This link has been bookmarked by 115 people and liked by 1 people. It was first bookmarked on 15 May 2013, by Paul Bogush.
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05 Aug 15
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05 Apr 15
Michael Kaechele"Finland is not a fan of standardization in education. However, teacher education in Finland is carefully standardized."
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01 Apr 15
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30 Mar 15
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29 Jan 15
Sheri EdwardsWhat if Finland’s great teachers taught in U.S. schools? - The Washington Post
Great piece about Pasi Sahlberg http://t.co/64nCLhmFP3 -
21 Jan 15
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Chris AtkinsonRT @sklink: #whatif Teachers in Finland taught in Indiana http://t.co/BL2Pp2ohiH Last 3 paragraphs-must read. @pasi_sahlberg @RiseAboveMark
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11 Jan 15
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04 Jan 15
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03 Jan 15
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01 Jan 15
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Tom PerranRT @poida: Superb! MT @SFPrincipal: What if Finland’s #teachers taught in U.S. schools? http://t.co/RI7pFlngMI Read and retweet! #edreform
— Tom Perran (@tperran) January 1, 2015
Superb! MT @SFPrincipal: What if Finland’s great #teachers taught in U.S. schools?
http://t.co/VUoUpQM50k via @washingtonpost
#edchat #edu -
30 Dec 14
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29 Dec 14
Guttorm HWhat if Finland’s great teachers taught in U.S. schools? http://t.co/JWt50P2CYR
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Tyler AmidonWhat if Finland’s great teachers taught in U.S. schools? - The Washington Post http://t.co/YKDpLRWbsf
— Chris Scott (@cscottsy) December 29, 2014 -
28 Dec 14
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07 Nov 14
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In many under-performing nations, I notice, three fallacies of teacher effectiveness prevail.
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The first belief is that “the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.”
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The second fallacy is that “the most important single factor in improving quality of education is teachers.”
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The third fallacy is that “If any children had three or four great teachers in a row, they would soar academically, regardless of their racial or economic background, while those who have a sequence of weak teachers will fall further and further behind”.
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Lessons from high-performing school systems, including Finland, suggest that we must reconsider how we think about teaching as a profession and what is the role of the school in our society.
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First, standardization should focus more on teacher education and less on teaching and learning in schools.
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Second, the toxic use of accountability for schools should be abandoned.
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Third, other school policies must be changed before teaching becomes attractive to more young talents.
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18 Aug 14
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22 Jun 14
Jeroen ClemensNiet de toetsen standaardiseren, maar de lerarenopleiding. Beter dan @pasi_sahlberg kan ik t niet zeggen http://t.co/6nFwlmMNTR #rekentoets
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04 Jun 14
Tom Daccord"Finland is not a fan of standardization in education. However, teacher education in Finland is carefully standardized. All teachers must earn a master’s degree at one of the country’s research universities. Competition to get into these teacher education programs is tough; only “the best and the brightest” are accepted. As a consequence, teaching is regarded as an esteemed profession, on par with medicine, law or engineering. There is another “teacher quality” checkpoint at graduation from School of Education in Finland. Students are not allowed to earn degrees to teach unless they demonstrate that they possess knowledge, skills and morals necessary to be a successful teacher."
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26 May 14
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In search of a silver bullet, reformers now turn their eyes on teachers, believing that if only they could attract “the best and the brightest” into the teaching profession, the quality of education would improve.
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Teacher quality in high-performing countries is a result of careful quality control at entry into teaching rather than measuring teacher effectiveness in service.
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In recent years the “no excuses”’ argument has been particularly persistent in the education debate. There are those who argue that poverty is only an excuse not to insist that all schools should reach higher standards. Solution: better teachers. Then there are those who claim that schools and teachers alone cannot overcome the negative impact that poverty causes in many children’s learning in school. Solution: Elevate children out of poverty by other public policies.
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For me the latter is right. In the United States today, 23 percent of children live in poor homes. In Finland, the same way to calculate child poverty would show that figure to be almost five times smaller. The United States ranked in the bottom four in the recent United Nations review on child well-being. Among 29 wealthy countries, the United States landed second from the last in child poverty and held a similarly poor position in “child life satisfaction.” Teachers alone, regardless of how effective they are, will not be able to overcome the challenges that poor children bring with them to schools everyday.
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In many under-performing nations, I notice, three fallacies of teacher effectiveness prevail.
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The first belief is that “the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.”
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the report assumes that teachers work independently from one another. But teachers in most schools today, in the United States and elsewhere, work as teams when the end result of their work is their joint effort.
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The quality of Team USA certainly exceeded the quality of its players. So can an education system.
