There is no debating that the education system in the US is not preparing a large majority of kids for success and employment in America. What are the solutions for solving this problem? While I am no economist, so I cannot speak from the business and economic side of things, I can speak from the view of the teacher who is entrenched within this system. Here are my fixes for education:
1. Increase the professionalism of teachers. This can be done in a couple of ways: increase competition for teacher education programs, require that all teachers have at least an undergraduate degree in the field that they will be teaching at the middle and high school grades, increase teacher pay and increase teacher accountability once they are in the classroom. When teaching is not seen as a last resort or a temporary position for those who failed out of law school or med school, then the professionalism and regard for the teacher will be increased in our nation's eyes.
2. Increase problem solving assessments rather than multiple choice-recall assessments like the current AIMS model. If students are asked to demonstrate their critical thinking skills, then teachers will need to amend their teaching practices to "teach to the new test", which are much preferrable life skills. Students will never be asked to solve another multiple choice test once they leave the school halls, so why "prepare" them for this?
3. Differentiate schools. I do not think that all schools should have the same purpose, nor serve the same populations. Like the French school system, students should choose the areas of interest for them and then attend the schools at the middle and high school grades that intensely prepare them for work in the field of their interests: the arts, mathematics and science, literature, mechanics, business, politics. When students get choice and direction in their education, I feel that they will be more committed to their studies and see the relevance of their studies to the future direction of their lives. (This would require all schools to have rigorous standards and accountability, to ensure that certain subject schools were not far superior or inferior in regards to their delivery of instruction and student preparation).
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Happiness
This year, I am happy. Last year, my feelings would have been drastically different. The learning curve of first year teaching was painful and not always successful. These days though, things are falling into place:
1. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being terribly unhappy and 1o being ecstatic, I am currently at a 9.
2. On a scale of 1-10, I oscillate between a 1-2 on the unhappy scale, depending on the amount of unnecessary bureaucratic demands of my job.
3. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being apathetic, 10 being extremely involved, I am currently an 8 on the scale. I care about what I am involved in, what I am teaching and what I am doing.
4. Ideally, I would like to remain at a 9 in constant happiness. I do not think it is possible (especially with this job and ASU/TFA demands) to get a perfect 10. 9 is close enough. It means that there will be those flop days but it implies that most days are pretty good, if not great.
5. In order to maintain a level 9 rating of happiness, I am going to continue to do the following things: hike, coach frisbee at my school, exercise at least 4 days a week, read great books for pleasure, continue to cook, take time for myself and my friends, camp and go to live music shows. If I continue to maintain a balance of self and job, I know that I will be content.
1. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being terribly unhappy and 1o being ecstatic, I am currently at a 9.
2. On a scale of 1-10, I oscillate between a 1-2 on the unhappy scale, depending on the amount of unnecessary bureaucratic demands of my job.
3. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being apathetic, 10 being extremely involved, I am currently an 8 on the scale. I care about what I am involved in, what I am teaching and what I am doing.
4. Ideally, I would like to remain at a 9 in constant happiness. I do not think it is possible (especially with this job and ASU/TFA demands) to get a perfect 10. 9 is close enough. It means that there will be those flop days but it implies that most days are pretty good, if not great.
5. In order to maintain a level 9 rating of happiness, I am going to continue to do the following things: hike, coach frisbee at my school, exercise at least 4 days a week, read great books for pleasure, continue to cook, take time for myself and my friends, camp and go to live music shows. If I continue to maintain a balance of self and job, I know that I will be content.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
2 Million Minutes
Last week in class we watched the continuation of the powerful documentary "2 Million Minutes", which traced the educational experiences of 6 youths in China, India and the US. The second part of this film profiles Basis Charter School in Tucson, AZ. The documentarians call it the best school in the world and I would agree that it deserves high acclaim.
This school as 100% college acceptance rate, students take an average of 11 AP courses by the time they graduate, they complete senior practicums and finish all of their Arizona high school requirements by their junior years. In a superb example of the tight-knit community that the school has fostered with its teachers and students, the AZ budget crisis resulted in the school losing 10% of their federal funding. Rather than cutting a teacher, which would have covered the difference, the administrators decided to take the pay cut. This sacrifice and belief in the value of each teacher is evident at this school, and is one way that Basis is drastically different from public schools in Arizona.
