Let me first say that creating this blog and keeping up with it has really helped me through this class. I have really enjoyed reading and analyzing in this sort of format. I am considering having my students create blogs for my classes this coming year. I have enjoyed reading my class mates blogs and being able to comment on their posts...I feel like it is a great way to communicate!
I think the two high lights of my blog were my entries on Why High Schools Must Go and my Waiting for Super Who blog.
The reason these two particular blogs stick out in my mind is because when I did the reading for these particular assignments....I was really blown away by what I read. The two articles were both eye opening and helped me to understand that there is a) always another side of the story and b) more then one way to do something...you don't have to keep on doing the same thing because someone said so.
As a high school teacher, I strive to find innovative lesson and techniques to teach my students. I feel that high school is the last step before the "real world"....whatever the real world means for a student (college, work, military etc). Some students are more then ready for a college atmosphere and ready to take that step. The High School Must Go blog post high lights the interview of Leon Botstein by Robert Epstein. It is refreshing as an educator to hear someone say that high school is not necessarily necessary for every student. In fact, he proclaims that we stifling the growth of students who are ready for a college experience. This is something that I would never have considered...not go to high school? Come one...everyone has too! I think one of the reasons that I liked this article so much was because it forced me to look and think outside of the box!
Waiting for Super Who was another article that knocked my socks off. I mentioned in the blog that I show the movie Waiting for Superman to my Husson Sociology class. I teach a whole unit on education and I use this movie as sort of a focal point on the state of education in America. The students love it and have real emotional responses to the content. Now, I will be able to show my students both sides of the story...which is so important. I think my students benefit from understanding and learning about education and what is behind the theories and ideas of educating the youth - being able to see both sides of the coin will only make them more well rounded.
I am going to continue blogging throughout my experience with this Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction program...This will be a great way for people to see what I am doing and it will also allow me to organize my thoughts and see how far I have come. I am going to give my blog address out to a few people at my school that I know are interested in curriculum work...maybe we can collaborate on certain issues and topics.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Charlie...
Well....It's been a tough week for UMaine. A wonderful member of the UMaine family has passed away, Charlie Slavin. This really hits home for me because I had such a wonderful experience with Charlie when I was at UMaine, I thought I would use this forum to tell someone about it.
I started at the University of Maine at Orono (as it was called then) in the fall of 1997. I was young and 10 hours away from home. UMaine was my first non-Catholic school experience EVER! I had gone to Catholic school my whole life! Also, UMaine was my first co-ed education experience since the 8th grade. It was the first time I was really away from the underside of my parents thumb and boy, did I have fun! Too much fun to be exact....at the end of my first semester, I had managed to compile a whooping .98 GPA!! Imagine! I was really embarrassed and felt like I had really let myself down as well as my parents. My father, it turned out, was not that upset. He too went to school a long way away from this parents and had really lived it up his first semester. He told me I had one more chance or I was going to have to come home. So, the mail came in and I was on academic probation. I knew I needed to buckle down!
I went back to campus eagerly awaiting to start the spring semester...new year, new me! I met a wonderful lady named Mindy Kezis. She wasn't assigned to be my advisor - I kind of just stumbled into her office before classes had started and asked her for help. She agreed. We looked over the classes I had signed up for and did some revamping. We looked over some testing from high school and the work I had did (or didn't do) in my fall classes. We wanted to get math and science out of the way...I knew that these subjects were not my best. In the fall I had taken BIO 100. This class was totally brutal. In high school, I had taken a few advance science courses, so I figured...BIO 100 - no big deal...WRONG! There were about 300 students in the class and the teacher was a robot. She wasn't willing to explain things after class or give extra help. She would always tell me to bring up any issues with my lab teacher. Interesting thing was that I actually got an A in the lab portion of the class. Mindy, being the keen lady that she was noticed this and said..."Let's try Biology for non-sciecne majors. Charlie is teaching it, you will be fine." Charlie, hmm...who is this guy that Mindy trusted with me? I figured she knew what she was talking about...so I signed up!
The first day of Science for Non-Science Majors that spring semester was also the first time it was ever taught on campus. Charlie Slavin and this other guy (I wish I could remember what his name was, but I cant) were standing in front of the class in a smaller more intimate classroom setting. There were probably 30 of us. On the every fist day Charlie says "...how many of you failed BIO 100?" I was happy to see that I wasn't the only hopeless soul to raise my hand! He said..."I promise you, if you do your work in this class and follow the game plan, you will not fail this class!" And we were off! The class was amazing! We covered the same major concepts the Robot covered in BIO 100, but it was taught totally differently. Charlie and the Other Guy team taught and they tag teamed us! They spent time listening to our questions and explained the concepts throughly. They put those concepts into practical practice and in terms that I could understand. They did not teach the class as if they were standing in front a room of future micro biologist...they taught in laymen terms and it was very helpful!
