like to join the discussion go here to create an account on the site. Once you have an account, you can go here and register for the discussion group.

You can look at the discussion board and see how the discussion will be structured. I am very interested in participating in this form of discussion and hope that you may find the time to join us. The report is relevant to our discussions of change within the district, and this format will offer you the opportunity to experience collaboration and communication with others through electronic means. I hope you’ll give it a try!

Posted by Randy Ziegenfuss in • Books
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Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Since we’re reading the Mike Schmoker book, “Results Now,” I thought I’d post some thoughts. In his book, Schmoker exposes some ugly, unspoken truths about education:

In most cases, neither teachers nor students can articulate what they are supposed to be learning that day. They can describe only the activity or assignment, which is often chosen because it keeps kids occupied. Irrelevant worksheets and activities often predominate. Catching students learning the most vital reading and writing standards is heartbreakingly rare. And in defiance of what every educator has learned, there is a glaring absence of the most basic elements of an effective lesson: an essential, clearly defined learning objective followed by careful modeling or a clear sequence of steps, punctuated by efforts during the lesson to see how well students are paying attention or learning the material. In most classrooms, half or more of the students are clearly not engaged or paying attention. (16)

In the second section of the book, the author makes the case for authentic literacy in schools - “...intellectually engaging reading, writing and discussion.” (49) Nobody would argue that we need to focus on tasks that move beyond basic knowledge comprehension. Certainly reading, writing and discussion can be powerful to propel us toward what we would hope to achieve. As I was reading, however, I couldn’t help but think about how powerful blogging is in helping us to achieve more, “...intellectually engaging reading, writing and discussion.”

Blogging is a technology with affordances that I don’t think most educators even realize. Used well, a blog can engage students in writing of all kinds, obviously reading and also allow thoughtful discussion to continue beyond the confines of the classroom. Additionally, the very nature of blogging allows for more than an audience of one. The affordances, and others, engage students and get them excited about reading, writing and discussion. Blogging is not a replacement for face-to-face discussion, but rather a supplement - and a powerful one at that. I dare say that most people reading this book won’t even be thinking about how any 21st century tools can help us bring about school improvement.

That is my concern. While the book speaks little to the actual pedagogy necessary for achieving results, I fear that educational leaders who are getting excited by this book will look to the old ways of teaching these authentic literacy skills. While there may be noticeable improvement from some tried and true strategies, how much more powerful can the instruction be with the use of some 21st century tools. It’s important to remember that these are the tools - yes, technology tools - of our clients, our students. If we want to fully engage them, speak to them, and have them achieve to their fullest potential, we cannot overlook the role of technologies in the development of these authentic literacy skills.

You can add to the wiki notes on the Salisbury Township School District Wiki.

Posted by Randy Ziegenfuss in • Books
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