The irony of this documentary and this school is that it exists in one of the lowest ranked states, in terms of educational achievement. Arizona public schools are struggling and yet we have an unbelievable example of excellent schools right here in this state. Why are more people not looking into what exactly this school is doing to help prepare students for high levels of achievement when they leave their doors?
I found three critical differences in the current public school system as compared to the Basis Charter system. The first is the issue of teacher unity and stability. I am convinced that for a school to prepare students for success, all of the teachers must share a vision of student achievement and the value of education. If teachers are not collaborating on how they teach scientific inquiry in all grades, then students will constantly have to forget or relearn different and inconsistent ways of doing science, for example. A school is only as successful and united as its teachers are. When teachers of all grade levels collaborated, they were able to prepare students at a higher level at a younger age to ensure that they were ready for Algebra 2 when they got to high school. If there is a lack of willingness to bond together and have a loyalty to the school and community, then schools will continue to be a site of inconsistency, instability and teacher turnover.
The second critical difference is that Basis Charter has incredibly high expectations for student performance and dedication to education. That is clearly communicated and understood by all students who were interviewed in the documentary. When students are held to a high bar (i.e. take 10 AP tests by the time you graduate, finish high school in 3 years etc..) they will reach or surpass that bar, regardless of their income level or prior experiences. I thought it was interesting that many Basis students described themselves as average students or previously unmotivated students, but the atmosphere and rigor of the school had dramatically changed their work ethic and their beliefs in themselves. How much more obvious can the benefits be?
The last critical difference is that the teachers at Basis Charter are experts in their subjects. I think this should be a requirement for all teachers entering a middle or high school classroom. All teachers of secondary ed should have at least an undergraduate, if not graduate, level degree in the subjects that they teach. At Basis, the physics teacher was able to explore concepts with his sophomores and juniors, that top-level physicists are still struggling with. What a valuable and unique experience for those students, and for the teacher. This would prevent teacher burnout and encourage creativity, high level application of concepts and increased curiosity into any of the subjects that those teachers might be fascinated by.
Overall, the documentary left me with a mix of emotions. I felt hopeful about the possibilities of education if only people in Arizona and across the nation will sit up and take notice of the important differences that make Basis so different. I also felt jealous that I hadn't gone to that school, though it was inspiring to think about the possibilities of working at such a school. I also felt scared for my kids because these are the people that they will be competing against when they apply for college and jobs.
This school as 100% college acceptance rate, students take an average of 11 AP courses by the time they graduate, they complete senior practicums and finish all of their Arizona high school requirements by their junior years. In a superb example of the tight-knit community that the school has fostered with its teachers and students, the AZ budget crisis resulted in the school losing 10% of their federal funding. Rather than cutting a teacher, which would have covered the difference, the administrators decided to take the pay cut. This sacrifice and belief in the value of each teacher is evident at this school, and is one way that Basis is drastically different from public schools in Arizona.
The irony of this documentary and this school is that it exists in one of the lowest ranked states, in terms of educational achievement. Arizona public schools are struggling and yet we have an unbelievable example of excellent schools right here in this state. Why are more people not looking into what exactly this school is doing to help prepare students for high levels of achievement when they leave their doors?
I found three critical differences in the current public school system as compared to the Basis Charter system. The first is the issue of teacher unity and stability. I am convinced that for a school to prepare students for success, all of the teachers must share a vision of student achievement and the value of education. If teachers are not collaborating on how they teach scientific inquiry in all grades, then students will constantly have to forget or relearn different and inconsistent ways of doing science, for example. A school is only as successful and united as its teachers are. When teachers of all grade levels collaborated, they were able to prepare students at a higher level at a younger age to ensure that they were ready for Algebra 2 when they got to high school. If there is a lack of willingness to bond together and have a loyalty to the school and community, then schools will continue to be a site of inconsistency, instability and teacher turnover.
