A reply to some of the VOICES

FROM THE EDITORS

LINK

The teachers who placed the questions in front of the students have some comments and suggestions.

(1) we read Neil Postman's questions in Teaching as a Subversive Activity.  CLICK HERE to get the free PDF from a site in India.
(2) we conspired to place the questions in front of you
(3) we want to follow Postman's call to listen to students.
There seemed to be little doubt that, from the point of view of the students, these questions made much more sense than the ones they usually have to memorize the right answers to in school. 

We invite you to make a list of 10 or 15 videos and websites that you respect.

We teachers will compile a similar list.   Below is our list.   Your lists will appear in the VOICES blog as individual posts.

A list of videos, websites and PDFs.
Dan Pink
Flip Manifesto PDF

Interview with Oprah (Oprah bought 4500 copies of A Whole New Mind and gave them to the graduates of the 2008 class at Stanford)




How to get a better test score (it's a simple procedure)


Ken Robinson (let's push his lecture to 500 million views)

Neil Postman  Teaching as a Subversive Activity

Mario's notes about "no homework"


A summary of Pink's first five books  LINK

S. Rao has tips about how to create a positive attitude.   The principal reason there is no homework in Finnish schools is "we want students to learn how to be happy"
See the books that S. Rao has given in his list of "recommended reading"

CONGRATULATIONS.  You have started your Digital Library.  You have compiled a list of 10 to 15 videos, PDFs and recommendations that you respect.   Why not create a longer list?
We also encourage you to go to the John Vornle Library blog to learn how YOU can build a digital library.

GET THE LIBRARY:  download the books today and set up your own JPVLibrary Center today in your home or office.

http://tinyurl.com/johnpaulvornlereadlist

The blog address for the Library Centers is http://jpvlibrary.blogspot.com

The announcement of the library is at this location

http://jpvlibrary.blogspot.com/2014/06/introduction-please-subscribe-and.html

Would you like to meet Cariann E. Fay, one of the Voices?

Generic letter to talk show hosts:


I'm a high school teacher who wants to make school engaging.   One of my colleagues put the following questions to his students "What do you want to learn?  What is your opinion about the school system?  What could be done to improve your experience at school?"   Some of these questions came from Neil Postman's book Teaching as a Subversive Activity.

Cariann E. Fay wrote two paragraphs that could be read by more adults. Perhaps you will agree after you read her essay.  It would be such a pleasure to have Fay on your show (I'd be happy to come with her).  The key message:  
"School should be specialized for each student and each individual should be able to truly discern what they believe is worthwhile for their studies.
The thing that separates our generation from all others is the educational focus on standardized tests, which the inventor of said, “These tests are too crude to use and should be abandoned.”  These tests are made to memorize the answers and give a textbook response.  That is no education.  Education is truly understanding the material and being able to discern what you think is the right answer from a vast sea of knowledge."  -- Cariann E. Fay, 12th Grade  

http://voicesthatwewonthear.blogspot.com/

You can get the workbook that we assembled at www.TINYURL.com/boiseworkbook2

Thank you for listening.

Here’s what separates our generations: the standardized test (by Cariann E. Fay)

Here’s what separates our generations:  
the standardized test.

By Cariann E. Fay, 12th Grade at a public school in Southeast Florida.

Up until 5th grade, everyone should learn the same thing, with one or two exceptions such as foreign languages and a specialization for arts, such as orchestra or painting or dance.  By this point, students should be able to pick and choose what type of specialized school they would like to attend:  A science-based school, an arts school, a linguist school or veterinarian school, for example.  Until the eighth grade, this school is not a permanent choice and can be easily changed.  When high school is reached, the student works for some type of degree and schools can be changed, but students must audition to get in rather than be simply accepted.  In this way, school is specialized for each student and each individual will be able to truly discern what they believe is worthwhile for their studies.

The thing that separates our generation from all others is the educational focus on standardized tests, which the inventor of said, “These tests are too crude to use and should be abandoned.”  These tests are made to memorize the answers and give a textbook response.  That is no education.  Education is truly understanding the material and being able to discern what you think is the right answer from a vast sea of knowledge.

========

Reference

Download the PDF of Postman’s book

http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/taasa.pdf

https://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Subversive-Activity-No-Holds-Barred-Methods-/dp/0385290098/  

The quote comes from a video by Prince Ea.

The inventor of the standardized test said, “These tests are too crude to use and should be abandoned.”

http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2016/10/06/modern-education-system-kill-creativity-individuality-and-being-intellectually-abusive/

Frederick J. Kelly is the inventor.

https://www.hastac.org/blogs/cathy-davidson/2011/09/02/where-did-standardized-testing-come-anyway

For adults who have missed the recent Internet sensations,  see

The Lawsuit against Education by Prince Ea    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqTTojTija8  

David Brown, Boyinaband, with “Don’t Stay in School” (12 million YouTube views).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xe6nLVXEC0

If you have seen an essay by a student that speaks truth, please share it with us.   Send it to ManyPosters@gmail.com and we’ll add it to our list.

Thank you.

Introduction:  In 1971 Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner compiled a list of questions to encourage students to speak and think.  He invited teachers to put these questions to their students.   The aim was to encourage more listening by teachers to the inner voices of students.

In a school in Southeast Florida, the Postman questions were distributed to 117 students.  Here is one of the essays that came from this exercise.   We call this collection of essays “Voices that We Won’t Hear.”   Perhaps by sharing these essays in a blog, there will be some adults who will hear what these teenagers have to tell us.

In short, 45 years after Postman compiled these questions, some students are benefitting from his book.

TransformTeaching.org

TinyURL.com/FischlerEbook

you can find this post at the quick link TINYURL.com/voicesFay