Educator David Michael Slater talks about the possibilities and solutions for American Education in his new book, We Are Doing It Wrong 25 Ideas in Education That Just Do Not Work And How to Fix Them.
Few would deny there’s room for improvement in the American public school system. Policies are created by those with no background in education, and standardized tests are used as barometers of a district’s overall value to the community. Education is set up for one size fits all, rather than using personalized learning.
Somewhere along the way, doing what is best for the nation’s youth got lost in the shuffle.
We Are Doing It Wrong 25 Ideas in Education That Just Do Not Work and How to Fix Them is a thought-provoking, unapologetic dissection of the issues plaguing American public schools. Each chapter identifies a major problem in the education system, exploring its roots and repercussions.
Slater gives readers an insider’s perspective on topics that have been at the center of ongoing debates as well as recent hot button issues, such as:
• Standardized testing
• Teacher evaluation practices
• Helicopter parents
• Class sizes
• Poverty’s effect on performance
• Anti-bullying programs
• Writing proficiency
• Curriculum goals
Slater explains why our current approaches simply aren’t working―for students, for teachers, for the colleges that these students may eventually attend and for society at-large. Unafraid to ruffle a few feathers, We’re Doing It Wrong highlights defects in policy and theory, calls out administration and questions long-held beliefs.
Every chapter concludes with a suggestion for improvement, offering light at the end of the tunnel. Administrators, teachers and concerned parents will come away with a better understanding of the current state of education and ideas for moving toward progress―for themselves and for the students they support.
Education departments at Harvard, UCLA, Stanford, Columbia, Wisconsin, Penn, Brown, NYU, Washington, Northwestern, and Michigan have already requested copies of We’re Doing It Wrong, and the book will be required reading this fall at the University of Nevada, Reno.
David Michael Slater is a veteran middle and high school teacher who was named Educator of the Year in 2012 by the City of Beaverton, Oregon. He is also an acclaimed author of over 20 works of fiction for children, teens and adults. His work for children includes the picture books Cheese Louise!, The Boy & the Book, and Hanukkah Harvie vs. Santa Claus; the early chapter book series Mysterious Monsters; and the teen series Forbidden Books.
David’s work for adults includes the comic-drama Fun & Games, which the New York Journal of Books called “hilarious.” David teaches in Reno, Nevada, where he lives with his wife and son.
You can learn more about Slater and his new book We Are Doing It Wrong 25 Ideas in Education That Just Do Not Work And How to Fix Them at his website.
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