tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18676377.post492228520059434229..comments2024-03-18T10:20:04.643-04:00Comments on Steve Hargadon: Live Thursday Dec. 16th with Writer Alfie Kohn (note early time)Steve Hargadonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17776685502090744803noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18676377.post-23366744177087762912010-12-27T15:46:21.821-05:002010-12-27T15:46:21.821-05:00Sorry, Lisa. Not sure I feel qualified to answer ...Sorry, Lisa. Not sure I feel qualified to answer that question! The more I've studied education, the more I've recognized that really thoughtful people have very different approaches and beliefs; and that those also can (should?) change over time. Which again leads me back to the act of local engagement and also allowing for other people to have different ways of doing things. For example, a lot of people criticize Teach for America for what I consider to be valid reasons, but I also found that in my interview with Steven Farr that I do believe they are making a difference in a particular kind of situation, and that there are really valuable lessons to be learned from what they do, even if one doesn't agree with them. In the case of TFA, I also think that there's been a polarization of the discussion, so those who don't like TFA aren't recognizing the value that is there, and TFA tends to claim broader applicability than may be warranted. Somehow we need to promote and support more nuanced, thoughtful respect for different opinions and perspectives in education discussions in order to help each other.Steve Hargadonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17776685502090744803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18676377.post-51842512955600406292010-12-24T15:04:32.021-05:002010-12-24T15:04:32.021-05:00I sent the link to Schlechtly and Kohn's inter...I sent the link to Schlechtly and Kohn's interview to my Board, and am becoming a real pain in the ass as I insist that they read and listen and learn -- in fact, I posted on Facebook Schlechtly's quote, "If you don't have time to read, you don't have time to lead."<br /><br />I like your response on what ties Kohn and Wagner together. Here's another poser: I used to regard Bill Gates as a good influence, funding some good work here in Maine on the improvement of high schools. Somewhere along the line, Gates and the progressives I follow parted company. I see Gates as someone with quite a vested interest in a well-educated workforce, but now that his wagon seems firmly hitched to the Billionaire Boys' Club wagon, I think he may have gone over to the dark side. There's a real disconnect between him and us, now. I admit that I don't understand why he has swerved in the wrong direction. Any ideas?<br /><br />(BTW, happy holidays!)<br /><br />ljcLisa Cooleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13395200368753029675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18676377.post-48539282242861755652010-12-21T14:38:01.315-05:002010-12-21T14:38:01.315-05:00Hi, Lisa. :)
I think what's increasingly int...Hi, Lisa. :)<br /><br />I think what's increasingly interesting to me is that, like many of the recent guests, both Kohn (I think) and Wagner (I know)--and especially Deborah Meier and Phil Schlecty--advocating involvement at the local level with all constituent groups working together to develop a local educational plan. I continue to find that this line of thinking makes a lot of sense to me: that it's not about finding the one right solution and implementing from the top down, but it's more about going through the process locally of determining what you want as an educational community and working together to accomplish it. Of course, the parallels there are increasingly obvious to me: engaged student work / engaged educator work / engaged community work. Don't know how we could think that we'd get the engaged student work without having the same kind of environment for everyone else involved in the process. <br /><br />Hope that helps!Steve Hargadonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17776685502090744803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18676377.post-49157350898511576672010-12-18T08:52:22.414-05:002010-12-18T08:52:22.414-05:00Steve, I eagerly listen to most of the interviews ...Steve, I eagerly listen to most of the interviews on Future of Education; the interviews, plus reading the actual books and investigating articles, etc., are a major part of the plans I'm forming to change the model of our school district here in central Maine.<br /><br />As a lay person, I find it difficult sometimes to venture through the various personalities and sort through what they're saying and how they agree and contradict. Lately I'm struggling between Tony Wagner and Alfie Kohn. While I think Wagner has made a major contribution to clarifying what the industrial model lacks and how it needs to change, Kohn's ideas contradict him, particularly when Wagner talks about how we have to consider the needs of the business world. I believe Kohn would say, educate children for themselves, not for how marketable you want them to become.<br /><br />It could be that the two disparate goals have the same ends. But this is just an example of how confusing the market of ideas can be!<br /><br />I would love to hear you address this concern: how to take the aggregate of ideas on school change, take what you need, and leave the rest! I believe I am informed enough to be able to do that but would still benefit from it being addressed -- particularly the divide between Wagner and Kohn.<br /><br />Thanks so much...didn't mean for this to be a book!<br /><br />Lisa CooleyLisa Cooleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13395200368753029675noreply@blogger.com