July 26, 2010
Group 3/Week 5: Wendy Schwalb & Pat Alfarone
We spoke at length about the numbered topics. Here are our notes.
Our opinion is that there is work to do but we are ready to do it!
1. The future in terms of the effect on human lives and the shape that schooling and education are likely to take.
Home school- access to public school extracurricular because of paying taxes. Good use of paying taxes.
Focus is interest-based.
Virtual teacher- used by home-schooling families.
Adjunct to the current system? Like Skype.
Depending upon the location.
Joint statement: Future will see more use of school choices.
When the future choice has a greater benefit that the current choice, the change will occur. (Like when the change is more like from the horse-and-buggy to the automobile) But, who will go the way of the buggy whip manufacturers? They will adapt or go extinct. Cost benefit analysis.
2. Characteristics of a teacher in the new informational era and the role of
the process of professional career development.
Motivate from love of something or from fear of something.
Teacher's char. should be no different in the future than they are now: enthusiasm, life-long learner, and be able to impart that to others. Some people should not teach just like some people should not be mechanics or doctors or any other career. Teachers choose their profession as others choose their professions.
Learned practical things from class- end result of teaching!! Learning.
3. Predict the development of Education and Schooling in the future.
Development: trying to align with current job market from the early ages.
Microsoft co. set up. Gossiping vs. Collaboration! Think tank. Getting work done!
Linear vs. global style of instruction. Down with podiums! Social vs. intellectual levels. Logical combination of ages. But, if the lower level students are always with that level... Differentiated instruction? RTI. Puts intervention on teachers.
4. How much does students' education and school's effectiveness depend on teacher? The entire education process of one student is a group enterprise. So many facets. Education comes from home also. Improve individual, improves the overall educational environment. PBIS!! Teaching people how to be responsible and how to respect themselves. This must start at home. Build values into everything.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sir Ken Robinson-Paradigm Shift
I was supposed to add this to my final reflection post but I just read this assignment.
That video that was assigned for Week 1 and now again for Week 5 made a great impact on me. In Week 1, the world of an online class was a mystery to me as I sat with my headset on watching a Youtube video. Now I look back and realize how far I have come. I have quoted Sir Ken Robinson to my teacher friends, when he said, We must transform not reform. Wow. I then thought about butterflies. Nothing changes more than a butterfly in its lifetime. Teachers must be willing and able to not only adapt to change but to effect it. He indicated a global crisis in human resources. He sites the increase in education spending has not altered academic outcomes in most cases. He asks "Why?" His bottom line is that no one, no government nor school board is daring to change the underlying system of purveying education in America. The digital immigrants are trying to teach the digital natives. It could work but why not try to engage the students in the forum in which they are already engaged: technology. We must, as teachers, espouse and encourage divergent thinking in our students. We systematically dumb our children down and pigeon-hole them in tracts of learning. I want to be a part of something more than that. I intend to create a classroom where standards can be met alongside of creativity. Where creativity doesn't somehow equate to a lacking in accountability. Why did that impression arise? How can we let go of the need for standardization (assembly line) learning? Why must there be NATIONAL standards? Every town has its own pros and cons, why can't students' learning reflect their local values but with an eye on being able to function in the larger world? I guess I would agree to national standards if the federal government offered more than 10% of the total for educational spending. The states should be left to make standards that apply to their own student population. The work I have done with applying state and national standards was effectively guided my preparation of lesson plans not hindered it. I think that standards are confused with preparation for standardized tests. I think standardized tests are the bane of public education. The preparation for which eliminates teachers' ability to teach for 3 of 10 months depending on the grade level. And the cost and what do the numbers really show?? Have the students give presentations to state ed. officials to show their knowledge not take a snapshot of one unpredictable day of testing.
Sir Ken Robinson has it right: Transform not reform (to alter what already exists).
Wendy S.
