Mission Statement
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) changed the USA educational system. It was passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2002.
Our President, Dr. David Mollet believed the application of NCLB was harmful to students’ development. He established a non-profit, the Teachers Education Institute (TEI).
TEI’s main purpose was to provided reports, based on international comparisons, on what worked and, perhaps more importantly, what doesn’t work as far as optimising childrens’ wellbeing and learning. The research reports are available as itemised below.
David was saddened to see what was occurring in the UK (his homeland) and the USA (where at that time he lived). He had now been at this work since 1967, some 45+ years and felt he needed a rest.
He had been fortunate to make a significant contribution to New Zealand education in the mid 1980s (please see thank you letter from New Zealand Minister of Education) and if, through no fault of his own, was unable to make a contribution to UK or USA education, he should accept that.
He was very comfortable in New Zealand and decided to spend more time there and also have time, at long last, for his leisure activities (hiking, camping, dancing, competitive bridge etc).
Unfortunately for David, at the same time he met someone who saw the value of his work and persuaded him that his input was too valuable for it to be ignored. So David came out of the retirement that he never entered and has begun the work again.
Obviously, the world has greatly changed in the last few years and is rapidly changing almost daily. He realised that he needed to convert his material for social media. He is now involved in that process. It means that he has to learn new programs and adjust his mindset, once again, to this new initiatives.
He is greatly saddened by what he sees as the politicisation of education in the UK and USA and the danger of that occurring in New Zealand. The consequences of this politicisation are disastrous for a society and is probably the main reason for the present rapid decline of those societies.
At present he is learning new programs so that he can convert his material and reports for availability through social media portals; the following applies.
The Teachers’ Education Institute (TEI) exists for the benefit of teachers, parents and educators who wish to bring about the best possible education for our children.
There are two main objectives of the TEI.
The first is to give teachers, administrators and educators based on the latest research of comparisons of different country’s education systems, free research reports describing what works and what doesn’t work in education.
The second is to describe the education administrative structures which now exist in other countries whose students outperform USA students.
In one of our issues of our Newsletter we examine one of the OECD studies and find that two countries whose students out-perform those of the USA possess quite different education administrative structures to those of the USA. In fact, we find that nationally and state-wide the USA has been moving for some considerable time in the opposite direction to those countries whose students out-perform those of the USA.
We attempt to give students, based on the latest research:
1. content and lessons in different subject areas;
2. methodology that is relevant to any given age at elementary level;
3. a sensitive but thorough monitoring of progress;
4. education that relates to their experience of life;
5. the enhancement and the development of all different skills;
6. an environment in which they enjoy learning.
Provide teachers with necessary resources and material, based on the latest research, to enable students to:
1. develop literacy through different content areas;
2. reach their unique potential;
3. remember their schooling with affection;
4. desire the same type of schooling for their children.
Obviously, it would be helpful if he funding could be required so that at the age of 74 he could do fun things but he accepts that probably this is not going to occur and that he must plough on alone as he has done for the last 45 years but he does describe the following under the heading Why you should fund this project.
1. Because children and their minds are our most precious possessions.
2. Any parent or teacher will tell you that their child/children has unique faculties and attributes that they bring to this world.
3. Education helps or hinders each child’s “destiny”. This project, based on research and experience, will create lessons and classroom structure to accentuate and develop each child’s unique potential.
4. Research validates the lesson structures used for this project.
5. Education should consist of two elements. Firstly, the drawing out from the child’s experience. The USA educational system largely ignores this dynamic. Secondly, the teaching of our accumulated knowledge that relates to the mindset of children. The system only relates to this mindset in a haphazard and fragmented way.
6. Therefore what should education be based on? Proven research indicates that education can be divided into three. a) How children develop. Teachers need a theory of child development to practice their craft efficiently – “Why is it taught?” State education provides a simplistic answer to this question and the human mind is not simple. b) Content or curriculum – “What is taught?” Mainstream education obsession with testing children results in teaching that revolves around the content that is going to be in the tests; this is particularly harmful to young children. c) Interaction between teachers and children or Methodology of Teaching – “How is it taught?” Mainstream education does not examine this area. To examine a model for teaching click here.
