Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Why Don't Students Like School
Book ^ | 2009 | Daniel T. Willingham

Posted on 09/02/2009 10:42:10 AM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion

Why Don't Students Like School:
A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works
and What It Means for the Classroom
by Daniel T. Willingham

This is a heads up for those interested in education/homeschooling.

My take is that this book, which is slanted toward teachers and contains allusions to political figures which mark the author as a "liberal," is one which conservatives can generally endorse, and argue from.

What follows is mostly the author's own words in his concluding chapter with, in some instances, my own paraphrase of the author.

People are naturally curious, but they are not naturally good thinkers. Think of material to be learned as answers, and take the time necessary to explain the questions.

Factual knowledge precedes skill. It is not possible to think well on a topic in the absence of factual knowledge

Memory is the residue of thought. What thought is provoked by a lesson is the central issue.

We understand new things in context of things we already know. Deep knowledge is the objective, but shallow knowledge inevitably comes first.

Proficiency requires practice. Students must practice what is important.

Cognition is fundamentally different early and late in training. Students can't create new knowledge unless they already have deep knowledge.

Intelligence can be changed through sustained hard work. Always talk about successes and failures in terms of effort, not ability.

Teaching must be practiced to be improved.



TOPICS: Education
KEYWORDS: arth; education; teachers
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-29 last
To: conservatism_IS_compassion

They generally don’t like it because it is work.

Kids who like to work like it a little better.


21 posted on 09/02/2009 11:48:59 AM PDT by Marie2 (The second mouse gets the cheese.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2Jedismom; AAABEST; aberaussie; Aggie Mama; agrace; AliVeritas; AlmaKing; AngieGal; Antoninus; ...

ANOTHER REASON TO HOMESCHOOL

This ping list is for the “other” articles of interest to homeschoolers about education and public school. This can occasionally be a fairly high volume list. Articles pinged to the Another Reason to Homeschool List will be given the keyword of ARTH. (If I remember. If I forget, please feel free to add it yourself)

The main Homeschool Ping List handles the homeschool-specific articles. I hold both the Homeschool Ping List and the Another Reason to Homeschool Ping list. Please freepmail me to let me know if you would like to be added to or removed from either list, or both.

22 posted on 09/02/2009 1:01:19 PM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: conservatism_IS_compassion

“THE” reason to home school !! MUST SEE !!
(maj barf alert)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMxOPvIohcM


23 posted on 09/02/2009 1:07:47 PM PDT by MtnMan101 (THE PROBLEM WITH SOCIALISUM IS THAT YOU EVENTUALLY RUN OUT OF OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Marie2

No, I think they don’t like it because it is busywork, at least for the smart kids. There is nothing a first or second grader is learning that should have them at a desk for six or eight hours a day. Nothing. An hour or two of lessons, perhaps an hour of reading (alone or read to) and the rest of the day to play away from a tv set is what they need.

Kids learn early that school is boring and a waste of time. So they stop loving learning. They become good little robots, or get medicated, or just become delinquents.


24 posted on 09/02/2009 1:07:50 PM PDT by JenB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: conservatism_IS_compassion
Why Don't Students Like School
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Answer:

Because schools resemble prisons. Children ( who have committed no crime) are treated like prisoners. All of their First Amendment Rights are trashed( Speech, press, assembly, and free expression of religion). And....Children know if they try to escape, real police with real bullets in their guns will haul them before real judges in real courts. Children know that behind every government school teacher and principal stands the threat of real hard-time prison.

25 posted on 09/02/2009 1:59:00 PM PDT by wintertime (People are not stupid! Good ideas win!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wintertime; bamahead

“Because schools resemble prisons.”

Indeed. Another reason they don’t like school is because the lessons are intensely dull, the homework is frustrating, and the tests are stressful. I don’t know of a more effective way to teach people to hate knowlege.


26 posted on 09/02/2009 4:37:53 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued (Liberal sacred cows make great hamburger)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: conservatism_IS_compassion

BTTT


27 posted on 09/02/2009 5:37:07 PM PDT by T Lady (The MSM: Pravda West)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: JenB

I agree there are many secondary negatives. Wasted time among them. Nasty teachers. Nasty students. Low standards.


28 posted on 09/02/2009 6:06:08 PM PDT by Marie2 (The second mouse gets the cheese.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: conservatism_IS_compassion
1. Teachers who are dumber than you are.

2. Students with more interest in "sports" than actual learning, with their parents having a similar attitude.

3. In poorer districts and even lower middle class districts, you have thugs who will harass you for fun, and worse.

4. In the wealthier districts, it is basically a competitive fashion show (uniforms NOW!).

5. You spend way too much time on subjects with little relevance to your actual interests/future career. This makes sense at the primary level, but there needs to be more flexibility at the high school level.

6. Too much of the work is done at home, rather than during the school day.

29 posted on 09/02/2009 6:09:41 PM PDT by Clemenza (Remember our Korean War Veterans)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-29 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson