Cycle 5: What Makes a Good School?

As I sat, pen in hand, making my notes in the margins of this cycle’s readings my mind was going in a million different directions.  How would I go about the task of defining a good school? I began by thinking about the aims of a good school.  Did I agree with Noddings’ thoughts about aims that should promote happiness? I contemplated how such aims would impact and guide curriculum and instruction.  I pondered how assessment of student learning would be conducted in a “good” school and how data resulting from those assessments would be used.  Certainly a “good” school would support not just student learning but also the professional development of its staff.  What would that look like?  What would it entail?  As my mind became flooded with ideas, I soon realized that I was no longer trying to simply define a “good” school; I was really attempting to design my dream school.  I was allowing myself to envision a school that would reignite a passion for teaching many teachers, one that would allow teachers to do what they know to be in the best interest of their students and incorporate the instruction that they believe to be best practice.  I was imagining a school where teachers wouldn’t have to compromise either of those in order to meet the ever-growing demands of standards and standardized testing. 

It was at this point in my imagining when I began read The School at Work from Meier’s The Power of Their Ideas.  In short, I was stunned.  As I read each page it was as though someone was reading my mind.  There it was.  Someone had already done what I was attempting to do in my mind.  Meier’s educational model in Central Park East Secondary School (CEPSS) was everything I would want in a “good” school.  It resonated with me on so many levels; however, due to the length of this assignment and nature of a blog post, I will only discuss a few.

The first component of a “good” school that I feel is demonstrated by the CEPSS model is the value placed on depth and not breadth.  Depth of study is viewed as essential for real learning.  Due to this, their model promotes the use of performance-based tasks that have meaning for students and build their “habits of mind”.  These performance tasks emphasize collaboration, inquiry, and problem solving.  They also allow for students to have more choice in how they will pursue their studies which leads to greater motivation.

Meier’s states, “As we rush through a hundred years of history in less than a week, or cover complex new scientific ideas one after another, there’s no time to study conflicting evidence, read multiple viewpoints, detect the difference between false analogies and real ones, not to mention imagine how else it might have happened.”  Hear! Hear!  It’s not that the study of multiple viewpoints, conflicting evidence, and the like are not valued in my teaching environment. To the contrary, there is an expectation that students will be engaged in this type of thinking and learning.  However, though depth is expected, the extent of the material to be covered is not always limited as is suggested and encouraged by Meier.  For example, I am responsible for social studies instruction. In addition to geography, civics and economics, my third graders are also responsible for learning the history of Michigan from it's prehistoric native people to present day.  Attempting to cover this span of history along with the other branches of social studies in the course of the year while at the same time providing for depth is quite the challenge.  I believe as Meier does, that a good school can scale down the scope of the content without sacrificing rigor.  It is a belief that covering less material gives students more opportunities for deeper understanding and provides for the development of inquiry and learning skills.

In connection to limiting the amount of content covered in each subject area, I feel that a good school would follow the lead of Meier and her colleagues and integrate learning in the different subject areas whenever possible.  This would again promote a greater depth of understanding in students and help students to see their learning is not in isolation but is applicable in many areas.

Meier also discusses the benefits of a smaller school another aspect I see as important to developing a “good” school.  Maintaining a smaller school means a smaller student body and also a smaller staff which, ultimately, benefits both parties.  Obviously, a smaller amount of students lends itself to more individual attention and a stronger connection between student and teacher.  A smaller staff allows for a greater professional bond between staff members.  Which leads me to the next ideal of CEPSS that I feel is an essential component of a “good” school, staff collaboration and professional development.

In the CEPSS model, teachers are given significant amounts of time to meet and make pedagogical and curricular decisions that help to promote the vision established by the school. Beyond that, they are encouraged to have discussions of theory and reflect on practice.  It is a “staff-run” school.  The teachers in this type of environment are going to be more vested in their jobs and happier to be at work because they know their opinions actually matter.  They are more likely to maintain their passion for being an educator.  The smaller staff also means that the voices of all are being heard and acknowledged.  Discourse is expected.  It is not just the opinions of a few that matter, but every teacher’s voice has merit.  The professional growth that results from granting teachers this level of professional respect benefits the both students and staff.

