Thanks to the internet, and thanks to decades (and more) of research findings and experience shared, it is no longer acceptable for any teacher, or teacher-trainer, or writer of policy on reading instruction, or politician dipping a toe into official curricula to continue to promote whole language and mixed methods, and promoting or exercising 'professional judgement', which is not in line with the findings of a body of research on reading instruction.
So, the issue then, is how to hold those in authority to account where the research findings and truly leading-edge practice continues to be disregarded and teachers continue to be mis-led and mis-trained - and parents continue to be mis-guided with regard to how they support their children to read.
http://pamelasnow.blogspot.co.uk/2018/0 ... l?spref=twEducation's West Gate Bridge
24th March 2018
What does it actually mean to be a member of a "profession"? Here's what the Professional Standards Councils website has to say on the nature of a profession:
A profession is a disciplined group of individuals who adhere to ethical standards. This group positions itself as possessing special knowledge and skills in a widely recognised body of learning derived from research, education and training at a high level, and is recognised by the public as such. A profession is also prepared to apply this knowledge and exercise these skills in the interest of others.
I'm going to focus here on these key words contained above:
adheres to ethical standards
body of learning derived from research
education and training at a high level
prepared to apply this knowledge and exercise these skills in the interest of others.
We would expect, I think readers will agree, that the medical registrar at our local Emergency Department has an in-depth body of knowledge derived from research, has been educated and trained (yes, trained!!!) to a high level, and is prepared to apply this knowledge and skill in your best interests. If you really are having a heart attack and our med reg opines that you'll be OK in the "watchful waiting" triage category, we (and you in particular) have a problem.
But the key thing here is that being a professional does not mean "choosing your own adventure" with respect to decisions made and approaches adopted. Being a professional is actually about accountability - both to scientific evidence, and to the community.
Do read the whole piece - it isn't long - and it is SO important.Education's problematic relationship with evidence has been the subject of many commentaries, including this one, by Dr Kerry Hempenstall, formerly of RMIT University in Melbourne (note, the bolded emphasis is mine):
“Education has a history of regularly adopting new ideas, but it has done so without the wide-scale assessment and scientific research that is necessary to distinguish effective from ineffective reforms. This absence of a scientific perspective has precluded systematic improvement in the education system, and it has impeded growth in the teaching profession for a long time (Carnine, 1995a; Hempenstall, 1996; Marshall, 1993; Stone, 1996). Some years ago in Australia, Maggs and White (1982) wrote despairingly, “Few professionals are more steeped in mythology and less open to empirical findings than are teachers” (p. 131)”.
Time for more action - we should flood those in authority with official complaints TO HOLD THEM TO ACCOUNT when their guidance and training or teaching provision is simply not in line with the body of evidence.