April 13 - Blooms and Green deeds.

In 1956, Benjamin Bloom and a group of educational
psychologists developed a way to categorize levels of intellectual behavior.  Today educators are expected to find ways to pull kids through the stages and get them to the point where they are at the pyramid's peak.  The graphic at the top is the result of work by a new group (1990s) of cognitive psychologists, lead by Lorin Anderson (a former student of Bloom). The updated taxonomy reflects relevance to 21st century work. The graphic on the right shows the  original Taxonomy. Note the change from nouns to verbs associated with each level. Everything now is about doing!  We move faster we do MORE.  Kindergartners are forced to master work that was formerly 1st grade work.  There is no time to allow students to develop at their pace, even though that is what is touted in differentiated instruction and in the "new" old Dewey models which give students choice and voice (note the alliteration).  Yes they have choice and voice --- but be sure to keep up!

I always used the taxonomy and think it is very helpful in REFLECTING on my own thought processes and the processes of my students.  So what has changed?  We are being PROPELLED toward a future in education which is being driven by technology.  In some ways this is good and in some ways I am ready to say, WAIT just a minute.  We need to think and to reflect about what we want the future to look like.  SHOULD everything be about GDP growth and employees being "ready" to plug into an employers needs?  Maybe.  Maybe that is not what we should be about in education. 

There is a growing movement toward a different measure of success. The Happy Planet Index focuses on a broader measure.  Is the future that technology is driving us toward one of sustainability?  Check out the Index and give it some thought.

In an article in the New York Times about raising a moral child a study in 50 countries found that what was valued most was not achievement but caring.  Would I rather live in a world where people care about their neighbors and the world or one in which corporations happily tell us what we want and convince us that we need to purchase it.  Technology is neutral.  It has no concern for humanity or this beautiful blue ball we live on.  It s a tool.  WE choose how to use it and my question for today is WHAT are we choosing by not being educated and aware?  What are we choosing when we allow ourselves to be manipulated by a media which is bought and paid for by vested interests?