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The second fallacy is that “the most important single factor in improving quality of education is teachers.”
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Research on what explains students’ measured performance in school remains mixed. A commonly used conclusion is that 10% to 20% of the variance in measured student achievement belongs to the classroom, i.e., teachers and teaching, and a similar amount is attributable to schools, i.e., school climate, facilities and leadership. In other words, up to two-thirds of what explains student achievement is beyond the control of schools, i.e., family background and motivation to learn.
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effective leadership is among the most important characteristics of effective schools, equally important to effective teaching. Effective leadership includes leader qualities, such as being firm and purposeful, having shared vision and goals, promoting teamwork and collegiality and frequent personal monitoring and feedback.
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The third fallacy is that “If any children had three or four great teachers in a row, they would soar academically, regardless of their racial or economic background, while those who have a sequence of weak teachers will fall further and further behind”.
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This assumption presents a view that education reform alone could overcome the powerful influence of family and social environment mentioned earlier. It insists that schools should get rid of low-performing teachers and then only hire great ones.
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Everybody agrees that the quality of teaching in contributing to learning outcomes is beyond question. It is therefore understandable that teacher quality is often cited as the most important in-school variable influencing student achievement. But just having better teachers in schools will not automatically improve students’ learning outcomes.
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There is no Teach for Finland or other alternative pathways into teaching that wouldn’t include thoroughly studying theories of pedagogy and undergo clinical practice. These countries set the priority to have strict quality control before anybody will be allowed to teach – or even study teaching! This is why in these countries teacher effectiveness and teacher evaluation are not such controversial topics as they are in the U.S. today.
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Current practices in many countries that judge the quality of teachers by counting their students’ measured achievement only is in many ways inaccurate and unfair. It is inaccurate because most schools’ goals are broader than good performance in a few academic subjects. It is unfair because most of the variation of student achievement in standardized tests can be explained by out-of-school factors.
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experiences from those countries that do well in international rankings suggest that teachers should have autonomy in planning their work, freedom to run their lessons the way that leads to best results, and authority to influence the assessment of the outcomes of their work. Schools should also be trusted in these key areas of the teaching profession.
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23 May 14
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22 May 14
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18 May 14
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20 Apr 14
Isabel GonzálezWhy good teaching is necessary but not sufficient. School and social contexts matter enormously. @pasi_sahlberg http://t.co/aOajicYjCC
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19 Apr 14
WWP Science WWPRSDWhy good teaching is necessary but not sufficient. School and social contexts matter enormously. @pasi_sahlberg http://t.co/aOajicYjCC
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18 Jan 14
Brian WallInsightful, provocative article for faculty discussion: What if Finland’s great teachers taught in U.S. schools? http://t.co/bV1FSMpODD
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17 Jan 14
Home and Work Bookmarks.@pasi_sahlberg explains why Finnish education is so successful and fallacies in the thinking of our policymakers http://t.co/y2FbKzoR97
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11 Jan 14
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Teacher quality in high-performing countries is a result of careful quality control at entry into teaching rather than measuring teacher effectiveness in service.
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Finland is not a fan of standardization in education. However, teacher education in Finland is carefully standardized.
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10% to 20% of the variance in measured student achievement belongs to the classroom, i.e., teachers and teaching, and a similar amount is attributable to schools, i.e., school climate, facilities and leadership. In other words, up to two-thirds of what explains student achievement is beyond the control of schools, i.e., family background and motivation to learn.
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27 Dec 13
Greg NetzerPasi Sahlberg
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13 Nov 13
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What if Finland’s great teachers taught in U.S. schools?
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Many governments are under political and economic pressure to turn around their school systems for higher rankings in the international league tables. Education reforms often promise quick fixes within one political term. Canada, South Korea, Singapore and Finland are commonly used models for the nations that hope to improve teaching and learning in their schools. In search of a silver bullet, reformers now turn their eyes on teachers, believing that if only they could attract “the best and the brightest” into the teaching profession, the quality of education would improve.
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“Teacher effectiveness” is a commonly used term that refers to how much student performance on standardized tests is determined by the teacher. This concept hence applies only to those teachers who teach subjects on which students are tested. Teacher effectiveness plays a particular role in education policies of nations where alternative pathways exist to the teaching profession.
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In recent years the “no excuses”’ argument has been particularly persistent in the education debate. There are those who argue that poverty is only an excuse not to insist that all schools should reach higher standards. Solution: better teachers. Then there are those who claim that schools and teachers alone cannot overcome the negative impact that poverty causes in many children’s learning in school. Solution: Elevate children out of poverty by other public policies.
