21 replies to this topic

[Hum]

Watch an interview with him Sunday on "Fareed Zakaria GPS" at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET.

(CNN) -- Today I released my annual letter. Each year, I reflect on what I learned in the last year through our travels and work with the foundation and how that will shape my thinking over the coming months. This year, my letter focuses on how important it is to set clear goals and measure progress in order to accomplish the foundation's priorities, both here at home and around the world.

Setting a clear goal lets you know what you're driving at: Picking the right interventions that will have the most impact on that final goal, using that information to understand what's working and what's not, and adapting your strategy as necessary. One of the clearest examples of the power of measurement was the work of our partners to support great teachers.

In the past few years, the quest to understand great teaching has been at the center of the public discussion about how to improve education in America. But for the country's 3 million teachers and 50 million schoolchildren, great teaching isn't an abstract policy issue. For teachers, understanding great teaching means the opportunity to receive feedback on the skills and techniques that can help them excel in their careers. For students, it means a better chance of graduating from high school ready for success in life.

But what do we mean when we talk about great teaching? In my experience, the vast majority of teachers get zero feedback on how to improve.

That's because for decades, our schools have lacked the kinds of measurement tools that can drive meaningful change. Teachers have worked in isolation and been asked to improve with little or no feedback, while schools have struggled to create systems to provide feedback that's consistent, fair and reliable.

That's why the Gates Foundation supported the Measures of Effective Teaching, or MET, project. The project was an extraordinary, three-year collaboration between dozens of researchers and nearly 3,000 teacher volunteers from seven U.S. public school districts who opened their classrooms so we could study how to improve the way we measure and give feedback about great teaching.

more at CNN

[mclaren2]

i think the unions are the problem here. all they brag about is class-size, ofc. the dream of every teacher would be a class of 5-10 children maximum, to have an easy life. but thats not about quality then.
oh well mitt was so right in that debate, now bill says the same and obama does - ofc - nothing. when mitt was governor in massachusetts that state always ranked first in the tests.

[Joshie]

mclaren2, on 30 January 2013 - 22:15, said:

i think the unions are the problem here. all they brag about is class-size, ofc. the dream of every teacher would be a class of 5-10 children maximum, to have an easy life. but thats not about quality then.
oh well mitt was so right in that debate, now bill says the same and obama does - ofc - nothing. when mitt was governor in massachusetts that state always ranked first in the tests.

To be totally frank, I think the sort of people who think education can boil down to one issue (i.e., unions) are contributing jack to the solution.

Here's a truth of the universe: crap is complicated. Real problems will almost never come down to one factor that needs 'fixing'. There are no one-step cure-alls. There are no single causes. There is no "the problem". Crap is complicated, and what you've just said is nothing but a talking point. Yet another steaming pile pulled from the hat of political speech. Yeah, I mixed metaphors. That's just the way the cookie breaks the camel's back.

"It's the unions" is unproductive, inaccurate, childish, and not a sign of independent thought.

[linsook]

Joshie, on 30 January 2013 - 22:31, said:

To be totally frank, I think the sort of people who think education can boil down to one issue (i.e., unions) are contributing jack to the solution.

Here's a truth of the universe: crap is complicated. Real problems will almost never come down to one factor that needs 'fixing'. There are no one-step cure-alls. There are no single causes. There is no "the problem". Crap is complicated, and what you've just said is nothing but a talking point. Yet another steaming pile pulled from the hat of political speech.

"It's the unions" is unproductive, inaccurate, childish, and not a sign of independent thought.

Agreed.

[Growled]

If the problem was simple and easy to solve someone would have done it by now. It's a very complicated issue caused by many factors. I seriously doubt that one answer will solve every problem.

[Richteralan]

Bill Gates is wrong. It's always the teachers' fault. And teacher's union's.

/s

[ChrisJ1968]

Check this out. this lady explains the purposeful "dumbing down of america". I believe there are a huge intelligent group here




OR

[Hum]

^ There is definitely a dumbing down going on.

[Growled]

It ain't just happening in America, though. It's worldwide.

[z0phi3l]

Growled, on 01 February 2013 - 02:46, said:

It ain't just happening in America, though. It's worldwide.

Need to have as many people as possible dependent on Government for subsistence if you want to control everything, free thinkers are not allowed either, they get in the way

[jakem1]

mclaren2, on 30 January 2013 - 22:15, said:

i think the unions are the problem here. all they brag about is class-size, ofc. the dream of every teacher would be a class of 5-10 children maximum, to have an easy life. but thats not about quality then.
oh well mitt was so right in that debate, now bill says the same and obama does - ofc - nothing. when mitt was governor in massachusetts that state always ranked first in the tests.

Out of interest, have you ever taught children? When you're dealing with a class of 25+ children it's all about people management with limited opportunities to deal with the needs of individuals. If you're lucky enough to have a class of 5 to 10 kids you can actually teach them and attend to their needs.

It might seem like fun to bash unions but they're made up of teachers who know what they're talking about. If all you want is a babysitter then large class sizes are a good idea but if you want children to learn and grow then you need to create an environment where they can.

[rfirth]

mclaren2, on 30 January 2013 - 22:15, said:

i think the unions are the problem here. all they brag about is class-size, ofc. the dream of every teacher would be a class of 5-10 children maximum, to have an easy life. but thats not about quality then.

It's poverty and a culture that revels in ignorance. Want to fix the problem? Make learning cool again.

[+chAos972]

Growled, on 01 February 2013 - 02:46, said:

It ain't just happening in America, though. It's worldwide.

That's not true.

[Tom]

Growled, on 01 February 2013 - 02:46, said:

It ain't just happening in America, though. It's worldwide.

Uhm, no.

It's happening in place where the governments are cutting education. Countries that are still heavily invested in education; Finland, South Korea, New Zealand, Japan and Norway are doing perfect fine. The US has had a anti-intellectual mindset for a few decades now, mainly thanks to the tea party.

[Joshie]

Tom, on 02 February 2013 - 21:26, said:

...a few decades now, mainly thanks to the tea party.

TIL the four year old Tea Party has time travel technology.