Children must be treated as individuals to get the most out of their education
The Education Achievement Authority (EAA) professes ‘child-centered’ learning then puts children in front of a computer screen to ‘learn at his/her own pace.’
Teaching/learning is an important part of education when used to stimulate and develop a student’s intellectual abilities - it is contrary to education if it is used to stuff information and ideas into children who are perceived as empty vessels or defective models in need of repair.
All children come with experiences and ideas that must be nurtured and respected if they are to grow. These are the essential ingredients in real education - recognizing and bringing out the student’s own intellect and personality as their reach is expanded.
We often hear that children who do not thrive in school lack self-esteem. I believe rather that they shrivel and withdraw as they perceive all too vividly the lack of regard from those charged with their well-being.
Ruth Zweifler
Ann Arbor
Comments
Bill Wilson
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 10:38 p.m.
Placing a child in front of a computer that has been programmed to provide access to things like the Smithsonian and having the child use MS Word to do their homework with is quite the opposite of what you believe Ruth: it's mind expanding. As with anything... if responsible adults embrace the medium, and structure it, computers and the WWW are an amazing tool second to none.
Jeff Gaynor
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 1:02 a.m.
So it's come to this? Have you walked on the mall, observing so many people, volleyball games, the capital on one end, the Washington Monument at the other (and beyond that much more) and then walked into one Smithsonian building to see one amazing thing after another - thinking, "I am here!" and then another, and another? And you'd equate this with seeing the exhibits flattened on a monitor? This is what learning is now? Oh my.
janofmi
Thu, Apr 25, 2013 : 2:04 p.m.
Ruth is so on point. If anyone did not hear the Michigan Public Radio story on visiting 2 EAA schools in Detroit I would highly recommend it. The part about Mumford High is most disturbing. And knowing the person trying to sell the EAA elementary school has little experience to base her assertions about how well her school serving her schools as compared to a public school. Technology does not teach. Teachers teach and technology is only a part of a well crafted unit and lesson designed to meet the needs of the child. Here is the MPR link http://www.michiganradio.org/post/education-achievement-authority-part-2-tale-two-eaa-schools
Charles Curtis
Thu, Apr 25, 2013 : 2:04 p.m.
I believe the problem in public education is more simple, its the everyone must fix 'XX' mold. If a student is good at any particular subject, we need to feed that student that subject. I agree there should be basic min requirements across subjects, but we spend too much time trying to force kids to do things they have little interest in. Years ago students had a basic understanding of the basics and then would excel and be fed subjects they enjoyed doing. There is such a stigma now that everyone needs to get a masters degree, that those that are not driven to achieve that are looked down on. Some of the greatest contributors to society over the last century would likely not have made many contributions in today world, they would have been labelled, sometimes drugged, overlooked and in some cases ignored. We need to encourage kids to do things that interest them and not force them to study the cookie cutter curriculum because the we all have subjects that we excel at. New breakthroughs will be very slow in coming if everyone is force into the same box. That said not sure sitting them in front of a computer is the best method either. We do need something to change since our overall education compared to the world has been declining steadily ever since the Dept of Ed came into existence.
publiceducation4all
Thu, Apr 25, 2013 : 1:37 p.m.
Keeping good teachers in the classroom is the cornerstone of a good educational system. EAA schools cannot do it. Their teacher turn-over rate is too high. Even the students know they are not getting a good education in these schools. And they avoid all oversite from our elected board of education. This is just another failed strategy to ruin public education in this state.
John Floyd
Thu, Apr 25, 2013 : 3:38 a.m.
I don't quite see how putting the most vulnerable and circumstance-challenged kids in front of computer screens is going to help their learning. My experience with education - as a parent, as a former college instructor, and as a former student - is that the emotional connections between teacher and student are a big part of learning, especially for those home life is not emotionally stable. I have been inspired by teachers, but I don't recall ever being inspired by a computer screen. Kids who are already excited and well-trained in "Book learnin' " are the ones most able to use it profitably.
kludwig
Wed, Apr 24, 2013 : 11:42 p.m.
I just read through the EAA websites description of what they say they intend to do. I agree with most of it. I also know that they are just words and implementation is where the commitment, or lack of it, will show. I expect that the biggest challenges will be for the special education students who would be fortunate indeed if the EAA did a better job than most other public schools in providing excellent services in a proactive way. I think a good way to evaluate the EAA would be to comprehensively evaluate the progress of special ed students. They are the canaries in the coal mine who are the most vulnerable to the lack of regard that Ruth points to. If parents don't have to fight for IEP's and, when their children have them they don't have to fight to receive the services agreed to, then we might cautiously accept that the EAA is moving public education forward. There is little reason to expect that this governor is being a good steward of our collective resources but, should he succeed in the education revolution that the EAA could become, he would be a bell weather for the massive change needed in public education. Technology could and should play a much greater part in K-12 education but, so far, it has been utilized in costly and ineffective ways. The possibilities are breath taking, the realities...... not so much, so far. Introducing the best of the emerging adaptive learning tools to a technologically enriched and textured curriculum, that allows each child to learn in a focused individual way, is the best hope we have to achieve the kind of education for every child that will allow ALL of them to reach his or her maximum potential. Anything less has been, and will continue to be, a crippling social failure.
Linda Peck
Wed, Apr 24, 2013 : 9:34 p.m.
Ruth, I agree completely. Respect and awareness of individuality is important for each child to experience in teaching environments. Certainly, information given to children must be comprehensible, but also interesting and relevant to their lives. Since they are naturally curious, teaching children should be effortless. It is the expectations of adults for them to conform to certain abstract standards that is unhelpful, to say the least.
mgoscottie
Wed, Apr 24, 2013 : 9:46 p.m.
I agree a lot, but it can be very impractical on a scale of 180 different kids and 180 topics....
John of Saline
Wed, Apr 24, 2013 : 8:46 p.m.
Actually, American students score very highly in self-esteem when compared to those of other nations. Of course, in actual academic subjects, they don't do that well.