It's also worth noting that 'Building Thinking Classrooms' isn't actually scientific in any rigorous sense. He used really small samples for his data, and didn't focus very much on actually studying student success. Instead, he simply tried to study "thinking"--which is hard to define, and not obviously synonymous with "learning."
It's more just like a guy (Liljedahl) sat in classrooms for a while and had...a cool idea? Which--notwishstanding the fact that his idea happens to be largely wrong--is an ok thing to do. But it just shouldn't be talked about as if it's science, cause it never really was.
It's unfortunate, though, how popular his idea has become! I just finnished my teacher ed at University of Toronto OISE, and am sad to report that Liljedahl is literally the only specific theorist I can recall studying re: math instruction.
I wonder if Liljedahl has advertised his session in this way, knowing that’s what’s expected by the Tasmanian government or if the people who have arranged for him to come have advertised it this way for the same reason. My guess is the latter, but someone who attends the session should ask him to share the explicit instruction techniques as advertised and report how that turns out.
It's also worth noting that 'Building Thinking Classrooms' isn't actually scientific in any rigorous sense. He used really small samples for his data, and didn't focus very much on actually studying student success. Instead, he simply tried to study "thinking"--which is hard to define, and not obviously synonymous with "learning."
It's more just like a guy (Liljedahl) sat in classrooms for a while and had...a cool idea? Which--notwishstanding the fact that his idea happens to be largely wrong--is an ok thing to do. But it just shouldn't be talked about as if it's science, cause it never really was.
It's unfortunate, though, how popular his idea has become! I just finnished my teacher ed at University of Toronto OISE, and am sad to report that Liljedahl is literally the only specific theorist I can recall studying re: math instruction.
I wonder if Liljedahl has advertised his session in this way, knowing that’s what’s expected by the Tasmanian government or if the people who have arranged for him to come have advertised it this way for the same reason. My guess is the latter, but someone who attends the session should ask him to share the explicit instruction techniques as advertised and report how that turns out.
No Greg,
It’s like having Darren Wayne Woods, CEO of ExxonMobil, promote fossil free energy programmes.
Thank you.