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8 Myths That Undermine Educational Effectiveness

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[h=1]8 Myths That Undermine Educational Effectiveness[/h]
[h=3]Myth #1: Teachers Are the Most Important Influence on a Child’s Education[/h]
[h=3]Myth #2: Homework Boosts Achievement[/h]

Read the other six along with the explanations here.

What do you want to bet that the myths will continue to be believed and be a major influence on educational policy?
 
[h=1]8 Myths That Undermine Educational Effectiveness[/h]


Read the other six along with the explanations here.

What do you want to bet that the myths will continue to be believed and be a major influence on educational policy?

My greatest gripe against schools is the buildings. Communities keep putting big dollars into school building projects instead of teacher salaries. When the Community suffers an economic depression, it lays off teachers and staff because you can't lay off buildings. I may be jaundiced because, as a parent of a successful home-schooler, I realize that it is the motivating force behind students that creates achievement, not expensive buildings.
....
 
[h=1]8 Myths That Undermine Educational Effectiveness[/h]


Read the other six along with the explanations here.

What do you want to bet that the myths will continue to be believed and be a major influence on educational policy?

I do think teachers have a major influence on a student's education, but it is not the only influence and I'm not convinced the ultimate. With that said, even the best teacher who has helped a student reach great strides cannot make students fit into one same box. Ability is not teacher made, but rather nurtured and cultivated. This test taking culture kills any kind of celebration of different strengths and weaknesses in the quest to make all fit in that box or all be damned. Even China sees this as a waste, if one wants to cultivate innovation. You can't bring change out of sameness.
 
My biggest problem with the public school system today is that it is being torn apart by "political correctness". Instead of concentrating on the basics of teaching, the school systems are more into a form of brainwashing. Example: Little Johnny brings a miniature toy soldier to school, draws a stick figure of a character holding a gun, or simply bites a pop tart into the shape of a gun, can be suspended or expelled. That is taking zero tolerance on guns to an insane level.
 
My biggest problem with the public school system today is that it is being torn apart by "political correctness". Instead of concentrating on the basics of teaching, the school systems are more into a form of brainwashing. Example: Little Johnny brings a miniature toy soldier to school, draws a stick figure of a character holding a gun, or simply bites a pop tart into the shape of a gun, can be suspended or expelled. That is taking zero tolerance on guns to an insane level.

It is. So is bringing an aspirin to school. Etc. But my real concern is what the children are demonstrably not learning. I am NOT blaming teachers; I'm blaming "the system" and also the parents. Hardly any of them are prepared for college-level work. They don't have the foundational knowledge that preceding groups of college students have had over the years. They lack critical thinking skills.

What they don't lack is helicopter parents and an educational system that falsely rewards them, socially promotes them, and leaves them with unreasonably high/entitled expectations for themselves.

Don't blame the teachers (most of them, anyway)--they're tasked with complying with administrative orders. Surely, nobody thinks a math teacher wants to give a 50 to a student who turned in no work at all, but in my school district, there is no such thing as a zero. The mantra is "student success," and this is code for "grade inflation." Too few parents are active in their students' education. Oh, they want results, the finest results, and they talk the talk. But they themselves don't walk the walk. I don't understand why more teachers don't burn out.
 
My greatest gripe against schools is the buildings. Communities keep putting big dollars into school building projects instead of teacher salaries. When the Community suffers an economic depression, it lays off teachers and staff because you can't lay off buildings. I may be jaundiced because, as a parent of a successful home-schooler, I realize that it is the motivating force behind students that creates achievement, not expensive buildings.
....

Buildings matter. I remember when I was at uni, we moved campus from old 70s style concrete block buildings with long corridors needing a coat of paint, to a modern campus building with open spaces and inviting classrooms and so on. The mood among students went up big time as did attendance and hence learning. You should not under estimate the importance of the environment where students learn, it is almost as important as the quality of teachers.
 
I guess that explains North Korea's PISA performance.
 
My biggest problem with the public school system today is that it is being torn apart by "political correctness". Instead of concentrating on the basics of teaching, the school systems are more into a form of brainwashing. Example: Little Johnny brings a miniature toy soldier to school, draws a stick figure of a character holding a gun, or simply bites a pop tart into the shape of a gun, can be suspended or expelled. That is taking zero tolerance on guns to an insane level.

and zero tolerance policies were addressed in the OP.
 
It is. So is bringing an aspirin to school. Etc. But my real concern is what the children are demonstrably not learning. I am NOT blaming teachers; I'm blaming "the system" and also the parents. Hardly any of them are prepared for college-level work. They don't have the foundational knowledge that preceding groups of college students have had over the years. They lack critical thinking skills.

