4 Mar 97.c
Rob Foshay

[quoting Halff, 4 Mar 97] So I am wondering, what then did you find interesting in the exercise? Did any of it get written down?

Since you asked, I dug these out of the relevant PowerPoint file:


If Traditional School is the Best Way of Teaching,
Then it Must be True That...

  1. Learners at the same chronological age (level of precision = +/- 1 day) are ready to learn the same thing.

  2. There is one best logical sequence to teach every subject.

  3. Learning outcomes should be defined by "coverage" of the content and by knowledge of facts.

  4. The best way to assess learners is by determining their standing relative to their peers.

  5. The bell-shaped curve of achievement is normal (pun intended).

  6. Intelligence is one construct.

  7. Failure is normal, expected, and universal.

  8. Learners should compete against one another to show who is "best."

  9. Teachers should and do control the learning process.

  10. Teachers should and do dispense knowledge.

  11. Learning is receiving (passively).

What other "principles of teaching and learning for traditional schools" would the Forum add?