Ultimately, I believe CEPSS is a model of a “good” school because it functions like a caring, working community.  Building a “good” school means building a strong community.  What makes community strong is common vision.  All members of the community must support and believe in this vision.  All members have to have a voice in the decisions and all members have to feel their voice is heard.  Perhaps not followed, but at least heard.  The staff, students, and administrators of CEPSS share a common vision of education and make decisions together that they feel will promote this vision. However, even the noblest vision will fade if it is not passed along.  It is then the obligation of the standing community members to pass it along and foster it in new members as they join. 

Sadly, this did not occur at CEPSS.  As I was so invigorated by what I read about this amazing school, I was motivated to find out more about their model.  Upon my investigation, I came across an article from the Coalition of Essential Schools. I was heartbroken by what I read.  The article (Sustaining Change: The Struggle to Maintain Identity at Central Park East Secondary School) was written by Diane Suiter and Deborah Meier herself and describes major changes at CEPSS and how the vision they had when the school first opened its doors is a memory to some and others have never experienced it at all.  The authors site several possible reasons for the change which can be summed up by the following quote, “Examining the layers of this complex metamorphosis, I began to understand the ways that additional students, a substantial number of new teachers followed by steadily increasing teacher turnover, difficult budget cuts, and soon after, an enormous external pressure to move toward competitive, standardized testing finally took their toll.”  It seems even convictions as strong as those held by the visionaries who began the school were thwarted by the same demands and “evils” of today’s education system that we in the rest of the world have also been experiencing.  Though the article is a disheartening cautionary tale, it is also a worthy read for those who were as moved by the original intent of CEPSS as I was.

My hope is that the proverbial pendulum of education will once again swing the other direction and more schools will be able to step back into the path first illuminated by those at CEPSS.

Additional readings and resources:

Sustaining Change: The Struggle to Maintain Identity at Central Park East Secondary School (The full follow-up article about CEPSS)

Grading Schools: How to Determine the “Good” from the “Bad”-PBS NewsHour (Video Link-Explores whether or not test scores are the true measure of a “good” or “bad” school

What Makes a Good School: Students Speak Up at Leadership Forum (Hear from students themselves about what makes a “good” school.

Cycle Four: How Should Curriculum Be Created?

I apologize upfront for the, perhaps, arrogant-sounding rant that is about to ensue, but since reading the Shorto article this cycle, I found myself wanting to shout from my front porch, “Leave the teaching to the teachers!”  

In the years since I earned my teaching certificate, one that I and all of my professional peers earned after our years of preparation, I have often been left wondering why it is that so many with no training nor background of any kind in education feel as though they have a better understanding of not only what kids should be learning but how it should be taught. 

Yes, all members of our society are entitled to have and voice their opinions.  Yes, the opinions of all should be considered.  Yet, that being said, doesn’t it make good sense to put perhaps a bit more stock in the voices of those who have dedicated their careers to the study of education?  Sure, I may call my mother when my children are sick to see if she has any useful advice, but would I take her advice over the recommendations of their pediatrician, unlikely.  My mother did a wonderful job (at least I think) raising her family.  She is a wealth of knowledge and a great support, but she did not study medicine at length.  She has not been a practitioner of medicine or accrued countless hours of professional development on the latest advancements in children’s health.  Her opinion has merit, but when it really matters, I want my children’s’ doctor making the medical calls. Some would claim this comparison is an over simplification, but to me it parallels the way the input of teachers in large-scale curriculum and educational policy decisions is frequently treated.  We are the experts who have studied, and as is the case with those of us who are in this course, continue to study the art and science of teaching.   We are the ones who are practicing in the field every day.  Why then is our perspective not valued as much or often as I feel it should be?

My opinion in this matter is why, the Shorto article elicited more of a visceral response from me than the Tyler chapters though they interesting and engaging.  It was gut-wrenching to read in the Shorto article how the abuse of power (at least in my opinion) of a few had such an impact on so many young students and teachers in and out of the state where the reforms were imposed.  My issue is not with the religious beliefs of some of the Texas board members.  I certainly feel they are entitled to their views and have the right to practice their religious beliefs in their homes and places of worship, but the blatant disregard for the knowledge, experience, and let’s not forget time, effort, and dedication, of the teams of educators who planned and developed the curricular standards is maddening to me. 

