Write Now Read Later

A paper presented at an IRA seminar April 1977 by Dr Marie Clay the developer of the Reading Recovery Programme.These days reading, or better still the language arts ( now called by a more technocratic title 'literacy') seems to have been taken over by academics who are pushing a phonemic approach onto schools - 'P' Pushers! This is an approach that distorts the organic relationship between experience, oral language, writing and reading - all premised on a need to make meaning and to communicate. The traditional language arts programme has also been distorted by those who are peddling an meta-cognitive approach that sees acquiring reading skills as an end in themselves.Current approaches do indicate a need for using such skills in content areas...

Read more »

Posted in: Creative teaching,Integrated Learning,Personalized Learning,Rants and Raves,teaching and learning

Time for new thinking

Charlie Chaplin recognised early last century in his film 'Modern Times' that there were faults in the mass production dream of the industrialists. Now is the time to reject the Henry Ford standardisation of Mrs Tolley ( 'Tolley's folly') and begin to imagine what a personalised education system might look like; time to replace Henry with John Dewey.'The Answer to No is Yes' is the title of an interesting new book by Peter Block a business philosopher.Block believes we have become obsessed with a 'how to' mentality with its basis in efficiency and rationality and, in the process, avoiding the more important issue of purpose. Managers who keep their heads down, stick to the rules and get sidetracked in amassing doubtful data and evidence lose...

Read more »

Posted in: Big Picture,change,Creativity,Leadership,national standards,Personalized Learning,Rants and Raves,teaching and learning

Schools should embrace fun and active learning - not National Standards .

Maltese students actively involved in science meets history study.Educators should teach students how to think, not what to think writes a former principal of a primary school Salvina Muscat in Malta. Advice our technocrats in the Ministry should be taking if we want to ensure our new curriculum is to work. National Standards are a destructive diversion. I liked what Salvina Muscat wrote so much I have copied her article from the Malta times. Ms Muscat now works in the Malta Education Department. We need people like her in New Zealand.'In making laws which bind parents to an education system, we collectively assume a huge responsibility. And yet, for a high percentage of students, the school experience is not a good one.In the early years of...

Read more »

Posted in: Big Picture,Creative teaching,Creative teaching Educationalists,inquiry learning,Personalized Learning,teaching and learning

Real literacy -the medium for 'seeking, using and creating'.

Julie Diamond -author of 'Welcome to the Aquarium'.As well known American educator Deborah Meier writes on the back cover, 'A rare and special pleasure to read -capturing as it does why it is that some of us can never get enough of teaching.' Seems to me the our current Minister, her reactionary National Standards, her tame 'experts' like Mary Chamberlain, John Hattie, the Canadian woman 'expert', the phonics 'experts' ( Dr Tom etc) waiting in the wings, and all the new literacy advisers ( mercenaries) will make the joy of teaching extinct with their formulaic, anti creativity, 'best practice', 'cherry picked' research, imposed standardized and moderated approach.Julie Diamond is breathe of fresh air - it is back to the future for me. The technocratic...

Read more »

Posted in: Creative teaching,Creative teaching Educationalists,Integrated Learning,national standards,Personalized Learning,teaching and learning

Great shot of my garden.

Last year my work in schools enabled me to paint the house - three shades of green, bright red and white. Sure made a difference. Aslo removed some overgrown trees to let in more light.I am increasingly becoming focused on developing my bush garden (as an antidote to the anti creativity developments in education) . Recently I have put in ( with help of course) several bridges and duck walks. I was impressed recently to learn that Charles Darwin had his own garden and copse walk which he used to do his thinking. I am no Darwin but being in the garden is good for ones spirit - and as you look around their is so much to notice as the environment is forever changi...

Read more »

Reflecting on what it has been all about.

Sometimes when you feel at the edge of things, as I do these days as my teaching career is coming to an end, you wonder if anything you have done makes any difference at all.This is quite a devastating thought considering most of my teaching career has been as an adviser. Thankfully most of it was as an Education Board Adviser working alongside teachers over a long period of time not ‘delivering’ short term contracts as is the case today. As well, in those earlier days, advisers were specialist teachers whose role was to assist teachers who might not have had such expertise. We actually took lessons. Things have certainly changed over the years and not always for the best.When I started, way back in the 60s, specialist teachers (as we were...

Read more »

Posted in: Big Picture,Creative teaching,Personalized Learning,Rants and Raves,teaching and learning

Finding a real curriculum

A creative interpretation of a six year olds pet cat arising from a class study of cats - cats are amazing creatures with impressive adaptations to survive in the wild and as a pet.Students also researched their cats wilder, larger, more famous relatives. How much do you know about your cat?This is another blog based on my reading of Julie Diamond's book 'Welcome to the Classroom - a year in the lives of children'Julie writes that 'by the age five, when children arrive in elementary schools, they have evolved definite selves.....the have their passionate interests, concerns, topics,humor; a style that is theirs'.In other words their own personal curriculum for teachers to tap into , amplify and challenge. Unfortunately, even from a very early...

Read more »

Posted in: Creative teaching,Creative teaching Educationalists,teaching and learning

Looking at Art -Julie Diamond

I thought I would share a few ideas from Julie Diamond's book 'Welcome to the Aquarium' -the story of one year in one year one class. It was refreshing to enjoy the reality of life as teacher that Julie expresses so well. And all the more since it so much aligns with what I believe. I guess we both developed the basis of our philosophies in the heady days of the late 60s. Her classroom is a truly personalised one - not a classroom full of students developing ideas provided by the teacher.Julie makes it clear she wants the students to 'feel- in their bones- this is their room'. The classroom is to be a 'place for children's work; that's the message'.the goal of the classroom is 'the development of children's intrinsic interests.'Traditional...

Read more »

Posted in: Creative teaching,Creative teaching Educationalists,Early Education,Integrated Learning,teaching and learning