For me the latter is right. In the United States today, 23 percent of children live in poor homes. In Finland, the same way to calculate child poverty would show that figure to be almost five times smaller. The United States ranked in the bottom four in the recent United Nations review on child well-being. Among 29 wealthy countries, the United States landed second from the last in child poverty and held a similarly poor position in “child life satisfaction.” Teachers alone, regardless of how effective they are, will not be able to overcome the challenges that poor children bring with them to schools everyday.
-
-
-
“Teacher effectiveness” is a commonly used term that refers to how much student performance on standardized tests is determined by the teacher. This concept hence applies only to those teachers who teach subjects on which students are tested. Teacher effectiveness plays a particular role in education policies of nations where alternative pathways exist to the teaching profession.
-
Teacher quality in high-performing countries is a result of careful quality control at entry into teaching rather than measuring teacher effectiveness in service.
-
In the United States today, 23 percent of children live in poor homes. In Finland, the same way to calculate child poverty would show that figure to be almost five times smaller. The United States ranked in the bottom four in the recent United Nations review on child well-being. Among 29 wealthy countries, the United States landed second from the last in child poverty and held a similarly poor position in “child life satisfaction.” Teachers alone, regardless of how effective they are, will not be able to overcome the challenges that poor children bring with them to schools everyday.
-
Finland is not a fan of standardization in education. However, teacher education in Finland is carefully standardized. All teachers must earn a master’s degree at one of the country’s research universities. Competition to get into these teacher education programs is tough; only “the best and the brightest” are accepted. As a consequence, teaching is regarded as an esteemed profession, on par with medicine, law or engineering.
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There is another “teacher quality” checkpoint at graduation from School of Education in Finland. Students are not allowed to earn degrees to teach unless they demonstrate that they possess knowledge, skills and morals necessary to be a successful teacher.
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policies in Finland concentrate more on school effectiveness than on teacher effectiveness. This indicates that what schools are expected to do is an effort of everyone in a school, working together, rather than teachers working individually.
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04 Nov 13
Craig NansenLooking at international examples to answer the question: does #teacherquality determine #schoolquality? http://t.co/f4SMLbPuPl #ntchat
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30 Oct 13
"In the United States, for example, there are more than 1,500 different teacher-preparation programs. The range in quality is wide. In Singapore and Finland only one academically rigorous teacher education program is available for those who desire to become teachers. Likewise, neither Canada nor South Korea has fast-track options into teaching, such as Teach for America or Teach First in Europe. Teacher quality in high-performing countries is a result of careful quality control at entry into teaching rather than measuring teacher effectiveness in service.
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13 Jul 13
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17 Jun 13
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06 Jun 13
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04 Jun 13
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31 May 13
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30 May 13
Aki PuustinenWhat if Finland’s great teachers taught in U.S. schools? http://t.co/Bdcl7a7gwK
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23 May 13
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Kiffany LychockWhat if Finland’s great teachers taught in U.S. schools? http://t.co/KdjT6eoUST
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22 May 13
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The role of an individual teacher in a school is like a player on a football team: all teachers are vital, but the culture of the school is even more important for the quality of the school
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If a teacher was the most important single factor in improving quality of education, then the power of a school would indeed be stronger than children’s family background or peer influences in explaining student achievement in school.
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Most scholars agree that effective leadership is among the most important characteristics of effective schools, equally important to effective teaching. Effective leadership includes leader qualities, such as being firm and purposeful, having shared vision and goals, promoting teamwork and collegiality and frequent personal monitoring and feedback. Several other characteristics of more effective schools include features that are also linked to the culture of the school and leadership: Maintaining focus on learning, producing a positive school climate, setting high expectations for all, developing staff skills, and involving parents. In other words, school leadership matters as much as teacher quality.
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It insists that schools should get rid of low-performing teachers and then only hire great ones. This fallacy has the most practical difficulties. The first one is about what it means to be a great teacher. Even if this were clear, it would be difficult to know exactly who is a great teacher at the time of recruitment. The second one is, that becoming a great teacher normally takes five to ten years of systematic practice. And determining the reliably of ‘effectiveness’ of any teacher would require at least five years of reliable data. This would be practically impossible.
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But just having better teachers in schools will not automatically improve students’ learning outcomes.
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First, standardization should focus more on teacher education and less on teaching and learning in schools
-
the toxic use of accountability for schools should be abandoned. Current practices in many countries that judge the quality of teachers by counting their students’ measured achievement only is in many ways inaccurate and unfair.
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In Finland, half of surveyed teachers responded that they would consider leaving their job if their performance would be determined by their student’s standardized test results
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Third, other school policies must be changed before teaching becomes attractive to more young talents. In many countries where teachers fight for their rights, their main demand is not more money but better working conditions in schools.
