Schools are addicted to silver bullet solutions and the public lacks knowledge on learning. We've got nobody to blame but ourselves for the backlash against tech.
Banning screens is just the latest lazy shortcut. We’re obsessed with silver bullets because they’re easier than understanding how the human brain works. Until we stop chasing fads, we’ll keep failing students, no matter what tools are in their hands.
"A better solution would be a public understanding of how learning happens in the mind." Amen. You are kind-of making the case for a National Reading Panel. (Which maybe should be rebranded a National Learning Panel?)
In any case, folks should know that Congress is considering its moves this year, and the idea of a National Reading Panel Sequel, which once had currency, isn't in any of the bills. In this piece, I explained why I think it would be valuable: https://www.karenvaites.org/p/the-science-of-reading-goes-to-washington
Another thing that parents and more teachers need to be more consciously aware of is that academic skills with a physical component, e.g. writing, typing, playing a musical instrument, drawing, etc. all require explicit instruction, multiple worked or performed examples, adequate time in guided practice and feedback from an already skillful instructor.
So many K-3 teachers try to ignore the need for almost all students to be explicitly instructed in how to hold a pencil, pen or marker, and how to form each letter's upper and lower case glyph. Then students need to learn how to hold a crayon, brush, or colored pencil to produce either distinct lines or areas of color/shading, although it would be perfectly fair to use much of the class's scheduled time for art as drawing practice time.
YES - educators understanding foundational principles of learning science is like an insurance policy against huge pendulum swings, silver bullet thinking, and foolish spending on the next “research based” program!
I think something both families, administrators and teachers all need to understand about learning science is that if we want kids to become great thinkers as adults, we can't skip the foundational acquisition of basic skills and knowledge. We can't think critically about things we don't already know about. We can't solve more complex problems if we don't know the underlying concepts involved.
Yup! Just today I told my class "if you slept through class and didn't learn anything all month, it's going to be darn near impossible to write this paragraph." We need to know facts before we can analyze, connect, or write about them.
“A knowledgeable teacher who teaches things to students, and who knows how to support them when they struggle with an idea or concept, is of the utmost importance.” Beautifully said and so true.
Just to comment on remark about kindergartener who came home knowing commercial jingles without exposure at home. Your child doesn't need to be on Youtube or TikTok in order to know the latest internet trends. She can hear them from the peers who talk/ sing about it all the time. I am speaking from personal experience.
Yes, to all of this. I believe technology is a valuable tool that we can't ignore or push to the side in learning. Last summer we led an institute for teachers on the use of AI. Without posting any answers we simply asked, what is the role of AI, if any, in learning? Reif Larsen, a professional writer, demonstrated how he uses AI in as a writing companion (for instance he had a character speaking Spanish and wanted to get it right for his novel.) Banning technology in schools seems as extreme as banning books.
I put every assignment on Schoology and I also print every assignment out. Nearly all my students want to write on the physical paper with a pen or pencil. Thank goodness.
I agree. Tech will always evolve, but our habits and expectations need to evolve with it. In teaching, it’s never about blaming the device, it’s about guiding kids to use it in healthy, intentional ways.
Author of the viral i-Ready rant here. There's a pattern I've noticed as this has bounced around the internet, and I've seen it drop into the middle of a lot of pre-existing ed tech debates that I hadn't been aware of.
Everybody wants to talk about abstract questions about the proper role of technology, but the actual problems are things like, "Is the software good enough that students can reliably input the answers they know? No? OK FIX THAT."
Everyone seems to assume a baseline level of competence and product quality in the software that just isn’t there. The software has bad UX and just doesn't work well. It’s like an inverse bikeshed problem, where the abstract issues are easy to argue about, but the nuts and bolts of whether the software actually does what it’s supposed to aren’t, so everybody talks in abstraction instead. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_triviality
There probably are important questions about the upper limits of how much ed tech can do, but that isn't the problem there. The problem is just that the software isn't good.
Hi i-Ready Dad! I've written about i-Ready before, but trying to answer a slightly different question about whether students actually learned math when using it. Of course, a design problem might actually keep students from learning math while using it! I'd love to hear what you have to say, if you are interested in talking, email me at holly@hollykorbey.com. Thanks for reading and commenting.
There is so much to love about this piece. I share these concerns about tech, but you rightly point out that the "solution" is not to through out the baby with the bathwater. Pendulum swinging in education happens because too many of us in education have NOT learned the science--not when we were in our teacher prep programs in college, nor in ongoing professional development. (See https://scienceoflearning.substack.com/p/beyond-belief-reframing-teaching?triedRedirect=true)
I like your analogy of Michael Pollan's food rules. (Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly plants.) I think that's why I've been saying things like, "teach stuff that matters" for so long. (See https://laurenbrownoned.substack.com/p/teach-stuff-that-matters-854). But a better shorthand would be helpful. Curious what others think that would look like? Draft one: Teach about things in the world. Use lots of words to do that. Have students discuss and write about the things they learn. Memorize some of it.