That video that was assigned for Week 1 and now again for Week 5 made a great impact on me. In Week 1, the world of an online class was a mystery to me as I sat with my headset on watching a Youtube video. Now I look back and realize how far I have come. I have quoted Sir Ken Robinson to my teacher friends, when he said, We must transform not reform. Wow. I then thought about butterflies. Nothing changes more than a butterfly in its lifetime. Teachers must be willing and able to not only adapt to change but to effect it. He indicated a global crisis in human resources. He sites the increase in education spending has not altered academic outcomes in most cases. He asks "Why?" His bottom line is that no one, no government nor school board is daring to change the underlying system of purveying education in America. The digital immigrants are trying to teach the digital natives. It could work but why not try to engage the students in the forum in which they are already engaged: technology. We must, as teachers, espouse and encourage divergent thinking in our students. We systematically dumb our children down and pigeon-hole them in tracts of learning. I want to be a part of something more than that. I intend to create a classroom where standards can be met alongside of creativity. Where creativity doesn't somehow equate to a lacking in accountability. Why did that impression arise? How can we let go of the need for standardization (assembly line) learning? Why must there be NATIONAL standards? Every town has its own pros and cons, why can't students' learning reflect their local values but with an eye on being able to function in the larger world? I guess I would agree to national standards if the federal government offered more than 10% of the total for educational spending. The states should be left to make standards that apply to their own student population. The work I have done with applying state and national standards was effectively guided my preparation of lesson plans not hindered it. I think that standards are confused with preparation for standardized tests. I think standardized tests are the bane of public education. The preparation for which eliminates teachers' ability to teach for 3 of 10 months depending on the grade level. And the cost and what do the numbers really show?? Have the students give presentations to state ed. officials to show their knowledge not take a snapshot of one unpredictable day of testing.
Sir Ken Robinson has it right: Transform not reform (to alter what already exists).
Wendy S.
ED 5210-T1 Nature of Schools Final Reflective Blog
I was just typing for 20 minutes about this entry and received a message that my typing could not be posted nor saved. Ahhhh.... technology. Now, it is telling me it is autosaving my entry. Thanks, Blogger.com.
Here goes take 2...
My professor in Measurements and Assessments spent the last 10 minutes of an intense 10-hour per week, 3.5 week class, going over the learning objectives that she believed we needed to cover during the class. That was an experience I had never had in all of my many, many years of schooling. Those 10 minutes gave me such a sense of accomplishment in that coursework, as much as any other assessment that she gave us. We so rarely give ourselves that precious moment of reflection to truly absorb information or an experience. She gave us that as she read the objectives and then stopped and asked if we all felt as though it were met. We nodded or agreed verbally and then she went on to the next one. It was truly meditative for me. I function well with lists and checking off items as I complete them but this process not only allowed me to put a check in the box it also allowed me to consider my experience in the coursework and see if I had truly absorbed the material and was thence ready to apply it to my own students. I did feel that I was able to apply the skills and information in the future as I would need to.
Reflective time is crucial but so often shoved aside with any action that we undertake.
I am glad to again have the opportunity to reflect upon the learning outcomes of this class. I will go through and present my reflections on learning objectives from this syllabus.
Objectives #1 & #2: I learned about the parallel of American public education to an Industrial Revolution-era assembly line. That was revolutionary for its time but that time has come for that to change. Linear learning just doesn't fit today's model of the globally interconnected society that we live in. Teachers must be at the forefront of that restructurings. I learned that, through the readings and review of the video clips and my own investigatory tangents, that teachers can lead this charge for change! I am more informed now about the history of the American educational system so now I can determine how to change the future. I would like to see slightly longer school days and more parental involvement. Those two factors seem to account for great success in the schools that have it. Schools around the world all do things differently and I believe we could adapt some of the methods that other schools employ around the world. Particularly, the opportunity for instruction on Saturdays if needed and shorter but more frequent vacations to avoid the intense review periods necessary after a long vacation.
Objectives #3 & #4: To know how to approach students, you must know yourself. The educational philosophy quiz confirmed a lot of what I already believed about myself and my teaching style. I hope I can sustain it once I am in the actual classroom. The Connectivism Theory was an outstanding reading that made me believe that my philosophies will bring me success as a teacher. I believe that we are all connected. My discussion topic of the Butterfly Effect for Week 2 confirms this. I learned that I have to be aware of all of the moral, social, religious, and secular issues that go on around me and that will go on around and effect everything about my students. It is hard not to feel overwhelmed by this responsibility. I just know I will adapt and blossom in this career. The foundations of education come from people and people are part of a society of many believes and characteristics. I will search for a way to blend these characteristics and show understanding and appreciation for those who possess them. The readings on Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructionism all provided me with insights into why people behave the way they do and how I can use these theories in my classroom to adjust behavior issues and encourage educational growth. A calm classroom does not necessarily indicate a sterile, boring classroom. A constructive atmosphere indicates learning at a student's own pace and following his or her own interests. I learned that I will feel comfortable offering many learning options to my students so long as they can demonstrate their knowledge and application of the content, the form will be given much leeway. I so appreciated the opportunity to learn about emotional intelligence. It is important that awareness of this facet of students is growing. It is as much a component of learning as the academic side of it.
