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MY TAKE
MY TAKE
Every so often I will reflect on a variety of topics that include interesting articles, professional development, crucial conversations, or experiences that resonate with me. I will provide the resource, if possible, as a button under the headliner.
Every so often I will reflect on a variety of topics that include interesting articles, professional development, crucial conversations, or experiences that resonate with me. I will provide the resource, if possible, as a button under the headliner.
Nine Ways Tech Will Soon Impact Education
Nine Ways Tech Will Soon Impact Education
Article Summary: The article discusses the ways technology can impact our students today and in the future. Forbes has a Technology Council that lists nine different ways technology can impact our students. Here is their list:
1. Interactive Classrooms
2. Improved Collaboration
3. Preparation For A Tech-Based Economy
4. More Personalized Instruction
5. Universal Access To High-Quality Content
6. Digitized Grading Systems
7. Gamified Lessons
8. Advanced Learning At Home
9. Introduction Of Entrepreneurial Skills
My Take:
I found this article to be a 'worm-hole' for technology usage in the classroom. I would seamlessly find myself with several tabs open looking up the different topics Forbes mentions in the article. A short article that leaves the reader wanting to know more about each of the nine topics.
I found this article to be helpful in understanding what schools can do to bring a 21st century learning environment to the school setting. The hidden gem in this article is gamified lessons. The concept of using games to deliver content is extremely interesting to me. It provides another level of motivation for students who would most likely not be interested in a certain content area or topic.
When we think of a 21st century education, one of the first things that comes to mind is technology. Discussion of how technology is integrated into the educational process can bring an array of emotions from excitement to anxiety. As we stew in the Technology Revolution, educators, administrators, and other stakeholders have to understand the impact technology has on learning. We must harness this power and allow our students to create our future world.
What I found to be interesting about this article was the accessibility students and educators have to the world of technology. From looking up content on a specific topic to collaborating with peers, technology allows equal access for this to happen. These simple concepts we take for granted with technology challenges traditional practices in education. Traditional practices that should be examined to improve the educational experience for our students. Ideas such as what is the purpose of the teacher if a student can "Google" the information? (I would state that if a teacher is only delivering information to students they will be replaced with technology), why do I (the student) have to come to school if I can collaborate with my team online? How can this standard be personalized to the student's interests? With virtual classrooms, why do we need to take a three month break in the summer? What ways can classrooms become more interactive to show student's understanding? These are just some questions technology posses to leaders in education in the 21st century. Questions that will address traditional practices that might or should be revisited by the educational community. When we attempt to answer these questions we will inevitably be taken down another 'worm-hole' to find the most appropriate answers.
We are meant to MOVE!
We are meant to MOVE!
Article Summary: This article was originally posted by Brad Johnson, Ph.D in the National Association for Elementary School Principals. Dr. Johnson dives into the topic of the amount of time our students spend sitting down. He discusses strategies to get kids up and moving and some interesting data regarding learning and health. He mentions the decline of physical education and a relationship with the physical & mental health issue with our students today. From obesity to ADHD, these health behaviors are impacting students and schools today. He gives insights on how to help combat these issues within the classroom.
My Take: I would like to start off with a quote that I have found extremely impactful and that I have used over the past several years.
“The 10,000 pound gorilla in the room, that most people are not even aware of, is this relationship between physical fitness, aerobic activity, and academic achievement. And to continue to ignore is to the great detriment of the academic lives of our children.”
Michael Kuczala, The Kinesthetic Classroom, Inspiring Educational Video
When I see articles about movement in the classroom I am always intrigued. As a former health and physical education teacher, former CrossFit Coach, and general health nut, topics like this pull out a passionate voice inside me.
