What to Look for in a Classroom: And Other Essays

Rating:
Summary: Kohn, Decentralized!
Review: Alfie Kohn is controversial, sure, but few people really doubt (or should doubt) the validity of his ideas. Problems arise when putting these ideas into action within a system that is built on a totally different foundation. Systemic change is required. Systemic change that is not likely to occur. This is Kohn centralized.

So it is refreshing to come to this volume of essays that discuss a myriad of issues that provide teachers with both practical ideas and the theoretical background to help learners learn despite the system that is in place. It is not difficult to find Kohn dreaming of his utopian visions of education without grades to bribe or threaten learners, but he is in control here, and the essay format allows him to be much more concise in presenting his ideas (I find his other books quite repetitive).

He addresses concerns of both the learner and the teacher in these essays. He cites volumes of research that allow us to understand how learners construct knowledge. He helps us access how teachers can then facilitate their classrooms to assist learners in this knowledge construction.

I find it delightful to quote him when addressing my administrators, for he is unabashed at claiming, in manifesto-esque grandeur, what is good for students--and he always has several studies to back his claims. Cogent, forceful, and friendly, these essays reflect an intelligent scholar that is a true advocate of learners.

Rating:
Summary: What Do Our Classroom Practices Communicate
Review: Alfie Kohn's book, What To Look For In A Classroom...and Other Essays is a collection of nineteen essays that were previously published in professional journals and newspapers. The essays are divided into five sections: Classroom Mismanagement, American Ideology Goes to School, Unquestioned Assumptions About Children, Business as Usual, and Lessons Learned. I will review the six essays that were particularly meaningful and insightful to me in my role of elementary principal. Kohn cites research and poses questions on the skills approach, discipline, character education, Cooperative Learning, grading, and businesses' influence in education. He examines the "why" behind the practices and "what" we as educators are communicating as we support it.
In the essay titled "The Limits of Teaching Skills" Kohn discussed the preoccupation in schools with teaching isolated skills and losing sight of students' motivation. When educators focus on the skills approach, the need to preserve and enrich kids' desire to learn may be lost. Children, who are motivated and excited to learn, will acquire the skills through immersion in the topic. A good example of this is teaching children to read through the whole language or the phonetic approach. In whole language, students are naturally excited to read so when they are immersed in the printed word the skills develop naturally; as opposed to the phonetic approach, where students learn the basic phonetic skills before they interact with the literature and as a result motivation to read may be lost. The current concern in education is that the standards movement is focused on attainment of skills and not on the big picture of learning.
In "Beyond Discipline," Kohn talked about Lee Canter's Assertive Discipline program and how it and many other behavior programs dangle rewards in front of children so they act the way we as educators want them to act. When the teacher is not concerned with being in charge, students are less likely to misbehave. In classrooms where the curriculum is insufficiently engaging, student behavior problems are more evident. To help students in becoming ethical people we must help them figure out, for themselves and with each other, what to do not just merely "tell" them what to do.
In "How Not to Teach Values" Kohn talked about the isolated and detached set of skills incorporated in character education programs. He states that many educators realize that the skills approach or rote memorization is not the most effective method to teach math and reading; however, the same people believe it is effective to teach character skills in that format. Instead, through the use of literature, class meetings, and adult modeling, educators empower students to think for themselves.
The essay titled "Resistance to Cooperative Learning" reviewed the social and intellectual advantages for students when working collaboratively with others. Students learn from their peers and at the same time learn teamwork and tolerance of others. Opponents of Cooperative Learning argue for grading on the curve and the winner/loser mentality in schools, where others are seen as obstacles to success. The goal is for all students to improve and move forward in their learning, which is what the Cooperative Learning model promotes.
"Grading: The Issue Is Not Why But How" detailed the three rationales for grade-sorting, motivation, and feedback. When students are sorted by grades, is the data we are using to sort even valid? In regard to motivation, when extrinsic rewards are given, intrinsic satisfaction diminishes. When a student is promised a reward for completing an activity or attainment of a grade, he/she does not work as hard as those who were promised nothing. It is important to give feedback to students regarding their performance; however, grades focus on the success/failure component instead of clear feedback for the sake of improvement.
"The Five-Hundred Pound Gorilla" covers businesses' influence and power in education. Businesses strive to be number one, just as politically our nation strives to be number one internationally. Influence from business and political leaders is pushing schools to compete to be at the top or number one as evidenced in the standards movement. It is the "scientific management" paradigm that is evident in factories and drives the corporate view of educational standards. Kohn suggests by keeping standards narrow or specific is not a commitment to excellence but an outmoded, top down approach to controlling production. Instead, he suggests by keeping standards "as vague as possible" it allows educators the freedom to individualize and be responsive to the needs of individual learners.
In this review, I pulled in some of Kohn's main points that were meaningful to me. As an elementary principal, Kohn's research and review of the skills approach, discipline, character education, Cooperative Learning, grading, and businesses' influence gave me insight into "why" we do the things we do in schools. It is clear we have paradigms from the past that are still at work in the schools today and I found his collection of essays insightful and extremely thought provoking! It concerns me that we may be doing some things in the schools that appear beneficial for students in the areas of discipline, grading, character education; yet, when analyzing what we are actually teaching students, the practices may be detrimental to their success. Our strategies or techniques may be short-term solutions to motivate or control behavior, which may have negative long-term effects.

