After 8 years of teaching in various settings and school systems what frustrates me to no end is running into people who whilst working with students from special needs or even so called 'mainstream' students cannot accept ambiguity and nuance in their work. People who succumb far too easily to labeling with a sense of certainty that blows me away. I see as problematic the general tendency to simplify things to the point of meaninglessness amongst educators- I see a plethora of experts, articles and discoveries that tend to sound too authoritative and prescriptive in their thinking- with most of their arguments boiling down to some sort of physiological explanation based on the 'latest' brain research and diagnosis of 'disorders' or afflictions of one sort or another.
All this is profoundly unhelpful because it simplifies things to a point where things are simply lost. Case in point if child A has this disorder then intervention B is the only thing that can work with that Child. Name your label and you will see this sort of thinking being applied, from ADHD to FAS to behavioral issues etc. There is a tendency to go simplistic and prescriptive and to hear comments like 'these kids can't do this' etc. The disturbing thing is the level of rationality such people bring to their judgments-, often based on very superficial understanding of something they have read about or have been told. Little thought is given that we don't know that much about the inner function of the brain, and the research that has been done thus far is admittedly just scratching the surface. Basing entire policies and research on observations and theories that are based on very superficial understandings is incomprehensible to me.
Sir Ken Robinson in his extended length RSA talk delves into this phenomenon quite helpfully and it's worth spending some time thinking about his points. The realization that human beings are quite complex and we actually have very little understanding of what is going on in in the brain of a person, so much so that we can't make simplistic causal arguments, that much much is very clear. Yet I see far too many people jumping to prescriptive solutions whenever a label seems to be convenient and fitting.
People tend to persist in their thinking despite contrary evidence right in front of them. Contrary to opinion Kids with ADHD are really capable of learning when intrigued in the right way without medical aid, Kids with FAS can think in complex ways if the content and method are positioned in such a way that engagement can occur. Dumbing things down for them leads to them being dumbfounded literally because there is no sense in what it is that they do- I would posit their confusion and consternation is centered around the worth and the relevance of what they are being asked to do. The adult in this case on top of everything else doesn't seem to be able to connect with the student beyond a reactive stage either.
I recently ran into some of the work done by Temple Grandin and saw a TED talk that is worth spending some time on. For those who don't know the name; Temple is one of the most charismatic personalities you will ever meet and she champions the cause of understanding Autism by showing what is possible when you have an autistic mind. Her talk and work demonstrates to me in powerful ways how learning and doing are possible when what we ask to be done is worthwhile. It is all about engagement, and by that I mean more than superficial engagements- I mean deep level engagement that relies on authentic tasks- that are complex in nature but inviting kids from whatever background to explore.
This sort of thinking has driven Temple to contribute innovations and processes into the human story that are simply breathtaking- the question is what is happening to other kids who exist with unique talents who are not engaged? Indeed even bigger than that- what happens to all kids when they are not engaged and given meaningful work? The whole thrust of this sort of thinking relies on Temple's ability to observe closely and in her case to see the world in 'pictures'. At the heart of it all is a powerful fact- Close observation when done with discipline and reflected on usually leads to some profound insights. Teachers are close observers of students and human nature, I think they need to trust their observational abilities and experiment with discipline till something catches hold of the student. They need to do this rather than judging and labeling far too quickly.
Salman Khan's most recent introduction of the Khan Academy Exercise Section is a key example of how rigorous collection of data leads to insights that are profoundly helpful as we empower students to become independent learners. It is often very easy to shift the important task of reflecting on what it is that we are seeing to just listen to experts and what it is they think should be done, and not take the time to do that in our classrooms. The day educators stop seeing with their own eyes and making their own judgments with care and discipline is the day that teaching is turned into a simplistic occupation- that simply does not uphold the best traditions of progressive educators who have come before.
You can see this in the plethora of 'teaching packages' that are teacher proofed and all one needs to do is add a 'delivery' person into the mix and the child is taught! I think its important to remind my fellow educators from all walks to be careful about the 'ready made or quick 'efficient solutions' they come with hidden strings and costs and are not really that helpful. It would be shame if lost our acute observational skills and ability to bring alive the heritage of humanity in our classrooms which are integral parts of the 'craft' of teaching in return for being mere technocrats.
A recent TED talk by Sugata Mitra explores what happens when teachers are not in the mix...the research that he has done asks some profound questions- what is the role of the teacher? when students can learn many complex things on their own! I take pains in this case to distinguish between - teacher as 'deliverer' of information vs teacher as 'sage' who is a guide to the student(s) as they head off into new territory. The former type of teacher should definitely feel lost in this debate, because computers are a far more efficient delivery vehicle and teachers in this mold will simply be replaced- as they should. The second type of teacher- I believe we will continue to need for years and are public intellectuals who need all the praise and support society can give to them to do this heavy lifting we call authentic teaching.
When I look at exceptional populations, I learn a lot about the general nuances and different ways in which people learn. I have to remain keenly observant of what is going on around me and understand that I might not see all that is before us as first glance, rather I have to be a patient observer trying to match my observations with my judgment at all times. Constantly checking for errors in my judgment by trying to match observation with reality at all times. It is precisely this sort of observational ability that distinguishes great educators whether formal or informal from institutional empowered but ineffective educators.
