What are the enduring understandings that teachers must grapple with?
Does philosophy get closer and closer to the ultimate truth as time goes by? Epistemology, the branch of philosophy that addresses what it means to know and understand knowledge and understanding and how knowledge differs from belief and opinion, is a key facet of understanding. Wiggins and McTighe state, "To understand the world we must first understand ourselves. Through self-knowledge we also understand what we do not understand." This refers to the process of metacognition, self-knowledge about how we think and why and the relation between our preferred methods of learning and our understanding. Going back to ancient Greek times, educators were philosophers. The Oracle at Delphi clearly stated, "Know thyself" to wisdom seekers. Currently, in most teacher certification programs aspects of psychology are studied that focus on the ultimate goal on Maslow's hierarchy of human needs: self-actualization, or the ability to recognize your self-potential. In order to identify an understanding that is considered 'enduring', one must first possess an open mind that is able to question its ways of seeing the world to be better able to see beyond itself and eventually achieve understanding, or personal truth. As educators we have been trained in the self-reflective nature of the profession and should be continually investigating and substantiating our fluid understandings of our work.
The concept of a reasonable person lies at the heart of philosophy and of education itself. The reasonable person respects others and is prepared to take into account his or her views and feelings to the extent of changing his or her mind about issues of significance and consciously allowing personal perspectives to be changed by others (Sharp and Splitter, Teaching for Better Thinking). In short, the social disposition of reasonableness means that the person is willing to be reasoned with. Possessing reason, one is able to focus explicitly on big ideas that connect and bring meaning to discrete facts and skills, thereby creating a more holistic picture of education. Questions and philosophy are natural allies. Enduring ideas in the form of essential questions aim to stimulate thought and enable students to uncover the value of a topic. Not only do essential questions promote understanding of the content on a particular topic, but they also spark connections and promote transfer of ideas from one setting to another (Wiggins and McTighe, Understanding by Design).
Enduring understandings use discrete facts or skills to focus on larger concepts, principles or processes. They derive from and enable transfer: They are applicable to new situations within or beyond the subject. According to Lynn Erikson, "Universal generalizations have the same characteristics as a concept: broad and abstract; universal in application; generally timeless-carry through the ages; and represented by different examples." This means that generalizations are the enduring understandings, the recurring ideas that should be framing the coursework for study. For a thought provoking proposition to be considered a worthy understanding, it must be enduring-proven to be important and useful and will not be erased from memory once the course of study is completed. Understandings should specify something to be understood, focus on the abstract and transferable big ideas, and require inquiry and deep thought to eventually uncover their importance.
With that being said, what enduring understandings would an assumed enlightened educator focus on studying? As someone who is continually trying to reach so-called 'understandings' in respect to my profession, I can only speak from... my understanding. I feel that teachers today struggle to piece together the ideas behind how people learn and how to connect it to the infrastructure of their respective content areas in the classroom. The main goal is to have a deep understanding of the craft of teaching, so that every problematic situation with a learner can be met with a bountiful supply of solutions. Any teacher would revel in a classroom where the words left his or her lips and met with the minds and souls of the students to result in a communion of understanding. If teaching and learning happened this seamlessly, imagine how much engaged learning and how little tomfoolery would occur in school.
Maybe teachers should take time to think about the purpose of their careers and its effect on society today. There are some 'enduring understandings' that everyone, teachers and students alike from all backgrounds and age ranges, should grapple with. Where do understandings surrounding the concepts of philosophy, friendship, responsibility, happiness, justice, time, courage, death, prejudice, god, humanity, nature, compassion, freedom and love come from? Teachers should grapple with enduring understandings that limit the range of content they are allowed to teach in the classroom. In ancient Athens, Plato looked forward to a time whern philosophers would govern the state. He insisted that peace is possible only if thinkers who embrace the world of ideas make the decisions that affect everyone (McCarty, Little Big Minds). The word philosophy means "love of wisdom." It is ironic that educators try to impart the love of acquiring knowledge on to their students by avoiding investigation into the discipline that is interdisciplinary by nature. Overcoming the 'expert blind spot' where what is obvious to us is not as clear cut and simple to a novice is one understanding that teachers struggle to come to terms with, but through opening the minds of those in the classroom to a sense of wonder and countless questions, ordinary understandings usually taken for granted will be enhanced with new meaning when we look deeper and investigate life.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Fresh Meat
Is academic intelligence more valuable than life experience? From the perspective of a novice teacher, it seems that experience would outweigh any of the disconnected balderdash pressed upon students in an undergraduate teacher certification program. I know this all too well from first hand experience. Being a master in a specific content area does not mean that you are the master of teaching that content area. Yes, I can read, write and solve most mathematical equations that come my way, and in a perfect world where there are no time constraints, interruptions, distractions or impeding paperwork, my first year as a teacher would have gone as smooth, and possibly as tasty, as butter. Unfortunately Dewey and Piaget couldn't help me when my principal came in to my class and asked my students in Spanish if I did anything all day because their work was so poor. After exhausting all my energy and resources working 16 hour days trying to help my eighth grade students read and understand on at least a fifth grade level, I considered a career change. I can still rattle off the list of Bloom's Taxonomy and Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, but that is not what a successful novice teacher makes.