Although the actions of the Texas board members are an extreme example, I think it can safely be said that the same thing is occuring to lesser degrees in states, districts and/or buildings across the country.  Those in charge often push through their own agenda without truly taking into account the voices of the teachers who are actually in the trenches.  The voices of a few do sometimes overpower the voices of many, and we who choose to make a difference in the classroom, are left drowning in the wake of their decisions. 

So when asked how curriculum should be created, I say it should begin with the work of those who are professionals in their field.  It should begin with those who will put to use the decisions that are made.  It should begin with teachers.

This is how the Common Core Sate Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts, or CCSS, were developed.  These standards were created in partnership with organizations such as the National Education Association (NEA), National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and are the basis for curriculum development in forty-five states (Texas is not one of the forty-five.) which have recently adopted them voluntarily. During their development, teachers were given opportunities to provide direct feedback on the standards.  The standards call for a common set of skills and knowledge for each grade level, K-12, to be taught in all the states which elected to use them.  The Common Core or CCSS are more demanding than the previous standards of several states and seek to build depth of understanding in students in ways that are relevant to the real world.  I also believe that the standards are in keeping with Tyler’s principles of organization, continuity, sequence, and integration in that concepts and strands are repeated in the different grade levels with each grade exploring them more deeply.  Additionally, the concepts in one content area are integrated into other subject areas.

In my district, we are currently working to align our curriculum to the Common Core with a focus this year on Mathematics alignment and a focus next year on Language Arts.  One of the things I have noted in our work and experiences with the Math Common Core this year is that it is organized, and to my understanding, intended to be taught in a particular order within each grade.  This order within each grade also capitalizes on Tyler’s principles of sequencing and continuity. For example, teachers should begin mathematics instruction in the strand of Numbers and Operations in Algebraic Thinking as it is a foundation unit upon which skills in all other units will be based.  The strands after that also build upon one another advancing to more complex tasks/skills but always building upon what was expected in the previous strand.  As I understand it, students are also expected to achieve grade-appropriate mastery of the skills in each strand before moving to the next. This is a large departure from the spiraling curriculum format of the Everyday Mathematics Program which was our main curriculum resource prior to our work with the Core this year, and I much prefer it.  While I always enjoyed the alternate methods for problem solving promoted through EDM, I was always bothered by the spiraling structure as often times new, more complex concepts were introduced before mastery of the foundational skills of those newer concepts were mastered.  A wonderful resource for lessons to teach the Common Core Mathematics Standards is located at these links: K-5 Units and 6-8 Units.  Unpacking the Standards is a great resource to help make sense of the language of some of the standards and provides easy to understand examples and illustrations of Core concepts.

In my eyes, after teacher input, the next important consideration to curriculum development is alignment between objectives and goals, instruction and instructional materials, and assessment.  These three items make up the three points on the curriculum triangle which, I believe, is a wonderful model for  teachers and curriculum coordinators to use when creating curriculum.  The curriculum triangle also connects to Tyler’s ideas about curriculum design and the need to consider assessment in curriculum development.  Using the triangle recognizes that all three areas play a very important role in curriculum.  It also underscores how important it is that each area is considered when planning for the others.  For example, when selecting instructional methods, teachers should consider how well they align with the goals and objectives in a given subject as well as how well they will prepare students for connected assessments.  In relation, when designing an assessment, one must be sure it is assessing the important objectives and is in line with what was presented during instruction.  Finally, when a teacher examines his key objectives he will need to consider how they will be assessed and the best methods for instructional delivery.  If you are interested in learning more about the curriculum triangle you can visit the links below:

http://www.ehow.com/info_8573111_types-curriculum-alignment.html

http://www.vcu.edu/cte/workshops/workshop_list/references/Anderson.pdf

Cycle Three: Should Curriculum Address Controversial Issues?

Should curriculum address controversial issues?

As we have found in the first two cycles of this course, the questions posed to us which appear to be simple and straight forward do not have simple answers. 