Objective #5: I have so met this objective. I have come so far in my technological experiences with this class. Personally, I have come light years! I have designed my own Website and Blog, I have worked on a Wiki (loved it!), on WiZiQ, an online collaborative site (tough and frustrating but doable), LetterPop was impossible to download photos onto, explored an online text book, etc.
I learned that I needed to learn these sites for myself before I could ever hope to teach my own students about technological applications. It is sort of egotistical for me to believe I could teach my students much about technology anyway! I learned that technology has and will continue to have an incredibly forceful effect on public education. The schools must transform into global learning workshops. Linear is OUT! Self-directed, interest-based instruction and learning models must be in. Factual regurgitation is out, who needs it when information is a click away. Critical-thinking and the ability to assemble and present knowledge is where teachers must direct their students. The video clips were overwhelming AND exciting. The student were asking me to "Engage Them"! Wow. I can do this. I also know where and how to get help to become current. I easily give myself over to learning. I am not afraid to learn myself and will impart that to my students about their own learning, with and without technology. I enjoyed the video clips of the scientists and researchers studying the effects of technology on teenagers and their world of instant communication and their desire to collaborate. That is excellent news for me. That gives me hope that long before me wanting to become a teacher, that there have been teachers at the forefront of teaching with technology. The Internet is a miracle! I can live and work in a rural area thanks to the Internet. I am ready to teach with technology by my side and cannot wait for the group of teachers that will arrive in the future that are digital natives! What will their fears be?
Objective #6: I had always wondered about the difference between magnet and charter schools. I also wondered how they were financed. I learned so much about these terms and their application during Week 3 and the readings and discussions that I have with my partner. I can intelligently speak on any of the school options as well as on the ramifications of each for the public school systems. I am grateful for my understanding of these topics because they are so pertinent and so current. I was interested to read about the rise of the school choice movement. That gives me hope that there are MANY parents who place a high value on the education of their children. I am not sure where my light cynicism is coming from though. Perhaps it is baseless. But for parents to gather and form groups to demand access to school choice is exciting and encouraging to me. I do worry about the ways that parents decide to pursue other schooling options. Is it out of anger and frustration in a reactive way or is it mostly in a proactive way. Do parents get appropriate information? Are the foundations of their requests based in academic issues or safety issues? Can you make correct decisions if you are angry? Who should be in charge of giving parents the information? Are school choice issues race-based issues? Regarding schooling in other nations, there was little reading on that topic that I saw. There were some broken links though. I did do a presentation recently in my collaboration class where I studied body language of other nations. Just as some nations have very formal body language signals, I can somewhat imply that some nations are very formal about who is educated and who is not, mostly males are privileged with obtaining an education in many countries. Sexism is rampant in many countries regarding education. I am familiar with Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools. Both are non-fiction accounts of education in Pakistan and Afghanistan respectively. Very different from here in levels of access. However, in the remotest villages discussed in both books, the desire to have educated children was very strong. There were so many obstacles that the peoples' resolve was even greater. Highly recommended reading for teachers-to-be and teachers that are already teaching.
Objectives #7 & #8: I have come to believe in my last year of study and probably from my experiences with my children in a Montessori pre-school, that a teacher's role is as a facilitator for learning. Lecturing from a pulpit must now be reserved for other parts of a child's day and not in school. Learning must be authentic and hands-on. Applicable to their real life and not hypothetical. Teachers must have the personality to convey their own enthusiasm for learning. I know I can do that. I stop to explore the contents of a puddle or to determine what kind of spider is in a certain web. I have ALWAYS been like that. My personality compels me to experience the sheer joy of learning something new and then finding someone to share that new knowledge with. I have done more analysis of things that I am learning here than I had in a long time. The rigors of school are always good for awakening the brain after it gets into a daily routine of doing chores, etc. I must beware of becoming a permanent student!
