Feb 09 2008
Pedagogy of the Absurd by Ken Goodman
This was a difficult article for me to read at times. I agree with many of the things that Ken Goodman talks about. However, I think his tone is a bit radical. He comes across as a conspiracy theorist and I hope that his message isn’t lost due to his tone. He refers to many programs that I worry about. I know that Open Court and DIBELS can and do take some ideas to an extreme. However, I do understand the concern that people from the other side of the argument express. We implement Open Court and hear from our intermediate teachers about how our kids can’t decode. I also hear from other teachers at different schools about how “thorough” the DIBELS assessment is. However, I know that for me, neither of these programs are necessary. Would I have said that ten years ago? I’m not so sure. Why do I express hesitation? Let me explain.
When I started teaching, I thought the world was out there for me to conquer. I didn’t think there was any problem that I couldn’t handle. However, when I actually got into a classroom, I was a little bit overwhelmed. I knew that I could do an okay job teaching the curriculum. And then after a few years, I would get better. That’s where Open Court came in. It provided a framework for me in one subject area. Then, I could focus my efforts on learning the math curriculum and mastering it. That Open Court framework was a relief to a new teacher who wanted reassurance that I was doing at least one thing right! Now, I look at that same curriculum and think a little differently. However, it provided a safety net for me. However, in today’s schools, I’m not sure that new teachers have a few years to get their feet under them. That’s where I understand the battle. Which curriculum must be mastered first? I don’t think that we need programs like Open Court or DIBELS IF teachers would go out and take more staff development classes that could help them teach phonics in a different way. However, I’m not sure how many of the teachers would go out and do that. And then I go back to the question of, if they haven’t taken any classes about phonemic awareness or phonics instruction, then how are they teaching phonics and what exactly are they teaching? I think if we visit some classrooms, we will find that what teachers aren’t comfortable teaching, doesn’t get taught. The one thing that I can say for our school is that the majority of teachers are very uncomfortable teaching phonics. Therefore, I cannot assure anyone that phonics is being taught in EVERY classroom. That’s where Open Court comes in. It is the county’s quick fix to making sure that something is being taught. Is it a good program? Not really. But, will we see this change? I’m not sure we will. I think we might see it change if the level of from all teachers changes. ALL teachers would need to be willing to take more classes about how to teach subject matter in general. We are learning new things every day about how to better teach our kids. Until we feel the obligation to stay on top of the current research and practices, I think we will continue to see these programs encouraged. Sure, the publishers will continue to advertise them. Why? It has already been created! They don’t have to change anything! However, the publishers are also getting wiser to changes within education as well. Rigby sells about 12 titles of books with 6 copies of each for about $300. When you are trying to stock a guided reading book-room, those costs add up. Even if they did et rid of programs like Open Court and DIBELS, I think you would find more publishing companies branching out into other areas like guided reading books. They will always find a way to make a buck. I hope that teachers will begin to take a more active role in curriculum design. I would love to buy materials from someone who taught in a classroom like mine… I know the materials would look a lot different!
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Hi Jacqueline. Your blog presented a new perspective to me; The idea of teachers being comfortable with what they are teaching and the lack of knowledge and experience some teachers possess. Your suggestion about teachers going out and taking more classes in order to increase their knowledge of what they teach is a good one, but how many schools are set up so that their teachers can do this? In my school, we all participate in the same staff development experiences. We aren’t given a list of choices. Unless we go out and seek something else that would more than likely require us to pay for it, we’re stuck with what we’ve got. However, when I taught in Clayton County, we were given a staff development catalogue every semester and we were allowed to choose the course that would be most beneficial for us. However, not everyone took advantage of these opportunities. You’re talking about night or weekend classes that interfere with people’s personal lives. Some people feel so overwhelmed and frustrated during the work day that doing anything extra can seem a bit unnecessary. I don’t know what the answer is. However, I do think that programs like our Ed.S program that will raise awareness in some teachers is a start. Our eyes have been opened and we are now more knowledgeable about what should start happening in our schools. We can be leaders and help to open the eyes of others, without being forceful and overbearing.