"The question I’d ask every administrator and school board is, 'Does the curriculum you teach now make our society stronger?'"-Seth Godin
Yes. 100%. We are stronger and more persistent because of what and how we study; we are better people because we are so very different from each other in fundamental ways, and we respect those differences. We are flexible and adapt; we are informed and we ask questions.
We don't produce dioramas and Powerpoints that regurgitate information accessed online.
We aren't awash in worksheets.
Students guide their learning, and their tasks are authentic. Right now, La Petite is working with another student on the design of her roof; she wants a house that is adult-sized but still fits under overpasses. The other student is studying engineering, and this is a perfect real-life application. They are working together to figure out how to get a 14' house under a 13'6" overhead limit, a skill that is sorely missing in our society today. That the task is real makes it that much more valuable.
So, yes, Seth Godin, we are. Thanks for asking!
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
Everything You Studied in High School Was Wrong
This article featured in GOOD (and online magazine) posits that (nearly) everything about high school curriculum is wrong.
Memorizing formulas is physics is wrong; students should be designing and testing as engineers do.
Chemistry is utter nonsense; instead of memorizing periodic tables and chemical formulas, students need to know how things react to each other.
Discussing Shakespeare and writing book reports are wrong; students should be learning how to defend themselves in writing.
Even history comes under fire, with this quote:
"Artificial intelligence theorist and education reformer Roger Schank...eviscerates the saying that that those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it, noting, "I guess no U.S. president ever took history because they have all forgotten the lessons of the Vietnam War, the history of Iraq and the history of foreign incursions into Afghanistan." He goes on to point out that many "untruths about the Revolutionary War and the Civil War and World War II," are currently shared in schools."
The first comment below the article seems to be what the prevailing reaction would be; another commenter notes that young children would never know what they like if they don't try different things.
I think that most of the tasks asked of high school students are a bit ridiculous and not based in anything useful; I do believe in general knowledge but not so general as to be nothing more than trivia and not to dominate the entire day (as currently happens in traditional high schools, public and private).
What say you?
Memorizing formulas is physics is wrong; students should be designing and testing as engineers do.
Chemistry is utter nonsense; instead of memorizing periodic tables and chemical formulas, students need to know how things react to each other.
Discussing Shakespeare and writing book reports are wrong; students should be learning how to defend themselves in writing.
Even history comes under fire, with this quote:
"Artificial intelligence theorist and education reformer Roger Schank...eviscerates the saying that that those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it, noting, "I guess no U.S. president ever took history because they have all forgotten the lessons of the Vietnam War, the history of Iraq and the history of foreign incursions into Afghanistan." He goes on to point out that many "untruths about the Revolutionary War and the Civil War and World War II," are currently shared in schools."
The first comment below the article seems to be what the prevailing reaction would be; another commenter notes that young children would never know what they like if they don't try different things.
I think that most of the tasks asked of high school students are a bit ridiculous and not based in anything useful; I do believe in general knowledge but not so general as to be nothing more than trivia and not to dominate the entire day (as currently happens in traditional high schools, public and private).
What say you?
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
The Red Pony
The Red Pony happens to be one of my all-time favorite books. Steinbeck does not flinch from childhood disappointment, and the book is well-written, with a poignant ache that makes the reader both long for their youth and be glad they are well shut of it.
Here, Shmoop has a lovely series of summaries, lesson plans and guiding questions for the book. The authors of this unit "speak student," and the language is designed to help students not only delve deeply into the book with academic language but to also relate to it in their digitally-fueled lives.
Here, Shmoop has a lovely series of summaries, lesson plans and guiding questions for the book. The authors of this unit "speak student," and the language is designed to help students not only delve deeply into the book with academic language but to also relate to it in their digitally-fueled lives.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Opting Out of Grades
I don't believe in grades.
There. I said it.
That said, because HoneyFern is accredited, I must give them, so I try to make them as meaningful as possible (involving the student in setting criteria, evaluating only what applies or serves as a formative assessment, etc).
One parent (also a teacher) wrote a letter to his child's teacher requesting that his child not be graded at all. Were I to receive that letter, I would happily comply.
What do you think? Could we eliminate grades altogether? With what would they be replaced?
(I have my own thoughts on this matter; curious to hear what you think one way or the other!)
There. I said it.
That said, because HoneyFern is accredited, I must give them, so I try to make them as meaningful as possible (involving the student in setting criteria, evaluating only what applies or serves as a formative assessment, etc).
One parent (also a teacher) wrote a letter to his child's teacher requesting that his child not be graded at all. Were I to receive that letter, I would happily comply.
What do you think? Could we eliminate grades altogether? With what would they be replaced?
(I have my own thoughts on this matter; curious to hear what you think one way or the other!)
New Rules in Education
This is not a political message, although politics show up in it. It has long been my contention and stance that politics have no business in education, that if it is not 100% about the kids, then it should not be a part of the conversation.