There was not a lab element to the class. Instead, we worked in teams on projects and did presentations in class. Each person on the team was responsible for a main part of the project but we all had to work together. There was very little homework...we did most of our work in class - which was very beneficial because if we had questions or problems Charlie and the Other Guy were there to help us out. We were expected to do our reading at home and had quizzes on our reading weekly. Even testing was what I would consider practical! We didn't have big tests once or twice a semester that I felt the need to cram for. Assessment was done in the form of a project that each person would do by themselves in class. We were given all the materials and had to put everything together on our own. I wish I could remember more about the final, but I can't...I feel like it was 100 years ago.
Well at the end of the semester, Charlie was right. I stuck with the game plan and I didn't fail! In fact, I got a B. There were a couple of things that really stuck with me about this class and Charlie. First, every time I had a question and would go and ask him - he would always reassure me that I was doing a good job. He always made me felt like I knew what I was doing and that I was doing it well! He gave me the confidence that I needed to succeed in this class and many others. The second thing that I took away from the class was that it was OK NOT to just stand up in front of a lecture hall and recite notes until the class was fast asleep. His innovation in teaching this class in a hands-on manner really made the difference in passing and failing for me. It was almost like they were tricking us into learning. We were having so much learning that it felt more like a good time and not a class. It really wasnlt until well after the class was over that I realized how much we really covered and how much I had learned. Lastly, I really remember how good I felt when I got my final grade for the class...so good indeed that I emailed Charlie and thanked him for the wonderful experience. I got an email back that thanked me for working hard and doing the best that I could.
Needles to say, I bounced back very nicely from my .98 and never failed like that again! In fact, I sit here with a masters degree and working on my second...not bad for a girl that couldn't break a 1.5 my first semester! There were many people in the UMaine community that helped me on my long journey: Mindy Kezis, advisor extraordinaire. Marli Weiner - who told me that I could get my Masters when other professors were telling me not to bother (may she Rest in Peace.) William Baker - who once ripped a paper I wrote up in front of the entire class and told me that it was a joke! Of course it wasn't, I just was not a very good writer then...but boy, did that ever teacher me to work harder on my writing. And of course Charlie. I regret not ever telling him any of this. I always saw him walking around Orono or riding his bike and thought...one day I'm going to tell him what he did for me...well, I guess, unfortunately it's too late. SO, for Charlie, I hope I can instill in my students the confidence, encouragement, and the want for academic excellence that he instilled in me. Thanks Mr. Slavin!
I started at the University of Maine at Orono (as it was called then) in the fall of 1997. I was young and 10 hours away from home. UMaine was my first non-Catholic school experience EVER! I had gone to Catholic school my whole life! Also, UMaine was my first co-ed education experience since the 8th grade. It was the first time I was really away from the underside of my parents thumb and boy, did I have fun! Too much fun to be exact....at the end of my first semester, I had managed to compile a whooping .98 GPA!! Imagine! I was really embarrassed and felt like I had really let myself down as well as my parents. My father, it turned out, was not that upset. He too went to school a long way away from this parents and had really lived it up his first semester. He told me I had one more chance or I was going to have to come home. So, the mail came in and I was on academic probation. I knew I needed to buckle down!
I went back to campus eagerly awaiting to start the spring semester...new year, new me! I met a wonderful lady named Mindy Kezis. She wasn't assigned to be my advisor - I kind of just stumbled into her office before classes had started and asked her for help. She agreed. We looked over the classes I had signed up for and did some revamping. We looked over some testing from high school and the work I had did (or didn't do) in my fall classes. We wanted to get math and science out of the way...I knew that these subjects were not my best. In the fall I had taken BIO 100. This class was totally brutal. In high school, I had taken a few advance science courses, so I figured...BIO 100 - no big deal...WRONG! There were about 300 students in the class and the teacher was a robot. She wasn't willing to explain things after class or give extra help. She would always tell me to bring up any issues with my lab teacher. Interesting thing was that I actually got an A in the lab portion of the class. Mindy, being the keen lady that she was noticed this and said..."Let's try Biology for non-sciecne majors. Charlie is teaching it, you will be fine." Charlie, hmm...who is this guy that Mindy trusted with me? I figured she knew what she was talking about...so I signed up!
