Review of Literature

Harris, A., & Jones, M. (2019). Teacher leadership and educational change.

I think the "flip the system" approach is great way to seeking buy-in of the building staff. When policies and procedure are created without teacher input it comes across as a "we say you will", which is not always welcomed. Also many times admin and board officer personnel have been away from the classroom for a few years and what would of worked 5 years ago will not always be in the best interest of students and staff in the classroom now. So brining teachers on board to go through policies and hear their sides will allow for items to be created that teachers want. That means things will be more cohesively implemented across the school, instead of what we often see with some pockets doing things well.

Cheung, R., Reinhardt, T., Stone, L., & Little, J.W. (2018). Defining teacher leadership: A framework. Phi Delta Kappan, 100 (3), 38-44.

I like the idea of shared resources that was mentioned throughout the article. I feel like many of use are on our own island. But even in this science based setting from the article, we could do this in all our areas. The good things that are being done in other classrooms in our building and in others are not being shared enough. We need to open the lines of connections to these good things, but at the same time filter them. Some platforms I have looked at/used there is a lot of just "work" not quality activities and engagement lessons. Right now with where we are all doing some form of virtual or distance learning in some formate, need to share what we are doing to be successful. I think that is the point I keep hearing and over and over in the series of articles we have read, the need for leadership teams. That is not just admin or board office staff, but the those who are in the classroom. Given quality time with norms in place to allow for open dialogue on course content and school policy, that shared perspective in our area of expertise or even enlighten others outside the department will work for the good of the whole. As I continue this path of STEM education, I know there is no way I am ready to teach a course or sponsor a club without the resources and guidance of others. I have the openness and recognize how others can benefit what I will bring to my school/classroom, but we have to make it where all teachers see them self as leaders and learners and are ready for the open dialogue & shared resources.

Desimone, L. M. (2011). A primer on effective professional development. Phi Delta Kappan, 92, 68-71.

DeSimone article was what I feel we have discussed many times in recent years. That leadership is not what we once would of thought; as admin only. But that it is teachers who are leaders in their profession and willing to share their knowledge with others. The core factors listed in the article are keys things that the to be considered when planning for PD. Most districts are seeing this as a cost effective and more meaningful means of PD. For me personally my district uses a lot of our own staff to do PDs. I find this beneficially, because when I sit down to use a resource or implement something new I know who exactly to go to for help and feedback. So I this makes me more likely to try the new items and implement what I am provided in the PD.

Fulton, K., & Britton, T. (2011). STEM teachers in professional learning communities: From good teachers to great teaching. Washington, DC: National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED521328.pdf

This article made me really reflect on PLCS. I have been apart of 3 different ones in my 13 years of teachers. They dynamics of those has shifted each year, but the core was the same. I have been on grade level PLCs and both departmental/subject PLCs. The goal of either was same. The good that comes from these PLCs is when all members have a part, and their is mutual agreement. What makes them ineffective is when the end goal differs or someone's voice was not heard. At times we may often have members who are not student minded, or cant see ideas for the good of the whole. If we are only thinking about our own class or what works best for me that does not meet the point of having a PLC. As the article basically stresses we must look at what benefits student learning. If there is a policy or procedure that does not benefit the students, is it needed? Does the task/assignment given contribute to the learning? Many of these things we do might be what we like or want to use, but have we really weighed the benefit factor for our students? We are in the kid business, and as PLCs we have to be sure that what we do works for the good of the whole. It can be difficult when decisions are not made or things are not decided the way we would of chosen, but we have to be professional and respect the mutual decisions/conclusions decided upon by our professional community. We often have to consider the other subjects, areas of school, and living situations of our students, as well as many other aspect we are not aware of that may of been the reasoning/background to why a decision or policy was decided upon. The phrase one size doesn't fit all keeps coming to mind. So as a PLC or a committee we as educators must step back and look at all sides, the big picture, and make decision or share ideas that can benefit all. Things take time, but with a common vision, as the article referenced, and it being cohesively implemented real change and progress can take place in our schools greatly impacting the learning and potential of our students.

ASCD. (2014). Teacher Leadership: The what, why, and how of teachers as leaders. Report on the Fall 2014 Whole Child Symposium, 1–29.

