others caution against using the study to blame students for not applying themselves
Is our children learning?
Many of the students graduated without knowing how to sift fact from opinion, make a clear written argument or objectively review conflicting reports of a situation or event, according to New York University sociologist Richard Arum, lead author of the study. The students, for example, couldn’t determine the cause of an increase in neighborhood crime or how best to respond without being swayed by emotional testimony and political spin.
No problem, just get a job with the NY Times.
But let’s see, could it be because this “critical thinking” approach to education was used in elementary schools for years to dumb down and disparage actually learning basic math, science and reading skills? Could that be it? Could it be outcome-based education?
At some point students actually need to learn skills, not community organizing. How about actually thinking and questioning. That used to be the essence of a liberal arts education.
More. Ann Althouse on Howard Gardner. Count me a skeptic as well. Howard Gardner was big as “best practices” in our suburban elementary schools when my kids were inmates 15 years ago or so. While I think his approach had some value in highlighting how individuals learn differently, the main result was to let teachers and districts off the hook on testing, while renaming gym as kinetic wellness and justifying such impediments to learning as “math journals”. A liberal arts approach to math that worked for no one.
HT Memeorandum
UPDATE: Our PJ Mom’s take here.
So college students can’t think critically, eh? « Politicaljunkie Mom 1:47 PM on 01/18/2011 Permalink |
[…] UPDATE 2: a thread at Potluck. […]
pjMom 1:49 PM on 01/18/2011 Permalink |
I just posted about this. Kids can and do learn if teachers actually TEACH. Unfortunately, at the college level you find indoctrination over real thinking.
Will reply in more depth at naptime–it’s a sunny day and not frigid. We have a date with the swing set ; )
pjMom 9:14 PM on 01/18/2011 Permalink |
Thanks for the link. Will have to come back in a bit. My naptime blogging plans were derailed by a recalcitrant toddler who needs to get in bed asap.
pjMom 11:25 PM on 01/18/2011 Permalink |
I’m amused no one took any guesses as to why graduates are incapable of sorting fact from opinion or being swayed by emotional pleas or political spin. If that’s the diet they’re fed from Ayers-esque professors, what do you expect?
As for Gardner, I’m with you. The past 30 years of educational “advancement”–ethnomath, the elimination of phonics, no grammar because it’s inherently racist to judge how kids speak or write, etc etc etc have left our kids educationally impoverished.
But then education majors were among those identified in the article as showing the “least gains in learning.” Comforting, no?
backyardconservative 12:04 AM on 01/19/2011 Permalink |
I still remember a story in the NY Times. The violinist Isaac Stern gave a concert for the kids of the NY Public Schools. And I think it was the supt at the time who said if he were certified he could become a teacher there.
It could have been a joke but I don’t think so.
Public schools can be such a joke.
Quite Rightly 8:24 AM on 01/19/2011 Permalink |
It may have been a joke, but one based on fact.
It is true that NY State wouldn’t let Isaac Stern teach music without a certification. No amount of real-world experience or talent in any field is considered qualification to teach in this state. Einstein couldn’t get a job teaching math or physics no matter how much he wanted to help children learn.
backyardconservative 9:39 AM on 01/19/2011 Permalink |
And that says it all, doesn’t it.