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  • Free and Low-Cost Summer Learning Tips for Parents
    Marc commented on the article | over 2 years ago
    Free and Low-Cost Summer Learning Tips for Parents

    The research is interesting, but the suggestions sound unbelievably boring. Maybe some commentors can come up with better ones?

    Here's one: join your kids while playing video games. Not only will it make the experience more social, but it will help build understanding of the medium. Video games are potentially powerful learning devices and by no means comparable to television watching. It takes some judgement, though, to get the most out of them, which is where a parents' involvement fits in.

  • How Top Countries Test: Lessons for Arne Duncan from Linda Darling-Hammond
    Marc commented on the article | almost 3 years ago
    How Top Countries Test: Lessons for Arne Duncan from Linda Darling-Hammond

    Wonderful video.

    I found myself thinking during most of it, "you know, I did those kind of tasks in many of my AP classes." Sure enough, at about 16 minutes into the video, Darling-Hammond says something like "we can look at AP classes and Honors classes for these tasks". (referring to tasks that develop rich skillsets instead of fact-based recall)

    So, it turns out that we already have the materials that test 21st century skills in the United States. In standardized format, no less! What's keeping these materials from other schools, other students?

    (time? money? antiquated teaching models?)

  • More on Fighting Bias in History Textbooks
    Marc commented on the article | almost 3 years ago
    More on Fighting Bias in History Textbooks

    Alright, I'm digging the idea more than ever.

    1. You're right that there is a big difference between "an opinion" and a conclusion based on data/events. (More on the implication of this at the end)

    2. Great point, but it makes something obvious: this plan of your requires good feedback mechanisms to be successful. Wikipedia has a pretty natural feedback mechanism in place: there is prestige in having your writing show up as the definitive answer for something.

    I think a teacher can play the role of wiki editor fairly easily, pointing out "false steps" as they arise. However, a wiki for a class is missing that element of prestige. Maybe there should be something included for students to say they "like" an entry, or perhaps could be rewarded for adding insightful commentary.

    3. Spot on...no need to draw this point out.

    Ok, so, an anecdote to sum this up:

    One of the best professors I've ever had taught Psychology of Creativity--the material was engaging, exciting, enlightening, you name it. One of the few assignments the professor had us do was write a weekly journal entry in a class forum, hoping to spark discussion among students. And even though the material was as engaging as any that I've ever encountered (and most of my classmates would say the same), there was precious little discussion on the forums. Students would just post what amounted to the quickest thing that they could think of that met the requirements, often resorting to "posting an opinion."

    The activity was *so close* to being right, though: it got us thinking beyond what was said in class in a critical manner. For instance, I got really excited one week and dug through baseball stats looking for Lotka curves because of a post someone else had written. I think your scheme might have the missing pieces because it stresses data and critical interpretation.

  • More on Fighting Bias in History Textbooks
    Marc commented on the article | almost 3 years ago
    More on Fighting Bias in History Textbooks

    I've been reading this series of articles from the start, and at first I was thrilled with your idea, Clay. As a student, I think the chance to engage the textbook in a manner besides "cram as much of this in your head as possible" is fantastic. However, I've started having doubt. You said it yourself, actually:

    "...it seems sure to lead to real debates among the students, rather than "schooly," teacher-assigned ones. Equally exciting is the idea that students will learn not only how to read what is in texts, but as importantly - what isn't."

    See, I'm not convinced that your plan won't just lead to "schooly" debates! Here's why: there's nothing inherent in social media that makes it more engaging. That is, there are thousands plenty of boring, unengaging experiences on the internet for every shining star like Wikipedia and Facebook. It takes something really special, some mechanism to get people involved that's more unique than simply allowing them to post an opinion.

    Also, you will probably have to tread a fine line between pushing students to be critical and making them believe that they can critique anything. It goes without saying that *anything* can be critiqued. Perhaps a more constructive exercise than the one you're proposing it to find a *good* textbook author and figure out why he/she chose to *include* the things written in the textbook.

    Again, I'm very excited by the idea; I think it's a step in the right direction. My experience as a student, though, makes me leery.

    Any thoughts? Maybe you've already considered these issues...

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