[Pocket Sharing] Bell curve; PBL; "It's what they experience"

I have been using Pocket for a while now (3 years?) and it has been very handy.  For those that are not familiar, it is a read it later application (in fact, I think it was initially called "Read It Later").  It lets you quickly save links that you'd like to revisit.

I thought it might be a good idea to start sharing some of the articles that I've kept in my pocket, as well as share some thoughts about it.  These will likely be a combination of blog posts, news articles, and journal articles.

I've chosen these three articles as a platform for thinking about assessment.

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1. The myth of the bell curve: Look for the hyper-performers

Bersin discusses how the Bell curve, "while easy to understand, does not accurately reflect the way the people perform."  While there are several things that don't relate as nicely to education, there were a bunch of good thinking points here.

Notable quotes

"No one wants to be rated on a five point scale...it creates a defensive reaction and doesn't encourage people to improve"
"Mid level performers are not highly motivated to improve... In a sense the model rewards mediocrity"
"People often believe the bell curve is 'fair'... But fairness does not mean 'equality' or 'equivalent rewards for all.'"

Thoughts

While not talking about assessment and evaluation in education, I saw lots of connection immediately.  Similar arguments can be made for the importance for us educators to be aware of the pitfalls.  If we evaluate and assess through a norm-referenced lens - and somehow attempt to fit our classroom achievements with a bell curve - then we end up with unmotivated students who are defensive and who begin to perceive unfairness in everything we attempt to accomplish.

2. Seymour Papert: Project-Based Learning

There has been an increasing amount of interest in methodology that promote inquiry-based learning from students, with problem-based learning, project-based learning, and learning through design.  This is an old article but it is still valuable and important to think about.

Some notable quotes

While discussing "what must change in schools to better accommodate project-based learning" Papert went on to say:

first thing you have to do is to give up the idea of curriculum. Curriculum meaning you have to learn this on a given day. Replace it by a system where you learn this where you need it. So that means we're going to put kids in a position where they're going to use the knowledge that they're getting. So what I try to do is to develop kinds of activities that are rich in scientific, mathematical, and other contents like managerial skills and project skills, and which mesh with interests that particular kids might have.

While discussing "what assessment should look like in a project-oriented classroom or school" Papert went on to say:

A lot of work's been done on [portfolios and alternative assessments].  And I think fundamentally that's right.  Where I think it's weak, though, in the way it's being practiced is that they're still trying to test within the framework of traditional curriculum. And I think there's almost a contradiction in that because what was chosen to be put in the curriculum was chosen because it's the sort of stuff that is best tested by right and wrong answers. It's the sort of stuff that fits in with a pencil-and-paper kind of epistemology. And pencil-and-paper knowledge technology lends itself to right answer/wrong answer rather than something dynamic where you do things. So, as I see it, the trend towards portfolio-based, so-called authentic assessment is very good, but it's very limited unless it goes with throwing out the content of what we're testing.

Thoughts

Even if you are not a supporter of project-based learning, or if you are hesitant in trying it, there are a lot of excellent points made about the landscape of mathematics education as it stands.  The two quotes that I've chosen both relate to the difficulty in forming appropriate assessment practices within the classroom - especially as we transition into a paradigm which is student-centered.  This tension is huge.  The question of "how do I test this?" is not one to be discounted.  It is a good question in that it is a powerful indicator that reveals the incompatibility between traditional testing methods and inquiry-based approaches in general (not to mention our shift more into a socio-constructivist view of learning).  Where this article is quite short, here is a more extensive read on the situation

State of the field review: assessment and learning from Oxford University Centre for Educational Assessment Report

3. It's Not What We Teach; It's What They Learn

Alfie Kohn is always a good read, and this article from 2008 is no different.  It serves as a powerful reminder to all practicing teachers with respect to our purpose as facilitators of learning, as well as provide lots of other things to think about.

Some notable quotes

Kohn begins by pointing out the inconsistency between the purpose of education (e.g. allowing learning to occur) and teacher tendency to shift responsibility for what constitutes as a "good lesson."

"I taught a good lesson even though the students didn't learn it." Again, everything turns on definition. If teaching is conceived as an interactive activity, a process of facilitating learning, then the sentence is incoherent. It makes no more sense than "I had a big dinner even though I didn't eat anything." But what if teaching is defined solely in terms of what the teacher says and does? In that case, the statement isn't oxymoronic - it's just moronic.  Wouldn't an unsuccessful lesson lead whoever taught it to ask, "So, what could I have done that might have been more successful?"

Kohn also follows the paragraph with a powerful sentence: "what we do doesn’t matter nearly as much as how kids experience what we do."

Kohn also comments on the incompatibilities of testing with deepening understanding and enthusiasm.

when teachers these days are told to think about learning, it may be construed in behaviorist terms, with an emphasis on discrete, measurable skills.  The point isn’t to deepen understanding (and enthusiasm) but merely to elevate test scores... The fact is that real learning often can’t be quantified, and a corporate-style preoccupation with “data” turns schooling into something shallow and lifeless.  Ideally, attention to learning signifies an effort to capture how each student makes sense of the world so we can meet them where they are.  “Teaching,” as Deborah Meier reminded us, “is mostly listening.”

Thoughts

I am unsure if teachers intentionally shift the blame and responsibility in what qualifies as "a good lesson."  In some sense it may be a defense mechanism for some teachers to manage day-to-day activities without becoming distraught over what a terrible job they've done.  But at the same time, I can appreciate the warning that Kohn is giving.  Reflection is important, and reflection should incorporate student voices and student experiences - otherwise it may simply be a useless pat on a back or meaningless self-inflicted torture.

Perhaps due to my interest in the area of assessment, the last quote really stood out for me.  Similar to the second "pocket share," Kohn also identifies severe issues with current attitudes towards assessment and evaluation.

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What are your thoughts on these articles?  What came to mind?