Tom Bennett on Group Work

[debbie]

http://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/ ... ennett.pdf

In 2004, I had just emerged from the U.K. Department for Educa- tion’s Fast Track recruitment program into teaching, where I had spent weekends learning about Neuro-Linguistic Programming, a program called Brain Gym, and how to sort my students according to their learning styles.* I was told that my students possessed mul- tiple intelligences, and it was strongly hinted to me that the more technology I could accommodate into my lessons, the better their needs as digital natives would be met. My initial classroom design of rows and columns was frowned upon, and tables and horseshoes were recommended. And all because, I was told, the research con- firmed each avenue.

Except that it didn’t. Often, it barely addressed the topics.