As this class comes to an end, I am able to walk away with new knowledge and a desire to improve my programming at school. The content that we covered in class was relevant to school reform and used resources that have been in successful circulation. While many saw The Big Picture School models as idyllic dream schools, I see them as a beacon of hope and examples of pathways that are available to educators who believe in these types of reforms. So much of what goes on at my current school acts in opposition to many of the ideas and beliefs laid out by Dennis Littky. It has definitely made me begin to think about the type of school I can aim to work in. This course did not cover how Career and Technical Education is implemented in elementary schools and so I have much more research to do when it comes to finding exemplary models. This article presents some good ideas on how to start. Because of this, I hope to be able to reach out to elementary schools in my area that are part of The Big Picture network, such as the charter school Learning By Design. "The purpose is to have every student connect with something that meets their talents and aptitude. The intended purpose is to honor and help students along the path that could possibly lead to their future career." At a minimum, I hope to implement aspects of the CTE pathways into my curriculum. I would like to begin making connections this year with local experts and businesses who would be willing to come in as guest speakers or host a field trip or on-campus activity this school year. This will help me to narrow in on which CTE pathways we would be able to further incorporate in future years. Additionally, I would like to incorporate more student choice and authentic assessments into my curriculums, particularly with upper elementary. The Weebly blog is a great way for students to continually showcase their growth in a creative way and is an activity I think my students will enjoy. This is something I want to incorporate this year as a weekly assignment for grades 4th and 5th. During this last month of my summer break, I hope to learn more about the modern classroom and individualized pacing guides for students. At a minimum, my goal is to be able to at least implement this with one grade level (most likely 3rd) so that I can build on the experience for other grades the next year. Although I hope to be able to do this work with all my students in some capacity this year.
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Question A:
What are your thoughts about technology in education? Technology can be successfully integrated into education and is a useful resource for teachers and support staff. Technology can help a school be more sustainable, can help with efficiency, and provide academic support for some students. In blended learning classrooms, technology can play an important role in helping connect what students are working on independently to what they share or make connections to in a whole group setting. Question B: How could these blended learning resources help you to personalize learning for students in your classroom and community? The three models presented are all useful in helping personalize learning, but I particularly feel that the station rotation, flipped classroom, and flex model would be of best use in my classroom. The flipped classroom is something that our school moved more into during the pandemic, and I feel that it could now be incorporated into an even more meaningful way now that we are back in person with a limited block schedule. I could definitely use this resource as a way to make the best use of my science blocks, particularly for my older students. Instead of spending time introducing topics in class, students could explore the content at home. For my younger students, I could provide their classroom teachers with simple resources like videos and read-alouds to introduce topics before students come to science class. The flex model and station rotations would be great resources for structuring my in-person classes. At our school, younger students are familiar with working in stations so this could be an easy transition once students are familiarized with the process and expectations. The flex model would be useful for my upper elementary students as it would help ensure everyone has the experience of achieving mastery and would hopefully increase student engagement. These last two courses I have taken through TCSJ have really reignited my passion for education and learning. I am reminded of how I felt as a first-year teacher fresh out of my credential program. It's that same feeling of hope and the drive to bring innovative ideas to the masses. You want everyone to join the team and head off into the new age of teaching... And then reality hits. It is challenging to believe that these ideas can be made into reality, especially when those around you are in doubt. There are so many hurdles to get over that reforming education seems like one wicked problem to try and solve. So much of it looks out of your control or is in a sector that you have no desire to work in (i.e. admin or district level). The first step I have taken in trying to do my part is sharing these new ideas with some of my colleagues who are like-minded. This past week, I was able to have lunch with two colleagues who I shared much of what I have been learning with. When I talked about the idea of a committee of ten they were intrigued. There definitely are some people at my school who are ready to make changes in their own capacity rather than waiting for administrators to get it together. Maybe I will even begin to form my own committee of ten this year after all. Even though I was not looking forward to doing a group project, I think that this exercise will be a helpful experience so that I can incorporate more of this work into my classroom instruction this year. It is still a bit of a mystery as to how CTE is incorporated into elementary, but I am hopeful that through this project it will be made more clear. I appreciate that we were introduced to The Big Picture School's website as I have already found two schools in my area that cater to K-6. These schools may prove to be valuable connections in the future.
