On the other hand, I know that each individual learns differently, and has different needs and interests, so that good teaching requires the subtle art of taking this into account while presenting the student with a rich array of important knowledge. This individualism is one of the reasons I'm a major proponent of the Montessori method and have worked to bring that educational philosophy up to higher education.
I've thought for years that the No Child Left Behind program was a Soviet-style, top-down system, which has wreaked havoc on education. Ironically, this program was pushed by conservatives who wanted to correct the frightening mess caused by progressive education, which had no apparent standards (if you've ever read "The Comprachicos," you realize progressives do have "standards" or shall we say goals, but they're not to enlighten and inform.) Unfortunately, as traditionalists, the conservatives didn't seem to understand how to individualize what they wanted to see happen and their program is now dovetailing with this new turn.
So, it's awful to read about how a basically good idea, i.e. that there is a core body of knowledge and skills which are important to learn, is now being used in this Brave New World style. But the details he discusses here! Couldn't agree with him more.
Unfortunately, the bureaucratic nature of centralized education leads even the most well-intentioned to this kind of system. See this post by Michael Strong, an expert on Socratic Practice and individualized education, for a searing story of his attempts to work with the education bureaucracy and an analysis of what's wrong.
2 comments:
IMHO, Bush only created NCLB to placate someone, perhaps teacher votes. At the time, it seemed like a good thing. Wouldn't you agree? But yes, it should be dismantled.
I don't have the information as to why Bush and others created it, except the overarching motive that the schools had been failing especially insofar as students were not learning many basics.
Although having knowledge and achievement goals are a good idea, from the first I thought the program was problematic because it was a one-size-fits-all fix.
Since that doesn't work within a classroom, I thought it would be a disaster nationally. Just like Hughes said, it's a Soviet-style, top-down system.
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