The first day of Science for Non-Science Majors that spring semester was also the first time it was ever taught on campus. Charlie Slavin and this other guy (I wish I could remember what his name was, but I cant) were standing in front of the class in a smaller more intimate classroom setting. There were probably 30 of us. On the every fist day Charlie says "...how many of you failed BIO 100?" I was happy to see that I wasn't the only hopeless soul to raise my hand! He said..."I promise you, if you do your work in this class and follow the game plan, you will not fail this class!" And we were off! The class was amazing! We covered the same major concepts the Robot covered in BIO 100, but it was taught totally differently. Charlie and the Other Guy team taught and they tag teamed us! They spent time listening to our questions and explained the concepts throughly. They put those concepts into practical practice and in terms that I could understand. They did not teach the class as if they were standing in front a room of future micro biologist...they taught in laymen terms and it was very helpful!
There was not a lab element to the class. Instead, we worked in teams on projects and did presentations in class. Each person on the team was responsible for a main part of the project but we all had to work together. There was very little homework...we did most of our work in class - which was very beneficial because if we had questions or problems Charlie and the Other Guy were there to help us out. We were expected to do our reading at home and had quizzes on our reading weekly. Even testing was what I would consider practical! We didn't have big tests once or twice a semester that I felt the need to cram for. Assessment was done in the form of a project that each person would do by themselves in class. We were given all the materials and had to put everything together on our own. I wish I could remember more about the final, but I can't...I feel like it was 100 years ago.
Well at the end of the semester, Charlie was right. I stuck with the game plan and I didn't fail! In fact, I got a B. There were a couple of things that really stuck with me about this class and Charlie. First, every time I had a question and would go and ask him - he would always reassure me that I was doing a good job. He always made me felt like I knew what I was doing and that I was doing it well! He gave me the confidence that I needed to succeed in this class and many others. The second thing that I took away from the class was that it was OK NOT to just stand up in front of a lecture hall and recite notes until the class was fast asleep. His innovation in teaching this class in a hands-on manner really made the difference in passing and failing for me. It was almost like they were tricking us into learning. We were having so much learning that it felt more like a good time and not a class. It really wasnlt until well after the class was over that I realized how much we really covered and how much I had learned. Lastly, I really remember how good I felt when I got my final grade for the class...so good indeed that I emailed Charlie and thanked him for the wonderful experience. I got an email back that thanked me for working hard and doing the best that I could.
Needles to say, I bounced back very nicely from my .98 and never failed like that again! In fact, I sit here with a masters degree and working on my second...not bad for a girl that couldn't break a 1.5 my first semester! There were many people in the UMaine community that helped me on my long journey: Mindy Kezis, advisor extraordinaire. Marli Weiner - who told me that I could get my Masters when other professors were telling me not to bother (may she Rest in Peace.) William Baker - who once ripped a paper I wrote up in front of the entire class and told me that it was a joke! Of course it wasn't, I just was not a very good writer then...but boy, did that ever teacher me to work harder on my writing. And of course Charlie. I regret not ever telling him any of this. I always saw him walking around Orono or riding his bike and thought...one day I'm going to tell him what he did for me...well, I guess, unfortunately it's too late. SO, for Charlie, I hope I can instill in my students the confidence, encouragement, and the want for academic excellence that he instilled in me. Thanks Mr. Slavin!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Inevitable...
This blog post should have been posted last week, but I was having a week of doing around the house projects that never got done during the school year. Also, I really wanted to read this book with a fine tooth comb because everyone that I know in education that has read it said that it would change my feelings on how we "do business". The book is Inevitable: Mass Customized Learning - Learning in the Age of Empowerment by Charles Schwahn and Beatrice McGrarvey and it did truly make me take a closer look at how we do business in education.
Right off the bat, the book opens with a chapter dedicated to what we are doing in education that no longer makes sense. As teachers, these are things that we have been basically conditioned to do and not question. As the old adage says, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Well, not might be the time to fix it because after reading this book, it seems it actually might be broke!
There were a couple items in the first chapter that really stood out to me the most.
1. Simultaneously Teaching 25 Unique Learners:
"Expecting teachers to meet the diverse learning needs of twenty-five children simultaneously used to make sense. It doesn't any more.
