Agree 👍. I teach computer science. Of the 7 coding languages I have some familiarity with, I taught 4 to myself whilst in my current post (last 10 yrs). I completed my schooling in 1987, so have learned everything IT related as an autodidact. I don't lie to my students about needing instruction.

Much better now, thanks. I remember reading a year or so back and thinking it needed updating. Let’s hope your edits don’t get overwritten by people wanting to restore the way it used to read.

Thanks for this analysis, it’s helpful. I’ve also been thinking along these lines, except with 3 aspects. What the world sees, what you experience, and what is actually happening neurologically. Diagnosis is based on the 1st, not enough is known about the 3rd. Posts like yours help share the 2nd.

Exam questions take as definitive the knowledge that’s defined in the syllabus (ok, yes, students need to know what they are being examined on). But this has the side effect of reducing knowledge to categorised lists of facts, and crucially stops students seeing connections between areas of study.

Clearly skills are transferable because that’s what happens throughout your life. The knowledge I gained at school in the 70s and 80s is not really relevant now. I teach computing & all of the knowledge/skills I teach were gained after I left school, through the transferable skills of how to learn.

Cynically, I’d say this feeds into the packaging and commoditisation of learning. Knowledge is easier to categorise and package than the whole bundle of knowledge and skills that make up the “wisdom” people need in life. Hirsch makes money out of selling a core knowledge curriculum.

It’s the E D Hirsch core knowledge approach which was championed by the Conservative Government (Gove), who seem to have loaded OFSTED with adherents. The labour Govt have done nothing to change this. Hirsch set up a false dichotomy between knowledge and skills.

Oh and by the way by ”teaching coaches” I am referring to the kind of internal OFSTED that institutions operate - What I think of as the “Teaching Police”

Just do your thing and “speak as much truth as the times allow”

The greatest thing I have learned in my teaching career is not to worry too much about what the “teaching coaches” and those that do “learning walks” expecting “snapshots” snapshots of the latest buzz trend say. I’ve learned to stick with what feels right, and subvert the trends.

So in other words, young people aren't lacking in intrinsic motivation, they are just less motivated to do the things which he system tells them to do, rather what their growing autonomy makes them want to do.

I think the link might be that as children grow they naturally become more autonomous. Autonomy includes having control over what/how you learn. The ed. system is based around a teacher/curricum having control of what/how. So learners' growing autonomy manifests in waining intrinsic motivation.

Remember their aim is your engagement not your learning. The whole things is structured on that. Time viewing adverts or you paying them to avoid adverts. Learning is a secondary byproduct. I still live in fear of breaking my streak, though 😳

Yes, it’s a pity that that freedom from control is only available to those who can afford to pay for the alternative. It seems that there’s nurture for those who can afford it & brutalising conformity for everyone else. Mind you my experience at an independent school in the 80s was also brutalising.

Of course there are a lot of hidden things that customer-parents pay for - exclusivity, incipient networking connections to build future influence & business contacts etc. these don’t need to be overtly mentioned in schools marketing, but they are known about. These schools are more marketing savvy.

My recollection is that the Independent Schools Inspectorate are pussycats compared to OFSTED. Fee paying parents as customers are the main arbiters of school effectiveness in that sector. In other words they have far more freedom, and don’t have to follow the National Curriculum.

Also, children are not a commodity which has a price!