Holly, I love your idea of sharing a few key salient points that are sticky about learning. I fully support this plan. I also want to add my perspective that all learning isn’t the same. Learning science as a knowledge- and skill-based subject isn’t exactly the same as comprehending literature, which makes use of that knowledge and generates new knowledge.
Totally. That makes sense! I also really see a need for the public, and parents, to hear really basic stuff like "teaching stuff to students really matters." :)
For sure! I think you’re on to something. Helping to break down all the unnecessary jargon and complication for parents to gut check what’s important seems like a worthy pursuit.
What do you mean by learning science as a knowledge and skill based subject is not the same as comprehending literature ?! Understanding how people learn applies to all subjects. You need knowledge stored in your long term memory both for science and text comprehension.
Agreed on stored knowledge. How we design instruction for science is often different from designing instruction for comprehending a text. To me, the difference is about learning goals in relationship to knowledge. In science, the goal is largely to acquire knowledge. In ELA, the goal is largely to be able to generate understanding (based on prior knowledge) and new knowledge from texts. There is overlap when texts are scientific in nature, but in science, we also acquire knowledge through experiences and observation and experimentation. Kintsch’s model of comprehension relates to the science of learning, but there isn’t a clear 1-to-1 overlap. My comment was in reaction to point 5 about memorization. Learning to comprehend a text cannot be captured by a set of skills or memorization of facts.
Imagine a time when, if and when a child went to school, they had already learned to milk cows, gather eggs from the chicken coop, plant and harvest crops and build a barn.
We need to examine the very definition of the word 'education'.
This is a really useful tool not just for students, but also for teachers and anyone who deals with numbers in daily life. It explains each step clearly, which makes it great for learning, teaching, or simply checking your work. Teachers can use it to demonstrate concepts, students can practice and understand better, and even a normal person can solve quick math problems without confusion.
Banning screens is just the latest lazy shortcut. We’re obsessed with silver bullets because they’re easier than understanding how the human brain works. Until we stop chasing fads, we’ll keep failing students, no matter what tools are in their hands.
"A better solution would be a public understanding of how learning happens in the mind." Amen. You are kind-of making the case for a National Reading Panel. (Which maybe should be rebranded a National Learning Panel?)
In any case, folks should know that Congress is considering its moves this year, and the idea of a National Reading Panel Sequel, which once had currency, isn't in any of the bills. In this piece, I explained why I think it would be valuable: https://www.karenvaites.org/p/the-science-of-reading-goes-to-washington
Hope you'll all join the calls for this?
Yes!! I love how Holly writes about how memorization and holding knowledge in your head is part of the learning.
Another thing that parents and more teachers need to be more consciously aware of is that academic skills with a physical component, e.g. writing, typing, playing a musical instrument, drawing, etc. all require explicit instruction, multiple worked or performed examples, adequate time in guided practice and feedback from an already skillful instructor.
So many K-3 teachers try to ignore the need for almost all students to be explicitly instructed in how to hold a pencil, pen or marker, and how to form each letter's upper and lower case glyph. Then students need to learn how to hold a crayon, brush, or colored pencil to produce either distinct lines or areas of color/shading, although it would be perfectly fair to use much of the class's scheduled time for art as drawing practice time.
Great point!
YES - educators understanding foundational principles of learning science is like an insurance policy against huge pendulum swings, silver bullet thinking, and foolish spending on the next “research based” program!
I think something both families, administrators and teachers all need to understand about learning science is that if we want kids to become great thinkers as adults, we can't skip the foundational acquisition of basic skills and knowledge. We can't think critically about things we don't already know about. We can't solve more complex problems if we don't know the underlying concepts involved.
Absolutely!
Yup! Just today I told my class "if you slept through class and didn't learn anything all month, it's going to be darn near impossible to write this paragraph." We need to know facts before we can analyze, connect, or write about them.
“A knowledgeable teacher who teaches things to students, and who knows how to support them when they struggle with an idea or concept, is of the utmost importance.” Beautifully said and so true.
Just to comment on remark about kindergartener who came home knowing commercial jingles without exposure at home. Your child doesn't need to be on Youtube or TikTok in order to know the latest internet trends. She can hear them from the peers who talk/ sing about it all the time. I am speaking from personal experience.
Now you need some snappy titles for each of those five items so we can remember them like the Michael Pollan quote. Then it's time for a book!
Yes, to all of this. I believe technology is a valuable tool that we can't ignore or push to the side in learning. Last summer we led an institute for teachers on the use of AI. Without posting any answers we simply asked, what is the role of AI, if any, in learning? Reif Larsen, a professional writer, demonstrated how he uses AI in as a writing companion (for instance he had a character speaking Spanish and wanted to get it right for his novel.) Banning technology in schools seems as extreme as banning books.
working on it!