To answer this question, first, one might have to broaden his/her scope of curriculum beyond what is taught explicitly within the framework of a given subject area.  While we may address controversial issues directly within a course of study, I would imagine that I would be hard pressed to find a teacher today who has not had to help a child with some type of conflict resolution.  Certainly, the way we deal with these situations sends direct and indirect messages to our students.  Second, while I do believe that schools need to address controversial issues, I also believe that when determining which issues should be addressed and the depth to which the issues are addressed must be tempered by consideration of a few important factors.

The first consideration is the needs of the community.  There are many issues which deserve our attention, but it is simply not feasible for schools/teachers to attempt to address all of them, at least not to a level which would provide for anything more than surface discussion/mention.  Therefore, I feel that the issues which should be given the most focus in our schools are those which are most important to the members of the school community.  Please do not misinterpret this statement to mean that I believe students should not have to look outside of their personal worlds’ to take notice of, understand, and take appropriate action regarding the issues facing the world.  However, I think that we will be most effective in creating positive change if we put the bulk of our emphasis on the topics with which our students have immediate connection.  Doing this would mean each school would be responsible for determining and understanding the needs of the families which they serve.  It would also mean that different schools within a district may have to individualize aspect of their curriculum, and perhaps change it from year to year, based on those needs. 

The second consideration is the age and/or the experiences of the learners.  While some very difficult topics may need to be addressed at all age levels, it is my feeling that the manner in which they are addressed can be adjusted.  For example, the two issues featured in our readings this week might look different depending on the age-level of the students.  Presentations and discussions may need to be further adjusted based on the students’ experience with and/or exposure to the topic.  The topics of prejudices against homosexuality and HIV/AIDS which were the center our readings are certainly issues worthy our time and attention.  However, because they are tied to the topic of human sexuality it may be necessary to temper the information shared and discussed based on the learners. Most elementary teachers, especially those in the early elementary years K-2/3 aren’t completely comfortable addressing sexuality with their students.  This is the case mostly because we don’t know to what degree those topics have been addressed or discussed at home.  However, if students come to me with honest questions or concerns, I don’t want to ignore their sincere quest for understanding.  I do want to preserve the innocence of childhood, but I do not want to turn a blind eye to the questions and concerns of the students in my class.  This is where things get sticky. 

I found it interesting that most of the readings from this week did not really address a major factor in how comfortable a teacher is with addressing controversial topics within the classroom.  While some of the readings did make some mention, there was not a lot of discussion surrounding how teacher fear of parental reaction impacts how controversial issues are addressed in schools.  At one point, Silin mentions the, “shadow of the school-family struggle” to explain the real reason for a parent’s concern surrounding HIV education.  I think struggle is still very prevalent in our schools today.  On the one hand, some parents are more than happy to have schools support the teaching of morality.  However, from one family to the next, what is deemed appropriate is different.  What one family would want us to avoid another would like us to expound upon.  Often, fear of being persecuted for doing or saying the wrong thing makes us hesitant to say anything at all.  As was noted in several places during this cycle, even this silence can send a message of acceptance or condemnation to a student. 

 Tackling Controversial Issues in my School

During this cycle, the topic to which I connected the most was the issue of bullying.  Bullying is a “hot-button” issue in my district.  It is an issue over which the parents have expressed concern and the district has taken notice.  Early in September, each school had a special assembly for students, a separate professional development session for teachers, and an additional parent informational meeting all on the subject of bullying preventions and interventions.  We were taught how to determine true bullying from other inappropriate behaviors.  We were shown how to intercede when we are witness to or are told about instances of bullying or conflict.  We looked at the roles of victims and victimizers but also at the roles of bystanders.   (Follow these links to learn more about identifying bullying and prevention and intervention.  What is bullying?  What is not? Training Notes: Stopbullying.gov )

It was very in-depth and enlightening, and for a while, I think the kids were really in tuned to looking out for one another.  However, as time has gone by, the kids have forgotten much of what they have learned.  Yes, this is due in part to me.  I should have done more to make what was explored in September part of our everyday language.  I put the posters up and for weeks at morning meeting we referred to them or other ways of making the school a better place for all.  Yet now, though we have done other things to promote good character, they have forgotten a good deal of the strategies they learned a few short months ago.  I wonder what message I sent them by not continuing to emphasize the importance of the learning in that avenue.  After this cycle, I am going to make a concerted effort to touch back upon what has been learned to better support my students when they are facing a difficult situation be it as a victim or a witness. 

