Teaching in the Dark Times of Corp Edu-Reform (Guest Post by G. A. Steele) « Cooperative Catalyst

Teaching in the Dark Times of Corp Edu-Reform (Guest Post by G. A. Steele) « Cooperative Catalyst:

Teaching in the Dark Times of Corp Edu-Reform (Guest Post by G. A. Steele)

by dloitz

(First written September of 2011 updated and revised June 2012)

 

Boxed Lotus: Negredo By G.A Steele

Long, long ago, before the dark times of the federal education takeover, first with NCLB law during the reign of Bush II which was soon followed by the bait-and-switch corporate edu-reform days of RTTT during the reign of Obama, teachers had the freedom to create classrooms where students were actually being educated for understanding.

In previous times, which lets face it, were not always the best of times either here in Chicago the home of our non-educator, basketball playing Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan, students were not solely taught to pass 

If We Say This Is What We Believe . . .

by John T. Spencer

Recently my family visited a small science center that’s attached to a progressive community school. The place was packed, but it never felt crazy or chaotic. It was loud, but not ear-splitting. It was messy, but never dangerous.
My kids started out at a glider station, where they designed and raced various gliders using random objects (straws, paper clips, paper, buttons) and observing the materials and design influenced flight. They saw a live demonstration of a sewing machine and they asked questions about how it worked. In another corner, kids were making bridges out of straws.