Building a Better Teacher
Elizabeth Green, New York Times, March 8, 2010.

A longish article in last Tuesday's New York Times argues that great teaching can be taught. The basis for this proposition is a study by a former teacher named Doug Lemov who, we are told, conducted a study of the techniques used by successful teachers (as determined, in part, by standardized test scores). The advice, summed up as the eponymous "Lemov Taxonomy", a non-school of thought (I found zero scholarly references to it) that incorporates unsurprising techniques to hold the attention of students and to give them clear directions. Even supposing this produces a better teacher, I am left wondering whether this produces a better education.

The New York Times will soon put articles like this behind a subscription paywall, which will raise some issues in some quarters. This article, though ostensibly journalism, is in reality breathless promotion for Lemov's book, Teach Like a Champion, which in turn is promotion for Lemov's consulting service, Uncommon Schools, which in turn promotes aspects of the charter school and core content movements and the oublishing industry that supports those. When the Times is behind a paywall, these promoters will have to publish their articles elsewhere, because the stories will no longer receive wide distribution. Which, for the Times, raises the question of where it will get its stories from in the future. (Hits Today: 1 Total: 584) [Direct Link] [Tags: Schools, Books, Subscription Services, Google, Tests and Testing]

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