What they don't lack is helicopter parents and an educational system that falsely rewards them, socially promotes them, and leaves them with unreasonably high/entitled expectations for themselves.

Don't blame the teachers (most of them, anyway)--they're tasked with complying with administrative orders. Surely, nobody thinks a math teacher wants to give a 50 to a student who turned in no work at all, but in my school district, there is no such thing as a zero. The mantra is "student success," and this is code for "grade inflation." Too few parents are active in their students' education. Oh, they want results, the finest results, and they talk the talk. But they themselves don't walk the walk. I don't understand why more teachers don't burn out.

Actually, a lot of them do. After putting in the time and money it takes to get a credential, only about half make it to the five year mark.
 
Actually, a lot of them do. After putting in the time and money it takes to get a credential, only about half make it to the five year mark.

True, and I expect more will do this as the system has decided to put the blame on them. Not only do they want to fire them, but also take their education licensure away. Who would want to teach?
 
The first step would to rid a schedule based off of agriculture. Do year-round schools. With this in place, it is understood that the average homework load would be decreased. But after a summer vacation I got back to school and we had to waste a good portion of school time getting it all back.

We also have this view on education that spawn back to The Renaissance. The philosophy is an educated man is educated in all areas of life. But we have to admit. There comes a point in our studies, in our intellectual endeavor, where certain credits or classes are utterly pointless, yet we are forced to study them. Why? Because that is the way it is. Why? Because of the renaissance, and the incentive for profit. Why don't we do something about it? It seems political attention is spent on the middle east, obamacare, gay rights, and quite frankly, the way it is is good business. If you change it, you have to change the players so that eventually there will be people making big bucks on the new system. People don't want that.

Also....

"I want a nation of workers, not thinkers." -John D. Rockefeller

Nothing like an uneducated mass that thinks they are educated. That is the best citizenship to take advantaged of.

I say year round schools. I say we rid ourselves of this renaissance ideal, it is too old and out dated. Knowledge is a network, that interlaces with other things. For example, scientists are finding Buddha was right with some of his philosophical statements. "In order to understand the leaf, you must understand the tree." What I am trying to say, is knowledge isn't compartmentalized into different subjects. If you had a truly educated teacher, he could talk about all points of that tree, organic chemistry to the mathematics of it all. We probably aren't there yet. But we need teachers with that deep of a knowledge pool to educate our students. And just make them think. I view modern education as a teacher, students, and books that they picked to read. Then when the student has a question about something, the teacher aids the student in understanding what they are reading. The student, picks what they want to read. Eventually, if left to read, concepts of all disciplines would emerge in the studies. And, if a student desires full understanding (like I did), he would have to delve into mathematics.

My point is we shouldn't compartmentalize knowledge. That's so Enlightenment. We shouldn't have a summer vacation. That's so agriculture. We should put the education in the hands of the students, not to people who knows "best." You would be surprised how smart kids get if you let them play. If you took group A of kids, and they didn't get to play but study, and you took group B of kids, and you let them play - who do you think would score better on the intelligence scores? Sure, the kids playing wouldn't have a clue about the revolutionary war. But having kids in their early years just play, makes their brains into these monster sponges.

Playing is a mental exercise, like our current educational system. Video games do what school does. It just doesn't deal with the facts of life. Use video games, physical playing to exercise the mind, and then use reading to fill up that empty cup with whatever interests the student. This will increase the likelihood that whatever they are reading about will be remembered. And knowledge is inter-connected. If reading enough, they will have questions about chemistry, biology, physics, math, writing. You wouldn't have to teach grammar from all the reading they would be doing. They could read their books in groups, or whatever makes the student respond the most.

This to me is the direction education should go. The problem is really powerful people are making a lot of money now, and they don't want it to change. People always say that Capitalism innovates. But you have to be consistent, and realize what it is. Capitalism creates innovations; it halts innovations. I honestly don't think we will get any serious changes to education for a while.
 
My point is we shouldn't compartmentalize knowledge. That's so Enlightenment. We shouldn't have a summer vacation. That's so agriculture. We should put the education in the hands of the students, not to people who knows "best." You would be surprised how smart kids get if you let them play. If you took group A of kids, and they didn't get to play but study, and you took group B of kids, and you let them play - who do you think would score better on the intelligence scores? Sure, the kids playing wouldn't have a clue about the revolutionary war. But having kids in their early years just play, makes their brains into these monster sponges.

Playing is a mental exercise, like our current educational system. Video games do what school does. It just doesn't deal with the facts of life. Use video games, physical playing to exercise the mind, and then use reading to fill up that empty cup with whatever interests the student. This will increase the likelihood that whatever they are reading about will be remembered. And knowledge is inter-connected. If reading enough, they will have questions about chemistry, biology, physics, math, writing. You wouldn't have to teach grammar from all the reading they would be doing. They could read their books in groups, or whatever makes the student respond the most.

