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Inspire Hilliard says deep knowledge, gathering powerful teaching practices keys to student success'If someone will keep asking him these questions often and in various forms, you can be sure that in the end he will know about them as accurately as anybody... And no one having taught him, only asked questions, yet he will know, having got the knowledge out of himself.' By Roderick Benns That's because not much more is necessary, he says, other than deep teacher knowledge, wise use of the Socratic method and other well-tested practices, as well as ensuring all students see themselves in the curriculum. Sometimes challenging yet always charming, Hilliard brought his unique blend of Georgia-based wisdom and practice with powerful international experience to the Lunch and Learn. For 90 minutes the Texas-born educator presented the evidence for effective student learning, insisting that there is a great commonality between all children. "Children are the same wherever you find them – they're geniuses," says Hilliard. Hilliard is the Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Urban Education at Georgia State University, A teacher, psychologist, and passionate historian, Hilliard has participated in the development of several national assessment systems, such as proficiency assessment for professional educators, and developmental assessments of young children and infants. He notes that "if you can say children are geniuses, you can say the same thing about teachers." One of Hilliard's key premises is that teachers can be assisted to become people with tremendous power, with influence to make deep and lasting changes in the learning capacity of their students, even beyond the influence they currently have. But what is required at a concomitant level, he says, is equally deep learning for teachers within their own programs. "If you pass a law and start testing teachers, nothing will happen," he cautions. "You have to invest in teacher education." He says this should be for all teachers, not just high school or post secondary educators. "Do we look at an elementary school teacher and see a mathematician? No. We look at them and say 'you work with little people so you need little math.' That has to change." Hilliard says it is important to gather together the "truly powerful practices" that make up successful education. Finding the commonalities between the most powerful teaching methods is crucial, he notes. "There is no need to discover some new method – the methods are already there," says Hilliard. Programs that employ good teachers, challenge students, treat them as scholars and respect their culture and differences are crucial to find. Programs must instill pride in ancestry and traditions, he notes. For models, he points to Project SEED, a mathematics education program that uses a unique Socratic method to teach kids advanced math. Project SEED has been used in many education districts in the U.S. and Canada. A short video involving Grade 6 students doing advanced algebra in a Detroit-based school was viewed by the audience. According to its website, Project SEED instruction combines a non-lecture, questioning method with techniques designed to encourage constant verbal and nonverbal feedback, promote student participation, and improve focus. The Project SEED method makes the class the arbiters of knowledge, giving them a sense of ownership of the material. Lessons consist of carefully crafted questions which lead students to the discovery of mathematical concepts. Constant feedback also helps maintain student focus. As Hilliard points out, by continually questioning in the Socratic style, the teacher-specialist models for the students how to become effective learners. "When these students leave a Project SEED classroom and go into English class, believe me they're swaggering. They're full of confidence. Children learn big things if given the chance." Hilliard notes how important it is for all students to see themselves in the curriculum they study. "Inside many curricula is the message that whole classes and groups of people are not even in this world. But no human population is outside of civilization – every civilization has deep mathematics and deep learning," he says. "Human creativity is universal." |
There are very few elements that make up Dr. Asa Hilliard's vision for Successful Practices in the Education of Black Students, the theme of his recent presentation for The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat's Lunch Time Lecture Series.