Not every new teacher will have the same experience as I did. In fact, I can probably assure that most new teachers will never share that same experience throughout their entire career, but that doesn't mean that it won't be tough. Instead of writing an essay on what qualities a successful beginning teacher possesses, I'd like to present these characteristics in a list. Hindsight is 20/20.
1) They must be a master in their discipline, and depending on the grade level and department organization, it could be many disciplines. This means that they have to hold a solid understanding of all aspects of the content they are expected to teach, and if they don't, they can use logical reasoning to figure it out. I don't want to offend anyone, because we are all prone to making mistakes from time to time, but there is nothing worse than working with or being a student of a teacher that does not know what they are talking about. For example, if you plan to teach English (or any subject in America), you should be able to speak with correct grammar.
2) They must study the basic theories and schools of thought concerning how people learn. Teachers need to be able to understand why they teach in a particular way. They need to be aware of different learning strategies so that they can troubleshoot their lessons to see if they are not relaying their content effectively enough. They need to have a bank of resources and justifications for making classroom decisions. Usually after a brief overview of educational theory, this is where the colleges of education throw their pupils to the wolves to be eaten alive instead of preparing them further for the classroom experience. This knowledge is valuable to a certain extent, but it is necessary to apply it correctly in order to maximize it's value and importance.
3) Teachers need to know how to organize and keep records. Maybe I'm particular about this because I am your typical Type A personality combined with working in an Abbott District drowning in papers. Planning a lesson is a must and many new teachers decide to fly by the seat of their pants (which should be embarrassing for them because it's very noticeable!). From my experience, documenting and organizing paperwork concerning work and student related situations is a life and time saver. Plus, students and colleagues alike would appreciate someone who knows what is going on and can meet deadlines.
4) It is essential for new teachers to be well informed and equipped for handling student safety, discipline, and learning disabilities. Fire drill procedures at a new school, internet policies, electronics policies and other rules and regulations are important bits of information that they should be well versed in so when the first fire drill occurs, they aren't wandering around aimlessly. Disciplinary action is also another serious issue - new teachers should be aware of 'zero tolerance' procedures, the hierarchy of command (guidance counselor, SAC, Crisis Intervention, Nurse, etc.) They should be aware of how to send a child to the Pupil Resource/504 Committee, what kinds of interventions are acceptable to try and document, and the processes that coincide with having a student evaluated by the Child Study Team.
5) If all these qualities are in place, then the final two and probably most difficult for a new teacher to practice are time and classroom management. The idea behind my list is that if they already know their content, theories, organization style and school procedures for student safety and learning, then time and classroom management should be a piece of cake. If the new teacher practices organization and planning, their time management should go smoothly (of course not perfect, that takes years of experience!) Discipline issues are a major distraction and interruption to the learning environment in a classroom, but if a new teacher establishes a sense of organization and knowledge of how things work around the school, the student is more apt to take the teacher seriously. Professors of education rarely inform the newbies that students can smell fresh meat from a mile away! If all the appearances of an established teacher are in place, it will at least trick them or keep them at bay while you try to figure out how to slip out of the classroom unnoticed. (Just kidding, I would never recommend that no matter how many times it has crossed my mind.)
Experience is the best teacher. While this list encompasses what I feel would create success for a first year teacher, it is only appropriate within that context. It may take a novice teacher an entire year to figure out what works for them, but once they do, the following years can be spent on developing and honing their skills to become an even more effective teacher. With that being said, I believe the characteristics listed above would provide a new teacher with greater advantage for achieving success in the classroom.
Not every new teacher will have the same experience as I did. In fact, I can probably assure that most new teachers will never share that same experience throughout their entire career, but that doesn't mean that it won't be tough. Instead of writing an essay on what qualities a successful beginning teacher possesses, I'd like to present these characteristics in a list. Hindsight is 20/20.
1) They must be a master in their discipline, and depending on the grade level and department organization, it could be many disciplines. This means that they have to hold a solid understanding of all aspects of the content they are expected to teach, and if they don't, they can use logical reasoning to figure it out. I don't want to offend anyone, because we are all prone to making mistakes from time to time, but there is nothing worse than working with or being a student of a teacher that does not know what they are talking about. For example, if you plan to teach English (or any subject in America), you should be able to speak with correct grammar.
