Tony Wagner discusses the Finnish approach to educating their children. The model runs counter to much of the current reform movement. Apples and oranges? Lessons to be learned? Comments?
Link to Article - How Finland became an education leader
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
What's the matter with teachers today?
Link to Pacific NW Magazine Article
Depends who you ask! I believe we have the best faculty in the city right here at SGS. They embody the 10 qualities of great teachers; and yet we are sometimes tempted to focus on one imperfection rather than view the "big picture" of what they have to offer to each of our students.
Ten Qualities of the Great Teacher?
Attention Gates Foundation: 10 Qualities of a Great Teacher
James D. Starkey, Ed Week, 2/3/2010
Sense of humor
High intuition
Knowledgeable about the subject
Listens well
Articulate
Obsessive-compulsive
Subversive (at times)
Fearless
Performer’s instinct
Taskmaster
There is also a generational shift happening within our teaching corps - public and private. Pat Bassett of NAIS provides a comparison of motivators for Baby Booomer versus Gen Y/Millenials:
Boomers:
1. High quality colleagues
2. Intellectually stimulating environment
3. Autonomy regarding work tasks
4. Flexible work arrangements
5. Giving back to the world through work
Recognition from one's employer
Gen Y/Millenials
1. High quality colleagues
2. Flexible work arrangements
3. Prospects for advancement
4. Recognition from one's employer
5. A steady rate of advancement/promotion
6. Access to new experiences/challenges
I am struck by item #1 that is clearly cross-generational. Not only is a school's success strongly correlated with the quality of its faculty, I would argue that the richness of their collaborative efforts and the opportunities to learn from each other may be the key to achieving excellence across a faculty - regardless of size.
New Study Suggests that Same-Sex Schools Result in "Collateral Damage"
A recent study rejects any academic advantage of same-sex schools and suggests that same-sex schools result in "collateral damage" in perpetuating gender stereotypes. Never one to shy away from a data-driven approach, I offer the following questions that should be considered as this study is validated - or not - through further peer review and other studies that seek to replicate it.
- Does the study consider all data - quantitative and qualitative - that, I believe strongly supports a same-sex learning experience at some point between ages 10-20? This is especially supported for girls. I would urge readers to review the data provided through the National Coalition of Girls Schools -
http://www.ncgs.org/the-case-for-girls-schools/
as well as the research of Dr. JoAnn Deak -
http://www.deakgroup.com/our-educators/joann-deak-phd/
- Prof. Liben's statement that "neuroscientists have found very little difference between male and female brains, and none of them are connected to education" gives me pause. It runs counter to my own experience of 25 years in co-ed and single-sex environments; and the notion that differences in our brains, gender aside, has nothing to do with education is reflective of "20th century thinking" in my opinion.
- Prof. Liben's point that the majority of single-sex schools are private and exclusive runs counter to the learning community at Seattle Girls' School where our school profile is as diverse as area public schools. I hope that the study also focused on the implicit minority of those schools that achieve the same results indicated in the NCGS data.
- I am hopeful that the study plans to extend itself beyond pre-school to middle school and beyond where the source of gender stereotyping "collateral damage" shifts from schools and home to a very powerful culture and media that most recently featured a T-shirt that read, "I'm too pretty to do homework so my brother has to do it for me."
- The final quote in the article states that, “The bottom line is that there is not good scientific evidence for the academic advantages of single-sex schooling. But there is strong evidence for negative consequences of segregating by sex — the collateral damage of segregating by sex.” No scientific study has a bottom line. We need to know what Dr. Liben means by "good" scientific evidence, and we need to assess the "strength" of the evidence for negative consequences. I need to know the answer to these questions as the conclusions of this study run counter to 25 years in a real-life laboratory working with boys and girls in grades PK-12. I welcome a visit by Dr. Liben to our school to engage in a rich conversation. Naturally, if there were strong evidence for such negative consequences, our school would be very interested in understanding it and mitigating it.
Link to Globe and Mail Article
- Does the study consider all data - quantitative and qualitative - that, I believe strongly supports a same-sex learning experience at some point between ages 10-20? This is especially supported for girls. I would urge readers to review the data provided through the National Coalition of Girls Schools -
http://www.ncgs.org/the-case-for-girls-schools/
as well as the research of Dr. JoAnn Deak -
http://www.deakgroup.com/our-educators/joann-deak-phd/
- Prof. Liben's statement that "neuroscientists have found very little difference between male and female brains, and none of them are connected to education" gives me pause. It runs counter to my own experience of 25 years in co-ed and single-sex environments; and the notion that differences in our brains, gender aside, has nothing to do with education is reflective of "20th century thinking" in my opinion.