There are two points I would like to address in this article. First is learning and movement. In the article, I am happy to see Dr. Johnson make the brain-body connection and how learning occurs. We are meant to move. We are meant to bend, fold, squat, twist, extend, flex, hinge, press, and pull. We learn through movement. Developmentally, children learn through play before entering school. This modality of learning tends to subside as our kids get exposed to the educational system. Unfortunately, majority of schools still operate in the fashion (which can be dated back to the Industrial Revolution). Bells ring, desks in rows, and students sitting down can all be seen in today's educational setting. "Until the age of 4, children are continually playing and learning in a state of constant motion. But when they enter school, the focus shifts to uniformity, control, following rules and sitting at a desk. We are shortchanging our students when it comes to overall education and student achievement." says Dr. Johnson. Allowing student to learn by movement does not mean the class operates like it does in PE. School administrators and teachers should allow different options for movement in the classroom. Whether that is material items (i.e., standing desks, stationary bikes, treadmills, bike pedals, etc) or instructional practice (allowing students the option to stand/move, use these material items, or offering brain-breaks). These are key for getting movement in your classroom. In my teaching career, I found it very success for student to be on-task and actively engaged when student had these options of movement. Especially, for my student with ADHD. These options give our classrooms a different feeling that can allow students to take ownership of their learning.
The second point I wanted to address was the health issues and concerns that come allow with sitting for such a long period of time. I, along with some former colleagues, presented on 'Movement in the Classroom' in 2016. I focused on some of the biological aspects that happen to the brain and body when we sit for long periods of time. When students sit for long periods of time there are several biological effects that can happen. Muscle tightness in the lower back, hamstring, and glutes occur. Lung expansion decrease which impacts oxygen levels. And lastly, unhealthy spine - development of kyphosis (rounding of the thoracic spine). Check out some other interesting facts that happen when we sit for different duration of time:
30 to 60 minutes - not moving? brain begins the process of falling asleep.
3 hours can lead to decrease blood flow.
2 wks/ 6 hrs day can lead to breakdown of muscle tissue
1 year/ 6 hrs per day lead to bone density loss
20 years/ 6 hrs per day can lead to hours loss of 7 quality adjusted life years.
By my calculations, middle school students could be seated for up to roughly five hours a day! Already with troubling health concerns, we in education should combat these issues, not contribute to it.
Resources:
Dr. Kelly Starrett -P.T.
Juliet Starrett- Stand Up Kids
Michael Kuczala - Kinesthetic Classroom
Dr. John Ratey -SPARK
John Medina- Brain Rules
"Hey, Tech! Let's shake it up!"
"Hey, Tech! Let's shake it up!"
Article Summary: Silicon Valley's Susan Wu plans to disrupt traditional education through her new school, Lumineer Academy in Australia. Wu and her team have developed a framework that allows students to be engineers of their learning. Students do not have homework, classrooms, uniforms, or traditional grades. “Our current school models were built 100-plus years ago for the Industrial Revolution,” said Ms. Wu. “What they cared about were homogeneous factories that produced a template of a kind of worker. The world has changed.”
The article then mentions the fact that this is not the first time an influential business person has tried to dabble into the educational field. It cites people such as Elon Musk, Reeding Hasting, Marc Benioff, and Max Ventilla have all made attempts into the school system without sticking. Ms. Wu explains why her plans is different, hence, why she believes she will be successful. Location, funding, and purpose are all different from her counterparts.
My Take:
I found this article extremely intriguing. In fact, I did some more digging into Lumineer Academy to find out more about their program (check out the link below). What I liked about this article was Wu's approach to education. We are still teaching in a similar facet as we did over 100 years ago yet the world has changed. The article mentions other wealthy individuals that made their attempts in the educational system but have not experienced, or have had little, success. This notion that wealthy individuals are entering the educational field is interesting for two reasons.
First, in the article they mention "Critics, however, see Lumineer Academy as another in a series of attempts by Silicon Valley to apply the same techniques used to churn out successful apps to instead turn out successful children." If this is the case, it is disturbing and clearly not the goal of education. If members of Silicon Valley are attempting to boost their product by producing "apps" for their own personal gain then this is immoral and exploits the vulnerability and incidence of our youth.