2) They must study the basic theories and schools of thought concerning how people learn. Teachers need to be able to understand why they teach in a particular way. They need to be aware of different learning strategies so that they can troubleshoot their lessons to see if they are not relaying their content effectively enough. They need to have a bank of resources and justifications for making classroom decisions. Usually after a brief overview of educational theory, this is where the colleges of education throw their pupils to the wolves to be eaten alive instead of preparing them further for the classroom experience. This knowledge is valuable to a certain extent, but it is necessary to apply it correctly in order to maximize it's value and importance.
3) Teachers need to know how to organize and keep records. Maybe I'm particular about this because I am your typical Type A personality combined with working in an Abbott District drowning in papers. Planning a lesson is a must and many new teachers decide to fly by the seat of their pants (which should be embarrassing for them because it's very noticeable!). From my experience, documenting and organizing paperwork concerning work and student related situations is a life and time saver. Plus, students and colleagues alike would appreciate someone who knows what is going on and can meet deadlines.
4) It is essential for new teachers to be well informed and equipped for handling student safety, discipline, and learning disabilities. Fire drill procedures at a new school, internet policies, electronics policies and other rules and regulations are important bits of information that they should be well versed in so when the first fire drill occurs, they aren't wandering around aimlessly. Disciplinary action is also another serious issue - new teachers should be aware of 'zero tolerance' procedures, the hierarchy of command (guidance counselor, SAC, Crisis Intervention, Nurse, etc.) They should be aware of how to send a child to the Pupil Resource/504 Committee, what kinds of interventions are acceptable to try and document, and the processes that coincide with having a student evaluated by the Child Study Team.
5) If all these qualities are in place, then the final two and probably most difficult for a new teacher to practice are time and classroom management. The idea behind my list is that if they already know their content, theories, organization style and school procedures for student safety and learning, then time and classroom management should be a piece of cake. If the new teacher practices organization and planning, their time management should go smoothly (of course not perfect, that takes years of experience!) Discipline issues are a major distraction and interruption to the learning environment in a classroom, but if a new teacher establishes a sense of organization and knowledge of how things work around the school, the student is more apt to take the teacher seriously. Professors of education rarely inform the newbies that students can smell fresh meat from a mile away! If all the appearances of an established teacher are in place, it will at least trick them or keep them at bay while you try to figure out how to slip out of the classroom unnoticed. (Just kidding, I would never recommend that no matter how many times it has crossed my mind.)
Experience is the best teacher. While this list encompasses what I feel would create success for a first year teacher, it is only appropriate within that context. It may take a novice teacher an entire year to figure out what works for them, but once they do, the following years can be spent on developing and honing their skills to become an even more effective teacher. With that being said, I believe the characteristics listed above would provide a new teacher with greater advantage for achieving success in the classroom.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Backward Design
I wonder sometimes how I learned anything at all as I recall the techniques with which I was taught. Am I exceptional? Well, yes, of course I am, but I cannot possibly be that remarkable of a student considering I'm not writing this blog from a computer lab at Harvard University. Pondering the irony of being such a high performing student that I could see through the gobbledygook of ineffective teaching to make meaningful connections and yet not being recognized as a noteworthy learner, I question how poorly our country as a whole was performing on the standardized tests of my time. I question how I would perform on the standardized tests of today. Would I run out of time? Would I not be able to answer the same question asked in different ways? Perhaps the answer is yes. I bet a Harvard grad could successfully complete both those tasks.
It makes logical sense that to achieve a goal you have set forth for yourself, you need to plan from the last step to the first in order to be the most efficient and effective. I think of this in terms of an analogy where one is presented with the typical labyrinth puzzle on the page of a game book. You see where you are, and because of the aerial perspective, you also see exactly where you need to end up. In between is where the complications arise. There are twists and turns, tricks and dead ends, maybe even a Minotaur lurking behind the maze walls. When I approach this type of puzzle, I always start with the end and draw my pen (I don't allow myself the opportunity to make a mistake only to erase it and forget it never happened) back towards the start line. Why do I approach the maze like that? Well, for one, it cuts out all the nonsense that can trip you up on your way from the start to the end point. In order for the end to be reachable, there has to be one continuous open road that leads somewhat easily from where you began. It doesn't go smoothly 100% of the time, but this is a strategy that works.
I think of the starting point as where the teacher begins. The end point is where the teacher hopes to meet the student. The squiggly lines in between the beginning and the end, full of traps and scary monsters, is the path of student understanding that the teacher has to tread ever so lightly because one false move - JUST ONE! - is written in pen and will not be so easily erased from the student's mind. If you take a quick glimpse of the maze, it actually appears to look like a brain. Continuing to teach and plan from the first to last step will maintain poor results. Those 'dead ends' and 'scary monsters' will persevere unless we make some changes.
