Episode 18: Why edutopia might disappoint you

GLEF magazine "edutopia" bills has the tagline now of "What Works in Public Education" but is the publication headed in the right direction? Some contend that the publication is light on content and heavy on advertising; others say it is a nice resource and is offered free to educators.

Show notes: I think some of us were sort of excited to be getting a magazine from the George Lucas Educational Foundation (and in the summer of 1977, I was introduced to the "creative impulse" George Lucas via Star Wars...which saw in San Francisco at the Cornet theatre). In those early issues four years ago, it look like that Edutopia was going to be a magazine that was technologically savvy for the educator. And it was and it had a great website (especially the staff development section regarding of PBL). Then, about two years ago, I got bored and stopped reading the issue even though I was getting the subscription for free. The content got a bit light (even fashion for the teacher) and it seemed to lose its focus. Now, with the most recent issue, James Daily (editorial director) refocuses the publication to be relevant again.

Most of the discussion is centered on the first 10 pages of the most current of the June/July 2008 issue of Edutopia. Specifically, I make mention of James Daily's editor's note: "What Works in Public Education" (10). I also make a parting pot shot at the article about plagarism (in short, teachers need better writing engagements).

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It begins with dropping the rhetoric

We use words to attempt to communicate to others what we mean and sometimes we honestly can't articulate what is in our mind. And, sometimes, we are so excited about what we want to say that we use words that have lost their true meaning. (I remember that I used the word "dork" in a Sunday School class in the early 90's and the leader informed me that "that word is not appropriate and I don't feel that it should be said in mixed company." We were visitors that Sunday).

Those who try and describe what is happening the classroom or those who want to "reform" the classroom are most guilty of using words and phrases that have lost meaning. For example, the word "portfolio" began as a wonderful way of a showing student "growth" with powerful "assessment" possibilities. Each of those words had, in their original "label" deep and powerful meaning, but as those labels were picked up by mainstream educational journals and educational product advertisements, the words were labels that became buzzwords.

Today, let's toss in "accountability" and "reflection" and "standards." In fact, if I see another mention (like I did today as dropped my son off at a science exploration camp) mention of the phrase "Best Practice" I will seriously hurt someone seriously. Why? Because the book the originally presented the phrase (Best Practice: Today's Standards for Teaching and Learning in America's Schools) was an incredible, inspirational call of clear thinking and practice across the grade levels and curriculum; now, it's a buzzword that is tacked on to advertisements and mission statements.

Besides "21st Century Skills" (which I've mentioned a time or two already in this blog), the up and coming buzzword is "...that Works" (borrowed from an educational report and later popularized by Marzano et al [Data-Driven specialists]). Edutopia now has as their tagline a variation: "What Works in Public Education" and you can read the editor's passionate call for change here (more about that publication another time).

Part of bashingED is clear thinking about learning and technology. Whenever you see these overused "educational" words, labels or phrases, you'll probably getting some good old fashioned rhetoric which should be saved for the politicians and advertisers.