Just had this comment published in the Globe and Mail

Yes, Yet Another Wave Of Education Experimentation

And, you’ll still have a hard time to find a public school teacher, or public school that will commit to teaching THE BASICS.

You know the Matthew Effect in education? Basically, it’s expected that the average student will Learn To READ by Grade THREE — and from grade FOUR, reads to LEARN. If that doesn’t happen, it’s a downhill slide.

So, why is most of the discussion on this topic of 21st C education experiments all about one-size-fits all?

When will the public — taxpayers and parents — demand choices so that schools that offer a traditional classical education will have their clients and those that offer untested new programs will have their clients? These are not the only choices or styles; there are hundreds!

Time to stop talking about one-best-system and demand choices. Yes, with public money. Because a good education is ESSENTIAL for the future and students will be served best when customized choice programs will help them meet their needs. Parents know this and those that can afford it are buying supplementary services all the time. It’s time we had Education Savings Accounts so that ALL parents can overcome the deficits their schools fail to provide now for their children.

[Sorry, that last sentence is kinda contradictory, but you know what I mean. Parents having to make-up with their own tutoring or private services what schools fail to do. Wonder if G&M readers will pick up this slip in clarity.  But, the conversation there is already stale, as we go on to another topic. Just can’t get any momentum going for real change, and real choices, can we?]

The other disturbing part behind this 21st century learning trend, are the partnerships being forged with C21 that Wente talks about in her column.  If you go to the C21 and then click on the partner button at the top, you’ll find big companies like Microsoft, Scholastic Canada and Pearson (to name a few.  The Calgary School Board is another partner) which are all providing funding and products for this latest learning trend.  Our “public” education system is being propped up by big money corporations, who definitely have their own agenda and social engineering methodologies to instil in our kids.  Pretty soon we’ll have computers and glitzy textbooks in our children’s classrooms, even though strong evidence has been provided that these do not work to teach our kids effectively.

Unfortunately, big money has already been invested in this latest learning fad.  Unless we have more parents en masse speak out against this horrifying development, our kids will all be part of a massive dumbing down experiment in the classroom.  Parents and other taxpayers are the only ones who can demand change, as it seems common sense and effective teaching methods have been cast aside in the halls of academia.

Most teachers support it.

Who says most parents don’t support it?

The governments seem to believe it.

The party leader in Ontario most against it lost 10 seats and his job June 12.

There is very little evidence saying this is not what people want..

Tunya why not reformers demand a referendum on public support for private education?

Is it because you are well aware that it would be badly defeated?

Doug you cannot be that naïve, seriously.  21st century learning has been THE agenda for learning institutions now for years.  It is gathering speed and momentum based on the corporate dollars being spent and given to the ministries to get their computers and textbooks into classrooms across North America.  Parents are not being given a choice when it comes to deciding what works best in the classroom.  They believe, naively so perhaps, that whatever our educators put before our children, are the right ways to teach them.  But the research and other advocates already point to the inefficiency of these strategies and are trying to raise awareness to others. 

Governments want this because they are easy to implement, as “dumbing down the populace” is easy to do, given their big dollars they can utilize.  They and the education establishment are in cahoots trying to convince the rest of us that WE are the stupid ones for not believing their rhetoric. 

It’s been proven wrong time and time again, but it seems the ones in charge have an agenda to sell, and they won’t be backpeddling to the tune of common sense and logic anytime soon.

Nancy

You are operating on the premise that this whole approach is unpopular with teachers and parents. I see zero evidence of that.

Doug, I have not commented but perhaps you anticipated I would comment. I agree with Tara, and I shall add there is big profits to be made in Canada and 21st century learning. As Tara, has stated - “Governments want this because they are easy to implement, as “dumbing down the populace” is easy to do, given their big dollars they can utilize.  They and the education establishment are in cahoots trying to convince the rest of us that WE are the stupid ones for not believing their rhetoric. “

It is really all about dumbing down the populace and it is being done on a global level with the help of the global K to 12 education establishment. Doug, all you need is to read the K to 12 global papers written by the educationalists. Oh my, you soon find out who are the leaders in Canada and it is not Fullan and his crew of system change theorists.