In addition, I am also about to begin a project with my students which I hope will address some difficult topics and also help to build good character skills.  Essentially, I am tapping into service learning a bit for this.  (What is service learning? ) With this project, the students will begin by completing a survey to determine which children’s health issues are most important.  The survey will be sent home as tool for discussion with parents, the idea being that the students and parents will have a real conversation about what issues are important to their families. Beginning the conversation at home will also allow for some misconceptions on the issue to be cleared and in-depth questions to be developed.  The hope is that it will also help create relevance and interest.  When each student has completed the survey/discussion, they will choose an issue to research.   Since they are free to select any topic which falls under the umbrella of kid’s health, it is possible that one or more students may select a controversial or difficult topic.  Some students may focus on childhood diabetes or the need for healthy school lunches, but others may want to learn more about bullying or autism.

 In addition to any questions they have, they search for answers to questions like who is affected by the issue, how it impacts those people and the students themselves, which organizations are connected to the topic, and what are some ways that people can get involved or make a difference.  They will then take what they have learned to create a PSA on the iPad which can be shared with others in the community to encourage them to get involved.  It is my hope that this project will help students understand that they are part of the world around them and that they can make a positive difference.

Additional resources:

Bullying info for educators   http://www.stopbullying.gov/what-you-can-do/educators/index.html

Richard Paul http://www.richardpaul.com/blog/

Anti-bullying songs http://bullyingpreventionnow.com/anti-bullying-songs/

Cycle Two: What Should Schools Teach? How Should Schools Be Held Accountable?

What Should Schools Teach?

Compromise verses extremism…Our readings from this cycle brought this battle to the forefront of my mind. 

So often in education, there are extreme pendulum swings where one philosophy is pushed aside and another revered.  This for example, is exemplified in phonics vs. whole language debate which has pervaded reading instruction for decades. (More on this topic is available at the following links: http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr029.shtml  and http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jar/Reading_Wars.html )  It seems when it comes to educating our children there are often very passionate views and, unfortunately in my opinion, the two sides to the arguments often fail to see the value in the perspective of the other side. They fail to see that education is place of compromise.

I believe that in answering the question of “What Should Schools Teach?” one must consider many levels of compromise.  In our readings from this cycle, I found myself very much in agreement with Hirsh’s thoughts from chapter five of his text.  In this chapter, Hirsh argues for a compromise between the traditionalist and the formalist.  Hirsh states that this compromise can be made by offering a curriculum that is both extensive and intensive.  In other words, we need to find a balance between breadth and depth.   Though in my professional experience, this balance is not easy to come by, it is still a very worthwhile goal for the classroom teacher to pursue. 

In last cycle’s post I stated, that I felt that the purpose of a curriculum should not be to “fill an empty vessel” with knowledge to regurgitate.  While I am not going back on this statement, I feel it needs to be further explained.

I do not believe that the goal ultimate goal of any educator is for his/her students to simply be able to “parrot” back facts and content of a lesson.  By that I mean that, my goal for my third graders is not for them to be able to recite definitions of key vocabulary or rattle of lists of dates or key players in historical events.  That is not to say I don’t want them to know those things, but rather I hope that they are able to use that knowledge to continue to make meaning in other areas.  So as Hirsh would suggest, I want them to acquire an extensive knowledge so that they can use it to develop a more intensive understanding.  For example, in order for my students to become stronger readers, they have to go past simple decoding skills and be able to construct meaning from what they have read.  Again as Hirsh noted, in order to do this students have to be able to make connections and tap into schema.  The larger the knowledge base they have, the more connections they will be able to make, and the more meaning they will be able to construct from more complicated texts.  In connection to this, a student who has an extensive knowledge base is able to delve deeper into a topic within a content area. 

However, I do not believe that a compromise between an extensive and intensive curriculum is enough to answer the question of what schools should teach.  This compromise only addresses the question of what is the appropriate content of curriculum.  Again, as I argued in my posting last cycle, I believe the purpose of curriculum is more than imparting content.  I believe the purpose of content should also be to provide students with opportunities to develop skills that will help them to be successful in their futures beyond the classroom. Therefore, it is my opinion that they ultimate compromise in education is one between the proponents of content driven educational philosophy and proponents of critical thinking.  This same compromise was noted by Hirsh at the end of the assigned chapter.  My view is that this compromise can be made by using instructional methods to teach the content which infuses 21^st Century Teaching and Learning skills.  I think that students can gain a vast body of knowledge by engaging in activities which ask them to use problem solving skills, collaboration, and creativity.  I think they can go beyond receivers of knowledge to become creators and contributors of it as well. 