I'd like to see supporting data on the link between playing video games and IQ if you have any.

And, sadly, I think you're assuming an intellectual curiosity that doesn't necessarily exist and also an interest in reading.
 
I'd like to see supporting data on the link between playing video games and IQ if you have any.

And, sadly, I think you're assuming an intellectual curiosity that doesn't necessarily exist and also an interest in reading.

"Our paper shows that cognitive flexibility, a cornerstone of human intelligence, is not a static trait but can be trained and improved using fun learning tools like gaming."

Professor Brad Love from UCL, said: "Cognitive flexibility varies across people and at different ages. For example, a fictional character like Sherlock Holmes has the ability to simultaneously engage in multiple aspects of thought and mentally shift in response to changing goals and environmental conditions."

"Creative problem solving and 'thinking outside the box' require cognitive flexibility. Perhaps in contrast to the repetitive nature of work in past centuries, the modern knowledge economy places a premium on cognitive flexibility."

Dr Glass added: "The volunteers who played the most complex version of the video game performed the best in the post-game psychological tests. We need to understand now what exactly about these games is leading to these changes, and whether these cognitive boosts are permanent or if they dwindle over time. Once we have that understanding, it could become possible to develop clinical interventions for symptoms related to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or traumatic brain injuries, for example." Playing video games can boost brain power -- ScienceDaily
 
Thank you for this information. But how is IQ measured? Is the key assessment creative problem-solving, and so does cognitive flexibility lead necessarily to a higher IQ?
 
My greatest gripe against schools is the buildings. Communities keep putting big dollars into school building projects instead of teacher salaries. When the Community suffers an economic depression, it lays off teachers and staff because you can't lay off buildings. I may be jaundiced because, as a parent of a successful home-schooler, I realize that it is the motivating force behind students that creates achievement, not expensive buildings.
....

My biggest gripe is that there seems to be no connection between teacher performance, the academic achievement of their students, and their compensation. Seems to me that if you connected the two that student performance would be elevated, rather than the US academic achievement lagging behind most of the rest of the developed world.

Now granted, there are a lot more factors and influences in the student academic achievement than just the teacher, but you have to admit that it's one of the most important.
 
Thank you for this information. But how is IQ measured? Is the key assessment creative problem-solving, and so does cognitive flexibility lead necessarily to a higher IQ?

IQ testing is used as a means to measure the academic/standardized testing ability of children which can predict future academic achievement (not entirely). One thing we do know about cognitive ability is that it is constantly changing (mostly since the last century) and Flynn believes it has to do largely with environmental influences. That is why norms for IQ testing change. I believe in the use it or lose it theory. The more we exercise our brains the more agile they become. That is the only way we can currently measure what we call IQ.

James Flynn noticed a 3 point increase in intelligence test scores per decade all around the world. This is referred to as the Flynn Effect. Since World War II the average IQ around the world has risen over one standard deviation. The Flynn Effect shows an increase at every age range of the raw scores on major tests in every modernized country. Flynn states that this increase in intelligence test scores is solely due to the environmental influence (nuture) because the increase occurred too quickely to be due to genetics (nature). (Neisser, 1997) The Flynn Effect
 
My biggest gripe is that there seems to be no connection between teacher performance, the academic achievement of their students, and their compensation. Seems to me that if you connected the two that student performance would be elevated, rather than the US academic achievement lagging behind most of the rest of the developed world.

It is? Not in one state in the US. Florida is the Petri dish for merit pay. I would be more concerned about cut throat competion rather than teacher collaboration which is practiced in my state. It seems to be working quite well. IMHO, cut throat doesn't belong in education.

Massachusetts and Connecticut mathematics literacy average scores were 514 and 506, respectively. Massachusetts’ average was higher than the OECD and U.S. averages and Connecticut’s was higher than the U.S. average but not measurably different than the OECD average. Florida’s average score (467) was lower than the OECD and U.S. averages. Key PISA test results for U.S. students - The Washington Post
 
It is? Not in one state in the US. Florida is the Petri dish for merit pay. I would be more concerned about cut throat competion rather than teacher collaboration which is practiced in my state. It seems to be working quite well. IMHO, cut throat doesn't belong in education.

There's a wide difference between cut-throat competition and no connection between results and compensation and reward. I'm not advocating cut-throat competition, which is an extreme, but do believe that some sort of connection between student results and the teacher's compensation needs to occur.

