The first thing that comes to mind is common core...well not really common core but a long time ago before common core was a thing I went to a school called Virginia Commonwealth University. I was in the middle of deciding what I was going to do FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE! (We all know that didn't) I actually wanted to teach English and was starting to take courses geared for that. The problem was in the state of Virginia they decided to be innovative and came up with a set of rules or as Darling-Hammond calls a standard of learning. Virginia came up with these standards and in fact they are one of the few states that did not adopt the Common Core standards. They made what is called the SOL’s or Standards of Learning or S*** outta luck! haha so I'm going to school and I am deciding if my chosen path is what I really wanted to do. I took one class and it talked about what Virginia was doing with these SoL. I really couldn't get over the fact that the state was going to dictate what I (a qualified, trained, certified professional) needed to teach my individual students. So my job (electrical work) looked more and more enticing and I eventually only took a BA and started doing electrical work.
So what does all of this have to with this blog? John Dewey’s quote, “What the best and wisest parent wants for his own child, that must we want for all children in the community. Any other ideal for our schools is narrow and unlovely; acted upon, it destroys our democracy” So I have been trying to come up with the words to say in this blog post for a couple of days now. In short what I want to say is that the above quote has everything to do with our government and the current education system. If we as a country (family) can’t provide (or don't) the best educational benefits for every child then it has essentially failed at in it’s purpose. If we do not educate correctly and the kids are the future of our country then we fail to build for the future because we do not properly show them how it is suppose to be. It’s kinda the if you don't know the past you are destined to repeat it thing. Also, the word equitable. I love that word. The education system needs to be equitable not equal. You know the picture of the three kids looking at the game. My VP uses in every training that she gives. But, it is so true. We need to service the actual needs of our students not make it a one size fits all education.
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1. The key ideas I found from the different speakers was that creativity was being extinguished from our students. Sir Ken Robinson said it best when he said,
"What these things have in common is that kids will take a chance. If they don't know, they'll have a go. Am I right? They're not frightened of being wrong. I don't mean to say that being wrong is the same thing as being creative." But fear of taking a risk is what kills adults creativity. We as adults don't go back after we fail and think of it differently. We have become frightened of being "wrong". "We stigmatize mistakes. And we're now running national education systems where mistakes are the worst thing you can make. And the result is that we are educating people out of their creative capacities." Another quote from the videos says There was a wonderful quote by Jonas Salk, who said, "If all the insects were to disappear from the Earth, within 50 years all life on Earth would end. If all human beings disappeared from the Earth, within 50 years all forms of life would flourish." And he's right. How thought provoking is that? John Seely Brown continues with this same thought that the institution is what is driving creativity out of it's students. As people who are educating the future, we have to let our students be "willing to fail constantly, and look for adjacencies all the time from peers. In turn there will be spikes of incredulity around the world. And they learn and then give learning back to others. He also said that without digital media this kids would not have been able to grow the way they did. I feel John Seely Brown summed up what all these videos are trying to say. He asked and answered the question. He said. "How do we prepare our children for a world of flux? It is not a skill but it is a disposition." My personal findings fit with the other things in this class by the use of technology. I have thought and have been further supported by the different things we have studied in this class that the school and the education I received when I grew up is nothing like how I should and attempt to teach my students. I remember in the 8th grade my teacher talked about us getting into groups but that never happened. Haha I was always writing correction sentences. Today thought we are suppose to have collaboration almost everyday. Computers and the use of technology that never happened except in my Computer Information System class. As far as creativity in my classes now I strive to keep the kids open to expressing themselves. One thing I need to work on is allowing them to make mistakes. If I am to implement a mistake free curriculum I am not sure how to implement my grades. I as of now wonder and don't penalize for late work except after the quarter is over. It is hard to change their once the quarter grade is given. John Seely Brown's slide said for building the 21st Century Challenge: 1. Preparing our students for this world of constant change! 2. Perhaps we need to rethink how we actually learn- especially the tacit. 3. What we need to learn & 4. Creating a resilient mindset in our students – ability to change, adapt, re-conceptualize and engage in deep listen with humility. I will apply Mobley's 6 insights into my class by having a more self-centered learning model. A version of the flipped learning model. The thing that I feel I will struggle with is grading. Well maybe not that but allowing my students to not being afraid to make mistakes. I mean in theory this should already be the process. But, sadly it is not. The whole education system is set up to have a right answer and unfortunately a wrong. There has been talk about our district changing our grading system to not being a letter grade but by being graded on their comprehension of the common core standards. I feel that is a step in the right direction as far a breaking the mold and holding students accountable for a real thing they can control. I also think that this will help with number four on his list. If we start having kids allowed to be creative we will start having this spread faster around the school. Kids will feed other kids their creativity and it just grows. Soon enough the school will be a built on creativity. Which will raise the moral which will ultimately raise grades/and "test" scores. |
Adam
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