Journal #04 - All Work and No Play

All Work and No Play by Sharna Olfman from Rethinking Schools Online


Education policies in the United States are undergoing drastic reform at the bequest of our conservative federal administration who believes that "standards, accountability, and technology" are the way to measure successful learning. In so many classrooms, recess, play, music, and creative expression are being replaced by "scripted teaching" in which students are taught to the test to ensure improved testing scores.

Yes schools are now accountable. Now, in an effort to advance our youngest kids, a new program entitled "Early Care and Education Act" stands before congress, offering states financial bonuses that demonstrate that public preschool programs are "successfully teaching early literacy skills, necessitating even more academic pressure and wide-scale testing of pre-schoolers."

Now, in preschool - play is being pushed aside to make room for more direction, more technological infusion, more testing. However, what research is in fact indicating is that adopting such an immersive and rigorous course of study for young children actually undermines the skills they are intended to support, because, developmentally, preschoolers do not have the cognitive ability to ingest this information and then make meaningful connections.

In truth, the prevalent educational philosophy is a less than optimal condition for all children. The educational revolution propagated by Piaget and Vygotsky is being replaced by scripted teaching and computer programs that prepare children for multiple-choice test. Knowledge and learning are being compartmentalized, creativity and critical thinking are being undermined. 1984 here we come....George Orwell would be so proud...

How can teachers accentuate the scripted learning curriculum that is being adopted by many districts?
This is what makes good teaching such a difficult job. We must be constantly innovative and aggressive in transferring knowledge to our students. This can be accomplished, at great effort, by investing time, money, and research into alternative learning activities, project-based integrated learning units; colleague collaboration and cooperation, and student support.

How should teachers differentiate between technological resources, and best evaluate its usefulness?

The best way for teachers to judge the utility of technological resources is to first define learning goals for the students. Critical thinking skills and creative thought should ALWAYS be included in the learning goals. Once established, teachers need to invest time in researching and sampling technological resources to ensure they ask more of the student to pick and choose answers. Some inclusion of multiple choice questioning is required, unfortunately, as we have to recognize the skills children must develop for use in a standardized education.