- Prof. Liben's point that the majority of single-sex schools are private and exclusive runs counter to the learning community at Seattle Girls' School where our school profile is as diverse as area public schools. I hope that the study also focused on the implicit minority of those schools that achieve the same results indicated in the NCGS data.
- I am hopeful that the study plans to extend itself beyond pre-school to middle school and beyond where the source of gender stereotyping "collateral damage" shifts from schools and home to a very powerful culture and media that most recently featured a T-shirt that read, "I'm too pretty to do homework so my brother has to do it for me."
- The final quote in the article states that, “The bottom line is that there is not good scientific evidence for the academic advantages of single-sex schooling. But there is strong evidence for negative consequences of segregating by sex — the collateral damage of segregating by sex.” No scientific study has a bottom line. We need to know what Dr. Liben means by "good" scientific evidence, and we need to assess the "strength" of the evidence for negative consequences. I need to know the answer to these questions as the conclusions of this study run counter to 25 years in a real-life laboratory working with boys and girls in grades PK-12. I welcome a visit by Dr. Liben to our school to engage in a rich conversation. Naturally, if there were strong evidence for such negative consequences, our school would be very interested in understanding it and mitigating it.
Link to Globe and Mail Article
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Does the fall TV season feature "Girl Power" or is it a step back?
One of today's newspaper headlines described the new TV season as a tribute to "Girl Power." Perhaps. Shows featuring Pan Am stewardesses and Playboy bunnies do not convey power to me. I am curious to see for myself what lens is brought to bear. I do think that I will skip the reprise of Charley's Angels.
Regardless of your family guidelines regarding TV viewing, popular culture will impact your daughter once again this fall. Thoughts?
Link to story
Regardless of your family guidelines regarding TV viewing, popular culture will impact your daughter once again this fall. Thoughts?
Link to story
Thursday, September 8, 2011
What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents
At SGS, we are proud of our parent-teacher partnerships; but did you ever wonder what teachers really want to communicate to parents in order to foster an honest, mutually respectful relationship?
Link to Story
Link to Story
Friday, September 2, 2011
Know Thy Students
In this touching article in Middle Ground, Bowling Green State University professor Angela Falter Thomas frets as her daughter starts middle school. When she taught in a middle school, Thomas prided herself on knowing her students by giving questionnaires at the beginning of the year and chatting between classes, at lunch, at assemblies, and after school. Now she wonders:
- Will someone at the school be there for her daughter if she needs help?
- Will they do something if she is bullied?
- Will they know that she switched elementary schools the year before (due to her mom’s job change) and found the transition difficult?
- Will they find out that she has spent hundreds of hours volunteering in Ronald McDonald Houses and hospitals, “which has made her the sweetest and most compassionate young lady, but has also robbed her of her innocence”?
- Will they learn that she has lost hearing in one ear but doesn’t want the school to know so she won’t be treated differently?
- Will they find out that her older (and only) sibling died a few years ago and she’s never had counseling because she seemed to be okay?
- Will they learn that she wants to be a writer when she grows up and live in New York City, 500 miles from home?
- Will they nurture her love for writing?
- Will they give her “a gentle kick in the pants” if that’s what she needs?
“This beloved and treasured young lady is all I’ve got,” says Thomas. “She’s far from perfect, but I hope you will love her too and expect from her what you would from your own son or daughter.”
“Know Thy Students – Including My Daughter” by Angela Falter Thomas in Middle Ground, August 2011 (Vol. 15, #1, p. 19-20), http://www.amle.org
- Will someone at the school be there for her daughter if she needs help?
- Will they do something if she is bullied?
- Will they know that she switched elementary schools the year before (due to her mom’s job change) and found the transition difficult?
- Will they find out that she has spent hundreds of hours volunteering in Ronald McDonald Houses and hospitals, “which has made her the sweetest and most compassionate young lady, but has also robbed her of her innocence”?
- Will they learn that she has lost hearing in one ear but doesn’t want the school to know so she won’t be treated differently?
- Will they find out that her older (and only) sibling died a few years ago and she’s never had counseling because she seemed to be okay?
- Will they learn that she wants to be a writer when she grows up and live in New York City, 500 miles from home?
- Will they nurture her love for writing?
- Will they give her “a gentle kick in the pants” if that’s what she needs?
“This beloved and treasured young lady is all I’ve got,” says Thomas. “She’s far from perfect, but I hope you will love her too and expect from her what you would from your own son or daughter.”
“Know Thy Students – Including My Daughter” by Angela Falter Thomas in Middle Ground, August 2011 (Vol. 15, #1, p. 19-20), http://www.amle.org
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