I consider myself to work in a pretty innovative school. We grab the bull by its horns on a regular basis; new grants, initiatives, changes, whatever is sent in our direction we infuse into our system immediately and practice it well. We have so much going on at any given time, I sometimes wonder how we do it all. Principals, assistant superintendents, supervisors, teachers and politicians are frequently a part of our school's visitor log. They come to see our exemplary work, only there is one problem: we are a failing school. I've worked there for almost three years, and each year we do not meet AYP (adequate yearly progress towards NCLB benchmarks). I assume that the ideas presented in Understanding by Design by Wiggins and McTighe are not brand new, considering the 2005 copyright. Why is it that this type of curriculum design has not been adopted by failing school districts, or all districts in the state or country? It actually seems like it would be less work for the teachers to follow along with this type of lesson planning for their state standards and distrcit curricula considering they would have only outlined certain important focuses for the student's performance instead of just covering the material for familiarization.
I don't remember where or when, but I do recall hearing a fact about how pupils in different countries are tested on performance instead of the American quintessential standardized test. They excel at their test scores abroad, and when presented with American testing, they score off the charts. Our students, on the other hand, struggle with our style of testing as it is and if presented to foreign performance based testing, they fall flat on their faces. It's time to make a move to a different style of teaching and student expectations in order to keep up with advancing countries around the world. I feel embarrassed to be considered part of a country's education system that perpetuates sub-par learners when an American diploma was once considered the peak of achievement. Currently, my district is debating a new lesson plan format and I feel that the one presented in Understanding by Design would be an easier and more effective alternative to having teacher's promote a style that works for them, not necessarily their students. The most important aspect of education is to keep in mind that what you do is not for you, it is for the student. Flexibility and openness to change is an essential attribute to today's instructors.
It makes logical sense that to achieve a goal you have set forth for yourself, you need to plan from the last step to the first in order to be the most efficient and effective. I think of this in terms of an analogy where one is presented with the typical labyrinth puzzle on the page of a game book. You see where you are, and because of the aerial perspective, you also see exactly where you need to end up. In between is where the complications arise. There are twists and turns, tricks and dead ends, maybe even a Minotaur lurking behind the maze walls. When I approach this type of puzzle, I always start with the end and draw my pen (I don't allow myself the opportunity to make a mistake only to erase it and forget it never happened) back towards the start line. Why do I approach the maze like that? Well, for one, it cuts out all the nonsense that can trip you up on your way from the start to the end point. In order for the end to be reachable, there has to be one continuous open road that leads somewhat easily from where you began. It doesn't go smoothly 100% of the time, but this is a strategy that works.
I think of the starting point as where the teacher begins. The end point is where the teacher hopes to meet the student. The squiggly lines in between the beginning and the end, full of traps and scary monsters, is the path of student understanding that the teacher has to tread ever so lightly because one false move - JUST ONE! - is written in pen and will not be so easily erased from the student's mind. If you take a quick glimpse of the maze, it actually appears to look like a brain. Continuing to teach and plan from the first to last step will maintain poor results. Those 'dead ends' and 'scary monsters' will persevere unless we make some changes.
I consider myself to work in a pretty innovative school. We grab the bull by its horns on a regular basis; new grants, initiatives, changes, whatever is sent in our direction we infuse into our system immediately and practice it well. We have so much going on at any given time, I sometimes wonder how we do it all. Principals, assistant superintendents, supervisors, teachers and politicians are frequently a part of our school's visitor log. They come to see our exemplary work, only there is one problem: we are a failing school. I've worked there for almost three years, and each year we do not meet AYP (adequate yearly progress towards NCLB benchmarks). I assume that the ideas presented in Understanding by Design by Wiggins and McTighe are not brand new, considering the 2005 copyright. Why is it that this type of curriculum design has not been adopted by failing school districts, or all districts in the state or country? It actually seems like it would be less work for the teachers to follow along with this type of lesson planning for their state standards and distrcit curricula considering they would have only outlined certain important focuses for the student's performance instead of just covering the material for familiarization.
I don't remember where or when, but I do recall hearing a fact about how pupils in different countries are tested on performance instead of the American quintessential standardized test. They excel at their test scores abroad, and when presented with American testing, they score off the charts. Our students, on the other hand, struggle with our style of testing as it is and if presented to foreign performance based testing, they fall flat on their faces. It's time to make a move to a different style of teaching and student expectations in order to keep up with advancing countries around the world. I feel embarrassed to be considered part of a country's education system that perpetuates sub-par learners when an American diploma was once considered the peak of achievement. Currently, my district is debating a new lesson plan format and I feel that the one presented in Understanding by Design would be an easier and more effective alternative to having teacher's promote a style that works for them, not necessarily their students. The most important aspect of education is to keep in mind that what you do is not for you, it is for the student. Flexibility and openness to change is an essential attribute to today's instructors.
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