"The policies and practices of public schools are bureaucratic. An objective analysis of the structure of public schools clearly shows that they are designed for administrative convenience. Personalizing learning begins only after a teacher is assigned a group of students...and a 1/25 teacher/student ratio does not make personalization and individualization of learning doable." (Schwan and McGarvey 10)
I think as a teacher, you become used these days to having over sized and congested classrooms. Also, as a teacher, personaly, I know when I am not reaching or touching the students I want to touch. Smaller class size gives teachers the opportunity to teach the students on a more individual basis making sure that each student receives the attention that they need. Also, with a smaller class size, one is able to foster better group discussion and the feeling that each student is a significant part of the class.
2. Averaging Grades
"Average grades used to make sense. (But did it ever?) Well even if it did, it doesn't any more!"
"If we have to provide a rational for why this outdated practice no longer makes sense, we are in trouble. But just to be safe, we will provide a brief explanation of our position. Grades are not a valid assessment of learning. Learning, to be validated, must be demonstrated. If you can demonstrate what you have learned, then you have learned. If you can't, you're not finished yet." (Schwan and McGarvey 10)
This is something so simple! I love the concept of grades not being a valid assessment of learning. We put so much emphasis on getting good grades or telling kids to 'get your grades up.' What is the point? We are only stressing how important numbers are instead of the actual practice. What would a school look like if you had to put what you learned into practice....I think this is something that the North Haven School has been doing and fairly successfully.
3. College Prep Curriculum
"Justifying a curriculum based upon getting students "ready for more school" used to make sense. It doesn't any more!
"Public schools are, or should be, about preparing learners for life. If life itself doesn't provide opportunities for "rigor," what does? Education for life or for more school need not be an either/or decision. Life-role based learner out-comes quite naturally also prepare learners for additional learning. Curriculum needs to be relevant to motivate, and few of our high school students of today find their curriculum relevant to life...not the life they are living today or the life they expect after completing school. (Schwan and McGarvey 11)
This makes me think back to the article about high schools needing to go. Are the high schools we have today actually preparing all types of kids for the real world. We know that college isn't for everyone, yet at some schools we have a curriculum that would mandate each student take x number of years of foreign language. This is not a useful practice to a student who knows they are going to go to a trade school to learn heating and cooling for example. I live in a community where there certainly are a number of students that go on to prestigious four year colleges and major in astro-phsyics. However, we also have a large number of students who are just as happy to get their diploma and get their lobster boat and hit the high seas. Curriculum should be made to service all types of students that a school has.
4. Agrarian School Calendar
"Expecting learning opportunities to coincide with an agrarian calendar used to make sense. It doesn't any more!
"In fairness, we recognize that some school systems have designed school calendars that no longer assume that the older children will be expected to help with planting and harvesting, but the majority continues to have 180-185 day calendars with two to three months of summer vacation built in. The learning regression that occurs with this traditional schedule has been documented, and experienced teachers have long recognized the need to "catch them back up" come September. (Schwan and McGarvey 11)
No other words have ever sounded so truer: teachers have long recognized the need to "catch them back up" come September. We all know that the first two, or even sometimes three, weeks of school in September are about getting students up to date. I would imagine this is particularly more true with younger students...although high school kids tend to forget quite a bit as well! Thinking about the alternative to having school year round doesn't sound like the most appealing option (I like my break too!) but, maybe having a shorter break or periodic check-ins would be more helpful. I will never forget my first year of college, so far away from home and I didn't know anyone. My room mate was from Houlton and towards the end of September she had a bag packed and was headed out the door. I asked her where she was going and why she was leaving on a Monday. She explained that she would be gone for about 2 weeks to harvest potatoes! As a city girl from the Bronx...obviously this blew my mind. But she told me that while she was in high school, they had 2 weeks off to help their parents harvest the potato fields. So, maybe in some corners of the world the old agrarian calendar is relevant...but it's time to make some moves here!
Inevitable is a very frank read about what it is going to take to get US education back on track and useful for ALL TYPES of students that we have out there. There are so many nuggets of information in this book that I actually thought it was hard to put down. It's a great read for anyone that is looking to reform the way their school does business....I like how it makes you feel like you can make this change that you want to see.
Right off the bat, the book opens with a chapter dedicated to what we are doing in education that no longer makes sense. As teachers, these are things that we have been basically conditioned to do and not question. As the old adage says, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Well, not might be the time to fix it because after reading this book, it seems it actually might be broke!
There were a couple items in the first chapter that really stood out to me the most.
1. Simultaneously Teaching 25 Unique Learners:
"Expecting teachers to meet the diverse learning needs of twenty-five children simultaneously used to make sense. It doesn't any more.
