Written by Paul Koelpin
Does Lutheran education in the 21st century need a reformation? Lutherans often wonder just what Luther would say about the practice of the church that bears his name today. Would Luther approve of what they teach? Does the 21st-century church rightfully bear the name “Lutheran”? Does the mystical concept of “Luther’s spirit” live on? Continue reading
By: Duane Vance
In the last few years, the Common Core State Standards have been a controversial topic among educators, politicians, and the general public who have heard various accounts in the media. At the present time, the content of the standards, their implementation, and the politics that surround them cause passionate debate between those who view the standards as the next best step in education and those who oppose the initiative altogether. The Common Core State Standards were developed with public education in mind, so where does that leave private schools in their relationship to the standards? In particular, how should WELS schools view and use the standards, if at all? Leadership and decisions makers in WELS schools need to familiarize themselves with this issue and be prepared to provide a sound answer to parents and other stakeholders in the school as to their approach. Continue reading
Written by Rachel Timmermann
Are current classrooms barren of Western heritage? If so, is this lack of classical recognition worth changing? Classical education, with roots in time-proven skills, is an option to successfully educate the next generation of responsible citizens. Continue reading
Written by Timothy Payne
Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of grading . . . the thrill of excelling . . . and the agony of failing . . . the human drama of academic competition . . . This is the wide world of grading! Continue reading
Written by Drew Kock
Why do students do homework?
It’s a question that can have a few different angles.
Written by Allen Labitzky
“What is the best way to teach?” It is a question teachers think about frequently. Though lecture remains an effective way to give students information (Berrett, 2012; Clayton, Blumberg & Auld, 2010; Schwerdt & Wuppermann, 2010; Struyven, Dochy & Janssens, 2010), there are limitations (Ernst, 2008; Welker & Berardino, 2005), including problems with the pace of a class (Goodwin & Miller, 2013) and an inability to accommodate different learning styles (Lage & Platt, 2000). In contrast, online classes offer students flexibility, convenience, and differentiated learning strategies (Clayton, Blumberg & Auld, 2010) but lack of face-to-face interaction, fluidity, and immediate feedback (Daymont, et al., 2011, Ernst, 2008). As are result, most students still prefer lecture (Tawil, et al., 2012). Continue reading
Posted on October 15, 2013 Edited September 9, 2017
Written by Andrew Willems
The position of this post is not to pit WELS Lutheran elementary schools against one another, but as the title simply states, to ask the question, “Why should schools move to Google Apps?” Traditionally, human nature resists change. No doubt many people will push back and resist the change to Google Apps. It’s different. Today it offers many features but it isn’t the same as Microsoft/Adobe/whoever. While many high school and colleges across America use it and there is a Google Apps for Business, it’s not industry standard in all institutions. It’s free and sometimes you get what you pay for. Continue reading
Written by Nicole Rosenbaum
Introduction
When students struggle in a grade level, educators face a decision: to retain or not to retain? Many studies show the outcomes of grade retention to be significantly negative. Why do teachers continue to retain low-achieving students when the research does not reveal positive results? Continue reading
Written by Liz Koester
At a recent training, the teachers at my campus were asked to reflect on why we went into teaching. A number of educators responded partially in jest, but with some seriousness, “I went into teaching because I like being in charge.” This led me to think about the system of education as it is currently known. Teachers hold most of the power in education, and students have very little control over their learning journey. I began to contemplate the concept of “unschooling” and how we can allow students to take greater ownership of their education.
The term “unschooling” was coined by the late John Holt, one of the godfathers of the home-schooling movement, who wrote about alternative ways of educating children. The basic tenet of unschooling is that the child decides what, where, who, how, and why they learn. Mintz (2004) defines learner centered education as “education where students are actually empowered to make decisions about their own education.”
The system of education that seems to be the most prevalent in schools today is teacher- led learning. As teachers we need to assist students to take interest in and responsibility for their own personal learning journey. The website whyunschool.info states:
Educational institutions on the other hand tend to suppress and eventually extinguish this natural tendency by enclosing children in an artificial environment where they cannot touch, taste, see, or experience the world, but rather they read about others who have explored the world for them. Children are taught not to wonder about things, because that’s coming in a future chapter or grade. They’re taught not to become too interested in a subject because classes are rotated every 45 minutes. They’re taught that they can’t be entrusted with their own education—because only the professionals know how they should be educated.
Written by Jonathan Schaefer
Education in the 21st century is dramatically different than just 20 years ago, and the dynamics of teaching and classroom management, as well as home-school relationships, are increasingly complex. New challenges in these areas may discourage teachers, especially new teachers. In fact, over the past three decades, the number of new WELS teachers leaving the profession rose from 287 in the 1980s to 867 in the 2000s, excluding those who resigned because they got married or had children (Continuing Education for Called Workers Committee, 2012). Continue reading