Educators have a funny way of talking sometimes .... it's like they're in a world of their own, with their own peculiar language which makes perfect sense to them, but it doesn't always make sense to people outside education.
This site is excellent for plain speak education and it's organised in a simple A to Z menu to find that perplexing language deciphered. The site is called: Lexicon of Learning, and it's a fabulously easy and simple way of cutting through the complexity of educatorspeak. I'm reminded of the oft quoted Detective Muldoon from the Naked City: "Just the facts ma'am." I have included some of the more commonly used expressions of educators from this site. Make sure you go to this site, next time one of those 'mysterious eduspeak expressions' appears in print or speech.
is a plain speak explanation of what educators really mean when they say such things as:
- Benchmark - (no this is not a seat with a scratch)
A standard for judging a performance. Just as a carpenter might use marks on his workbench to measure how long a part should be, teachers and students can use benchmarks to determine the quality of a student's work. Some schools develop benchmarks to tell what students should know by a particular stage of their schooling; for example, "by the end of sixth grade, students should be able to locate major cities and other geographical features on each of the continents."
- Brainbased teaching - (you're thinking that all teaching has something to do with the brain but wait there's more...)
Approaches to schooling that educators believe are in accord with recent research on the brain and human learning. Advocates say the human brain is constantly searching for meaning and seeking patterns and connections. Authentic learning situations increase the brain's ability to make connections and retain new information. A relaxed, nonthreatening environment that reduces students' fear of failure is considered by some to enhance learning. Research also documents brain plasticity, which is the brain's ability to grow and adapt in response to external stimuli.
- Developmental education - (how do I know if my child is ready for this?)
Curriculum and instruction that is in accord with the physical and mental development of the student. Developmentally appropriate education is especially important for young children because their physical and mental abilities change quickly and vary greatly from child to child. For example, some 4-year-old children are able to sit quietly through a group story time, while others become fidgety. This does not necessarily mean that the more active children have ADHD; their neurological functions may simply not have matured as quickly as others in their age group. - Differentiated curriculum - (this can be tricky for teachers but it's so important)
A form of instruction that seeks to "maximize each student's growth by meeting each student where she is and helping the student to progress. In practice, it involves offering several different learning experiences in response to students' varied needs. Learning activities and materials may be varied by difficulty to challenge students at different readiness levels, by topic in response to students' interests, and by students' preferred ways of learning or expressing themselves."
Source: Quote from "Lesson 1: What Is Differentiated Instruction?" in Differentiating Instruction, an ASCD PD Online course by L. Kiernan, 2000, Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
- Dyslexia - (just because you have trouble spelling this word does not mean you have dyslexia!)
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.
Source: From "Frequently Asked Questions," by The International Dyslexia Association, (n.d.). Retrieved September 19, 2005, from http://www.interdys.org/servlet/compose?section_id=5&page_id=95.
- Gifted and talented - (every parent's dream for their child..... and yes every child has a gift or talent in something; however,...... the experts say this about G & T......)
The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) says "a gifted individual is someone who shows, or has the potential for showing, an exceptional level of performance in one or more areas of expression." For example, a person may be exceptionally talented as an artist, a violinist, or a physicist.
For much of the twentieth century, giftedness was usually measured by IQ tests, and people who scored in the upper two percent of the population were considered gifted. However, some authorities believe that giftedness is indicated not so much by test scores as by consistently exceptional performance. Federal legislation refers to gifted and talented children as those who show high performance capability in specific academic fields or in areas such as creativity and leadership, and who, to fully develop their capabilities, require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school.
Source: Quote from "Who Are the Gifted?" in Parent Information [Web page], Washington, DC: National Association for Gifted Children. Retrieved February 21, 2002, from http://www.nagc.org/ParentInfo/index.html
- Metacognition - (a fancy way to describe thinking about thinking.... yes, it's that easy.)
The ability to be conscious of and, to some degree, control one's own thinking. Educators have come to use the prefix "meta" to refer to the application of a process to the process itself. (For example, meta-analysis is analysis of a large number of research studies on a particular topic.) In this case, cognition is thinking, so metacognition means thinking about one's own thinking.
You are using metacognition when you can track your progress in solving a multistep problem or when you realize that you have been looking at a page in a book without following the meaning and backtrack until you find the place where your mind began to wander. - multiple intelligences - (no, this is not about people who have a personality disorder, it's really about different ways that people think.... and learn.....)
A theory of intelligence developed in the 1980s by Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University. Gardner defines intelligence broadly as "the capacity to solve problems or fashion products that are valued in one or more cultural setting." He originally identified seven intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. He later suggested the existence of several others, including naturalist, spiritual, and existential. Everyone has all the intelligences, but in different proportions.
Teachers who use a multiple-intelligences approach strive to present subject matter in ways that allow students to use several intelligences. For example, they might teach about the Civil War using songs from that period or teach the solar system by having students physically act out the rotation of planets around the sun.
Source: Quote from "Multiple Intelligences Go to School: Educational Implications of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences," by H. Gardner & T. Hatch, 1989, in Educational Researcher, 18(8), 4–9.
- Scaffolding - (so you thought your teacher was doing some building on the side? No not really......)
The way a teacher provides support to make sure students succeed at complex tasks they couldn't do otherwise. Most teaching is done as the students go about the task, rather than before they start. For example, as a group of elementary students proceed to publish a student newspaper, the teacher shows them how to conduct interviews, write news stories, and prepare captions for photographs. Because the teacher supports the students to make sure they don't fail in their effort, it reminds researchers of the scaffolding that workers sometimes place around buildings. As the students become more skillful, the teacher gives them more responsibility, taking away the scaffolding when it is no longer needed. (This gradual withdrawal has been called "fading.")
- School readiness - (for some families, this is the most stressful time of their children's lives - no it's not the children who are stressed, but the parents! Some tips to help you get ready.....)
The basic background and knowledge that children are usually expected to have upon entering kindergarten. Some educators believe that school readiness skills should include
Recognition of colors and basic shapes.
Gross motor coordination that enables children to catch a ball.
Fine motor coordination that enables them to hold a crayon or pencil.
The ability to sort objects (e.g., beans or coins).
Knowing their first and last names and home address.
In addition, school readiness is usually thought to include, for example, good nutrition, inoculations, and care, safety, and guidance. Some programs, including Head Start, attempt to boost the preschool development of children from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Zero tolerance - (and you thought there could be no 'z' words - yes there is and here it is.......)
Provisions in legislation or official policies that require specified punishments for given offenses, no matter how slight the offense. Zero tolerance rules are adopted to send a message about unacceptable behavior, and adherents support them for that reason. However, school administrators who are permitted no flexibility in enforcing such rules are sometimes ridiculed in the press for their apparent poor judgment.
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