Massachusetts and Connecticut mathematics literacy average scores were 514 and 506, respectively. Massachusetts’ average was higher than the OECD and U.S. averages and Connecticut’s was higher than the U.S. average but not measurably different than the OECD average. Florida’s average score (467) was lower than the OECD and U.S. averages. Key PISA test results for U.S. students - The Washington Post

The U.S. education system is mediocre compared to the rest of the world, according to an international ranking of OECD countries.

More than half a million 15-year-olds around the world took the Programme for International Student Assessment in 2012. The test, which is administered every three years and focuses largely on math, but includes minor sections in science and reading, is often used as a snapshot of the global state of education. The results, published today, show the U.S. trailing behind educational powerhouses like Korea and Finland.

American Schools vs. the World: Expensive, Unequal, Bad at Math

From my reading of the article, the US is below OECD average (click the graphic for a larger view showing this).
 
From my reading of the article, the US is below OECD average (click the graphic for a larger view showing this).

....and I was simply giving you additional information about those PISA scores. If you look at specfic state results, only one state in the US was above the OECD average. That should speak volumes about that state. I suppose it could be argued MA does better based on a whole host of factors. Merit pay NOT one of them.
 
My biggest gripe is that there seems to be no connection between teacher performance, the academic achievement of their students, and their compensation. Seems to me that if you connected the two that student performance would be elevated, rather than the US academic achievement lagging behind most of the rest of the developed world.

Now granted, there are a lot more factors and influences in the student academic achievement than just the teacher, but you have to admit that it's one of the most important.

Did you read the linked article? It seems not because the article states that teacher performance, though important, is less important than several other factors. Complaining about the relative low ranking of teacher performance is like complaining about the rain - it may make you feel better but it doesn't change the weather
The most significant variable is socioeconomic status, followed by the neighborhood, the psychological quality of the home environment, and the support of physical health provided.
 
There's a wide difference between cut-throat competition and no connection between results and compensation and reward. I'm not advocating cut-throat competition, which is an extreme, but do believe that some sort of connection between student results and the teacher's compensation needs to occur.

How do you propose to link the two?
 
....and I was simply giving you additional information about those PISA scores. If you look at specfic state results, only one state in the US was above the OECD average. That should speak volumes about that state. I suppose it could be argued MA does better based on a whole host of factors. Merit pay NOT one of them.

Without introducing the crucible of competition and accountability , the education system won't improve and it's results won't improve, in fact, as it's a bureaucracy, so it'll likely stay exactly the same, and continue it's flagging performance.

Your dismissing merit pay out of hand surely is an example of that.
What's your position on charter schools? Dismiss that out of hand as well?

Doing the same things the same way and expect different results . . . .
 
Without introducing the crucible of competition and accountability , the education system won't improve and it's results won't improve, in fact, as it's a bureaucracy, so it'll likely stay exactly the same, and continue it's flagging performance.

Your dismissing merit pay out of hand surely is an example of that.
What's your position on charter schools? Dismiss that out of hand as well?

Doing the same things the same way and expect different results . . . .

Whoa....do you see the irony in your post? We do have different results in US states. The question is what are the differing variables?
 
How do you propose to link the two?

I'd like to see college freshmen GPA incorporated into some sort of formula, if not directly related to compensation at least to some sort of local school system rating. Doing so it would be easier to see which school systems best prepare their student for higher education and which don't.

It takes away the argument of weighing down scores / ratings by students that aren't college bound anyway.

I suppose that you could put in place a similar rating scale for compensation of high school graduated that don't continue on to college.

If nothing else, at least it's a thought.
 
Did you read the linked article? It seems not because the article states that teacher performance, though important, is less important than several other factors. Complaining about the relative low ranking of teacher performance is like complaining about the rain - it may make you feel better but it doesn't change the weather

My biggest gripe is that there seems to be no connection between teacher performance, the academic achievement of their students, and their compensation. Seems to me that if you connected the two that student performance would be elevated, rather than the US academic achievement lagging behind most of the rest of the developed world.

Now granted, there are a lot more factors and influences in the student academic achievement than just the teacher, but you have to admit that it's one of the most important.

Guess you missed that part of my post.

The most significant variable is socioeconomic status, followed by the neighborhood, the psychological quality of the home environment, and the support of physical health provided.

Now of the other factors listed above, which are the ones that the state should have an influence on?

  • socioeconomic status? No, the government is already giving away too much money to too many and is going broke doing so.
  • neighborhood? No, can the government afford to move everyone to up scale neighborhood and pay for it?
  • psychological quality of the home environment? No, the government is already too intrusive in people's lives
  • support of physical health provided? Again, at great expense and great imposition
So what can the state do? Pretty cheap to collect data and publish a report to let people know what the results are, and let them make their own decisions.
 
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