Debunking the Case for National Standards (#)

EDUCATION WEEK January 14, 2010 Debunking the Case for National Standards One-Size-Fits-All Mandates and Their Dangers By Alfie Kohn [This is a slightly expanded version of the article published in Education Week’s annual “Quality Counts” issue.] I keep thinking it can’t get much worse, and then it does.  Throughout the 1990s, one state after another adopted prescriptive education standards enforced … Read More

How to Create Nonreaders (#)

  ENGLISH JOURNAL Fall 2010 — vol. 100, no. 1 How to Create Nonreaders Reflections on Motivation, Learning, and Sharing Power By Alfie Kohn Autonomy-supportive teachers seek a student’s initiative…whereas controlling teachers seek a student’s compliance.                                                                                                        — J. Reeve, E. Bolt, & Y. Cai Not that you asked, but my favorite Spanish proverb, attributed to the poet Juan Ramón … Read More

Turning Children into Data (##)

EDUCATION WEEK August 25, 2010 Turning Children into Data: A Skeptic’s Guide to Assessment Programs By Alfie Kohn Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts. – Albert Einstein Programs with generic-sounding names that offer techniques for measuring (and raising) student achievement have been sprouting like fungi in a rainforest:  “Learning Focused Schools,” … Read More

Competitiveness vs. Excellence: The Education Crisis That Isn’t (##)

August 9, 2010 Competitiveness vs. Excellence The Education Crisis That Isn’t By Alfie Kohn “What’s the matter with us?” demands Bob Herbert in a recent New York Times column. “The latest dismal news on the leadership front” proving that we’ve become “a nation of nitwits” comes courtesy of a report from the College Board, he says. “At a time when a … Read More

Bad Signs (#)

KAPPA DELTA PI RECORD Fall 2010 Bad Signs By Alfie Kohn You can tell quite a lot about what goes on in a classroom or a school even if you visit after everyone has gone home.  Just by looking at the walls – or, more precisely, what’s on the walls — it’s possible to get a feel for the educational … Read More

Spoiled Rotten — A Timeless Complaint (commentary)

WASHINGTON POST July 18, 2010 Spoiled Rotten — A Timeless Complaint By Alfie Kohn [This is an expanded version of the published article, which appeared in the Post’s Sunday “Outlook” section.] Pour lire cet article en français, cliquer ici. If the subject is kids and how they’re raised, it seems our culture has exactly one story to tell.  Anyone who reads newspapers, … Read More

Reflections on the School Librarians’ “Standards for the 21st-Century Learner”

KNOWLEDGE QUEST November/December 2009 The Challenge – and an Invitation: Brief Reflections on the School Librarians’ “Standards for the 21st-Century Learner” By Alfie Kohn In her 1965 novel Up the Down Staircase, whose continued relevance is frankly rather unsettling, Bel Kaufman gave us, among other memorable characters, a school librarian so protective of her collection, so determined to make sure that … Read More

Parental Love with Strings Attached (#)

NEW YORK TIMES September 15, 2009 Parental Love with Strings Attached By Alfie Kohn [This is a slightly expanded version of the published article, which was titled “When a Parent’s ‘I Love You’ Means ‘Do as I Say.’” For a more detailed treatment of the topic discussed here, please see the book or DVD entitled Unconditional Parenting.] Para leer este artículo en Español, haga clic aquí. … Read More

The Value of Negative Learning (#)

EDUCATION WEEK September 16, 2009 The Value of Negative Learning How Traditional Education Can Produce Nontraditional Educators By Alfie Kohn I recently spent a delightful few hours devouring 27 autobiographical essays written by alternative educators from around the world.   Collectively, these people had founded schools, magazines, and entire movements, helping to promote all manner of nontraditional learning.  What fascinated me … Read More