Anyone have any good research or any Austrian/libertarian models or just generally "best practice" material I could review.
My students thrive on discussion and debate. They are GOOD at it, and they're in a not-so-awesome place [Mississippi]. They want to learn and do.
My concern is particularly about testing methods. I've stuck with the traditional paper test with short answer/multiple choice/blah but I just feel like there has to be something else that might work better.
Chime in, please!
I would check out the posts and links available at Jeremiah Dyke's profile. He hasn't posted in a while but definitely a valuable member - he's a high-school math teacher with lots of outside-the-box ideas on education.
Clayton -
Thank you!
I'm open to many, many more suggestions. So glad I decided to ask my fellow Austrians things. You guys are pretty handy.
Well if they thrive on debate, why not figure out a way to have them debate instead of doing a boring test? Just a thought.
Schools are labour camps.
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Thats pretty cool. Now I am tempted to want to read the whole book and all the blog posts, but it costs money. :( Clayton, I have a thought, why don't you put all of your good forum posts onto a blog?
Hum.....Unfortunately a lot of regulatory mumbo-jumbo might make this a difficult task. Administration might get cranky.
Seiesnalli
Here are more ideas:
1. You say that your students thrive on discussion and debate, so why not provide an online forum for it outside the classroom? Piazza, https://piazza.com/ should get you started. You can even post other class information on this to help your students. If you are doing this already, then keep doing it.
2. I think other people have better ideas, but heres an idea for a cool activity. Have your students take a test, where they are asked what they think about something and why (try to make this interesting). Then have them debate it in class. And then discuss how different it is when they wrote their answers on the test and when they were debating it in class.
@eliot: I've considered it and ruled it out. I was blogging a lot of my thoughts but I'm just not good at that kind of regularized, little-by-little output. I tend to produce large output in very short bursts separated by random periods of low output. I started the astro-liberalism YT video with the intent to continue with a whole series but I'm absolutely hammered at work and in personal life right at the moment. Later this year, I hope to get some more free time and to continue that project. I was considering a book but I've decided to do videos instead because I think I can illustrate my points in a less abstract and terse way in a video series.
I also have an idea for a monetized book that would basically use a treasure hunting gimmick somewhat like this to try to boost sales. That one will have to wait until I get time to finish my programming language that has been lying in neglect these last three months..
Is it required for your students to call you Mr/Mrs <Last Name>?
If not it be really cool if students can just call you by first name like any other person.
Id love to have a teacher like that.
“Since people are concerned that ‘X’ will not be provided, ‘X’ will naturally be provided by those who are concerned by its absence.""The sweetest of minds can harbor the harshest of men.”
http://voluntaryistreader.wordpress.org
Education playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDEBEA276913F8838 .
@Kelvin It's a bit of an old-fashioned rural school that I work in, and while perfectly responsible and respectable to call someone "Mr. FirstNameHere" to EVERYONE here, for some reason, that is not applicable to teachers. Mr. Lastnamehere is the safe route unless you want every uptight house-mother thinking you're diddling their kid. I couldn't care less, honestly.
I would avoid multiple choice at all costs. It inhibits individual critical thinking. It will be harder for you to grade non-multiple choice though. As a student I always liked getting assigned essays at the end of units instead of a formal test. I would have it be in class, because homework is a silly concept to me. Not having homework may not be feasible with your time restraints, but don't go over board with it if at all possible. They're already at school for 6+ hours per day. Pretty much just do your best to avoid the negative aspects of standardized schooling outlined in good posts in the "Is school necessary" thread.
I try, but it's a task, to say the least.
Teachers these days do more paper pushing than they do teaching. Because bureaucracy.