Sunday, September 7, 2008

Group Work.

From Scenes from the Battlefield
It is always suggested that it would be a good idea if students took part in some activities during a lesson in pairs or groups. ... snip ... Of course, this is nonsense. If you want to learn how to cooperate effectively with others, then the last place you’d start is in a group of teenagers being made to do school work. This is like saying the best way to learn how to make pork sausages is by being imprisoned in a pig farm with a half-dozen rabbis. (emphasis mine)
Brilliant.

Of course, Principal PJs and the Superintendent do not agree. We need to go "high-tech" and "teach the 21st century student" and "incorporate more technology resources" into the "collaborative classroom environment" of "digital natives." We need more "collective work" and more "self-directed learning." If we stress "interactivity" and group work, the students will experience less stress and will learn more. They'll never waste time.

I'll believe it when I see it. Now, I've gotta get back to work.

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