Eclectic Technology

"Polarization has come to public education, big time. If it persists, at the end of the day we all are going to lose."

John Merrow looks at how polarized education has become in this post. He provides statistics such as (all quoted):

* Half of our kids get no early education;

* 22% of our children live in poverty, and;

* 25% have chronic health conditions like asthma or obesity.

He follows this discussion with seven ways that "we have become polarized about education." A few of the ways include:

* We are polarized about accountability.

* We are polarized about the role of technology.

He then asks that we think about four words (which you will find in his article) and asks that we look at the need to move beyond polarization. This article has made me look more deeply at many issues confronting education. 

"What is education for? Is it for pouring facts and formulas into students’ heads, or is it for creating learners?

At its best, was the U.S. educational system known for producing memorizers and test-takers or was it known for producing innovators?"

Carol Dweck shares her research on testing, fixed mindset, growth mindset and more. Read on to learn about how the emphasis on high stake testing may be leading us away for creativity and innovation.