"The policies and practices of public schools are bureaucratic. An objective analysis of the structure of public schools clearly shows that they are designed for administrative convenience. Personalizing learning begins only after a teacher is assigned a group of students...and a 1/25 teacher/student ratio does not make personalization and individualization of learning doable." (Schwan and McGarvey 10)
I think as a teacher, you become used these days to having over sized and congested classrooms. Also, as a teacher, personaly, I know when I am not reaching or touching the students I want to touch. Smaller class size gives teachers the opportunity to teach the students on a more individual basis making sure that each student receives the attention that they need. Also, with a smaller class size, one is able to foster better group discussion and the feeling that each student is a significant part of the class.
2. Averaging Grades
"Average grades used to make sense. (But did it ever?) Well even if it did, it doesn't any more!"
"If we have to provide a rational for why this outdated practice no longer makes sense, we are in trouble. But just to be safe, we will provide a brief explanation of our position. Grades are not a valid assessment of learning. Learning, to be validated, must be demonstrated. If you can demonstrate what you have learned, then you have learned. If you can't, you're not finished yet." (Schwan and McGarvey 10)
This is something so simple! I love the concept of grades not being a valid assessment of learning. We put so much emphasis on getting good grades or telling kids to 'get your grades up.' What is the point? We are only stressing how important numbers are instead of the actual practice. What would a school look like if you had to put what you learned into practice....I think this is something that the North Haven School has been doing and fairly successfully.
3. College Prep Curriculum
"Justifying a curriculum based upon getting students "ready for more school" used to make sense. It doesn't any more!
"Public schools are, or should be, about preparing learners for life. If life itself doesn't provide opportunities for "rigor," what does? Education for life or for more school need not be an either/or decision. Life-role based learner out-comes quite naturally also prepare learners for additional learning. Curriculum needs to be relevant to motivate, and few of our high school students of today find their curriculum relevant to life...not the life they are living today or the life they expect after completing school. (Schwan and McGarvey 11)
This makes me think back to the article about high schools needing to go. Are the high schools we have today actually preparing all types of kids for the real world. We know that college isn't for everyone, yet at some schools we have a curriculum that would mandate each student take x number of years of foreign language. This is not a useful practice to a student who knows they are going to go to a trade school to learn heating and cooling for example. I live in a community where there certainly are a number of students that go on to prestigious four year colleges and major in astro-phsyics. However, we also have a large number of students who are just as happy to get their diploma and get their lobster boat and hit the high seas. Curriculum should be made to service all types of students that a school has.
4. Agrarian School Calendar
"Expecting learning opportunities to coincide with an agrarian calendar used to make sense. It doesn't any more!
"In fairness, we recognize that some school systems have designed school calendars that no longer assume that the older children will be expected to help with planting and harvesting, but the majority continues to have 180-185 day calendars with two to three months of summer vacation built in. The learning regression that occurs with this traditional schedule has been documented, and experienced teachers have long recognized the need to "catch them back up" come September. (Schwan and McGarvey 11)
No other words have ever sounded so truer: teachers have long recognized the need to "catch them back up" come September. We all know that the first two, or even sometimes three, weeks of school in September are about getting students up to date. I would imagine this is particularly more true with younger students...although high school kids tend to forget quite a bit as well! Thinking about the alternative to having school year round doesn't sound like the most appealing option (I like my break too!) but, maybe having a shorter break or periodic check-ins would be more helpful. I will never forget my first year of college, so far away from home and I didn't know anyone. My room mate was from Houlton and towards the end of September she had a bag packed and was headed out the door. I asked her where she was going and why she was leaving on a Monday. She explained that she would be gone for about 2 weeks to harvest potatoes! As a city girl from the Bronx...obviously this blew my mind. But she told me that while she was in high school, they had 2 weeks off to help their parents harvest the potato fields. So, maybe in some corners of the world the old agrarian calendar is relevant...but it's time to make some moves here!
Inevitable is a very frank read about what it is going to take to get US education back on track and useful for ALL TYPES of students that we have out there. There are so many nuggets of information in this book that I actually thought it was hard to put down. It's a great read for anyone that is looking to reform the way their school does business....I like how it makes you feel like you can make this change that you want to see.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Technology and Learning Connection...
In listening to the pod cast by Ruben Puentedura and reading the article by Bill Ferriter it only becomes more crystal clear that technology is the way of the future of education. In fact, Puentedura's pod cast really blew my mind.