Recently, President Obama has been making comments regarding education, comments that echo Bill Clinton's sentiments in 1992 about "work[ing] hard and play[ing] by the rules" to get ahead. I don't think anyone would argue that the first part is necessary, and most would agree that the second is also critical (although some disagree and feel rules do not apply to them - not the subject of this post), but an editorial in the New York Times suggests that there is more to it than simply working hard. After all, many people work very hard every day and seem to just spin their wheels.
These days to get ahead it is not enough to know something; to truly be successful, one needs the additional skill of adaptation and lifelong engagement in the process of learning itself. From Alvin Toffler: "In the future illiteracy will not be defined by those who cannot read and write, but by those who cannot learn and relearn.” We need to teach our children what it means to learn something, how to direct themselves and how to persist in the face of struggle with a concept, idea or problem.
It is not enough to pass the test; it is not enough to simply meet the standard, Common Core or otherwise. Any school that "reforms" itself on the premise of those two things may improve their test scores but not their students' lives.
And isn't that what learning is about?
Recently, President Obama has been making comments regarding education, comments that echo Bill Clinton's sentiments in 1992 about "work[ing] hard and play[ing] by the rules" to get ahead. I don't think anyone would argue that the first part is necessary, and most would agree that the second is also critical (although some disagree and feel rules do not apply to them - not the subject of this post), but an editorial in the New York Times suggests that there is more to it than simply working hard. After all, many people work very hard every day and seem to just spin their wheels.
These days to get ahead it is not enough to know something; to truly be successful, one needs the additional skill of adaptation and lifelong engagement in the process of learning itself. From Alvin Toffler: "In the future illiteracy will not be defined by those who cannot read and write, but by those who cannot learn and relearn.” We need to teach our children what it means to learn something, how to direct themselves and how to persist in the face of struggle with a concept, idea or problem.
It is not enough to pass the test; it is not enough to simply meet the standard, Common Core or otherwise. Any school that "reforms" itself on the premise of those two things may improve their test scores but not their students' lives.
And isn't that what learning is about?
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It
Yes, over Labor Day we traveled, and The Child picked up a fabulous deck-over trailer for the tiny house project, along with some other materials that include a brand-new, double-hung Anderson window, a "perfect" exterior door, all the metal roofing for the house, and a few other sundries to make the project seem real. Much love and gratitude to my friend Luke, who supports this project with a wealth of knowledge, in addition to supplies. He is an organic farmer in West Virginia, so if you are in the area, look him up. He also sent us home with some heritage pork and incredible pears; they have the same taste and texture as a D'anjou, but are so much better. Never sprayed with chemicals, and the trees have 35 years of terroir in the West Virginia mountains.
You can read all about the weekend in La Petite's blog (a.k.a "The Child"). She is enjoying writing it, and her voice is getting stronger and stronger. Make sure and comment for her; a little encouragement goes a long way!
In addition to the material goods we picked up this weekend, I have picked up something else: the understanding that HoneyFern must either expand or accept that we will be small forever. There are many pros and cons to each strategy, but I have decided to take the first step to expansion, which is applying for federal tax-exempt status (501(c)3). This opens the school up for grants and foundation funding and makes expansion more of a possibility. After this, who knows what happens? Stay tuned for details on the journey; it should be interesting.
I have added a guestbook to my website; please visit, leave a comment and let me know if you'd like to be on my email list. I am building a list for a monthly newsletter, and you will never receive more than you can handle. This will keep you apprised of our progress and let you know of volunteer opportunities, potential job openings, and just generally give an idea of what's happening.
Have a great week!
You can read all about the weekend in La Petite's blog (a.k.a "The Child"). She is enjoying writing it, and her voice is getting stronger and stronger. Make sure and comment for her; a little encouragement goes a long way!
In addition to the material goods we picked up this weekend, I have picked up something else: the understanding that HoneyFern must either expand or accept that we will be small forever. There are many pros and cons to each strategy, but I have decided to take the first step to expansion, which is applying for federal tax-exempt status (501(c)3). This opens the school up for grants and foundation funding and makes expansion more of a possibility. After this, who knows what happens? Stay tuned for details on the journey; it should be interesting.
I have added a guestbook to my website; please visit, leave a comment and let me know if you'd like to be on my email list. I am building a list for a monthly newsletter, and you will never receive more than you can handle. This will keep you apprised of our progress and let you know of volunteer opportunities, potential job openings, and just generally give an idea of what's happening.
Have a great week!
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Student Blog Updates!
For those of you following along, a couple HoneyFern students have written several blogs on their projects this week.
La Petite is building a house, and Go, Kart, GO! is building a go-kart from scratch. Please follow them and comment on their work! Suggestions are always welcome!
Have a great weekend!
La Petite is building a house, and Go, Kart, GO! is building a go-kart from scratch. Please follow them and comment on their work! Suggestions are always welcome!
Have a great weekend!
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