[Rhodes22-list] Critical Thinking Skills

[petelargo]

I would like to add one point I do not believe I see mentioned here. Between
my education and my son's education and the many trainings I have done for
teachers (I am a consultant-trainer by profession) I have had this
discussion with several levels of educators.  The politics of education has
the government 'rewarding' schools with money based on test scores. 
Standardized tests are structured towards "fact" regurgitation rather than
critical thinking skills.  The best teachers that I had were the ones that
nourished and supported critical thinking over fact regurgitation. But
critical thinking is nuanced and personal and difficult to measure equally
for all.  Bye-bye critical thinking.



Elle-3 wrote:
> 
> OK, Herb....I'm back...In for a dime...;^)
> 
> I was computerless for a day but now all's back to
> whatever passes for normal in my sphere....
> 
> You make some good points....school systems vary
> throughout the country that one size can't fit all
> (Hear this, Geo Bush?) 
> 
> Again..I can't disagree with much of your last
> post...most kids will rise to whatever level of
> mediocrity or expectation that we set. 
> 
> As for why the private schools in Tx garner good
> teachers w/abysmal pay....I'll hazard a guess & say
> working conditions(?)...respectful kids, good
> parents...strong admin...just a guess...
> 
> BTW...what are the public schools like with these
> students and their resources skimmed off?
> 
> I still have to believe that the solution is not to
> 'segregate' kids with vouchers but to use that $ to
> improve (and therein lies the rub...!) the schools in
> the district so the resources are concentrated...
> 
> But the secret to success is people who care...but
> caring has physical, emotional and personal costs when
> you are dealing with people...in my experience, in
> education, it's not "The squeaky wheel..." of "Cream
> rises to the top..."  It's "The nail that sticks out
> gets hammered back down."
> 
> elle
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --- Herb Parsons <hparsons at parsonsys.com> wrote:
> 
>> Ha! As to your last comment, you're in it because
>> you answered!! Serves 
>> you right. :)
>> 
>> I don't get away from my home area dealing with kids
>> much anymore since 
>> mine are all grown, but what I see in TX aren't
>> people asking for 
>> voucher systems so they can move the schools away;
>> what I see are people 
>> wanting a voucher system so they can send kids to
>> schools already in 
>> existence in their areas. Private schools abound
>> here in TX. The 
>> problems are that they are somewhat expensive, and
>> the teachers are 
>> REALLY under paid. Funny how they can attrack
>> quality teachers on low 
>> pay, but they do.
>> 
>> I don't think poorly performing students would be
>> left behind. I do 
>> believe that there will be schools that offer to
>> deal with those 
>> students who were not able to remain in the schools
>> that demand too 
>> much. Personally, I believe those schools will put
>> out a poorer quality 
>> of students, but that happens today anyway, so it's
>> no loss.
>> 
>> Excellence and mediocrity are both infectious. The
>> problem is that 
>> mediocrity is so much easier to obtain, it more
>> easily takes over. 
>> That's what's happened today. If you pull those that
>> are determined to 
>> fail no matter what away from those that are more
>> open to a better way, 
>> demand excellence from what's left over, people
>> would be surprised at 
>> the results.
>> 
>> Have you read the story of Ken Carter from Riveside,
>> CA? He was the 
>> subject of the slightly fictionalized Coach Carter. 
>> Basically, he took 
>> a baskeball team of students doing poorly in school,
>> had them sign 
>> contracts stating they would maintain at least a 2.3
>> GPA (the district 
>> only required a 2.0), and then enforced it. He
>> cancelled two games in a 
>> row, forfeiting them, and the players' families were
>> ready to have him 
>> fired. But the students complied, and in a school
>> full of kids that 
>> didn't succeed academicly his players DID. His
>> actions actually raised 
>> the academic performance of the entire school.
>> 
>> Of course, he's no longer part of the public school
>> system. I haven't 
>> heard the story of why that is, but I have my
>> suspicions...
>> 
>> 
> 
> 
> We can't change the angle of the wind....but we can adjust our sails.
> 
>  1992 Rhodes 22   Recyc '06  "WaterMusic"   (Lady in Red)
> 
> 
>      
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