Teacher Efficacy, Anyone???

As I’ve shared with many of you, my high school is in what I believe to be the final planning for the 1-to-1 laptop program for our 9^th graders. Many of the teachers that will be directly affected have been gearing up for its January debut since the summer – I of course, being one of them. In the mist of all our planning, we conducted surveys from teachers at the school on how they plan to utilize the program (if they’ll be directly affected) and what impact they feel the program will have on our students’ learning. And I hate to admit this but I was completely taken aback by the outlook placed upon the success of the program by some of our own teachers. Now of course, I expected a little flack by some disgruntled teachers because here, we  tend to hop from one new policy or program to another without giving it time to become effective.  Therefore I was expecting reasonable cons would be brought up like sustainability or wireless access in rural parts but what I did not expect to hear is that our students simply would not benefit from a program as such. Or that we do not have the power or presence to make this initiative work here as it has in other counties. Excuse Me? Teacher efficacy, anyone? Granted , a large portion of our staff is older, veteran teachers who can attest to how teaching and learning has changed over the years; but as educators we have to stop being afraid of taking instructional risks. I’m not too hurt by their responses because we are still going to implement the program despite their pessimistic disposition. I just wish they really believed in the benefits of a program that permits unlimited learning for our kids…so let’s just hope for them that seeing is believing

While We're Sleeping...

During one of our Elluminate sessions, our professor shared one of the “Did You Know?” videos from the Shift Happens series to foster a discussion on our reactions. While many of the statistics given in the video sparked the, “WOW, I didn’t know that” reaction, there was one that stood out a bit more to me: the one that read, “India has more honor kids than America has kids”. Now of course, I’ve always heard of the high value that is set on education and the rigorous education systems that are implemented in countries like China and India, but I’ve never understood what exactly was/is our downfall in education. Has too many political reforms interfered with a once cohesive and quality system? Could throwing millions and billions of dollars into our system really rectify the problems that now exist?  Has responsibility for students’ learning become such a burden that now no one wants to be held accountable for it?

So by day, we’re doing all that we can simply to satisfy NCLB requirements yet still awaiting major results; and while we’re sleeping – both technically and literally – countries like India are China are continuing to make advances in education that we will continue to lag further behind in L

…but still ENJOY the video if you missed it J

All ABOARD!!!

For the past three weeks, I’ve been thumbing through Thomas Friedman’s “The World is Flat 3.0” book on the good, the bad and the ugly associated with technology’s profound impact on globalization. And although Friedman touched on many aspects – economical, social, political, etc.-- that have all been redefined by the influx of technological advances, I felt that he was merely scraping the tip of the iceberg when he addressed the effects on education.

Is the US education system “flat”? (I can easily answer that: NO!) What would a “flat” education system consist of and what efforts should be made in achieving it? (Now those questions require further discussion) 

I initially envisioned it as a system in which information and resources were unlimited to anyone with the desire and the access to attain it; communication as the foundation on which the exchange of knowledge and ideas is invaluable for all involved. As soon as I began getting excited just thinking of this educational utopia my cynical side interrupted my thoughts by exclaiming, “We’re already doing this…well at least some of us are”

So here lies the problem: it is impossible to have a “flat” education system when within the system walls and barriers are still left up of those who are not participating (be it any reason: lack of resources, lack of awareness, lack of desire, etc.) And if we continue to allow a select few within the system to relish in the educational utopia we will just be driving a greater wedge in the achievement gaps that are already in place. So because the effects of technology on education will continue to evolve, the obvious solution seems to be that everyone needs to partake in its new design to avoid being left behind. As we all know, innovation waits for no man…so ALL ABOARD!!!

WORK FROM HOME!

NO, WAIT! Please don’t run out of my blog. I’m not trying to convince anyone that you can make $374,597,930 a week by working from your home (I can only imagine how much many of you hate those ads and believe me, no one despises them more than I do). I just thought that was a good title that captures the spirit of this week’s topic of distance education in comparison to traditional education. The convenience factor offered by online courses is simply unprecedented in the education world. The ease of learning goes beyond being able to “show up for class” in your pajamas or listening to your professor lecture while cooking dinner; it provides the students with the freedom of adjusting every aspect of their learning environment and deciding exactly how  they will learn. The students are able to design their own schedule of where their study-time and coursework would fit into their daily/weekly routine. By doing so, the students are enabling themselves to work at a pace, specifically for their personal learning style. If they hadn’t already been made what type of learner they are, the habits that they exercise while taking a distance education course would certainly be an indicator to them. Up until roughly two months ago, traditional courses were all that I had known. For 16 year, I’d go to class, take notes and engage in class discussions, go home and complete the assigned work, then return back to class to repeat that cycle. I can’t honestly say that I ever became bored with that cycle, probably because distance education was never a known option for me. But I can say, after taking only a few distance education courses, that I will never go back to traditional courses; I have somehow convinced myself that I produce my best quality of work when I’m sitting on my patio with shades on, listening to the dogs bark. Ah this is the life!

Old School vs. New School, LITERALLY

A few days ago, I had a lengthy conversation with an older woman (approximately 60-years-old) who works as a paraprofessional that services one of my Algebra students. Our conversation began with us discussing the student’s progress and the content of my course but just as many other conversations that I have with parents and grandparents, it took that drastic turn when she stated, “See, when I was in school it wasn’t all of this computer and Internet stuff-it was just a pencil and a tablet (notebook, I guess?) and it got the job done!” Well of course it “got the job done” because at that time, the “job” was to provide general education that was sufficient for many post-secondary opportunities that was available; but try equipping someone with those same general skills now-I highly doubt if that person is even able to get a “job”.  

 (Quick Disclaimer: Although I am very passionate, thus somewhat aggressive about this topic, I did not use a raised tone or a bit of sarcasm when speaking with this woman; I have the utmost respect for elders J)...I digress  

 So here we go again. It seems as though I’m always put in the position to defend the modern-day education, especially with older adults who likely have grandchildren my age. The main message that I try to convey to them is that it is imperative that we continue to modify and update instruction to meet the evolving needs and future requirements of our students.

 It’s no different than a manufacturing factory replacing old equipment used for making a single item with faster, more efficient tools that produces multiple items in the same amount, or even less time. It’s basic economics: as the demand changes and becomes greater, the supply-and in most cases, the production of the supply-must change and become greater. The “demand” when it comes to education is the call for highly skilled workers, students and/or citizens who are able to compete in this information technology age. We would simply be doing the students a disservice and be sending them off unprepared if we did not employ the many technological tools within our instruction that we currently use.

 So for what seemed to have been the 100^th time, I had to make that woman aware of my position on the endless Old School vs. New School battle. I certainly do not feel that one is better than the other just that both are/were appropriate for its time. My intentions are not to suggest an “out with the old, in with the new”-style takeover of instructional practices but moreso of a “let’s infuse the old with new skills and tools in an effort to remain current with societal demands.”