Normally, while reading the news, I tend to cringe whenever I read anything about the state of education in our country. I hate reading about how the sky is falling, how we are so far behind the rest of the industrialized world, how NCLB (No Child Left Behind) is somehow to what we should strive. I get how NCLB is supposed to be, how it was intended. I do, I really do. It doesn’t work. NCLB is all about math and reading, and how if we push just those two subjects we will somehow catch up to the rest of the world.
Our education system is flawed, yes, so when I read about education, I tend to get touchy. Today, I was pleasantly surprised while reading an article from the New York Times. “Brain Power- Studying Young Minds, and How to Teach Them” is all about a school in the NY system that is using current research on the brain to drive curriculum. That, my friends, is an excellent idea. Brain Based Learning is something that I studied a bit about while attending college and it is something that, simply put, makes sense. We have the technology now to study minute bits and pieces of our own intellectual make-up and it’s being put to good use. Scientists have a pretty good idea how everything works in our brains, and educators are taking that knowledge to create curricula.
Most of our schooling is taught by repetition and rote memorization, which is not how people best learn. Brain Based learning helps us to fine tune just how we get information through to our memories and even informs us which information is appropriate to learn and when in our development. I know, awesome, right?
The only schools who are currently using the particular programs outlined in the article are preschools. Why? Preschools tend to be more flexible in their curricula and are also when the brain is making the most connections (except, of course, in infancy and toddlerhood), so it would benefit children the most to be taught using this method when there is more to be gained.
This makes me entirely glad that I was turned down for yet *another* position in the multitude of school districts in the IC/CR corridor. Sure, it’s a hell of a lot more money than I’m making now. Sure, it garners more prestige in society at large. Sure, I’d get to make more contacts in my field. But let me tell you something, that’s it, come closer… It’s all bunk. That’s right. It’s all utter nonsense. Unless you get into one of those rare schools with an understanding and supportive administration, you’re stuck in your curriculum. You’re stuck with your class sizes. You’re stuck with a severly limited budget. Right now, as much as my pay is nowhere near enough, I have satisfaction in my work. I get to control what I teach in my room. I have two other teachers who work in tandem with me. I have complete support from my administration. Sure, I don’t have an unlimited budget, but I have a school of teachers who all work together for ALL of the students. That’s something.
Still, I digress, my exploration of BBL has turned into yet another rant against the school systems.
Here’s a link to that article, if you’re interested!