As I have griped about before on this blog and in other responses for this class, my school is not One-to-One (yet). After listening and reading this weeks assignments I know that our students are at a serious disadvantage. I am particularly found Puentedura's SAMR model to be complete evidence of this. SAMR is a model that Puentedura came up with in the eighties and has been working on and perfecting since then. Basically the model looks at what types of technology used would have greater or lesser effect on student learning. SAMR stands for: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. Puentedura explains that basically you start from the bottom with really simple changes in adding technology. As you climb the steps of SAMR, you continue to add different or better technology. By the time you achieve the Redefinition step, you are really working with fire. According to the podcast, Puentedura saw at least a 2 letter grade improvement to students work.
This is proving that technology is truly helping students to achieve. One thing that I really took away from my own personal education was a class that I took as an ed. tech in a effort to complete my certification. (P.S...I am still working on completing my certification!) The class was with Diane Jackson and its focus was teaching exceptional students in the classroom. The biggest concept that I took away from this class was the idea that what is fair is what is fair for each student. In other words...the concept of fair is not equal across the board. What if fair, is what each each students needs for success. From a special educational stand point - that would mean if a student needs to use notes to take a test or have extended time - that is what's FAIR for that student.
Now, relating this to Puentedura's podcast...if we do not provide technology that is useful to our students, we are not providing a FAIR playing field. Regardless of a students abilities, by not using some sort of technology in our classroom, curriculum, and daily lessons we are taking away from a students opportunities to succeed. Think about it. If a student who does not like to read (for shame) could have the opportunity to listen to a book or lesson, wouldn't providing this technology help that student to succeed? If we used a "living document" like Puentedura highlights, aren't we providing an opportunity for students to interact with each other, the content, and us as teachers? These opportunities of technology are really opening the playing field of education for all students to have access to better themselves.
I really found Puentedura's work to be interesting and very useful. It has really motivated me to re-evaluate my curriculum and lessons for this up coming year to add as much technology as I can to help my students succeed.
As I have griped about before on this blog and in other responses for this class, my school is not One-to-One (yet). After listening and reading this weeks assignments I know that our students are at a serious disadvantage. I am particularly found Puentedura's SAMR model to be complete evidence of this. SAMR is a model that Puentedura came up with in the eighties and has been working on and perfecting since then. Basically the model looks at what types of technology used would have greater or lesser effect on student learning. SAMR stands for: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. Puentedura explains that basically you start from the bottom with really simple changes in adding technology. As you climb the steps of SAMR, you continue to add different or better technology. By the time you achieve the Redefinition step, you are really working with fire. According to the podcast, Puentedura saw at least a 2 letter grade improvement to students work.
This is proving that technology is truly helping students to achieve. One thing that I really took away from my own personal education was a class that I took as an ed. tech in a effort to complete my certification. (P.S...I am still working on completing my certification!) The class was with Diane Jackson and its focus was teaching exceptional students in the classroom. The biggest concept that I took away from this class was the idea that what is fair is what is fair for each student. In other words...the concept of fair is not equal across the board. What if fair, is what each each students needs for success. From a special educational stand point - that would mean if a student needs to use notes to take a test or have extended time - that is what's FAIR for that student.
Now, relating this to Puentedura's podcast...if we do not provide technology that is useful to our students, we are not providing a FAIR playing field. Regardless of a students abilities, by not using some sort of technology in our classroom, curriculum, and daily lessons we are taking away from a students opportunities to succeed. Think about it. If a student who does not like to read (for shame) could have the opportunity to listen to a book or lesson, wouldn't providing this technology help that student to succeed? If we used a "living document" like Puentedura highlights, aren't we providing an opportunity for students to interact with each other, the content, and us as teachers? These opportunities of technology are really opening the playing field of education for all students to have access to better themselves.
I really found Puentedura's work to be interesting and very useful. It has really motivated me to re-evaluate my curriculum and lessons for this up coming year to add as much technology as I can to help my students succeed.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Teaching to the Ultimate Test...
Playing 'Catch-Up' with Developing Nations Makes No Sense for US!
The more I read for this class, the more my eyes are opened to what is going on with education around the world. I really enjoyed the interview with Yong Zhao: Playing 'Catch-Up' with Developing Nations Makes No Sense of U.S. by Joan Richardson. I have posted the article above so you can read it if you like!
The reason this particular article struck a cord with me is because I work at a school that has a pretty serious international population. The majority of those students are from China. Actually, my family had a student that lived with us. It was truly an amazing experience for our family and for Steven (our student). At dinner time, we would all sit down to a meal and have conversations about everything! One topic we discussed at length was the reason Chinese parents are sending there children (in really large numbers) to America for school. Steven said there were many reasons, but the one that we continued to go back to was the fact that students who study in America have more of an opportunity to go to university then if they stay in China. The reason for this is the gaokao. The gaokao is the Chinese test that determines college admissions. It is a very serious test that students and their parents take very seriously. It is a well known fact that not many students actually pass the gaokao. If they do not pass the test, they do not go to university. More importantly, if they do not pass the test, it would seem that all the education that they received up until that point, is wasted.