7. Information and lessons can be made available to teachers on a worldwide basis by way of the internet. They will be free and relate to existing frameworks. Appropriate acknowledgment to sponsors will be included.
8. Teachers will want these lessons. In a pilot program of ten e-newsletters with lessons, 2,100 teachers subscribed within six months and without any advertising. Insufficient resources resulted in closure of initiative.
Conclusion
Arnold Toynbee, a famous historian, said, “Civilizations decline, not so much because of invasions or other external forces, but because of an internal hardening of ideas.” Those existing in state education in California and the majority of the rest of the USA are based on inflexible and rigid ideas. What can only be termed the socialization of educational ideas is occurring nationwide.
The public at large realize that there is a crisis. In a recent survey taken by pollster Mark Mellman 40% of likely California voters named elementary and secondary education as the biggest problem facing the state. That is more than the total for the next four issues – crime and drugs, health care, immigration and taxes. Evidence on various Mollet Learning Academy pages indicate a real problem and the people who are really hurting are our children. Tragically it need not be happening.
The UK and USA are now both in steep decline and it isn’t rocket science to work out why! We shall not succeed in our task in our lifetimes but we do seek to sow the seeds for future generations.
What do we believe in?
1. The MLA approach to education believes in developing the creative and imaginative side of the student in harmony with the intellectual and cognitive. To achieve this, MLA Teaching Packs make stories and drama an integral part of the lessons and involve students through storytelling, art, simulations, drama, craft, discussion and creation of a personal record.
There are MLA Teaching Packs for teaching a) Ancient Civilizations/World History, b) History of California and c) Mathematics (Fractions and Multiplication Tables)
2. Click on any of these links China, Egypt, Greece, India, Israelites, Kush, Mesopotamia, Prehistory or Rome to take you to the appropriate WER Unit.
3. Click here if you wish to access free lesson on papyrus (enter Papyrus in Subject line – any information you supply is treated in complete confidence).
4. Click here for Mollet Learning Academy (MLA) Teaching Packs.
5. Click here to find out about Kush. Kush is Africa’s oldest interior civilization. Do your students, particularly African-American, have the opportunity to study this part of their cultural heritage?
6. Click here for articles and research reports.
7. Click here to check out evaluations of pilots carried out in schools in San Diego and to read what teachers think about our lessons/newsletters.
“These resource packs contain unbound, ready-to-use reproducible masters, that are varied, simple, and appealing to students. The interactive strategies suggested are suitable for independent, small-group, and whole-class assignments.”
(Grade 6 Course Models – California State Department of Education)
8. Click here to check out evaluation of WER Unit Kush by USA leading authority.
9. Information on workshops/presentations for introducing the MLA approach into public schools available at https://molletacademy.com/mla-workshops/
10. For an explanation of the philosophy behind the writing of these packs click https://molletacademy.com/mla-pedagogy/
11. Click https://molletacademy.com/sdsu-courses/ for details of on-line courses accredited by San Diego State University.
Dr. David Mollet davidmetis@gmail.com
NZ: h 09-555-2021 m 022-101-1741, 41 Hilling St, Titirangi, Auckland 0604
USA: 619-463-1270, 6656 Reservoir Lane, San Diego, CA 92115 (Skype waldorfedu)
1) The material was initially written for New Zealand teachers but on request from USA teachers, monitoring and assessment procedures were added. To view this material please visit https://molletacademy.com/
WideHorizon Education Resources (WER) https://molletacademy.com/widehorizon-2/ Waldorf Education Resources (WER) https://molletacademy.com/waldorf/
2) MLA is also involved in researching on an international basis, what works and what doesn’t work. Most of the research results can be seen at https://molletacademy.com/research-reports/ while a draft of a book The Task for New Zealand Education is at https://molletacademy.com/the-task-for-nz-education/
3) Blogs at http://www.molletlearningacademy.blogspot.co.nz/
4) Business Plan at http://molletlearningacademy.com/corporate/MLABusinessPlan.pdf
5) Papyrus https://molletacademy.com/papyrus/
If you wish to subscribe to MLA Newsletter please do so at https://molletacademy.com/ Thanks and take care, David
Mollet Learning Academy (MLA) 