I have learned to inquire of myself, to inquire of experts, of colleagues, of classmates, of my own teachers, with confidence in knowing that is how I will learn.
My choice for my educational change project is an example of my perspective on learning. I want to open parents minds to the need for connection with their children's school and its educators. The parents are the foundation of the children's behaviors and personalities and attitudes. I believe that if parents hear the perspective of another parent that they know and trust that they will at least consider the idea of using PBIS principles at home.
I have learned so many unquantifiable things from this class experience. I feel modernized and invigorated. I felt downtrodden and lost also at times. Frustrated often with the technologies limitations and my own learning curve. I have learned what it is to be a modern student.
I will take these new perspectives with me into my own classroom someday. I will be aware of the needs of all of my students by becoming aware of my own needs and abilities as a student.
Here goes take 2...
My professor in Measurements and Assessments spent the last 10 minutes of an intense 10-hour per week, 3.5 week class, going over the learning objectives that she believed we needed to cover during the class. That was an experience I had never had in all of my many, many years of schooling. Those 10 minutes gave me such a sense of accomplishment in that coursework, as much as any other assessment that she gave us. We so rarely give ourselves that precious moment of reflection to truly absorb information or an experience. She gave us that as she read the objectives and then stopped and asked if we all felt as though it were met. We nodded or agreed verbally and then she went on to the next one. It was truly meditative for me. I function well with lists and checking off items as I complete them but this process not only allowed me to put a check in the box it also allowed me to consider my experience in the coursework and see if I had truly absorbed the material and was thence ready to apply it to my own students. I did feel that I was able to apply the skills and information in the future as I would need to.
Reflective time is crucial but so often shoved aside with any action that we undertake.
I am glad to again have the opportunity to reflect upon the learning outcomes of this class. I will go through and present my reflections on learning objectives from this syllabus.
Objectives #1 & #2: I learned about the parallel of American public education to an Industrial Revolution-era assembly line. That was revolutionary for its time but that time has come for that to change. Linear learning just doesn't fit today's model of the globally interconnected society that we live in. Teachers must be at the forefront of that restructurings. I learned that, through the readings and review of the video clips and my own investigatory tangents, that teachers can lead this charge for change! I am more informed now about the history of the American educational system so now I can determine how to change the future. I would like to see slightly longer school days and more parental involvement. Those two factors seem to account for great success in the schools that have it. Schools around the world all do things differently and I believe we could adapt some of the methods that other schools employ around the world. Particularly, the opportunity for instruction on Saturdays if needed and shorter but more frequent vacations to avoid the intense review periods necessary after a long vacation.
Objectives #3 & #4: To know how to approach students, you must know yourself. The educational philosophy quiz confirmed a lot of what I already believed about myself and my teaching style. I hope I can sustain it once I am in the actual classroom. The Connectivism Theory was an outstanding reading that made me believe that my philosophies will bring me success as a teacher. I believe that we are all connected. My discussion topic of the Butterfly Effect for Week 2 confirms this. I learned that I have to be aware of all of the moral, social, religious, and secular issues that go on around me and that will go on around and effect everything about my students. It is hard not to feel overwhelmed by this responsibility. I just know I will adapt and blossom in this career. The foundations of education come from people and people are part of a society of many believes and characteristics. I will search for a way to blend these characteristics and show understanding and appreciation for those who possess them. The readings on Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructionism all provided me with insights into why people behave the way they do and how I can use these theories in my classroom to adjust behavior issues and encourage educational growth. A calm classroom does not necessarily indicate a sterile, boring classroom. A constructive atmosphere indicates learning at a student's own pace and following his or her own interests. I learned that I will feel comfortable offering many learning options to my students so long as they can demonstrate their knowledge and application of the content, the form will be given much leeway. I so appreciated the opportunity to learn about emotional intelligence. It is important that awareness of this facet of students is growing. It is as much a component of learning as the academic side of it.
Objective #5: I have so met this objective. I have come so far in my technological experiences with this class. Personally, I have come light years! I have designed my own Website and Blog, I have worked on a Wiki (loved it!), on WiZiQ, an online collaborative site (tough and frustrating but doable), LetterPop was impossible to download photos onto, explored an online text book, etc.
