Clearly, if one took the time to read through my blogs for the last many weeks including summer time, one would realize that I have changed my driving question a few times. Well, here I go again. I worry not, as I understand and take comfort in the fact that this cohort is keeping it real, and not judging me! I will be including more information and insight into the 4 C's and TPACK in the coming assignments. I am feeling...overwhelmed. I am feeling...exhilarated. I am feeling...tired of zooming. I am feeling...unfulfilled. Lastly, I am feeling...like I can't wait to start my journey with my new DQ - beginning with a survey of my students and families.
I can identify with the ACOT research project. I feel I am past Stage 1 - Entry. I am somewhere in Stage 2 - Adoption. This is very likely NOT where much of the cohort is but I have been behind the times working for 12 years at a non-digital school. I am struggling (not complaining mind you) to make up time. I DO feel that my school aligns with something I am re-reading from Linda Darling-Hammond (pg. 65): "Research suggests that successful new models of schooling require strong teacher faculties who work in organizational structures that create more coherence and a "communal" orientation, in which staff see themselves as part of a family and work together to create a caring environment." My school is not strong on tech tools but we are strong on family and creating a caring environment. My U-Turn will be encompassing the 4 C's in my action research, and moving into the ACOT Stage 5 - Innovation! I have a lot of work to do.
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Please do not laugh at me. I am doing a 180 on my driving question! My new thinking is: How does interaction with a pet improve student behavior and performance?
So this is a far cry from my last question, which mind you, I spent 8 straight weeks working on. In my vast experience with distance learning thus far, it came clear to me that a few weeks in and as families sheltered at home, many adopted a new pet. Typical zoom session at the beginning: "Hi Johnny! Is that a new doggie in your lap?" "Yes, Mrs. Flynn! His name is Walter and he is a cockapoo. We got him last week!" And on and on it went. I had EIGHT families with a new pet during shelter in place in the spring. It was a big, interesting, and much needed conversation between myself, my students, and often their moms, who were usually close by. Hmm. How might this new friend make a difference in student performance - either at home or in the classroom (whenever that happens)? This is really intriguing to me. I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I think I am kinda excited about this. Class pet experiences, anyone? Last semester, the 4C's were more of a cool graphic on our Touro website than an idea. Now, I have been referring to it, beginning to understand its relevance, and excited to see how this theory plays out in all the work I do from here forward. I watched MANY videos this week. Some were inspiring, such as the one on the Culture of Critique, on which I discussed in my very short video presentation. This video encompasses so much of what we teachers need to understand about our future 21st century kiddos: they are so smart, so savvy, and so ready to embrace the culture of the 4C's. If we can consistently, through out the grades and across curriculum's, establish a culture where we are creating together, critiquing each other in a kind and meaningful, collaborating on assignments, and using our critical thinking skills, we can then expect our students to become actively engaged, problem-solving young men and women. The video that also caught my eye, and my heart strings was, A Vision from Today's Students. NOT what I was expecting. I showed it to my 16 year old daughter, and not surprisingly, she quietly nodded in agreement throughout the whole thing. These particular students are not engaged, not feeling particularly interested in the curriculum or the way it is presented, feel the sting of too much homework, not enough sleep, wondering why they are constantly tested, and how much of that will be relevant in their adult lives. These two important videos portray very different ideas and are both extremely timely. How WILL we create a culture of the 4C's across all districts for all learners? It is not near enough to just put a laptop into every student's hands - that is standard stuff these days. It all comes down to well-researched, powerful instruction by educators, where we teach problem solving, how to collaborate with all types of students and in all types of situations, how to give and receive critiques, and all the while communicating and thinking critically.
hate to get too deep in my first blog, when times are hard enough right now, but when I think of America's commitment to education and how how it is playing out through our districts, it is BLEAK. I stand (via zoom) with 9 other teachers in this cohort who are clearly committed to their profession, their community, and their students. We all are doing a whole lot more than whatever it is that is detailed in our job descriptions. We are working FAR more hours than designated in our contracts. We are spending less time with our families that we should - period. Yes, Linda Darling-Hammond, America IS losing ground. Nations everywhere are funding their education systems so that their schools have the resources they need, and even extra resources for the communities that need it more. AND, other nations are doing it smartly! Teaching skills that will serve their populations for their entire lives - how to design and manage one's own work, how to think critically, how to work in groups for one collective outcome, how to analyze information, and how to communicate well. I am haunted by the phrase on page 5: "...Singapore recognizes that its human capital will determine its future."
How are OUR schools supporting its future? I am saddened to read about America's lagging achievement. I understand that Singapore and the United States are vastly different in terms of population (Singapore 5.6 million, US 328 million) but there is so much to glean from what a country does right. Teachers, the vast majority of them, are doing everything they know how to do and are doing it extremely well, given the resources. But what can be done to alleviate this significant achievement gap? |
Kathy FlynnAlways hoping, learning, and wondering...how am I making a difference in my student's lives? Archives
April 2021
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