It is this belief that has me very curious about the use of gaming in schools as was presented by the New York Times Article from Sara Corbett, Learning by Playing: Video Games in the Classroom.  However this article was not the first place I read about the activities of and philosophies behind Quest 2 Learn.  I first encountered this trail-blazing institution while reading the book, Now You See It: How the Brain Science of Attention Will Transform the Way We Live, Work and Learn, by Cathy Davidson. 

In her discussions of the school, Davidson advocates the use of gaming in the classroom to promote learning and critical thinking skills.  Essentially, Davidson would have us believe that, through the use of gaming activities, not only will students acquire the content knowledge, but they will me more motivated to do so.  Further, the students will have internalized the learning more deeply.  I personally, am a bit on the fence regarding the use of gaming.  I even had apprehensions when reading about it in the Davidson text.  Although I do believe that gaming and related activities can provide opportunities for students to develop the critical thinking skills I truly believe all students need, I am not sure that it is the only way in which to do this.  I am also not certain that all students will connect to gaming as vehicle for learning or that all students will be able to transfer the skills required in gaming situations into real world applications. 

That being said, Now You See It was an extremely thought provoking read!  Although I did not agree with all of Davidson’s ideas about the current state of education and its future, the book definitely pushed me to do a good deal of self-reflection.  I highly recommend it to any teacher.  If you would like a taste of the Davison’s musing on education, you might be interested in this video.  The video is about an hour long but will provide you with a very good preview of the ideas in her book. 

                                                                                                                                                      

How Should Schools Be Held Accountable?

Although, as I noted, I am not I am in agreement with Davidson’s every idea, I am of like mind regarding her views of one of the most common forms of assessment prevailing in American schools, the standardized, multiple-choice test.   

In her book, Davidson calls for a reexamination of current educational philosophy especially that connected to the use of and emphasis placed on standardized testing.  She argues that this form of assessment is outdated having been created for the changing needs of education in the early 20^th century.

In the chapter, How We Measure, Davidson reveals the origins of the standardized test as created by Frederick J. Kelly.  Kelly, she explains, developed the testing as way to alleviate both the subjectivity of teacher grading and the time teachers took to score student work.  It seemed so unlikely to me that what has become the “end all and be all” of student assessment and teacher evaluation has such simple beginnings.  It made me wonder, if that was the original intention of such assessments, how then did standardized testing become elevated to the level of high-stakes testing in American education? 

I do believe that there is a need for schools to be held accountable.  However, traditional multiple-choice, standardized assessments do not always offer a true picture of a student’s understandings and do not show the efforts or effectiveness of a teacher so as to be used a measure in teacher evaluations.  While they do allow for assessment data to be created in a timely manner, I often question the value of the data.  This is because these types of tests often measure a student’s ability to take a test not his/her ability to apply the learning s/he has attained.  I feel that performance-based assessments are more reliable for ascertaining as students’ level of learning and understanding.  Unfortunately, these types of assessments can lead to subjective teacher grading and can take up too much time for the data they provide to be useful for guiding instruction as Kelly feared.  It is quite a quandary. 

A solution just might be in adaptive testing such as the ones currently being used in my district (NWEA) and the one that will soon be adopted by the state of Michigan (Smarter Balanced) to replace our current state assessment, the MEAP.  In this type of computerized assessment, the test adjusts based on a student’s answers.  As the student answers questions correctly, the questions that follow become more difficult.  As they answer incorrectly, the questions adjust again to meet their level. 

