By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. What’s good ‘evidence-based’ practice for classrooms? We asked the teachers, here’s what they said
Nicole Mockler, Meghan Stacey, EduResearch Matters, 2019/03/19
This article doesn't go into a lot of detail but it does raise a core issue in our (or any!) profession: what counts as good evidence? "Too often, calls for ‘evidence-based practice’ in education ignore the evidence that really counts," write the authors. "Narrow definitions of evidence where it is linked to external testing are highly problematic." Looking at what teachers actually value as evidence in their practice, we see things like teachers' own classroom observations ranked at the top of the list and standardized test results (such as Australia's NAPLAN) at the bottom. So how do we support teachers with evidence? From where I sit, it seems to me that support helping teachers create their own assessments would best address the need. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. When Pay Ruins Everything
This post talks about 'money markets' and 'social markets', making the point that tying pay for specific work can actually lower motivation in some people (for example - if someone paid me specifically to publish OLDaily, I wouldn't feel the same attachment to it that I do). It suggests a work environment in which "you would be paid for being there, for being you, and your task load would be determined by the interplay of personal, interpersonal and team commitments. You would also have a context within with to distinguish yourself by the quality or quantity of your output". More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. And There We Have It...
This gets to the heart of the dispute between traditional educationalists and those of us advocating for change. In the Britannica blog, Michael Gorman writes, "Learning and education are enterprises in which the academically gifted prosper and are justified in prospering." John Connell responds, and I agree, "I prefer to see education and learning as processes by which everyone prospers relative to their starting position." The differences in 'academic gift' are greatly exaggerated, and are almost the sole result of nutrition, upbringing, and opportunity. The ascription to some of some sort of special academic gift is a prejudice born out of privilege, a bigotry of the worst sort. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. The Beginning of the End for the Industrial Schooling System?
I agree with Graham Attwell, that this is a significant development. Knowsley Council in Merseyside, which has 21,000 students, will be closing all of its eleven existing secondary schools. The district, which has languished with poort educational results, will be creating hi-tech learning centres. These centres will be open from 7 am, to 10 pm. "Youngsters will not be taught in formal classes, nor will they stick to a rigid timetable; instead they will work online at their own speeds on programmes that are tailor-made to match their interests." This is pretty much the system I and many others have been recommending for years, so this is a program which will be well worth watching. More...