Ken Robinson’s video offered an interesting perspective on the different paradigms that exist in our educational system. He critically has addressed many of the issues that surround our our world education system. One definition of a paradigm is an example serving a model, pattern. Our educational system is filled with many different paradigms. These patterns have been around for ages and may or not changed have throughout the years. I think some of structure that our educational system was once based doesn’t apply today. I don’t think those who were around during the period the Enlightenment and the industrial revolution would imagine how the world has changed since then and see how those ideals don’t work in today’s society. Today all countries are trying to compete in being the top in math and science. Those subjects are important, but being creative and acting on that creativity is important to being a lifelong student.
I found what he said about the modern epidemic of ADHD and kids today are over medicated to be very critical about our current practices in how we treat children who don’t behave the way we think that students should behave in the classroom. I have not been a classroom in long time, so I don’t know true that statement is. But I believe the statement he said about children being are too over stimulated by the things that have access to and it has taken killed off some of their creativity. The only gaming system my family had was gameboy. We only had only that was shared between me and my sisters, which I think was a great idea because it taught us to share and for us to use our imagination to entertain ourselves, rather than being entertained by outside sources interactive. If we were traveling to the mountains, my dad would make us turn off the different electronic devise that we had on us, in the hope that we would take in the beauty of the environment that we are in. I like what Sir Robinson said about the rise in standardized testing with the rise in ADHD diagnoses. If students have been medicated to settle down then teacher can get them to sit in fill in the bubbles rather than be a distraction to the rest of the students who are taking the test. If a student is claim he less likely to be a distraction to the rest of the class most days.
What does this mean for me as a teacher?
I have not been a school classroom, since I graduated from high school so I know that have changed in the classroom since then. In this day in age of schooling, it is important to know about ADHD and how to work with your students who have it in the classroom. There are many things in our current educational system that do work and many things that don’t work. It is our job with work within the system to do the best we can to help our students. It is also my responsibility to research ways that I can help those students who have been diagnosed with ADHD. Patients is also important.
I worked in a rec center for awhile. It was my first experience dealing with children diagnosed with adhd. Maybe it was because of background, and possibly the fact that we were at a place where kids are supposed to run a bit free, but Only one of those kids do I feel was not misdiagnosed. The others just seemed to be smart, inquisitive, and out of the box thinkers. It worried me that we categorized that as an illness
ReplyDeleteI think that ADHD is overy used. I think there are MANY outlying factors for why these children act the way they do! Their family life, social status, and the overall fast speed of our current world are obvious indicators. I think that children stay inside too much, spend too much time on the computer or any other electronic, and don't engage in enough physical activity. It's no wonder our children are ready to go nuts...even adults can't keep up with our present society. If adults are having meltdowns, which I have witnessed, how do we think a child is handling things? I don't believe that ADHD is the diagnosis that is true to most children, rather, I think they are on overdrive from their surroundings. Especially in a classroom, I think children need to be understood by the teacher instead of chastised for not sitting still. We need to re-evaluate our teaching strategies, most likely.
ReplyDeleteI posted something similar to your post in regards to cultivating creativity and imagination in the classroom. Those are far more important characteristics than the capability of knowing subject matter for a standardized test. Especially when the overwhelming majority of that subject matter is only retained short term. Our greatest inventors/thinkers were undoubtedly the most imaginative living outside of a structured or standardized classroom. Great minds like Sir Isaac Newton and his theories of gravity; Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity; Edison’s lightbulb; Franklins kite flying and electricity studies; etc.
ReplyDelete@ Frank- School is structured and we need to learn who to as you say "imaginative living outside of a structure or standardized classroom." At some point while I was in college my parents threw me to the wolves and to some degree I didn't know how to take care of myself outside of my bubble. I had to imaginatively think on feet.
ReplyDeleteGood points Mariko. I am phlogging about unplugging children....I think that students now a days have a very hard time unplugging...I know that they text like crazy people, facebook, games, etc. I have to admit that I have mixed feeling about ADHD...I work with a student who is on ADHD medication who I believe doesn't need to be on the meds, another students was given ADHD meds and this students needed a lot more looking after. I think that medication can be helpful...diagnosis is an important part but also very challenging.
ReplyDelete