Rating:
Summary: What Do Our Classroom Practices Communicate
Review: Alfie Kohn's book, What To Look For In A Classroom...and Other Essays is a collection of nineteen essays that were previously published in professional journals and newspapers. The essays are divided into five sections: Classroom Mismanagement, American Ideology Goes to School, Unquestioned Assumptions About Children, Business as Usual, and Lessons Learned. I will review the six essays that were particularly meaningful and insightful to me in my role of elementary principal. Kohn cites research and poses questions on the skills approach, discipline, character education, Cooperative Learning, grading, and businesses' influence in education. He examines the "why" behind the practices and "what" we as educators are communicating as we support it.
In the essay titled "The Limits of Teaching Skills" Kohn discussed the preoccupation in schools with teaching isolated skills and losing sight of students' motivation. When educators focus on the skills approach, the need to preserve and enrich kids' desire to learn may be lost. Children, who are motivated and excited to learn, will acquire the skills through immersion in the topic. A good example of this is teaching children to read through the whole language or the phonetic approach. In whole language, students are naturally excited to read so when they are immersed in the printed word the skills develop naturally; as opposed to the phonetic approach, where students learn the basic phonetic skills before they interact with the literature and as a result motivation to read may be lost. The current concern in education is that the standards movement is focused on attainment of skills and not on the big picture of learning.
In "Beyond Discipline," Kohn talked about Lee Canter's Assertive Discipline program and how it and many other behavior programs dangle rewards in front of children so they act the way we as educators want them to act. When the teacher is not concerned with being in charge, students are less likely to misbehave. In classrooms where the curriculum is insufficiently engaging, student behavior problems are more evident. To help students in becoming ethical people we must help them figure out, for themselves and with each other, what to do not just merely "tell" them what to do.
In "How Not to Teach Values" Kohn talked about the isolated and detached set of skills incorporated in character education programs. He states that many educators realize that the skills approach or rote memorization is not the most effective method to teach math and reading; however, the same people believe it is effective to teach character skills in that format. Instead, through the use of literature, class meetings, and adult modeling, educators empower students to think for themselves.
The essay titled "Resistance to Cooperative Learning" reviewed the social and intellectual advantages for students when working collaboratively with others. Students learn from their peers and at the same time learn teamwork and tolerance of others. Opponents of Cooperative Learning argue for grading on the curve and the winner/loser mentality in schools, where others are seen as obstacles to success. The goal is for all students to improve and move forward in their learning, which is what the Cooperative Learning model promotes.
"Grading: The Issue Is Not Why But How" detailed the three rationales for grade-sorting, motivation, and feedback. When students are sorted by grades, is the data we are using to sort even valid? In regard to motivation, when extrinsic rewards are given, intrinsic satisfaction diminishes. When a student is promised a reward for completing an activity or attainment of a grade, he/she does not work as hard as those who were promised nothing. It is important to give feedback to students regarding their performance; however, grades focus on the success/failure component instead of clear feedback for the sake of improvement.
"The Five-Hundred Pound Gorilla" covers businesses' influence and power in education. Businesses strive to be number one, just as politically our nation strives to be number one internationally. Influence from business and political leaders is pushing schools to compete to be at the top or number one as evidenced in the standards movement. It is the "scientific management" paradigm that is evident in factories and drives the corporate view of educational standards. Kohn suggests by keeping standards narrow or specific is not a commitment to excellence but an outmoded, top down approach to controlling production. Instead, he suggests by keeping standards "as vague as possible" it allows educators the freedom to individualize and be responsive to the needs of individual learners.
In this review, I pulled in some of Kohn's main points that were meaningful to me. As an elementary principal, Kohn's research and review of the skills approach, discipline, character education, Cooperative Learning, grading, and businesses' influence gave me insight into "why" we do the things we do in schools. It is clear we have paradigms from the past that are still at work in the schools today and I found his collection of essays insightful and extremely thought provoking! It concerns me that we may be doing some things in the schools that appear beneficial for students in the areas of discipline, grading, character education; yet, when analyzing what we are actually teaching students, the practices may be detrimental to their success. Our strategies or techniques may be short-term solutions to motivate or control behavior, which may have negative long-term effects.

Rating:
Summary: Rethink our assumptions
Review: Featured in Time, over two hundred appearances on television and radio
programmes, including two on "Oprah" (Cf. Independent
School, Fall 1999), Alfie Kohn is someone that every educator, student
teacher and parent should be acquainted with. He has tirelessly
campaigned for a truly democratic education based on a much more
positive trust in human nature. He wants schools to steer away from
tests and grading, punishment and rewards. In his vision of the
classroom, "students play an active role in decisions, teachers
work WITH students rather than doing things TO them, and the learners'
interests and questions drive much of the curriculum." (p. 277)
This theme runs through the 19 articles, mostly written since 1995,
collected here in this volume. He candidly owns up to having
something of a contrarian streak. He has used that gift well to
provoke people to rethink their conventional wisdom. I won't give any
key points since other reviews have already done a great job. I wish
he himself can write a more succinct summary of his philosophy of
education and all the basic proposals.


Rating:
Summary: Rethink our assumptions
Review: Featured in Time, over two hundred appearances on television and radio
programmes, including two on "Oprah" (Cf. Independent
School, Fall 1999), Alfie Kohn is someone that every educator, student
teacher and parent should be acquainted with. He has tirelessly
campaigned for a truly democratic education based on a much more
positive trust in human nature. He wants schools to steer away from
tests and grading, punishment and rewards. In his vision of the
classroom, "students play an active role in decisions, teachers
work WITH students rather than doing things TO them, and the learners'
interests and questions drive much of the curriculum." (p. 277)
This theme runs through the 19 articles, mostly written since 1995,
collected here in this volume. He candidly owns up to having
something of a contrarian streak. He has used that gift well to
provoke people to rethink their conventional wisdom. I won't give any
key points since other reviews have already done a great job. I wish
he himself can write a more succinct summary of his philosophy of
education and all the basic proposals.


Rating:
Summary: Alternative thinking for better school
Review: I was lucky enough to hear Alfie Kohn speak at a school inservice, and he really got people riled up! That is high praise; he really made people think. He goes against many standard educational practices and asks us to look at what we are REALLY teaching our students.

This book covers many of Kohn's "non-traditional" ideas. Some of his more compelling arguments address the ideas of giving rewards for reading (and the damage that does in the long run,) the over-inflation of grades, and the needless emphasis we put on grades and standardized testing. This book should be required reading for all teachers and educators!

The bottom line is . . . what do we value most for our kids? Do we want to teach them HOW TO THINK or do we want to teach them how to regurgitate information that WE feel is important? Do we empower our kids, or do we force them into obedience and repetition? Kohn offers insightful answers to these questions.

Rating:
Summary: Alternative thinking for better school
Review: I was lucky enough to hear Alfie Kohn speak at a school inservice, and he really got people riled up! That is high praise; he really made people think. He goes against many standard educational practices and asks us to look at what we are REALLY teaching our students.

This book covers many of Kohn's "non-traditional" ideas. Some of his more compelling arguments address the ideas of giving rewards for reading (and the damage that does in the long run,) the over-inflation of grades, and the needless emphasis we put on grades and standardized testing. This book should be required reading for all teachers and educators!

The bottom line is . . . what do we value most for our kids? Do we want to teach them HOW TO THINK or do we want to teach them how to regurgitate information that WE feel is important? Do we empower our kids, or do we force them into obedience and repetition? Kohn offers insightful answers to these questions.