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I argue that if there were any gains in student achievement they would be marginal. Why? Education policies in Indiana and many other states in the United States create a context for teaching that limits (Finnish) teachers to use their skills, wisdom and shared knowledge for the good of their students’ learning.
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onversely, the teachers from Indiana working in Finland—assuming they showed up fluent in Finnish—stand to flourish on account of the freedom to teach without the constraints of standardized curricula and the pressure of standardized testing; strong leadership from principals who know the classroom from years of experience as teachers; a professional culture of collaboration; and support from homes unchallenged by poverty.
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21 May 13
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psmileyWhat if Finland’s great teachers taught in U.S. schools? from @washingtonpost http://t.co/4JSIHt656h
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20 May 13
Mike GwaltneyWhat if Finland’s great teachers taught in U.S. schools? Maybe not what you think: http://t.co/FQcxCSyxL6 #edreform #edchat #isedchat
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Shannon McClintock MillerWhat if Finland’s great teachers taught in U.S. schools? from @washingtonpost http://t.co/4JSIHt656h
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19 May 13
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Doug BrunnerWhat if Finland’s great teachers taught in U.S. schools? http://t.co/3XJsgD8auq
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18 May 13
Monique BowesReally thoughtful commentary by @pasi_sahlberg -What if Finland's great teachers taught in U.S. schools? http://t.co/wRPBEDCNpO
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Jennifer FelkeWhat if Finland’s great teachers taught in U.S. schools? @jenfelke http://t.co/LA5uo97qwI
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Most scholars agree that effective leadership is among the most important characteristics of effective schools, equally important to effective teaching. Effective leadership includes leader qualities, such as being firm and purposeful, having shared vision and goals, promoting teamwork and collegiality and frequent personal monitoring and feedback.
-
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Glenn Hervieux"Finland’s Pasi Sahlberg is one of the world’s leading experts on school reform and the author of the best-selling “Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn About Educational Change in Finland?” In this piece he writes about whether the emphasis that American school reformers put on “teacher effectiveness” is really the best approach to improving student achievement."
This article brings forth some challenges to some of the things we assume in the U.S. that make for success in our schools. With the CCSS, this discussion becomes even more relevant. -
17 May 13
nicolasaqm"Teacher quality: careful quality control at entry into teaching instead of measuring teachers in service" http://t.co/ClEWva3EPG
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Chad LehmanI think this is an excellent article. What if Finland’s great teachers taught in U.S. schools? - http://t.co/chskhqCs7R
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Mike MathewsFinland's ed expert: US reforms doomed to fail, based on bad assumptions: http://t.co/D8mcxmegRa
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Teacher quality in high-performing countries is a result of careful quality control at entry into teaching rather than measuring teacher effectiveness in service.
-
The role of an individual teacher in a school is like a player on a football team: all teachers are vital, but the culture of the school is even more important for the quality of the school.
-
In the United States, for example, there are more than 1,500 different teacher-preparation programs. The range in quality is wide. In Singapore and Finland only one academically rigorous teacher education program is available for those who desire to become teachers.
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Teacher quality in high-performing countries is a result of careful quality control at entry into teaching rather than measuring teacher effectiveness in service.
-
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16 May 13
Fiona Beal"“the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.”"
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Mark BucceriGood article on the role of the teacher, impact of standardized tests, comparison with high-achieving international countries like Finland, Singapoore, Canada
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Stephanie Pennucci"Finland’s Pasi Sahlberg is one of the world’s leading experts on school reform and the author of the best-selling “Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn About Educational Change in Finland?” In this piece he writes about whether the emphasis that American school reformers put on “teacher effectiveness” is really the best approach to improving student achievement."
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Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn About Educational Change in Finland
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The first belief is that “the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.”
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The second fallacy is that “the most important single factor in improving quality of education is teachers.”
-
Most scholars agree that effective leadership is among the most important characteristics of effective schools, equally important to effective teaching.
-
The third fallacy is that “If any children had three or four great teachers in a row, they would soar academically, regardless of their racial or economic background, while those who have a sequence of weak teachers will fall further and further behind”
-
becoming a great teacher normally takes five to ten years of systematic practice
-
just having better teachers in schools will not automatically improve students’ learning outcomes.
-
First, standardization should focus more on teacher education and less on teaching and learning in schools.
-
Second, the toxic use of accountability for schools should be abandoned.
-
Third, other school policies must be changed before teaching becomes attractive to more young talents.
-
policies in Indiana and many other states in the United States create a context for teaching that limits (Finnish) teachers to use their skills, wisdom and shared knowledge for the good of their students’ learning.
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15 May 13
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