I Go to Brainstorm for Great Education Posts

.....and this from Kevin Carey, on merit pay for University professors, is a big part of the reason why. There's a lot in what he's said that could apply to K-12, too.

Read more here, if any.

"Educational Brutalism"

That's the term coined in this interesting post at the Chronicle Review's blog site, Brainstorm. Written by Stan Katz of Princeton, it's a thoughtful look at how University has evolved from a liberal arts focused, "man of letters" ideal into, increasingly, job preparation and job preparation alone.

When I was going to Eastern Washington U. there was a proposal floated to mandate an additional 4 credit class that would be a sort of synthesis of thought symposium; something related to your discipline, but bringing in other disciplines as well. I loved the capstone class I took--in fact, I expanded out and made the program my minor emphasis--but a lot of folks went nuts at what they perceived as "one more thing" that they had to get done before they could get out and get a job.

What, to your mind, should the function of the University be? Does that function vary based on the school, or is there a purpose that it can be argued every school should aspire to?

Read more here, if any.

Creativity Might Be Overrated

The Chronicle of Higher Education's Brainstorm blog has an interesting post from last month on provocative art projects that have been done over the years. Some lowlights:

Shooting a dog as a performance piece: Tom Otterness (1980s)
Living in a locker for 5 days: Chris Burden (1960s)
Having yourself shot: Chris Burden (1970s)
Having yourself crucified on a Volkswagen beetle: Chris Burden (1970s)

...and those are some of the tamer ones.

I think I'll have my kids stick with finger painting.

Read more here, if any.

New Teachers Get Hammered, Don’t They?

There’s an interesting post over at the Chronicle of Higher Education’s Brainstorm blog on when students declare their college majors:

Increasingly, freshmen arrive in my office for advisement already having declared a major. That might make sense for future neurosurgeons, who need to start early on their occupational requirements. It also makes sense, unfortunately, for future high-school teachers, whose entire curriculum is strictly regimented by the state. What surprises me, however, is the first-semester freshman who announces that he or she wants to be a marketing executive or a public-relations consultant or an investment banker. How the heck do they know?

I think this is an important point. Consider, for example, what’s required to get a Bachelor of Arts in Education degree with a Biology emphasis from Eastern Washington University:

*53 credits in biology classes
*22 credits in other support classes, including chemistry and biology
*46 credits in the education program

...for a bare minimum of 121 credits. If you don’t go to school thinking you’re going to be a biology teacher, instead deciding at the end of your sophomore year, then you’re going to be there for a long, long time. Chemistry Education is 122 credits; those pikers over in Earth Science only ask 110. Go over to the math department (remember, we need math teachers!) and you may well be tempted to give up: Elementary Math is 145 credits, Secondary Math 118.

This, I think, is where the push for alternative certification programs comes from.

Read more here, if any.