I put every assignment on Schoology and I also print every assignment out. Nearly all my students want to write on the physical paper with a pen or pencil. Thank goodness.
I agree. Tech will always evolve, but our habits and expectations need to evolve with it. In teaching, it’s never about blaming the device, it’s about guiding kids to use it in healthy, intentional ways.
Author of the viral i-Ready rant here. There's a pattern I've noticed as this has bounced around the internet, and I've seen it drop into the middle of a lot of pre-existing ed tech debates that I hadn't been aware of.
Everybody wants to talk about abstract questions about the proper role of technology, but the actual problems are things like, "Is the software good enough that students can reliably input the answers they know? No? OK FIX THAT."
Everyone seems to assume a baseline level of competence and product quality in the software that just isn’t there. The software has bad UX and just doesn't work well. It’s like an inverse bikeshed problem, where the abstract issues are easy to argue about, but the nuts and bolts of whether the software actually does what it’s supposed to aren’t, so everybody talks in abstraction instead. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_triviality
There probably are important questions about the upper limits of how much ed tech can do, but that isn't the problem there. The problem is just that the software isn't good.
Hi i-Ready Dad! I've written about i-Ready before, but trying to answer a slightly different question about whether students actually learned math when using it. Of course, a design problem might actually keep students from learning math while using it! I'd love to hear what you have to say, if you are interested in talking, email me at holly@hollykorbey.com. Thanks for reading and commenting.
There is so much to love about this piece. I share these concerns about tech, but you rightly point out that the "solution" is not to through out the baby with the bathwater. Pendulum swinging in education happens because too many of us in education have NOT learned the science--not when we were in our teacher prep programs in college, nor in ongoing professional development. (See https://scienceoflearning.substack.com/p/beyond-belief-reframing-teaching?triedRedirect=true)
I also appreciate your sharing of those few sticky points about learning. The details are important for educators, but your point is well-taken that parents do need to know at least some of this. (See https://chrysdougherty.substack.com/p/what-do-active-citizens-need-to-know).
Memorization isn't a dirty word. Some things need to be memorized so we have easy access. (See https://substack.com/profile/11889163-carl-hendrick/note/c-200930253?r=fe2vc&utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web)
I like your analogy of Michael Pollan's food rules. (Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly plants.) I think that's why I've been saying things like, "teach stuff that matters" for so long. (See https://laurenbrownoned.substack.com/p/teach-stuff-that-matters-854). But a better shorthand would be helpful. Curious what others think that would look like? Draft one: Teach about things in the world. Use lots of words to do that. Have students discuss and write about the things they learn. Memorize some of it.
I love "teach stuff that matters." And yes I'd love to hear what others think about my list, and what you would add/subtract.
Holly, I love your idea of sharing a few key salient points that are sticky about learning. I fully support this plan. I also want to add my perspective that all learning isn’t the same. Learning science as a knowledge- and skill-based subject isn’t exactly the same as comprehending literature, which makes use of that knowledge and generates new knowledge.
Totally. That makes sense! I also really see a need for the public, and parents, to hear really basic stuff like "teaching stuff to students really matters." :)
For sure! I think you’re on to something. Helping to break down all the unnecessary jargon and complication for parents to gut check what’s important seems like a worthy pursuit.
What do you mean by learning science as a knowledge and skill based subject is not the same as comprehending literature ?! Understanding how people learn applies to all subjects. You need knowledge stored in your long term memory both for science and text comprehension.
Agreed on stored knowledge. How we design instruction for science is often different from designing instruction for comprehending a text. To me, the difference is about learning goals in relationship to knowledge. In science, the goal is largely to acquire knowledge. In ELA, the goal is largely to be able to generate understanding (based on prior knowledge) and new knowledge from texts. There is overlap when texts are scientific in nature, but in science, we also acquire knowledge through experiences and observation and experimentation. Kintsch’s model of comprehension relates to the science of learning, but there isn’t a clear 1-to-1 overlap. My comment was in reaction to point 5 about memorization. Learning to comprehend a text cannot be captured by a set of skills or memorization of facts.
Imagine a time when, if and when a child went to school, they had already learned to milk cows, gather eggs from the chicken coop, plant and harvest crops and build a barn.
We need to examine the very definition of the word 'education'.
This is a really useful tool not just for students, but also for teachers and anyone who deals with numbers in daily life. It explains each step clearly, which makes it great for learning, teaching, or simply checking your work. Teachers can use it to demonstrate concepts, students can practice and understand better, and even a normal person can solve quick math problems without confusion.
You can try it here: https://calculadora-alicia.com/