Secondly, in a more hopefully manner, the notion of wealthy individuals entering the educational field to challenge traditions that have been established for decades is appealing. Grades, classrooms, schedule, and content delivery are all conversations progressive schools are having today in public education. "What is best practice for learning?" and "What is best for our students to be successful now and later in life?" are just two questions commonly asked by professionals in the field. I have had some delightful conversations regarding the concept of learning, traditional grading, and grouping. Educators are passionate about these topics because this shakes up what we are use to. Should public education take notice of individuals entering the field of education? Should we take some notes of what they are doing in their schools and implement certain items into our schools?
Lumineer Academic focuses on learning through authentic experiences that is driven by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Like the article says, they use a lot of good buzz words in education. Only time will tell how it will play out. I look forward to seeing how this approach works in the future.
↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓Check out Lumineer Academy video below ↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓
Testing or Relationships
Testing or Relationships
Article Summary: Maureen Downey explore the topic of focusing efforts on building and sustaining relationships with students in lieu of focusing on standardize test scores. Downey cites Peter Smagorinsky (UGA) and his attempts to understand why young teachers leave the profession of education. He follows a teacher who leaves the teaching profession only to return years later in a private institution. She mentions the superintendent's direction and focus for the school year stating "(he) spoke about the importance of human relationships, above all else. Not test scores."
Downey discusses the idea of removing the barriers that squeeze teachers such as standardize testing and over-structured curriculum.
My Take: A very common interview question is: Do you want your students to like you? The correct answer is yes. You want your students to like you because when they like you, they will do more for you. No one wants to do work or do extra things for someone they do not like. What is at the root of this question, you got it - relationships. A key part in a student's educational career is the relationships he/she has with their teachers. When we feel connected to something, we are more likely to give it our full effort. Our relationships with our kiddos are more important than ever. I say this as we continue to battle and navigate through social and emotional issues in K-12 education. We must have supports in place that provide a positive school experience to all students. Emotions run our body and thought process. Perception is relativity for kids. We must be understand and be emphatic to these conditions. Test scores do matter but the person is more important.
A Dive into Inclusion
A Dive into Inclusion
Article Summary: Downing (2010) does a comprehensive look at teaching students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities in general education classrooms. In this text, it summarizes the chapter by stating "While considerable change has occurred in the field with support from judicial, legislative, and advocacy means, many students with moderate to severe disabilities are still waiting to receive a high-quality and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. It is insufficient for students with moderate or severe disabilities to be physically present in general education classrooms without receiving the individualized and systematic instruction that is need to learn. Curricular adaptations are essential to allow cognitive, physical, sensory, and motivational access, but specific instruction for each student is also needed to ensure that learning occurs, and students are truly a part of the learning community."
"Certain premises of the text [should be] assumed throughout the remainder of the text. These assumptions include presumed competence of all learners, the benefits of students learning together, the critical role that family members play in the education and assessment of their child, the use of a positive behavioral approach in all interactions with students, (self-determination). Such assumptions are considered critical to attaining a high-quality education for students with moderate to severe disabilities."
My Take: Special education is continuously evolving to provide the best for students with disabilities. This chapter highlights some historical events and perceptions of where we came from. Revisiting how life was prior to 1960 with regards to parents of kids with mental disabilities was extremely disturbing. Parents and families would institutionalized their kids with intellectual disabilities and were considered unable to learn. Court cases to advocate for these types of learners did not occur to the 70s which got the ball rolling to help support students with disabilities. A refreshing tell of Least Restrictive Environments (LRE) and Integration was discussed. The benefits of Integration are not only about the students with disabilities but also about their non-disabled peers. The social benefits both parties obtain can create a positive school culture. I foresee schools and districts becoming more inclusive in the years to come. We still face challenges for inclusive education for our students with intellectual disabilities.
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