I really enjoyed the readings of this article. My masters degree was in teacher leadership, which gave me a whole new outlook on leadership in school. It was no longer the mindset of it being the admin and typical leadership in the buildings. Leaders are students and adults in the building. We see many students step up as leaders when it's in an area of interest to them. I think this is do to the leadership that a teacher and mentor is showing them, its a domino effect situation in a positive manner. As we have moved to a very differentiated classroom setting and pushing for student lead classrooms we are helping to foster leadership. All the changes brought on by Covid virtual teaching and the new resources that are rolling out has really allowed for "teacher leaders" to be seen. There are strategies and resource experts in the rooms next to us, and we have been able to share and collaborate and see what works. Education is an ever changing field and for those whom have been in it for awhile we must look to others, whom may even have less experience, as leaders and share, modify, and use their ideas.

Koehler, C., Binns, I. C., & Bloom, M. A. (2015). The emergence of STEM. In STEM road map (pp. 13-22). Routledge.

My feelings based on these readings is that we need to have a greater sense of urgency. Most places, even my school making slow changes, are moving in the right direction. But with where our students need to be in society to keep things moving forward, we have got to move quicker. As the "Emergence of STEM" article said, the traditional classroom are not preparing the youth for the challenges. If we as professionals don't change and develop, how can we develop professionals for the future? The same article also reference many ways to grow STEM that are very doable If we want our students to catch up to children in other nations, we have to get the higher order thinking out of our students; meaning discussion and hands on classrooms are what we need. We are no longer able to do the drill and kill method of just learning and memorizing skills, but we need to see the students apply them.

Tran, D.,& Dougherty, B., (2014). Authenticity of mathematical modeling. The Mathematics Teacher, 107(9), 672 – 678.

The main takeaway is that the questions we pose to our students should relate to the real-world and challenge them to use problem-solving skills. Tran and Dougherty’s “Six Criteria for Authentic Tasks (2014, p. 674)” is very useful to plan problems that are more life-like for students. Another takeaway from the reading article for me was to have real world application, that students can take away from (it must be authentic) . It can be real world but not relevant to the students, therefore the math is still irrelevant to them. Sometimes you even have to share with students how others would use it, and don't push them that they will definitely need this, since reality is they very well may not need that concept but others do.

Louis S. Nadelson & Anne L. Seifert (2017) Integrated STEM defined: Contexts, challenges, and the future, The Journal of Educational Research, 110(3), 221-223.

When teaching math I usually think of real-world applications sometimes but the critical thinking skills that are needed to master the subject. Without having STEM concepts in mathematics students are missing a piece of that critical thinking skill that is needed to solve the world’s problems. For instance, if a student is going to solve resource management then they do not only need to know the research and processes of today’s resources but they must also be able to understand the data and process the numbers to show that there is an issue and that they can solve it. This article reminds me of the why? Why I am learning and doing new things, because it's what my students need.

Ladson-Billings, Gloria. (2003, March 25). I used to love science…and then I went to school: The challenge of school science in urban schools. Plenary Session conducted at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, Philadelphia, PA.

The readings from this article made me reflect on student engagement as well. I feel that this is task for every teacher, because even when we don't have students completely off task or not wanting to work, does that mean they are really engaged? Some are always just passively engaged. So what more can we do to make them want to try. Often times it is finding that interest, letting them discover, or them understanding it to cause them to want more. In Algebra the students are always questioning why they have to do this, when will they ever use it. I often say I don't know, because they may not use it, but explain that someone else will. These discussion typically lead to us finding out what professions or how the mathematical concept would be used. Sometimes it just takes that knowing it's not all just made up math to get students to buy in.

Berry, B., Daughtrey, A., & Wieder, A. (2010). Preparing to Lead an Effective Classroom: The Role of Teacher Training and Professional Development Programs. Center for Teaching Quality.

I resonated with many of the feelings in this article. Teacher Education programs and even more importantly school level leaders must do a better job of supporting new staff. This is not just totally new teachers, but those new to a district or school. When staff are overwhelmed with the learning curve it often does not allow them to develop as a professional and truly showcase their abilities. From this reading and talk with colleagues one of my last artifacts through GRREC Ed was designing an OnBoarding plan/ideas for my administration to use to help support the new staff to our building.