The second critical difference is that Basis Charter has incredibly high expectations for student performance and dedication to education. That is clearly communicated and understood by all students who were interviewed in the documentary. When students are held to a high bar (i.e. take 10 AP tests by the time you graduate, finish high school in 3 years etc..) they will reach or surpass that bar, regardless of their income level or prior experiences. I thought it was interesting that many Basis students described themselves as average students or previously unmotivated students, but the atmosphere and rigor of the school had dramatically changed their work ethic and their beliefs in themselves. How much more obvious can the benefits be?
The last critical difference is that the teachers at Basis Charter are experts in their subjects. I think this should be a requirement for all teachers entering a middle or high school classroom. All teachers of secondary ed should have at least an undergraduate, if not graduate, level degree in the subjects that they teach. At Basis, the physics teacher was able to explore concepts with his sophomores and juniors, that top-level physicists are still struggling with. What a valuable and unique experience for those students, and for the teacher. This would prevent teacher burnout and encourage creativity, high level application of concepts and increased curiosity into any of the subjects that those teachers might be fascinated by.
Overall, the documentary left me with a mix of emotions. I felt hopeful about the possibilities of education if only people in Arizona and across the nation will sit up and take notice of the important differences that make Basis so different. I also felt jealous that I hadn't gone to that school, though it was inspiring to think about the possibilities of working at such a school. I also felt scared for my kids because these are the people that they will be competing against when they apply for college and jobs.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Activity 4.2 Solitary Effort
1. List activities you usually do, and prefer to do, with others. These are activities that take place away from home.
Cooking, concerts, movies, playing sports or exercising, dancing, going out to dinner
2. Select from the list above one activity you will do alone in the next two weeks.
I will go out to dinner by myself.
Reflections on the experience:
I went to Zoe's Kitchen for dinner on Thursday night by myself. Admittedly, I was nervous and I grappled with the decision whether or not I should take a book so that I might look busy and occupied, rather than alone. I finally decided to not take the book because I wanted to see if I could take the aloneness rather than trying to mask it; and who are we kidding, everyone knows that the person eating by themselves with a book is still a person eating by themselves. I decided to own it.
I sat down in an area near the side of the restaurant, aware of my desire not to be right in the middle of the room, where I felt people might be staring at me. I had time to think and a lot of time to observe. I felt more aware of my surroundings and the people around me. If I had been with another person, I would have been giving them and the conversation my full attention. In this instance, I got to observe a variety of people and scenarios in the restaurant.
When I finished eating, I didn't dawdle around. I finished my food and left, being fully aware that I was still somewhat uncomfortable because I wanted it to appear that my being alone in this restaurant for dinner was merely for the functional need to feed myself, rather than to enjoy my own company or observe the behaviors of other people. I suppose I am still slightly uncomfortable with the idea of dining alone, though my next challenge is to dine at a higher end restaurant. It will take some time to build up to that.
Cooking, concerts, movies, playing sports or exercising, dancing, going out to dinner
2. Select from the list above one activity you will do alone in the next two weeks.
I will go out to dinner by myself.
Reflections on the experience:
I went to Zoe's Kitchen for dinner on Thursday night by myself. Admittedly, I was nervous and I grappled with the decision whether or not I should take a book so that I might look busy and occupied, rather than alone. I finally decided to not take the book because I wanted to see if I could take the aloneness rather than trying to mask it; and who are we kidding, everyone knows that the person eating by themselves with a book is still a person eating by themselves. I decided to own it.
I sat down in an area near the side of the restaurant, aware of my desire not to be right in the middle of the room, where I felt people might be staring at me. I had time to think and a lot of time to observe. I felt more aware of my surroundings and the people around me. If I had been with another person, I would have been giving them and the conversation my full attention. In this instance, I got to observe a variety of people and scenarios in the restaurant.
When I finished eating, I didn't dawdle around. I finished my food and left, being fully aware that I was still somewhat uncomfortable because I wanted it to appear that my being alone in this restaurant for dinner was merely for the functional need to feed myself, rather than to enjoy my own company or observe the behaviors of other people. I suppose I am still slightly uncomfortable with the idea of dining alone, though my next challenge is to dine at a higher end restaurant. It will take some time to build up to that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)