Having used the NWEA assessment for the past two years, I have found it to be very valuable.  To begin, the data is available immediately after the students complete the test.  Additionally, the reports created instantly by the NWEA site not only show student s’ goals for future assessments and their progress toward achieving those goals, it also provides goals for every child within each strand of the content area which a teacher can use to inform individual, small-group, and whole-group instruction.  Since the test is adaptive, it is a more accurate measure of a student’s capabilities.  I also feel that it is a more reliable way to measure teacher effectiveness that its predecessor because it measures growth.  In other words, when using the data to measure a teacher’s effectiveness, the evaluator can see if a teacher’s students are making progress toward personal learning goals rather than just meeting or falling below a standard.  The upcoming Smarter Balanced Assessment will provide similar benefits; however, it will have the added bonus of including performance based tasks.  Adding an element of application level thinking, will raise the quality of the assessment data generated by this form of standardized testing.

Additional resources on the subject of gaming/technology in schools

http://fatetech.org/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/04/zora-ball_n_2586140.html (This article highlights the work of 1^st grader, Zora Ball, who developed a mobile gaming app

Cycle 1-What is curriculum? What is its purpose?

My Experience

I'll never forget the excitement I felt on that September day back in 2004 when I was offered my first teaching position as a third grade teacher at a local private school.  Shortly after concluding my interview, the headmaster kindly showed me to my new classroom and gave me a tour of the building.  He graciously introduced me to my soon-to-be colleagues, thanked me for coming in, shook my hand, and told me he looked forward to seeing me back on my first day.  Wait…wasn’t something missing?  What were my expectations?  What was my curriculum? 

Needing to prepare for my first day, I asked to see my curriculum.  He looked at me puzzled.  I explained that I was just looking for what the school considered to be the guiding standards and concepts expected for the subjects I was charged with instructing.  Again, he looked at me as though I had just grown a third arm or a second head and offered, “Well, we do have some textbooks you can use.” 

After leading me to a musty closet filled with random textbooks, he pointed to the shelf designated for third grade and, with that, returned to his office. Standing there alone and confused, I found a small selection of mismatched texts, some with teacher’s editions and others without. 

Panic set in…There I was, a first-year teacher, left to my own devices to determine what would be taught and what resources and materials should be used.  Though, I was still a novice in my field, even I knew that textbooks in and of themselves are not curriculum!

Since that time, I have moved from the private system to the public schools, but the vexing question of curriculum has continued to follow me. It is an issue that does not seem to go away; it has only shifted and evolved. Upon entering the public school system, I no longer had to determine for myself the appropriate content and resources as I had at the private school.  For the most part, that “curriculum-in-use” had/has been decided for me and stated explicitly.  However, the struggle I have now is that my curriculum is ever-changing. 

I have been in my current district for nearly nine years and am currently teaching third grade for the fourth time.  I can honestly say, that in that time, I have never taught the exact same curriculum twice, even in the same grade.  My district is constantly adopting new programs and pedagogical practices.  Not only has my content changed, but so have my teaching resources and the methods I am expected to use for instruction.  Added on to that are all of the curricular changes put forth by the state by way of changes in standards.  In my district, as I am sure is true of most districts in Michigan, the Common Core has become the driving force behind an overhaul to large chunks of my curriculum. As we move through this school year, a support site from North Carolina’s ACRE (Accountability and Curriculum Reform Effort) has proven quite helpful in assisting us to understand the new requirements of our core driven curriculum. 

What is curriculum?

So you can see why, for me, answering the seemingly benign question of “What is curriculum?” is not the easy task it would appear to be.  There are so many permutations of the word curriculum: intended vs. enacted, received vs. lived, explicit vs. implicit, internal, electronic, even the null curriculum (that which we do not teach).  How does one begin to make a simplified definition? What I have managed to decipher through my professional experiences and from our course readings this cycle is the following:  First, there is no one correct definition of curriculum. There are many varying definitions of curriculum which can overlap and contradict each other at the same time.  Secondly, curricula are not static. They change frequently depending on the current values of society and trends in education. Trying to define it is almost an exercise in futility.  Therefore, the best I can offer in the way of an answer to that question is my limited interpretation of the meaning of curriculum with the knowledge that it may not be in agreement with the interpretations of others reading this blog. 