Questions to consider:
1) How do we effectively change private education when the "why" behind these schools is so closely tied to customer values? Would it be an "if you build it they will come" situation? 2) How do we encourage innovative educators to take on administrative and district positions? Educators walk many different paths in their profession yet encounter so many of the same obstacles. Hearing the members of our class today share their stories, struggles, and experiences was impactful and continued to help us forge connections with each other. I look forward to seeing how each individual charts their own path towards what they deem as the ideal education and I know that I will learn from them along the way. Even though we have only just finished day two, I am continually reminded that there is so much that I can learn from these educators because they come from backgrounds that differ from mine.
The video of Sir Ken Robinson's talk titled "Changing Education Paradigms" is one I have seen before, but one section stood out to me this time around. About halfway through the video he talks about ADHD and expresses that he is on the side against medicating students. I agree that it is a common goal among parents and teachers to not have to use medication, but sometimes I feel that it is a necessary step. If the system of education is not changing then these youth are going to continually be put in environments and situations that do not allow them to awaken their full senses. I believe that there is a balance when it comes to medicating for ADHD and that it is not something that should be seen as an end-all cure. Medication is best used to help students slow down and focus so that they can build strategies that can then be implemented in to replace the medication. Simon Sinek's talk, "How Great Leaders Inspire Action" brought up some interesting points that could cross over into education. The idea of the Golden Circle made me think about how impactful schools, principles, and districts could be if they understood and believed in the right "whys". Our head of school leads with the "what" when speaking with staff and families and often is inconsistent when it comes to the "why". The Law of Diffusion of Innovation made me think about a conversation my group had in the last class. We spoke about how changing education is a wicked problem that touches all levels of education and society. What does the field of education need to do to get enough early adopters on board to tip the balance? Because the chasm seems mighty wide. Side Note: I found this quote from the article "The Traditional High School" a dig at what we will be discussing in class. I look forward to hearing what our cohort and professor have to say! "People who advocate more vocational education in our high schools miss the most fundamental fact of the new world we are living in: today, the best vocational education is academic education." Coming into this class I was hopeful that it would continue to lead me into a space of becoming more of a "tempered radical" in my approach to teaching. I was first introduced to this term in STEM375 with instructors Andra Yeghoian and Doron Markus. So far, I am pleased to see that this class will also be teaching us ways we can push back against the blockades put up by our present education system. The ability to create change within a system is compounded when you have others who share your goals and values. So far. through our class introductions and discussions I was pleased to see that we represent a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences through which we can find common ground. As someone who has worked solely in private schools, I appreciate the insight and knowledge that public and charter educators bring to the conversation as it broadens my understanding of the field as a whole. I consider myself a lifelong learner and still have so much to learn when it comes to being an impactful educator. One area for growth I am already seeing is in learning to clearly define many of the class terms presented in class. While most of the terms are familiar, their actual meaning is muddled in my mind. Throughout the course of this class I hope to be able to better define the following terms:
I am the type of teacher who likes resources---even though they often end up in un-read piles on my desk and bookshelf. The articles, videos, and resources shared thus far have been engaging and inspiring. I am eager to apply some of what I have already learned to my summer curriculum planning. Using a blog format as a way to assess student understanding and growth is something I can see myself doing with my upper elementary students. Incorporating student websites into my assessments would allow me not only to partner in transdisciplinary work with our computer science specialist, but could also help move students away from worrying about the test and towards engaging creatively with what they are learning. In the article, A Diploma Worth Having, I was intrigued by the section which revisited high school requisites. It made me question how similar work could be done in elementary school, particularly in the upper grades. This is an idea I would like to revisit later on in this course. As CURR341 gets under way, I look forward to learning alongside my cohort and discovering new ways to creatively improve and positively impact the field of education. |
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