On WISE Math - “In the July 2014 issue of Costco Connection I (R. Craigen) debate the merits of “discovery math” in Elementary school with Deirdre Bailey, an Alberta teacher who is an outspoken proponent this approach.” http://wisemath.org/2014/06/28/costco-connection-debate-on-discovery-math/

The how-tos’ in dumbing down math for the student population - http://calgaryscienceschool.blogspot.ca/2011/10/inquiry-in-math.html

As a parent, I had to come to the rescue for my youngest child. The sure way to dumb it down for students is by inquiry-based teaching and learning without the prior foundation knowledge. In the WISE article - ”  While the pretence is that the children jointly generate this knowledge out of the blue, in reality you see enough vicarious expertise in the room from children who’ve been versed in these ideas at home or elsewhere that eventually a serviceable definition emerges, probably the most gruelling possible way of defining a new term. “

Judging from the comments from here - http://calgaryscienceschool.blogspot.ca/2011/10/inquiry-in-math.html

Some educators are not at all impressed. Nor should they be when the students reach high school, they do not have the required foundation math to understand advanced algebra and trig with some ease. However, big profits are being made in remediation within and outside of the K to 12 education system that is the consequences of 21st century learning practices creating knowledge and skills gaps for students. It is left up to the parents to fill in the knowledge and skills gaps of their children.

We know YOU don’t like 21C Nancy but what makes you think others don’t? I cant stand Fullan and have written papers for the federation on what is wrong with his approach.

Nevertheless you jump far too quickly from ‘I don’t like it’ to ’ nobody likes it.’  Not the same thing.

Not to gang up on you Doug, but I don’t recall Nancy stating “nobody likes it”, but I might.  Have you gone to the links Nancy provided in her post?  This charter Calgary school is laughable, if it wasn’t so sad that so many kids there will be even further behind in their math facts once they leave.  Parents need to pull their kids out of this school today and demand a refund.  It’s truly sad.

The only ones who do like this latest trend in education, are the policy makers and general ed teachers who do not have a specialty background.  They like it because it’s easier to implement. No more drills, no more practicing, no more hard stuff in the classroom.  It’s all about fun and games…which gets the kids nowhere.

But even this argument is weak.  When my kid sat at the kitchen table EVERY SINGLE NIGHT in Grade 5, because SHE wanted to, and did her math worksheets over and over again, she really started to enjoy math.  It was the learning and understanding part of the subject which made it fun for her…not the other way around.  If we are to value our public education system and ensure that our taxpayer dollars are being utilized effectively, there must be some accountability tied into this process.  Otherwise, what’s the point?

Parents are fed up with supplementing the system by enrolling their kids in tutoring centres and spending hours every single night teaching their kids the fundamentals of arithmetic, teaching them how to write, AND spell.  If this Discovery methodology had any credibility, why isn’t there one reliable, quantitative study which states this to be the case?

Those that LIKE this system?  The ones who have bought into this jargon because it’s “new” and “trendy” and “fanciful”.  Having a child stare at a computer monitor at their desk and watching fancy graphics is much easier to manage rather than having to engage a child through meaningful instruction and expertise.  No matter that the learning outcomes in the curriculum have to be much more watered down to accommodate C21 learning.  If you don’t believe me, compare BC’s present curriculum to the one they want to roll out in September.  Way more learning objectives, and much more wishy washy interpretation in the language of the document.  Our local teacher’s association balked at participating in a pilot project based on the new curriculum earlier this year.  No way they wanted to teach it.  And why should they?  It’s pathetic.

I do not know your position within the teaching establishment or in the educational field, but I can assure you, out here in BC, this new curriculum based on C21 learning, receives a big fat “F” from ALL involved in the system - instructors and parents.

As Tara pointed out, I said no such thing, nor implied. In my first post, I simply pointed out that the 21st century discovery learning is all about dumbing down the education standards, while having parents no matter what their skills and abilities are, to teach their children the basics that the schools will no longer teach. As a parent I certainly observed and experienced the confusing messages by the K to 12 education establishment and the schools under the 21st century discovery learning banner. As for the children, they are the victims of 21st learning.

Daniel Willingham - “P21 doesn’t have a proven set of methods and materials. Rather, P21 has a vision of how the mind works, and how educational systems (classrooms, schools, districts, etc.) work. They believe that the methods they recommend are consistent with the workings of the mind and are compatible with the educational system.

P21′s vision for changes in education is based on several flawed assumptions about human cognition…”  http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2009/03/flawed-assumptions-undergird-the-partnership-for-21st-century-skills-movement-in-education/

Many reasons why 21st century discovery learning are bad for children, but then again the 21st century discovery learning was not to benefit the children, but to catered to the best interests of the K to 12 education establishment at the expense of all students’ and their education.

I think I forgot to include the link - http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2009/03/flawed-assumptions-undergird-the-partnership-for-21st-century-skills-movement-in-education/

Doug,

could you expand on your opposition to Fullan?  What do you not like?

http://www.thelittleeducationreport.com/TheGlass.html

Doug,

Thanks for the link on your take one Fullan and Levin .  Excellent analysis.  Much appreciated.