Like, Leslie Owen Wilson, I believe curriculum is a blend of its many definitions.  However, it is my opinion that curriculum can be most easily explained as that which is to be taught (the overt curriculum) and that from which we learn.  Therefore, a teacher’s curriculum at any given moment comprises a multitude of things.  In the most basic sense, it is the standards put forth by state, and the subjects/content, skills, and concepts deemed important by the district for each grade level.   It is also the resources the teacher uses to support the instruction of the aforementioned standards, etc., which incorporate everything from trade books to the internet and, yes, sometimes it may include textbooks.  That is not to say that one program or text alone makes up the curriculum, but rather the text in combination with other sources, experiences, and activities can be considered part of the delivered curriculum.  Further, I feel that, if the content of the curriculum is required to be presented and instructed using a particular model such as using the workshop model for math, reading, and writing, then that instructional method can also be considered part of the teacher’s curriculum.  However, I also believe there are also sources from which a child learns that are not controlled by the teacher or school that can still be considered part of their personal curriculum.  In other words, a child learns not just from his or her experiences connected to school but also from external sources like the home, community, church, etc. 

What is the purpose of curriculum? 

The larger debate for me seems to be in determining what is the purpose of curriculum?  One of my favorite quotes about education speaks to this.  John Lubbock said, “The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as that every child be given the wish to learn.” The sentimental, altruistic side of me believes this whole-heartedly.  If my curriculum does not impart the inherent value of learning, that is to say that if the desire to learn is not achieved, then the what at how of my teaching are of no consequence.  However, the realist in me says that there is more to it than that.  Beyond having the wish to learn, I feel it is also important to prepare a child for the future. 

In consideration of the article, Perspectives on Four Curriculum Traditions, I would say that I found myself in agreement with both the Social Behaviorist and the Experientialist points of view.  Like the Social Behaviorist, I feel that a curriculum should prepare a child to be successful in today’s world.  In truth, I feel that the curriculum should prepare a child to be successful in tomorrow’s world.  The fact of the matter is that we are preparing students for a future we can’t even begin to conceive.  This is why I feel that the purpose of a curriculum should not be to “fill and empty vessel” with knowledge to regurgitate, but that its main purpose should be to provide opportunities for students to build the skills they will need to be successful in the world of tomorrow.  Students need to build 21^st Century skills like inquiry, problem solving, collaboration, and creativity.  They need to become creators and contributors of knowledge.  Thoughtful incorporation of technology and project-based learning can be integral players in achieving this end.  Over the past few years, this mindset has pervaded the professional development and curriculum development in my district.   The district has even created its own framework for 21^st Century Teaching and Learning.  Similar frameworks can be found through the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills.  It is my belief that these skills should be embedded in activities throughout the content areas and should be just as important to the curriculum as the content itself. 

As I mentioned before, I am also in agreement with the Experientialist point of view.  I found myself in agreement with Dewey that we must consider the past experiences of a child, but we must also build upon those experiences as a way to connect to new ones which will expand their thinking and lead to future connections. Therefore, I feel an additional purpose of curriculum is to engage students by tapping into their interests and understandings and using them to a greater body of knowledge and more advanced skill sets. 

Resources: Rather than link all my resources at the bottom of this post, they are embedded throughout the post. 

Additional resources:

The REAL School Design Blog-This posting had an interesting take on the meaning and purposes of curriculum.

Introduction

Hi, all! My name is Maria Broz and I would like to welcome you to my blog. 

My journey as a teacher began when I earned my undergraduate degree from Eastern Michigan University in 2004.  Since then, I have also taken several graduate courses at MSU.  This year marks my ninth as a teacher and my eighth in my current district. I began my teaching career at a private foreign language immersion school.  After a year, I moved into my current school as a fifth grade teacher. Since my arrival at West Maple Elementary, I have taught fifth, fourth, and third grades. However, this is my fourth year in third grade, and I LOVE it!

My current passion in teaching is 21st Century Teaching and Learning and using technology in the classroom.  In light of this, most of my graduate course work has been studying educational technology.  Additionally, due to an amazing program in my district, I have received many hours of professional development in this area.  I love integrating 21^st Century skills and technology tools into my daily lessons. 

When I'm not at school, my favorite thing to do is spend time with my family. My husband and I have been married for six years and have two children. Our daughter is four and our son just a few months shy of two.   As you can imagine, these two keep me pretty busy, but when I can find some free time I love to run and work out.

I am very much looking forward to learning with and from all of you in this coming semester.  I hope our digital conversations will be both enlightening and challenging.