Yong Zhao is a Distinguished Professor in the College of Education at Michigan State University. He also is the Founding director of the Center for Teaching and Technology. He closes out his impressive resume by also being the Executive director of the Confucius Institute and a Fellow of the International Academy for Education. When he sat down with Joan Richardson he really did a good job in breaking down what the educational system is like in China and explaining it in a way that is easy to understand. In short, Zhao claims that in China, if you are not good at taking tests, then you are not good at much. The schools in China are so focused on teaching for students to pass this test, that they are only teaching to the test. Zhao explains that students aren't learning so much as they are memorizing.
Another aspect of this article that I found intriguing is Zhao's assertion that the U.S. should not now try to follow China's lead in education. I feel like he is saying...look our system is not perfect, we have some things that are not working and that need some help. But, we can't do what China is doing...the kids in China are certainly receiving a good education...but is it actually a enriched, fulfilling experience that a lot of our students receive here in the States?
The more I read for this class, the more my eyes are opened to what is going on with education around the world. I really enjoyed the interview with Yong Zhao: Playing 'Catch-Up' with Developing Nations Makes No Sense of U.S. by Joan Richardson. I have posted the article above so you can read it if you like!
The reason this particular article struck a cord with me is because I work at a school that has a pretty serious international population. The majority of those students are from China. Actually, my family had a student that lived with us. It was truly an amazing experience for our family and for Steven (our student). At dinner time, we would all sit down to a meal and have conversations about everything! One topic we discussed at length was the reason Chinese parents are sending there children (in really large numbers) to America for school. Steven said there were many reasons, but the one that we continued to go back to was the fact that students who study in America have more of an opportunity to go to university then if they stay in China. The reason for this is the gaokao. The gaokao is the Chinese test that determines college admissions. It is a very serious test that students and their parents take very seriously. It is a well known fact that not many students actually pass the gaokao. If they do not pass the test, they do not go to university. More importantly, if they do not pass the test, it would seem that all the education that they received up until that point, is wasted.
Yong Zhao is a Distinguished Professor in the College of Education at Michigan State University. He also is the Founding director of the Center for Teaching and Technology. He closes out his impressive resume by also being the Executive director of the Confucius Institute and a Fellow of the International Academy for Education. When he sat down with Joan Richardson he really did a good job in breaking down what the educational system is like in China and explaining it in a way that is easy to understand. In short, Zhao claims that in China, if you are not good at taking tests, then you are not good at much. The schools in China are so focused on teaching for students to pass this test, that they are only teaching to the test. Zhao explains that students aren't learning so much as they are memorizing.
Another aspect of this article that I found intriguing is Zhao's assertion that the U.S. should not now try to follow China's lead in education. I feel like he is saying...look our system is not perfect, we have some things that are not working and that need some help. But, we can't do what China is doing...the kids in China are certainly receiving a good education...but is it actually a enriched, fulfilling experience that a lot of our students receive here in the States?
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Waiting for Super Who?
After reading The Myth of Charter Schools by Diane Ravitch, I had a lot to think about. I teach a sociology class at Washington Academy and as part of the course I do a unit on education. As a part of this unit I show Waiting for Superman. The movie stirs up a lot of great conversation and debate. I always tell my students that the documentary is bias and told from one point of view and to make sure they keep that in mind when viewing it. I really had no idea how biased it really is.
The focus of Ravitch's argument is the fact that charter schools are really no better then public schools. She that Davis Guggenheim, the director of Waiting for Superman does not study both sides of the issues when it comes to failing public schools. The documentary notes that the reason schools are failing children is because of very bad teachers. The teachers are hard - or virtually impossible to get rid of because of the very powerful teachers union. The answer to this problem, as stated by an economist in the film: "If we could fire the bottom 5 to 10 percent of the lowest-preforming teachers every year, says Hoover Institution economist Eric Hanushek in the film, out national test scores would soon approach the top of international ranking in mathematics and science." (Ravitch 4) Also, they never come out and say it in the film, but it feels like they are suggesting that we basically give up on public education.