I learned that I needed to learn these sites for myself before I could ever hope to teach my own students about technological applications. It is sort of egotistical for me to believe I could teach my students much about technology anyway! I learned that technology has and will continue to have an incredibly forceful effect on public education. The schools must transform into global learning workshops. Linear is OUT! Self-directed, interest-based instruction and learning models must be in. Factual regurgitation is out, who needs it when information is a click away. Critical-thinking and the ability to assemble and present knowledge is where teachers must direct their students. The video clips were overwhelming AND exciting. The student were asking me to "Engage Them"! Wow. I can do this. I also know where and how to get help to become current. I easily give myself over to learning. I am not afraid to learn myself and will impart that to my students about their own learning, with and without technology. I enjoyed the video clips of the scientists and researchers studying the effects of technology on teenagers and their world of instant communication and their desire to collaborate. That is excellent news for me. That gives me hope that long before me wanting to become a teacher, that there have been teachers at the forefront of teaching with technology. The Internet is a miracle! I can live and work in a rural area thanks to the Internet. I am ready to teach with technology by my side and cannot wait for the group of teachers that will arrive in the future that are digital natives! What will their fears be?
Objective #6: I had always wondered about the difference between magnet and charter schools. I also wondered how they were financed. I learned so much about these terms and their application during Week 3 and the readings and discussions that I have with my partner. I can intelligently speak on any of the school options as well as on the ramifications of each for the public school systems. I am grateful for my understanding of these topics because they are so pertinent and so current. I was interested to read about the rise of the school choice movement. That gives me hope that there are MANY parents who place a high value on the education of their children. I am not sure where my light cynicism is coming from though. Perhaps it is baseless. But for parents to gather and form groups to demand access to school choice is exciting and encouraging to me. I do worry about the ways that parents decide to pursue other schooling options. Is it out of anger and frustration in a reactive way or is it mostly in a proactive way. Do parents get appropriate information? Are the foundations of their requests based in academic issues or safety issues? Can you make correct decisions if you are angry? Who should be in charge of giving parents the information? Are school choice issues race-based issues? Regarding schooling in other nations, there was little reading on that topic that I saw. There were some broken links though. I did do a presentation recently in my collaboration class where I studied body language of other nations. Just as some nations have very formal body language signals, I can somewhat imply that some nations are very formal about who is educated and who is not, mostly males are privileged with obtaining an education in many countries. Sexism is rampant in many countries regarding education. I am familiar with Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools. Both are non-fiction accounts of education in Pakistan and Afghanistan respectively. Very different from here in levels of access. However, in the remotest villages discussed in both books, the desire to have educated children was very strong. There were so many obstacles that the peoples' resolve was even greater. Highly recommended reading for teachers-to-be and teachers that are already teaching.
Objectives #7 & #8: I have come to believe in my last year of study and probably from my experiences with my children in a Montessori pre-school, that a teacher's role is as a facilitator for learning. Lecturing from a pulpit must now be reserved for other parts of a child's day and not in school. Learning must be authentic and hands-on. Applicable to their real life and not hypothetical. Teachers must have the personality to convey their own enthusiasm for learning. I know I can do that. I stop to explore the contents of a puddle or to determine what kind of spider is in a certain web. I have ALWAYS been like that. My personality compels me to experience the sheer joy of learning something new and then finding someone to share that new knowledge with. I have done more analysis of things that I am learning here than I had in a long time. The rigors of school are always good for awakening the brain after it gets into a daily routine of doing chores, etc. I must beware of becoming a permanent student!
I have learned to inquire of myself, to inquire of experts, of colleagues, of classmates, of my own teachers, with confidence in knowing that is how I will learn.
My choice for my educational change project is an example of my perspective on learning. I want to open parents minds to the need for connection with their children's school and its educators. The parents are the foundation of the children's behaviors and personalities and attitudes. I believe that if parents hear the perspective of another parent that they know and trust that they will at least consider the idea of using PBIS principles at home.
I have learned so many unquantifiable things from this class experience. I feel modernized and invigorated. I felt downtrodden and lost also at times. Frustrated often with the technologies limitations and my own learning curve. I have learned what it is to be a modern student.
I will take these new perspectives with me into my own classroom someday. I will be aware of the needs of all of my students by becoming aware of my own needs and abilities as a student.
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