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I wonder how this idea works in many large high schools with disruptive
and hard-to-manage students. Somehow I don't think that saying, "We're
a
caring interested group of teachers who are no longer going to issue
any
grades so that students can concentrate on learning instead of grades"
is going to achieve any goals except anarchy.
The instances that I have read (no direct experience here) about in
which sucessful learning environments were achieved at "failing
schools"
have occured when students were forced into compliance by strong,
consistent, discipline.
Does anyone know of any evidence of attempts to apply this pass/fail
idea under such circumstances?
James Mackey
John Clement wrote:
Can only comment at college level, but I work homework probelms "cold",
In other instances, too, the rotten-apple theory offers a better fit
with
educational reality than does "the more, the merrier." Consider
schools that
try to have it both ways: They work with students who act
inappropriately,
perhaps even spending time to promote conflict-resolution
strategies--but
they still haven't let go of heavy-handed policies that amount to
doing
things to students to get compliance. On the one hand: "We're a caring
community, committed to solving problems together." On the other
hand: "If
you do something that displeases us (the people with the power),
we'll make
you suffer to teach you a lesson."
====================================================
meaning I do not look at them before class. Students then have the
opportunity to see me tackle a problem incorrectly, backtrack and try
another approach, continually check my approach, and occasionally fail
to work the problem at the board. I hope that they learn something from
the failures demonstrated at the board as well as the fact that problem
solving is not a simple 1,2,3 process.
James Mackey
Some currently common practices may have the spoiled apple effect.
For
example doing problems on the board for students is similar to
teaching step
by step problem solving in math, so it will only teach students how
to do
just the particular problem and will not result in bridging to similar
problems. Conventional lectures may have such an effect also.