What the film does not include is a successful public school teacher, principle, or superintendent. There is also no mention of successful public schools. (Ravitch 4) Based on a recent personal experience in speaking with the Curriculum Coordinator of RSU #25 (in Maine), I am sure she would love to show you the amount of success her public school had last school year! To add fuel to that fire, Ravitch reports that, "only one in five charter schools is able to get the "amazing results" that it celebrates." (Ravitch 4) She also notes that based on the CREDO study which, "...evaluated student progress on math tests in half of the nation's five thousand charter schools and concluded that 17 percent were superior to a matched traditional public school; 37 percent were worse than the public school; and the remaining 46 percent had academic gains no different from that of similar public schools. The proportion of charters that get amazing results is far smaller than 17 perfect." (Ravitch 4) These statistics are truly startling and prove that the film needs to be viewed with an understanding that this is only one side of the story.
Ed points out that this article really delves into school reform. It took me a while to really pick up on it, but I found what he was talking about. Ravitch contains that it isn't only bad teachers that are causing the problems in the public school sector. There are so many issues that come into place. Some of the examples as to why students may not be achieving to their ability include poverty and parents that are not engaged. She focuses on explaining that although teachers do make a difference and have an effect on students, a teacher - at times - can not compete with what is going on outside of school.
Other items that Ravitch looks at for school reform is the ability to identify "bad" teachers. What is a bad teacher? Obviously there are some clear telltale signs. However, if you are looking at students test scores, "teachers in affluent suburbs get higher ones. If one uses student gains or losses as a general measure, then those who teach the neediest children - English-language learners, troubled students, autistic students - will see the smallest gains, and teachers will have an incentive to avoid districts and classes with large numbers of the neediest students." (Ravitch 8)
I totally agree with her insistence that one way to fix the problem in public schools is to improve the teacher force. As a teacher, I am on board with her ideas that teachers need to be paid more, have better support and mentoring systems, and of course better working conditions. Ravitch offers a statistic in which she states that, "50 percent of those who enter teaching leave within five years, mostly because of poor t working conditions, lack of adequate resources, and the stress of dealing with difficult children and disrespectful parents." (Ravitch 10) I am currently holding strong at 8 years and looking forward to continuing my career in education...I can't argue that those changes wouldn't be a bad thing!
I really enjoyed this article as it opened my eyes to what charter schools are and the success that they are or are not having. Mostly, the article allows me to be able to now show my students the other side of the argument after watching Waiting for Superman. I think that they will enjoy being to debate both sides of the story. Also, the Ravitch provides at least a possible answer on how to fix the supposed problem with public schools.
Here is a link to the article so that you can enjoy it to!!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Curriculum Interview...Week #3 Project
Well...I spent a wonderful weekend on the shores of Stetson Lake in beautiful Stetson, Maine. It's not too far away from home and was a great time to try out our new pop-up camper at the Stetson Lake Camp Grounds.
Our reason for the trip was my husbands family reunion. It was a lovely weekend with good food, hot weather, and of course great company. At the reunion, I had the opportunity to sit down with my husband Barry's mother, Evelyn Beaulieu. Dr. Evelyn Beaulieu is the Curriculum Coordinator for RSU #25 (Bucksport School District). Evelyn has been in education for a bout 20 years and has seem many changes throughout the process.
We were asked as a part of this class to sit down and interview someone in the curriculum game...I didn't realize that I was sitting down with a self proclaimed "Curriculum Geek." I learned a lot from this assignment and I am really looking forward to being able to brainstorm with my mother-in-law in the years to come as I complete this program.
I have linked the podcast to this blog post. I hope that you all enjoy it! I had never done a podcast before so, it is a little rough and you might have to turn your speakers all the way up to hear it. I really liked using this technology and look forward to incorporating it in my lessons!!
Curriculum Interview
Our reason for the trip was my husbands family reunion. It was a lovely weekend with good food, hot weather, and of course great company. At the reunion, I had the opportunity to sit down with my husband Barry's mother, Evelyn Beaulieu. Dr. Evelyn Beaulieu is the Curriculum Coordinator for RSU #25 (Bucksport School District). Evelyn has been in education for a bout 20 years and has seem many changes throughout the process.
We were asked as a part of this class to sit down and interview someone in the curriculum game...I didn't realize that I was sitting down with a self proclaimed "Curriculum Geek." I learned a lot from this assignment and I am really looking forward to being able to brainstorm with my mother-in-law in the years to come as I complete this program.
I have linked the podcast to this blog post. I hope that you all enjoy it! I had never done a podcast before so, it is a little rough and you might have to turn your speakers all the way up to hear it. I really liked using this technology and look forward to incorporating it in my lessons!!
Curriculum Interview
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)