🚀 go-pugleaf

     A student of mine forwarded Wes Davis' message about what he sees is
wrong with our school system.  That message was one of common sense, but I
don't mean that as praise, I mean it as in based on mythical assumptions
and personal observations as opposed to data from the field.  Common sense
pedagogy (the idea that sound teaching can derive from "roses" doing what
makes sense to themselves in classrooms) has many documentable examples of
leading to bad practice but Davis goes beyond into common sense educational
philosophy.  Let us look at his key assertions.

"The educational system that placed the United States highest in
technology..."
     I have asked a number of researchers who do those international
comparisons when it was that American students ever led the world on such
tests.  (I will make the offer here, does anyone have data?)  No one has
ever produced any evidence for me.  In fact several researchers have
admitted that we probably never were first in the world in science and
technology education.  My assertion is that America came to be first in the
world in technology for two reasons, one political and one economic.  The
political one is that in the years before and after World War II America
became the place to be-- for many, just to keep alive.  Would Einstein,
Fermi, Bohr, von Braun, and hundreds, if not thousands, of other scientists
and technologists have ended up in the United States if Europe had been a
safe place for everyone?  They didn't come here for the schools.  This
brain drain to the U.S. occurred during the greatest period of
technological
explosion in history.
     The economic reason still fuels our technology.  Technology is the
application of science and generally requires money or the potential to
make money to develop.  If you have an idea worth money, where would you
want to be?  I met many science and engineering students during my
educational career who came here from other countries.  Many either were
staying or they were returning to their country of origin to fulfill
minimum service commitments and then coming back.  I still know faculty and
students who would not be here if their homeland was a safe place with hope
of an economic future.  I could flood American schools with applications of
Russian mathematicians, physicists and astronomers I personally know of who
would come here in a heartbeat.

"... a student population that mostly thinks we live inside the earth..."
I challenge the supportability of this statement.  While I wish students
knew more science and mathematics and I work to make it happen, I don't go
about overstating for effect.  Many assertions of America's science
illiteracy are overstated this way (I have data and examples).  Where is
the test that "most" students claimed that we live inside the earth?  Even
if it exists, I have given tests where high school seniors responded they
could not find the Pacific Ocean on a map. When they sat down, one-on-one
with an interviewer they admitted they knew where it was and either made a
mistake or even admitted they answered wrong on purpose because they
considered the question silly.  Let's be careful about these claims.

"... the mission of the public schools is no longer education, but ...
social goals."
     It always was.  If you go back to the first laws for public education
you will find social (and I include economic) goals.  Schools taught
reading so that children would be able to read their Bibles.  Jefferson
wanted a literate citizenry who could participate in democratic
institutions.  Look at calls for reform over the last century and you will
see many appeals to develop a competent work force.  Are not all of these
social/economic goals?  A complete list of social goals going back as far
as the beginning of American education is possible but this is e-mail, not
an e-book.

" ... we are no longer ... able to separate students into high and low
achievers..."  "... no money for honors students..."  "... weeds rather
than roses..."
     I might assert that Davis reveals with these words an elitist vision
of education at best.  At worst, I could propose that his purpose of public
schools would be that he wants them to produce a stratified society based
on intellectual ability or performance.  By the way, both can be described
as social, rather than educational, purposes.
     But weeds!!?!  The choice of words, Sir, is disgusting.  I have to be
careful not to flame about this.  There are two assertions here that are,
in my experience, (six years of high school teaching, five years working
with
engineers, nine years preparing teachers) incorrect.
     The first is that most Americans view schools as a place to separate
out weeds and roses.  You may see that as a weakness of schools but it is
not a new idea either.  I recall one author whose name escapes me writing
in the 20's that "Private schooling raises the individual above the herd.
Public education just glorifies the herd."
     The second is that there are teachers or others in education who make
their classes places where, "...low achievers can feel warm and fuzzy..."
Give me some names.  Name one teacher educator who espouses that this
should be a goal of education.  Identify one teacher who knowingly creates
a classroom environment this way.
     I do admit that self esteem research has been used badly in some
places.  Goals have been reduced for both social and misdirected
educational reasoning.  However, I see nothing wrong in schools where we
"ensure that all students experience success".  I have never met a child
who was not good at something.  On the other hand, I know of no self-esteem
research that says positive self esteem can only be developed if all
students "succeed" at ALL THINGS.  Self esteem is best developed where
teachers set reasonable but high standards and THEN HELP STUDENTS MEET
THOSE STANDARDS.  (Rent and watch the movie, Stand and Deliver.)

     Lastly I want to address the assertion that seems to be the basis of a
larger discussion, whether college students are able or willing to think
independently.  I claim mine do quite well at this.  I don't pretend to
have any magic or other special powers only experience and reflection about
what it takes to create a classroom where independent thought can take
place.
      Our students are highly competitive and are driven to succeed in
their classes as most are.  Success means producing what the instructors
demand. My experience is also that high school and college instructors
mostly demand independent thinking that results in the student
independently coming up with the teacher's answer.  I base this on 25 years
of personal experience up through graduate level nuclear engineering
classes.  To demand independent thought, one has to tolerate the products
of independent thinking and help students develop the skills.
     In my teaching methods classes, for example, the final assignment is
always the same and is given out the first day of class.  It is to write an
essay titled, "How I made use of this class to prepare myself as a
teacher."  The class activities then introduce students to much of the
knowledge and many of the skills one needs to be a successful teacher.  In
that there are many ways to be a good teacher, students are put to the
ultimate test of independent thinking:  to assess your own background, set
goals and produce tangible evidence that you are making progress toward
those goals.  The course is different for every student.  There is a
textbook but almost no reading "assignments."  There are assignments but
these don't overload the students with work.  I don't take attendance and
there are no formal tests, yet most students rarely miss class.  At the end
of every semester every student has read important literature related to
the course. Most have visited me in my office to clarify their
understanding or explore a personally-identified problem.  They complete my
assignments and invent their own.  They forward me e-mail such as Davis'
piece and drop in to discuss it.  When all is said and done the best have a
body of evidence that they can use to show that when they get into
classrooms they will be able to make good teachers out of themselves.  I
assert I hold that final essay to the highest standards of evidence,
reasoning and good writing.  I work hard to help students meet my
expectations.
      One other thing.  When I teach Astronomy or Mathematics I am not as
tuned in to independent thinking as in my methods courses.  Those classes
have tests and are less open-ended.  But they do as much as they can to
foster and encourage independent thought and problem-solving skills.

Independent thought by college students.  I see enough of it every semester
to keep from getting discouraged when I read how our students trail all the
other countries in those performance tests (which I think don't matter). It
also helps me get through another "common sense" explanation of what's
wrong with schools.

I have since joined the PHYSHARE network so I can participate in the
discussion.  I would like to hear from other teachers (high school or
college) who see transfer of knowledge, independent thought, personal
responsibility for learning, etc. from their students to see if we can get
a better handle on what's going on out there.

Dennis Showers
Blake C, Room 205
One College Circle
Geneseo, NY  14454

716/245-5255