When I look at special needs teachers or any other educator for that matter- I see a person who is perfectly positioned to be an acute observer of the human condition in all its diversity and complexity. I see them being incredibly nuanced and active in their thinking about what is possible in pushing out their own thoughtscapes as well as the thoughtscapes of those they are working with. I see them as public intellectuals (something I have written about in another post). They are aware of the incredible responsibility in interpreting a curriculum so that they can help adaptively position the next generation no matter what their gifts, abilities and challenges.
All this is profoundly unhelpful because it simplifies things to a point where things are simply lost. Case in point if child A has this disorder then intervention B is the only thing that can work with that Child. Name your label and you will see this sort of thinking being applied, from ADHD to FAS to behavioral issues etc. There is a tendency to go simplistic and prescriptive and to hear comments like 'these kids can't do this' etc. The disturbing thing is the level of rationality such people bring to their judgments-, often based on very superficial understanding of something they have read about or have been told. Little thought is given that we don't know that much about the inner function of the brain, and the research that has been done thus far is admittedly just scratching the surface. Basing entire policies and research on observations and theories that are based on very superficial understandings is incomprehensible to me.
Sir Ken Robinson in his extended length RSA talk delves into this phenomenon quite helpfully and it's worth spending some time thinking about his points. The realization that human beings are quite complex and we actually have very little understanding of what is going on in in the brain of a person, so much so that we can't make simplistic causal arguments, that much much is very clear. Yet I see far too many people jumping to prescriptive solutions whenever a label seems to be convenient and fitting.
People tend to persist in their thinking despite contrary evidence right in front of them. Contrary to opinion Kids with ADHD are really capable of learning when intrigued in the right way without medical aid, Kids with FAS can think in complex ways if the content and method are positioned in such a way that engagement can occur. Dumbing things down for them leads to them being dumbfounded literally because there is no sense in what it is that they do- I would posit their confusion and consternation is centered around the worth and the relevance of what they are being asked to do. The adult in this case on top of everything else doesn't seem to be able to connect with the student beyond a reactive stage either.
I recently ran into some of the work done by Temple Grandin and saw a TED talk that is worth spending some time on. For those who don't know the name; Temple is one of the most charismatic personalities you will ever meet and she champions the cause of understanding Autism by showing what is possible when you have an autistic mind. Her talk and work demonstrates to me in powerful ways how learning and doing are possible when what we ask to be done is worthwhile. It is all about engagement, and by that I mean more than superficial engagements- I mean deep level engagement that relies on authentic tasks- that are complex in nature but inviting kids from whatever background to explore.
This sort of thinking has driven Temple to contribute innovations and processes into the human story that are simply breathtaking- the question is what is happening to other kids who exist with unique talents who are not engaged? Indeed even bigger than that- what happens to all kids when they are not engaged and given meaningful work? The whole thrust of this sort of thinking relies on Temple's ability to observe closely and in her case to see the world in 'pictures'. At the heart of it all is a powerful fact- Close observation when done with discipline and reflected on usually leads to some profound insights. Teachers are close observers of students and human nature, I think they need to trust their observational abilities and experiment with discipline till something catches hold of the student. They need to do this rather than judging and labeling far too quickly.
Salman Khan's most recent introduction of the Khan Academy Exercise Section is a key example of how rigorous collection of data leads to insights that are profoundly helpful as we empower students to become independent learners. It is often very easy to shift the important task of reflecting on what it is that we are seeing to just listen to experts and what it is they think should be done, and not take the time to do that in our classrooms. The day educators stop seeing with their own eyes and making their own judgments with care and discipline is the day that teaching is turned into a simplistic occupation- that simply does not uphold the best traditions of progressive educators who have come before.
You can see this in the plethora of 'teaching packages' that are teacher proofed and all one needs to do is add a 'delivery' person into the mix and the child is taught! I think its important to remind my fellow educators from all walks to be careful about the 'ready made or quick 'efficient solutions' they come with hidden strings and costs and are not really that helpful. It would be shame if lost our acute observational skills and ability to bring alive the heritage of humanity in our classrooms which are integral parts of the 'craft' of teaching in return for being mere technocrats.
A recent TED talk by Sugata Mitra explores what happens when teachers are not in the mix...the research that he has done asks some profound questions- what is the role of the teacher? when students can learn many complex things on their own! I take pains in this case to distinguish between - teacher as 'deliverer' of information vs teacher as 'sage' who is a guide to the student(s) as they head off into new territory. The former type of teacher should definitely feel lost in this debate, because computers are a far more efficient delivery vehicle and teachers in this mold will simply be replaced- as they should. The second type of teacher- I believe we will continue to need for years and are public intellectuals who need all the praise and support society can give to them to do this heavy lifting we call authentic teaching.
When I look at exceptional populations, I learn a lot about the general nuances and different ways in which people learn. I have to remain keenly observant of what is going on around me and understand that I might not see all that is before us as first glance, rather I have to be a patient observer trying to match my observations with my judgment at all times. Constantly checking for errors in my judgment by trying to match observation with reality at all times. It is precisely this sort of observational ability that distinguishes great educators whether formal or informal from institutional empowered but ineffective educators.
When I look at special needs teachers or any other educator for that matter- I see a person who is perfectly positioned to be an acute observer of the human condition in all its diversity and complexity. I see them being incredibly nuanced and active in their thinking about what is possible in pushing out their own thoughtscapes as well as the thoughtscapes of those they are working with. I see them as public intellectuals (something I have written about in another post). They are aware of the incredible responsibility in interpreting a curriculum so that they can help adaptively position the next generation no matter what their gifts, abilities and challenges.
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